09 Jul 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a disease of the heart, a right relationship with the Lord, and I know how to abound, assurance of salvation, At midnight, at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, awakened to the sun, be responsible and stay safe, Billy Graham Evangelistic Website, by the example, change our evil ways, confusion and havoc of Covid 19, contentment. a had-earned lesson, discontentment, embrace your love and compassion, freedom from the bondage of discontentment, Friday chant, humility, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I have learned, I know both how to be abased, impact the world, in whatever state I am, introduce a whole new flock, Joy Allmond, live the abundant life, LOVE, Not that I speak in respect of want, omnipotent help, our sinful world, praise, right and sincere motives, set by your faithful believers, the heart of the jailer was changed, the Lord searches our hearts, the school of hard knocks, therewith to be content, until you've seen the rain, wake up and smell the coffee, you never appreciate the sun
Philippians 4:12a. I know both how to be abased (suffer want), and I know how to abound:
Well at last we have awakened to the sun and not dark, cloudy skies! (smile) As they say, you never truly appreciate the sun until you’ve seen the rain…and literally too much of it. But as good believers we must learn to be contented in whatever situation we find ourselves. As Bruh Paul wrote to the Philippians from a Roman prison regarding the gift they sent him. ‘Not that I speak in respect of want (regarding need): for I have learned, in whatever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased (suffer want), and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and suffer need.’ (Phil. 4:11-12)
Yes friends, Bruh Paul is saying that he was grateful for the financial contribution of the Philippians, but he could also have done without it, because he had learned how to be contented in times of plenty, as well as in times of scarcity. And then he added that verse we all find so easy to quote, but don’t fully understand: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. (Phil. 4:13) Please note though, as the scholars explain: ‘The Greek here suggests that contentment is a lesson learned neither in a classroom nor overnight, but through many practical experiences in life.’
And that’s the indisputable truth my people! Contentment in all circumstances, or merely contentment itself, is a hard-earned lesson offered and majored only in the school of hard knocks, the school of life. But then again, it’s only through the grace and power of Christ that we can learn such an important lesson. Let’s never forget that aspect of it. And on the Billy Graham Evangelistic Website, I found this interesting commentary on the subject by Joy Allmond. She says: ‘It’s part of the human condition – we often want what we don’t have or what we see other people getting. Discontentment is a disease of the heart running rampant, even among the most faithful believers in Christ.’
Then she goes on to give some examples of discontentment, which basically break down to greed, envy, jealousy and selfish pride. And follows it up with this question, one that we can, ought to all ask ourselves. ‘Why are we so easily discontented? We could assume people in the above scenarios are too busy focusing on their circumstances and not on God.’ Now isn’t that the living truth? It certainly is. Most of our discontent comes from focusing on our circumstances and not on God and His awesome ability to change or improve them.
Ms. Allmond then tells us a couple of ways to put our focus on where it belongs – in humility and praise. Yes friends, when we concentrate on those two areas of our spiritual lives, we won’t have time to make comparisons and become disappointed or discontented. That’s because our focus is totally concentrated on God, not the circumstances currently surrounding us. And the two biblical examples Ms. Allmond gives are first on humility, Bruh Paul’s words above to the Philippians.
She then explains: ‘Paul wrote this letter from a Roman prison, having been incarcerated for sharing his faith. By our standards here in the United States, this is a very unfair predicament. Yet, Paul did not feel he was short of anything. He was humble to accept the circumstances he had been given, because he was humbled by the grace he had been given by God when he became a follower of Christ. He knew, at that point, that he possessed that most important thing he could ever obtain – assurance of salvation and a right relationship with his Lord.’ Now do we know that my faithful brethren in Christ? I surely hope so, otherwise we are definitely missing an essential aspect of our Christian faith.
Then on the subject of praise, she highlights the passage of scripture where Paul and Silas are imprisoned in Philippi. ‘And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God (were praying and singing songs): and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands (chains) were loosed.’ (Acts. 16:25-26) And we all know what happened afterward; no one escaped, but the jailer and his family were saved, and no doubt some of the other prisoners too, which was God’s real purpose behind the earthquake.
Ms. Allmond’s commentary on that scripture is also interesting. ‘In this passage, Paul was imprisoned (at an earlier time), along with Silas, for spreading the Gospel. They had been stripped and beaten severely. Instead of complaining or lamenting, the two men began to sing praises to their God. It’s probably safe to say they didn’t feel like praising the Lord, but they chose to have a grateful heart. They literally “brought down the house” with their songs of praise! The floor of the prison was shaken by an earthquake, and everyone in their midst were set free (chains loosed). Not only were the other prisoners set free (chains loosed) by their praise, the heart of the jailer was changed (verses 31-40).
It’s interesting to see that their attitude about their circumstances not only pleased God, it impacted other people – it freed them. We can become so caught up in our attitude of discontentment that it affects the people in our paths. It could even keep them from wanting to know Christ. Do you think the jailer would have been attracted to a relationship with Christ if he sensed a bitter heart in Paul and Silas? Let’s commit to freedom from the bondage of discontentment through attitudes of humility and praise. By doing this, we can do more than live the abundant life in Christ that was intended for us. We can impact the world by living this outwardly for those around us to witness.’
Oh my fellow saints of Christ, I could not put it any better than that. So please let’s take that wise and wonderful advice to heart nuh, for it will certainly benefit us all. And there’s no better time to begin doing that, than right now, (smile) by going to our great and wonderful God in humble prayer, acquainting Him with our problems, through our Friday Chant.
As one strong, confident, but humble voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and the various other areas of strife are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets.
So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways.
And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now that all sounds wonderful, but please remember that unless we do change our evil ways, and become truly faithful believers, our prayer will not be positively answered. Much LOVE!
…the Lord searches our hearts…for right and sincere motives…before He answers our prayers…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
08 Jul 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: A Lover's Concerto, a supernatural peace, birds serenade the flowers, Christians never give up, comapssionate heart, curse, divine assurance, faith, favour, good health, how gentle is the rain, I will fear no evil, in the name of Jesus, keep on fighting the good fight, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, made this day for us to fall in love, my glory and the lifter up of my head, my peace I give unto you, negative word, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth, Peace i leave with you, peace of mind, pilgrim's journey, prosper, see there beyond the hills, some magic from above, spiritual maturity, succeed, that falls softly on the meadow, that have set themselves against me, The Botanical Gardens in Scarborough, the bright colours of the rainbow, the Lord sustained me, the peace of Mother Nature, the Prince of Peace, The Toys, the valley of the shadow of death, there is no help for him in God, thou O Lord art a shield for me, though I walk through, Thursday Blessings, with their melodies, working for Jesus is so wonderful
Psalm 3:3. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for (around) me; my glory, and the lifter up of (the one who lifts up) my head.
It’s a wet and cloudy Thursday morning, but for some reason, when I looked outside earlier on, the opening words of the old song, ‘A Lover’s Concerto’ by the Black Female group ‘The Toys’ came to mind. Please sing along with me, if you remember it. (smile) ‘How gentle is the rain, that falls softly on the meadow. Birds, high up in the trees, serenade the flowers with their melodies. See, there beyond the hills, the bright colours of the rainbow. Some magic from above made this day just for us to fall in LOVE!’
Ah friends, most of you are too young to remember that song when it first came out in 1965. However, you can check out several versions on YouTube, including some by later reincarnations of the ‘The Toys.’ Didn’t even know that there were others…and some good ones too. (smile) But I always remember the first time I heard it, sitting in the old bandshell at the top of the Botanical Gardens in my hometown of Scarborough, Tobago, looking down on the harbour in the distance, surrounded by all the lush, beautiful, tropical scenery that was the gardens.
It’s changed up now, but back then ‘the gardens’ as it was popularly known, was a haven for both the eyes and the soul – and lovers too (smile) – a place where one could simply relax and enjoy the simplicity and peace of Mother Nature. Oh, how I miss those slow, carefree days of youth! Now, everything is just hustle and bustle, and it’s difficult to even find a quiet green space that can offer peace of mind. But friends, I know a place, or rather a man, or better yet, a God-man, who can help you to find that peace which you are so desperately seeking. His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Saviour of the world, the Prince of Peace!
If you turn to Him, and live the way He desires, you will find the utmost peace in whatever situation you might encounter! That His promise. And He doesn’t make or take promises lightly. So you can be assured that whatever He tells you, will come to pass. And if it’s peace of mind you are looking for, then you’ve certainly come to the right place. Listen to Jesus as He offers this assurance. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27).
Yes my brethren, the peace of Jesus is a completely different kind of peace to that found in the world! It’s a divine, a supernatural peace! A peace that flows from God, not from man, or any of his doings. A peace that one can find in any kind of situation, be it fraught with fear or danger. Yes, the peace of Jesus gives one the confidence to handle whatever comes against you, although it may be bigger and tougher than you.
And Bruh David puts it so eloquently in Psalm 23. ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:4) What greater peace, confidence and assurance can one have than not being afraid, even in the face of death eh? None whatsoever! And that’s why it’s ever so important to come to Jesus, because He is the ONLY One who can offer that kind of assurance! And it’s that divine assurance that kept Bruh David going, despite all the problems he faced.
Listen to how he puts it in Psalm 3, when he fled from his son Absalom, who was trying to usurp his kingdom. ‘Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for (around) me; my glory, and the lifter up of (the one who lifts up) my head. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. I laid me down and slept. I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.’ (Ps. 3:2-6)
Oh my people, do we have that kind of confidence in Jesus Christ, that though thousands come against us, we will not be swayed, that we can sleep peacefully in the night? We need to, if we are to stand strong against the enemy and his evil minions. Yuh see, even at one of Bruh David’s lowest points, the rebellion of his son, he still sought and found solace in the Lord his God. That’s the kind of spiritual maturity we need to get us through our pilgrim’s journey here on earth.
And just one more goody here from Bruh David before we close. (smile). In total confidence, he declares: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up (devour) my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.’ (Ps. 27:1-3)
Oh my fellow saints in Christ, are we that confident in the Lord our God? Can we stand up and confidently make those statements? I do hope so. Otherwise our faith is not as strong as it ought to be. For it’s only with a strong and mature faith that we can stand steadfast in the knowledge that Christ will enable us to do whatever it takes to defeat the enemy. But unfortunately, that level of faith only comes through experience; through spending much time with Christ – studying His word and talking to Him – then seeing, both in our own lives and those of others, the wonders He can perform, and the strength that He is able to give.
And if you are not yet at that level of faith, many of us are not, please don’t give up hope, just keep on fighting the good fight of faith. Every day you fight, your faith will grow. And believe me, I’m talking from personal experience, the day will come when you will be pleasantly surprised at certain decisions you make, which show your awesome increase in faith. So please keep plugging on, for Christians NEVER GIVE UP!
Now, let’s go home declaring (yeah!!!) our Thursday Blessings, those divine blessings so generously granted to strengthen us for God’s earthly work. Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
So enough with the talk, (smile) let’s go out and put all those blessings into action nuh… and remember to share them, just as generously as they were granted to us. Much LOVE!
…working for Jesus is so wonderful…but you will never know it…until you do it…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
07 Jul 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a life mentor, and lo I am with you always, anxiety, but of power love and a sound mind, climate change, doubts, Evelyn Oliver, even unto the end of the world, every Tom Dick and Harry, eyes fixed straight ahead, filled with water, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, halfway home, hands fixed securely on the plough, having a right ole time, he said unto them, heatwave, how is it that ye have no faith, human traits, I'm so glad to be alive, in jeopardy, Jesus as our guide and pilot, Jesus is the answer to everything, LOVE, Master carest not thou that we perish, more fear of the storm than trust in God, more than we can ask or imagine, not turning back, pandemic situation, sinus allergies, temperature vacillation, the breath of life, the ship was covered with the waves, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, why are ye so fearful
Mark 4:40. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
Then it was Wednesday, and the heat wave we have had for the past few days, with temps in the thirties, seems to have suddenly disappeared, with the high today expected to be in the low twenties, with rain and cloudy skies. What a contrary summer it’s turning out to be; a few hot days backed by a few cool ones. And the rain and thunderstorms seem to be even more prevalent now than in the springtime. It’s therefore no surprise that my sinus allergies are having a right ole time with the temperature vacillation.
But that’s climate change for you! (smile) However we must learn to weather it like we do everything else. And as with everything else, the best way to weather it is with Jesus as our guide and pilot. There’s no doubt whatsoever that with Jesus leading, we can handle anything, ride out any storm, be it literal or figurative, for He is the man who calms the winds and seas, again, both literally and figuratively.
We find this highlighted in the Good Book, where while He and the disciples were crossing the sea of Galilee a terrible storm arose – ‘insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves’ – ‘and they were filled (filling) with water, and were in jeopardy.’ The first quote there is from Matt. 8:24, and the second from Luke 8:23. So they did seem to be in mortal danger. But where was Jesus during this crucial and critical time eh? Mark tells us: ‘And He was in the hinder part of the ship (the stern) asleep on a pillow:’ Mark 4:38a)
Now imagine that nuh…the boat is being tossed to and fro, taking in water, in danger of sinking, and Jesus is comfortably asleep in the stern. That abnormal situation certainly perturbed the disciples, ‘and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?’ (Mark 4:38b)
Most likely Jesus was upset that they had woken Him from a comfortable sleep, even possibly a sweet dream. ‘And he arose and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this (who can this be), that even the wind and the sea obey him?’ (Mark 4:39-41)
Now that’s why we are so highly recommending Jesus for the position of Lord and Saviour, Guide and Pilot of our lives! He doesn’t get all anxious and afraid in storms. And if you call out to Him, when you are immersed in them, like we all are at some time or other, He will even take the time and calm those storms for you. That’s how seriously He takes His task as your storm pilot!
Furthermore, once you engage Him as your dedicated mentor and guide, He has promised never to leave nor forsake you, to stay always by your side and help you through everything in this life, be they good or bad! He said it directly to the disciples: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b)
Wow! How good is that for a life mentor eh? Most wonderful, I’d say! (smile) So you see friends, it’s no half-baked tale I’m spinning you, but the story of real people, and a real God-man. ‘The Son of man,’ was Jesus’ favourite terminology when referring to Himself. But coming back to the story of the storm, it shows that though the disciples had seen Jesus do several miracles their faith was still small.
Then, as one commentator, Evelyn Oliver/Christian Disciplines says: ‘This story has a lot of importance for us today. It is incredible to see the peace that Jesus had in this situation and the complete turmoil that the disciples were in. Jesus was at peace and not worried about the storm around them. There was no reason for the disciples to be afraid…. We know that Jesus knew what was going on from the beginning because he reprimanded the disciples for their lack of faith. They did not trust in Jesus and all he could and would do. At that moment, the disciples had more fear of the storm than trust in God.’
And sadly my people, that same situation still exists with us today. In too many cases, we fear the storms that come upon us more than we trust our Lord and Saviour, Guide and Mentor, Jesus. And that’s a crying shame! For if, in the good and calm times, you ask anyone of us so-called believers about trust and faith in Jesus, we would certainly serenade you with a powerful version of our strong faith. But as soon as the storm approaches, when reality hits, that strong faith seems to just disappear into thin air.
And we are seeing that show forth very clearly in this pandemic situation. Instead of doing our part, and then standing strong in faith, knowing that this too must pass eventually, we get all worked up and anxious about stuff we have absolutely no control over. And we listen to every Tom, Dick and Harry, who are spouting so much incorrect stuff, so much disinformation, and thus feeding the devil’s fear mongering machine.
Consequently, in a time when we need to show forth the most faith – which doesn’t mean being foolish like so many of us supposed believers, and refusing to take the few measures within our ability to stop the spread of the virus – our number one response is fear. No wonder the virus is taking much longer to go away.
So friends, in times like these, it’s very important for us to remember the memorable words of Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) And God expects us to use those abilities in a sensible manner, which means faithfully turning to Him in the time of storm, with few doubts and little anxiety. Those are human traits that we cannot completely eradicate, but we surely can keep them to a minimum with strong faith in Christ Jesus.
Now, for those of us who are sincerely endeavouring to keep Jesus first place in our lives, let’s go home declaring (steups!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our most wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong voice. ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And just in case you don’t remember, or your faith flounders some, (smile) if we endure to the end, that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…how many times do I have to say it eh…Jesus is the answer…Jesus is the answer…Jesus is the answer to EVERYTHING…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
06 Jul 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a pit of darkness, awesome generosity, called I upon the name of the Lord, gracious is the Lord and righteous, he has heard my voice and my supplications, heartfelt thanks, hellish times, I am not what people say about me, I am the beloved of god, I am thy servant, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I found sorrow and trouble, I Love the Lord, I will pay my vows unto the Lord, I will take the cup of salvation, I will walk before the Lord, in god's eyes, in the land of the living, in the presence of all his people, LOVE, mine eyes from tears, my feet from falling, new mercies and compassions, no one can take that from me, our God is merciful, return unto thy rest O my soul, share His love with the world, tempestuous day, the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee, the love and peace that flows from Jesus, the pains of hell, the sacrifice of thanksgiving, thou hast delivered my soul from death, thou hast loosed my bonds, Tuesday Mantra, undeserving children of men
Psalm 116:9. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
We moving on friends! It’s Tuesday – a brand new day, with new mercies and compassions! Thank the Lord! So let’s leave all the heartache and anxiety of yesterday behind there nuh, where it so rightfully belongs. Today we must show gratefulness for this new day and the new blessings from our wonderful Creator. And it’s only right that we take a moment now to offer a li’l thanks.
Please pray with me. ‘Dear Lord, you are so awesome, so generous to us undeserving children of men. That’s why we want to give you thanks, and praise your holy name this Tuesday morning, as we embark on our daily journey in this sinful and ungodly world. Only with your amazing help, your awesome generosity will we be able to make it through another tempestuous day down here on earth.
So please accept our heartfelt thanks and gratitude for your mercy and grace, which enable us to make life worthwhile living. And we sincerely promise to continue honouring and praising your name and walking in the path that you have chosen for us to tread. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!’
Ah mih people, I don’t know what we would do without our Lord God Almighty nuh! For certain, life would be an even greater hell than it already is. But, thankfully, through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we have the God-given ability to create a heaven-like atmosphere even in the midst of hell! (smile)
And that’s the beauty of Christ Jesus – no matter what hellish times you might be going through, with Him by your side, and His Holy Spirit as your guide, you can always find peace and comfort in them! The surrounding negative circumstances won’t necessarily change, but your heart, your soul and spirit will be lifted with the LOVE and peace that flows from Jesus.
And if you don’t believe me, then please listen to the psalmist as he gives the Lord praise for deliverance from death in Psalm 116. He opens spectacularly: ‘I LOVE the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto (listened to) me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.’ (Ps. 116:1-2)
Yes friends, we must never forget to praise our great God when we come to Him, especially when He has done wonderful things for us, as the psalmist recalls. ‘The sorrows of death compassed (surrounded) me, and the pains (distress) of hell gat (laid) hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.’ (Ps. 116:3-4) Now how many of us have been ofttimes mired in such a pit of darkness eh, and called out to the Lord for help and succour? An uncountable number of us, an uncountable number of times!
And why did we cry out to Him for help eh? Because we knew what the psalmist says: ‘Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped (saved) me.’ (Ps. 116:5-6) Oh my people, my people, right there is all the cause and reason we need to give the Lord our undying thanks, LOVE and praise! For we know that He will help us in times of trouble if we call out to Him with a heavy and sincere heart!
And like the psalmist, we will be able to say: ‘Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.’ (Ps. 116:7-8) And isn’t it marvelous when the Lord lifts us out of our pit of darkness and shows us His bright lights of grace and mercy? For certain sure! Then we thankfully declare: ‘I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted: I said in my haste, All men are liars. What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?’ (Ps. 116:9-12)
Yes mih bredrin, that is when we have to stand tall and offer up some form of thanks and gratitude for the Lord’s awesome goodness and LOVING-kindness. And we cannot do any better than what the psalmist offered. ‘I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of all his saints.’ (Ps. 116: 13-15)
Wow! What a promise, and what an acknowledgement! Do we ever think along those lines my fellow saints of Christ? We ought to. The free gift of salvation is from the Lord and we need to tell others about it, about how He helps us in times of need, how He doesn’t’ want to lose any of His awesome creation, and the end result of eternal life with Him in heaven. Our thanks and praise must become our public witness.
Like the psalmist, we need to come to the point where we can say with utter sincerity: ‘O Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid (maid servant): thou hast loosed my bonds. I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people. In the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord…shout Hallelujah!’ (Ps. 116:16-19)
Oh friends, nothing less than what we have said above is worthy of God’s unfailing goodness to us! Yes, I know that we can never repay, or even come close to repaying His awesome generosity and mercy, but we do need to go to the utmost lengths that our puny and finite minds and souls will allow. It’s not a joke, but serious business, and we ought to treat it as such. Therefore, to all of us who have firmly embraced the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and are sincerely endeavouring to make known His holy name, let’s go home now, declaring (steups!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know who and whose we are.
Altogether now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And since we’ve promised to keep our vows to God, we are now duty bound to go out and share the awesome LOVE and amazing friendship of Jesus with others. Much LOVE!
…the Lord hath no pleasure in fools…pay that which thou hast vowed… (Eccl. 5:4b)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
05 Jul 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a merciful forgiving gracious God, after our own likeness, breathed into his nostrils, by him all things consist, disobedience to God's Word, foolish pride, forgive us and heal our land, give us wise guidance, God said let us make man in our image, impaired or tarnished image, Jehovah Rapha, LOVE, mass confusion, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, no man can say Him nay, of the dust of the ground, our Father who art in heaven, right motives, sincere prayer, sincere repentance, the breath of life, the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the God who heals, the Lord formed the man, the LOVE of money, their individual cause is right and just, unwise mindset, up in arms, we have no need or use for God, willful sin, your humble servants
Genesis 1:26. And God said, Let us make man in our own image, after our own likeness…
How goes it this Monday morning friends as sickness, strife, economic anxiety, natural disasters and numerous controversies rage around our world? I don’t know if our world has ever been in such turmoil on so many fronts, at the same time, in basically a time of peace. Everybody seems to be displeased and up in arms about something. And everybody believes that their individual cause is right and just and needs immediate remedial action. Ah Lord eh!
The good Lord must be sitting in His high heaven sadly shaking His head, because He knows that many of our problems could be solved by simply turning back to Him and His righteous and holy ways. Yes friends, plenty of what’s wrong with our world can be directly traced to willful sin and disobedience to God’s Word, stemming from foolish pride and the unwise mindset that we have no need or use for God in our world, or our individual affairs.
How can that ever be true, when God is our Creator and Provider eh? All that we are, and have, emanated or emanates from Him. In the first place God created us. The Good Book tells it thus: ‘And God said, Let us make man in our own image, after our own likeness…’ (Gen 1:26) Yes friends, we are a creation of Almighty God! God created us in His own image to boot, which means we have a likeness like unto God. We might not be identical, but we are indeed similar.
And though we have fallen through our sin, we still have an impaired or tarnished image of Him. And how do you think we got life eh? Listen to the Good Book again. ‘And the Lord formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.’ (Gen. 2:7) Oh my people, it is God’s breath, His ruach, or living spirit in our mortal bodies that gave, and still gives us life. Without it, we would be lifeless. So how can we believe that God is not important in our lives eh?
And here is another unbelievably important aspect of God in our lives. Moses reminded the Israelites of it in these words. ‘Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord’s thy God, and the earth also, with all that therein is.’ (Deut. 10:14) And if you don’t believe Moses, then listen to Bruh Paul. ‘For by him (God) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in (on) earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities (rulers), or powers (authorities): all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by (through) him all things consist (are held together).’ (Col. 1:16-17)
That means that heaven, the earth, and everything in them belong to the Lord, because He created them. And we are only stewards of His possessions down here. Ever wonder why we come into this world with nothing, and also leave it with nothing? As Bruh Paul informed Timothy: ‘For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.’ (1 Tim. 6:7)
And the scholars offer this tidbit of info on that verse. ‘This is a divine means of showing man that since material wealth is relatively insignificant, he should pursue the important things mentioned in verse 11.’ And this is what that says: ‘But thou, O man of God, flee these things (the LOVE of money, lust of the flesh); and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith,LOVE, patience, meekness.’ (1 Tim. 6:11)
And speaking about material wealth, please check out this very interesting and important verse of scripture which Moses warned the people of Israel about, a long time ago. ‘But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee the power to get wealth, that he may establish (confirm) his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.’ (Deut. 8:18) Please consider that my brethren, it was God Himself who gave Israel, and consequently us, the ability to get material wealth and the blessings that He had promised their forefathers.
And right here it would do us a wealth of good (smile) to remember Job’s fateful words. ‘Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’ (Job 1:21) Yes friends, the Lord made Job materially wealthy, then He took away that wealth. Then He gave Job even more than he had previously. That ought to show us the power the Lord has over us and all the earth and heaven, and convince us that our best bet is to stick with the one who not only brought us to the dance, but also gave the dance. (smile)
So, having reconsidered our options, and realizing on which side our bread is truly buttered, let’s go to God right now nuh, offering up sincere mea culpas through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And as with all prayer, let’s hope that when the Lord searches our hearts, He will find that our motives were right and our prayer sincere. Much LOVE!
…the earth is the Lord’s…and the fullness thereof…no man can say Him nay…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
02 Jul 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all power is given unto me in heaven and earth, be responsible and stay safe, believe also in me, bring backsliders back to your fold, confusion and havoc of Covid 19, defeat the virus and the unrest, embrace your love and compassion, eternal life, find peace rest and salvation, Friday chant, global village, hath committed all judgement unto the son, he that hears now shall live in the heareafter, I am the way the truth and the life, introduce a whole new flock, Jesus' triumphant resurrection, lax and compromising in morals, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, mankind can't satisfy our wants and needs, no man cometh unto the Father but by me, only Almighty God can satisfy us, racial strife, salvation, shall not come into condemnation, show them the error of their ways, springing up into eternal life, stand strong and steadfast, the Covid police, The Covid variants now causing havoc, the example your faithful believers set, the fountain of life, the great invitation, the Prince of Peace, the start of the weekend, the water that I give, the water that I shall give shall be a well of water, to handle the situation properly, unexpected storm, wake up and smell the coffee, whosoever drinks of this water shall thirst again, wise guidance and direction, ye believe in God
John 14:1. Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
And then it was Friday; the start of the weekend! So what are the plans for this holiday weekend with a few of the restrictions lifted this past week? The cottage, dinner at the restaurant, either inside or on the patio, barbeques outside, with a few more people allowed, provided the weather cooperates? Or are you going to get that much needed haircut and perm, or simply beautify your nails, since I believe those personal salons are now open. I saw a cashier in the pharmacy yesterday with one hand painted yellow and the other green! How very lax and compromising we’ve become, especially in morals and fashion.
Oh, our weekend might even include church with a few more congregants, but still the mask and physical distancing. Ah Lord eh! There are endless possibilities! (smile) But please check out the necessary regulations and precautions before you venture forth. You don’t want to get caught by the Covid police infringing any rules and regulations.
Now, two years ago, who would have thought that our lives, our world, could ever become such a battleground of sickness, restrictions and immense suffering eh? Nobody! But that just goes to show how fragile and easily compromised our new global village is. It only takes one person in the right place, at the right time, with the right illness to shut it down. And though we have so much technology and modern medicine, there are still simple things that we can’t handle. Look at this Covid-19 business nuh. Although we developed a vaccine for it in record time, it has mutated itself in several different ways from the original, and it’s now those variants that are causing havoc in our world.
That’s why friends, we need something more substantial to hold on to, to put our trust in, because mankind obviously can’t satisfy all our wants and needs. And the ONLY person who can do that is Almighty God, through the august personage of his Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! He is the ONLY One who can truthfully offer us that Great Invitation, to come to Him and find rest and peace for both our bodies and our souls! He can do that since He is the Prince of Peace, who has conquered the world and brought salvation to the masses.
Please remember these most potent and encouraging words He spoke while here on earth. ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.’ (John 14:1) And in your doubt, you sarcastically ask why? Well because, as He says later on. ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6) Now that’s a very powerful statement for anyone to make, and as far as I know, NO ONE has ever made it but Jesus! That just goes to show the power and confidence that He possesses.
And I guess you are wondering if He can back up that statement? Oh yes, He can! Just look at all the miraculous stuff He did down here on earth. He was even crucified for us, so that our sins could be paid for, for ever and all time. Now who else could do that eh? And in His triumphant resurrection from the dead, He defeated all the evil forces of the enemy, also granting us resurrection, salvation and eternal life, if we believed in Him.
He is the fountain of life my people! As he said to the Samaritan woman at the well. ‘Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well (fountain) of water springing up into everlasting life.’ (John 4:13-14) And though the woman did not really understand what Jesus was talking about, she intuitively recognized that He had something good to offer and asked for it.
However, so many of us today, who know what Jesus has to offer, still blatantly refuse to accept that magnificent offer. How foolish that is my brethren! Listen again, to how Jesus tried to drive home to His accusers the importance of believing in Him. ‘For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth (gives life to) them; even so the Son quickeneth (gives life to) whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgement unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father, which hath sent him.
Verily, verily, (truly, truly) I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (judgement), but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgement also, because he is the Son of man.’ (John 5:24)
Yes friends, because of Jesus’ supreme sacrifice and obedience to the Father’s will – that’s His substitutionary death on our behalf, on the cross at Calvary – He has given Him authority over everything in the universe – the name above every other name and the One to whom all knees must bow! As Jesus confirms to His disciples before His ascension: ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth.’ (Matt. 28:18) So my people, please realize that Jesus is the supreme ruler over the universe, and only in and through Him can we find peace, rest and salvation for our weary and troubled souls and bodies.
Therefore, with that in mind, let’s go to Him in prayer, right now nuh, through our Friday Chant, asking for His divine help in our troubled earthly affairs. As one sincere voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and the racial strife is causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets.
So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways.
And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And if we want to receive positive answers to our prayer, then we have to go out and truly be examples of faithful believers. Much LOVE!
…he that hears now…shall live in the hereafter…
Visit the Scrip-Bit Blog at https://randyobrien50.com
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01 Jul 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a modicum of reservation, because you pray so little, burial sites of indigenous children, compassionate heart, curse, departed into a solitary place, dissatisfied, full of dread and anxiety, Happy Canada Day, in a Christian's tool kit, intolerant of the needs of others, lamentably weak, lose the sense of God's shining presence, LOVE, marred the celebratory attitude, negative word, One Year Book of Bible promises, perilously susceptible to temptation, pray without ceasing, prayer; the ultimate means of communication, praying always, protest so violently, restless, Ruth Harms Calkin, self-control, success, supernatural strength, temper the harshness, terrible atrocities, the calm in the storm, the most important tool, the reason, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, there he prayed, Thursday Blessings, undisciplined, unpleasant skeletons hidden in its closet, watch and pray, wisdom and common sense
1 Thessalonians 6:17. Pray without ceasing.
It’s Thursday…the first day of July! That means it’s Canada Day! Our Independence Day! And celebrations are in order. Unfortunately though, the problems of the pandemic and racial problems, plus the recent discoveries of several unmarked, unknown burial sites of Indigenous children has marred the celebratory attitude. Many are calling for a boycott of the celebrations, but that won’t change the past, and we all know that every country in the world has some very unpleasant skeletons from terrible atrocities hidden in its closet, that’s just the nature of nation building followed by mankind down through the ages.
Canada is still one of the best countries in the world, and if we try to tear down all the other good things we’ve built, there will be no going forward, just backward. We need to temper the harshness with some wisdom and common sense, using education and reconciliation and truth to handle this unpleasant news.
So, despite the heaviness that’s currently sitting on the conscience of our country, I’m wishing us a Happy Canada Day! Celebrate with a modicum of reservation, appreciating the hurt that many others are experiencing today. Right now, our world is such an angry and negative place with so little positivity and compassion that we don’t need any more to drag it further down into the mire. And while looking through our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, I came upon this poem which I believe typifies our lives, and thus the current state of our world. It’s rather appropriately titled ‘The Reason.’
Please pray with me. ‘God, why am I so often defeated? Why am I so full of dread and anxiety? Why am I so lamentably weak – So perilously susceptible to temptation? Why am I often inhospitable So intolerant of the needs of others? Why am I so undisciplined So restless and dissatisfied? Why do I protest so violently? Above all. God Why do I so frequently lose The sense of Your shining Presence? God, why? Why? — Because you pray so little.’
And isn’t that an awesomely accurate portrait of so many of us, and consequently our world in these trying times, in these last days? It certainly is! There is indeed much more negativity than LOVE and compassion! The prince of darkness has our world in the palm of His hand and is trying to squeeze the very life blood out of it. And one of the reasons why that’s possible is because we supposed believers in Jesus Christ don’t pray enough, therefore we are not divinely inspired enough to get up and fight, to beat back the enemy.
So what’s the answer eh? Obviously, we have to begin by praying more, by sincerely seeking Jesus more, giving Him a bigger space and place in our lives than we’re currently doing. Remember, He’s the answer to ALL our prayers, the calm in the storm, our refuge and fortress, and all those other good things! But if we don’t communicate with him, pray and acknowledge His power and presence, we won’t be able to handle the enemy who’s so intent on coming against us. And the Bible verse that’s used as the promise for our poem are the simple but very powerful words of Bruh Paul to the Thessalonians. ‘Pray without ceasing.’ (1 Thess. 5:17)
It could not be any simpler or clearer than that my fellow saints in Christ! Prayer is the ultimate means of communication with our heavenly Father, and just as we don’t get much from our earthly fathers if we don’t talk or communicate with them, likewise, lack of communication with God, does little or nothing for us. Bruh Paul said it thus to the Ephesians, when he told them about putting on the armour of God to fight the enemy. ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph. 6:18)
Yes friends, even with God’s powerful armour encasing our souls, prayer is still necessary to make it all work. And if you still don’t believe that prayer is absolutely necessary, then listen to these words of Jesus as He rebukes His inner circle in the Garden of Gethsemane when He, Himself went to pray at the most anguished time of His earthly life, the night before His crucifixion. They were supposed to be watching with him, but had fallen asleep. ‘He saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ (Matt. 26: 40-41)
And we know that’s the gospel truth friends! Our flesh is by nature weak and sinful, so we need the power of the Spirit, the grace of God to be truly strong. Now one last word from Jesus on the subject of prayer. Luke opens chapter 18 with these telling words. ‘And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) He could not be more definitive than that my brethren! And we all know that prayer was Jesus’ most powerful passion. As Mark immortalizes it in his gospel. ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35)
So friends, if the Son of God found it necessary to pray often, to have close communication with His heavenly Father, why would we, mere mortals, finite creations, not have the same expectation and desire eh? I’ll leave that question for each of us to answer in our own way and time. (smile) In the meanwhile, for those of us who are sincerely trying to make a difference, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!) our Thursday Blessings, that the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work.
Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
Now it’s time for us to go out and share those blessings just as generously with those we meet on our earthly journey. Much LOVE!
…prayer…the most important tool…in a Christian’s tool kit…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
29 Jun 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a son of Abraham, a substitutionary death, a two-edged sword in His mouth, but have everlasting life, but that the world through him might be saved, eternal life, faithful, for God so loved the world, give me Jesus, God sent not his son into the world, he gave his only begotten son, hell death and the grave, hot summer days, hurry, I am the beloved of god, in god's eyes, Jesus is all we need, Jesus is the answer to all my prayers, King of Kings, LOVE, our good shepherd, our shelter in the storm, reliable, Satan's kingdom, share His love with the world, should not perish, steadfast, tanning time, thank God, that which was lost, that whosoever believes in him, the Lord of lords, the Son of man is come to save, the straight and narrow path, the weather has been topsy-turvy, this day is salvation come to this house, to condemn the world, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, unchangeable, we cannot save ourselves, we have a Lord and Saviour Jesus Christviour Jesus, worry
John 3:17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
And a good Tuesday morning, or afternoon, (smile) to you my Scrip-Bits friends and family! Well, it seems like we’re having a couple of hot summer days in a row, with temps in the high twenties, even the low thirties! Wow! Now isn’t that wonderful! It’s tanning time in the northern climes! Saw one fella out the street just now in shorts and no top, barebacked, trying to assimilate some rays. Hope he has on sunscreen though, because that sun can sure be powerful and deadly at times!
All the air conditioners are running in the area. But who knows how long that will last eh? The weather has been so topsy-turvy recently, that the temperature can go right back down tomorrow. But thank God we have a Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who is not topsy-turvy, but steady, steadfast, reliable, faithful and unchangeable! Bless His holy name my people! That’s why the song declares: ‘Give me Jesus, because that’s all I need!’ And isn’t that the living truth! Jesus is all we ever and will ever need, both in this world and in the next!
And why is that you ask? Because He is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings! The warrior General with a two-edged sword in His mouth; that means He can create and destroy with His powerful words! The One who fought the enemy, that foolish fellow called Satan, fought Him tooth and nail, mano-a-mano, and took away the keys to Satan’s kingdom, hell, death and the grave, by His death on the cross at Calvary and His triumphant resurrection three days later!
Now, Satan is a toothless enemy, a dog with plenty bark, but no bite, unless we give him the opportunity to get a toehold in our lives. And on top of all that, Jesus is our refuge, our fortress, our good shepherd, our comforter, the answer to our every need, our strength and joy. No wonder so many of us are calling out for Jesus, we bow down and worship Him, because He’s our shelter in the storm, our guide and co-pilot, who never leads us wrong.
However, the path that He chooses to lead us along is not an easy one; it’s straight and narrow, with many pitfalls along the way, but with His unerring guidance, we can be certain to make it to the very end of that straight and narrow road, where an eternal rest called heaven and eternal life awaits those whose who sincerely believe in and follow him! Glory be mih brethren!
Oh my people, how can we ever go wrong when we faithfully desire the person whose name is above every other name eh, and to whom all the world will eventually bow to and worship? No way friends! That’s why, in birth, life and death, Jesus is all we need! And Jesus Himself said so on several occasions. Let’s look at a couple nuh. First and foremost are His immortal words to Nicodemus, who, under the cover of night, came seeking wisdom and understanding.
‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
What a remarkable and momentous pronouncement my fellow believers! It’s the basic reason for all that He’s done! This sinful world of ours needed saving, and that’s what Jesus came to do. He came to show the great LOVE of the Father towards His human creation. And as Bruh Paul so rightly said to the church art Rome: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Yes friends, Christ died a substitutionary death for us, meaning he died in our stead, that because He died, we don’t have to die. Now how thankful should we be for that largesse eh? Very, very thankful, I would think!
Then listen to Jesus as He rebukes His disciples when they wanted to call down fire and brimstone on a Samaritan village that refused to make Him welcome. ‘Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.’ (Luke 9:55-56) There again friends, in His own words, Jesus proclaims that He is our Saviour, not our destroyer, like the evil enemy and his evil cohorts try to make us believe, because His way is not as broad and destructive as theirs.
And when Jesus talks about the parable of the lost sheep, He once more reiterates His basic purpose: ‘For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.’ (Matt. 18:11) And we see it even more forcefully, when Jesus ate at the house of Zaccheus, the tax collector, who afterward repented and promised to restore fourfold to anyone whom he had wronged. Jesus said to him. ‘This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’ (Luke 19:9-10)
And as the scholars explain: ‘19:10. The words seek, save, and lost all appear elsewhere in Scripture in a shepherd context. This verse may be taken as a kernel statement of the central theme of Luke: Jesus is the compassionate, searching Herdsman who seeks to save those who can by no means save themselves.’ Now, right there in a nutshell is our major problem friends; we cannot save ourselves, that’s why we needed someone like Jesus to save us!
And believe me, He was, and is, and will forever be, the ONLY ONE who’s capable of saving us from the abominable sinful condition we were in, and still are in. That’s because our salvation needed a sinless soul to pay for those abominable sins of ours, and Jesus was the ONLY sinless soul beside the Father in existence. And that’s why He’s the Greatest, the ONE and ONLY Superstar in the universe! All else is folly and foolishness!
So friends, I do hope that these few words (smile) I’ve penned this morning will bring you to a knowledge of Jesus, and activate you to find out more about Him, then accept Him as your Lord and Saviour. And if you have already done that, then hopefully, these words will draw you even closer to Him. Now for those of us who are serious about Jesus, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know who and whose we are.
So as one strong voice, ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And if we are sincere, then, as good representatives, we’ll go out now and spread, generously share that amazing friendship and awesome LOVE of Jesus with those we meet. Much LOVE!
…all I need is Jesus… He is the answer to ALL my prayers…today, tomorrow, and through eternity…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
27 Jun 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a believer in Jesus Christ, a child of God, all our sins and griefs to bear, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, be fore they call I will answer, can a woman forget her suckling child, come unto me, everything to God in prayer, I am meek and lowly in heart, I will give you rest, I will not forget thee, Joseph Medlicott Scriven, LOVE, my burden is light, my yoke is easy, O what needless pain we bear, take it to the Lord in prayer, thanks and praise, the day of the Lord, the great invitation, then the Lord will take me up, trials and temptations, we should never be discouraged, what a friend we have in Jesus, what a privilege to carry, when my mother and father forsake me, ye shall find rest unto your souls
Matthew 11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Gather round friends, gather round, tis the day of the Lord! It’s an auspicious, a right royal occasion to give Him much thanks and praise for the awesome breath of life and the many other blessings He has so generously bestowed on us during our lifetime. I know we still can’t gather physically in large numbers, but that has not so far stopped us, and will never stop us from worshipping our wonderful God. In His omniscience, during this time of pandemic, He has conveniently made it possible for us to worship Him through technological means. And though something is lost in the translation (smile) it’s still better than not worshipping Him at all.
Now, as we do each Sunday, we’ll begin worship with a song of praise and thanksgiving. And today’s song is that magnificent and most touching hymn titled ‘What a Friend we have in Jesus.’ Wow! And is it ever a hymn for these trying times! But before we get into it, let’s get a li’l info into its interesting history. According to the Hymnary.org website, the hymn was written by Joseph Medlicott Scriven (1819-1886), and Irish immigrant to Canada.
‘Because his life was filled with grief and trials, Scriven often needed the solace of the Lord as described in his famous hymn. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, he enrolled in a military college to prepare for an army career. However, poor health forced him to give up that ambition. Soon after came a second blow—his fiancée died in a drowning accident on the eve of their wedding in 1844. Later that year he moved to Ontario, where he taught school in Woodstock and Brantford. His plans for marriage were dashed again when his new bride-to-be died after a short illness in 1855.
Following this calamity Scriven seldom had a regular income, and he was forced to live in the homes of others. He also experienced mistrust from neighbors who did not appreciate his eccentricities or his work with the underprivileged. A member of the Plymouth Brethren, he tried to live according to the Sermon on the Mount as literally as possible, giving and sharing all he had and often doing menial tasks for the poor and physically disabled. Because Scriven suffered from depression, no one knew if his death by drowning in Rice Lake was suicide or an accident.’
No wonder such touching, encouraging and immortal words were able to come from the soul of that gentleman! Now let’s sing it at a middling tempo, with great gusto, truly acknowledging the wonderful friendship that Jesus provides for all who sincerely believe in Him. As one, harmonious, melodious earthly choir, let’s wake up heaven with our song of praise.
‘What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer! – Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer! Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer! –
Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge– take it to the Lord in prayer! Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In his arms he’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there. What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!’
Oh my people, what indisputable words of wisdom! But unfortunately, so many of us refuse to put them into action. We foolishly refuse to accept the truth of the words of the hymn: ‘What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!’ Yes friends, that ability to take everything to our God in prayer is one of the greatest privileges of being a child of God, a believer in Jesus Christ! We won’t even talk about Jesus just yet, but we’ll go back to the Old Testament where from way back when, the Lord promised to hear our prayers.
Listen to the prophet Isaiah on His behalf. ‘And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.’ (Is. 65:4) Now doesn’t that sound like an invitation for communication, a welcome to prayer? It certainly does! And the psalmist tells us quite clearly from Psalm 91- God is a refuge and a fortress – speaking on behalf of God: ‘Because he hath set his LOVE upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.’ (Ps. 91:14-16)
Oh precious saints of Christ, what’s the purpose of claiming we know the Lord and not call on Him for help eh? None whatsoever! And when we get to the New Testament, Jesus Himself, our Lord and Saviour, our Deliverer from the bondage of sin, offered us this Great Invitation, the greatest that’s ever been offered: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30)
Listen friends, Jesus didn’t sacrifice His sinless life on the cross of Calvary for fun nuh. He was quite serious when He paid our sin debt in full, and that invitation above is proof that He wants us to come to Him and lay our burdens down at His feet. He wants to help us bear the heavy load that’s this earthly life, that’s what His death and resurrection was all about. However, if we don’t take our problems to Him, in prayer, the method of communication the Father decreed between God and man, Jesus can’t help us.
And do we ever have loads of trials and temptations, especially in these times of unforeseen storms. As the hymn says, ‘we should never be discouraged,’ but how do we do that without the help of Jesus eh? It’s impossible. Likewise, when friends and family forsake and despise us, Jesus is the One to whom we should look to for solace! And again, way back in the Old Testament the Lord faithfully promised it. Hear Isaiah tell it nuh. ‘Can a woman forget her suckling (nursing) child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.’ (Is. 49:15)
And that obviously led Bruh David to pen these immortal words of comfort and encouragement. ‘When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up (care for me).’ (Ps. 37:10) And as one commentator points out, Bruh David didn’t say ‘if’ but ‘when’ meaning that’s something he knew for a fact. So friends, I don’t know what else to say to get us to go to Jesus for whatever we need, in whatever situation we might find ourselves. He is the answer! The ONLY true One! Only He can fix our problems and bring true peace, solace and comfort to our burdened souls.
But we have to take our concerns to Him in prayer, because that’s the only way He will generally fix them. Oh, He can fix them without us asking, but the Father prefers us to initiate the communication when our souls are troubled. So please, let’s wake up to the advantages and privileges we have as sincere believers in Christ Jesus nuh, instead of frivolously wasting them. Much LOVE!
…Jesus not only saves our souls for heaven…but also helps with our problems on earth…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
26 Jun 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a child of the Most High God, a couch surfing day, aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, be able to listen to yourself, be careful what you wish for, be okay with no one else understanding, becomes someone you knew, broken relationships, but that which cometh out of the mouth, change is painful, disciples of Christ, does not defile a man, elf-control, faifthfulness, fence sitting, gentleness, God is so good and understanding, goodness, growth is painful, he who has ears to hear, it's sad, joy, let him hear, life is under no obligation, long-suffering, LOVE, meekness, not that which goeth into the mouth that defiles a man, our basic sinful nature, our friend Anselm, our humanity, out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, peace, people respond more to examples than words, someone you know, staying stuck where you don't belong, the fruit of the spirit, the Lord closes one door then opens another, this defileth a man, to eat with unwashen hands, to give us what we expect, wishy-washy
Matthew 15:11. Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man, but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
And then it was Saturday, our lazy, couch surfing day! And the nature of today is even more conducive to lazing around. Meaning that it’s a wet and windy Saturday morning. Oh yes, we had rain from yesterday afternoon straight through to the early hours of this morning. As the old people would warn; be careful what you wish for eh, because you might just get it.
But thankfully, though we wished for rain, it was not the shower bound type we received, but just a constant drizzle. That meant the ground had time to absorb it and thus lessen the possibilities of flooding. Our God is so good and understanding! Give Him some thanks and praise nuh people!
Now, let’s turn to our Saturday business, checking out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And the first one says: ‘It’s sad when someone you know becomes someone you knew.’ Now is that ever so true! A lot of times we are heart broken when our relationships end, especially when it was someone whom we thought we’d do a lifetime with and then they end rather nastily too.
But that’s life friends. We have people in our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. But most of them are either for a reason or a season, very few are there for a lifetime. And until we learn that and move on, broken relationships will always cause us more heartache than necessary.
And that brings us to the second quote which follows from the first. ‘Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.’ Yes friends, growth and change are painful, but ofttimes that’s what a broken relationship portends; it’s time for us to move on up. And those people in our lives are not the ones to move on up with us, so they have to go. As they say, the Lord closes one door, then opens another that has different people in it, with a brighter future.
And though it’s always hard to give up the old stuff, if you stay with it, you will eventually become more frustrated and disgusted with your old situation, than if you had moved on to the new one. Sooner or later, you will feel as though you are spinning your wheels in mud, or stuck in a rocking chair, rocking vigorously but not going anywhere. Yes, change isn’t always pleasant, but sometimes it’s necessary to get our adrenaline flowing.
Then we come to this quote. ‘Life is under no obligation to give us what we expect.’ And is that ever true! Life owes us nothing my people! In fact, it’s we who owe life. We owe it the duty of being responsible and making a positive and productive difference in it. We are not put here just to enjoy the perks of life, but to add to them.
Entitlement is not our God-given due, as so many of us seem to think. So, unless we are making a positive difference in our everyday walk, we are shortchanging life. And that’s even more important for believers in Christ Jesus, because His desire is for us to make disciples of those we meet by telling them about the good news of His gospel and more importantly, living the way His gospel dictates. For people respond more to examples than words.
And all of that leads us to this next quote. ‘Sometimes you’ve got to be able to listen to yourself and be okay with no one else understanding.’ Yes my brethren, though others can and will give us advice, both good and bad, in the long run, we are the ones who must make the final decision. And that’s not always easy, especially in our current mish-mash, topsy-turvy world. But it is important that we are strong enough to live with whatever decisions we make, regardless of whether others understand or appreciate them. For, in the long run, we are the ones who have to live with the decisions we make, not the other people.
And when you are a child of the Most High God, you are enabled by His Holy Spirit to make right decisions, and to stand strong with them. No need to be wishy washy, and wavering, or fence-sitting to see what eventually happens. Yes, precious people, being able to make timely, positive decisions is definitely one of the benefits of being a child of Jehovah God! Glory be!
That brings us to our last quote. ‘Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.’ Ah my brethren, that’s true in spades! We must all face the death of our mortal bodies at some time or the other, we cannot do anything about that, but we certainly can stop the good aspects of our lives from dying while our bodies are still alive. And we’re talking about our humanity, the thing that makes, or is supposed to make us different from the wild animals; compassion and caring for each other.
Hn! But today, unfortunately we behave more like the wild animals than the wild animals, the inhumane and uncaring way we treat our fellow man. Most of us are born with good ideals and inclinations, despite our basic sinful nature, but the sad part happens when we refute those good inclinations and accept the bad ones that so much of our world tend to recognize as more beneficial. We are talking about things like greed, envy, taking advantage of others, and the complete renunciation of the fruit of the Spirit. That’s ‘LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness (kindness), goodness, faith (faithfulness), meekness, temperance (self-control).’
Oh my people, when any of those things die in us, while our bodies are still alive, the loss to ourselves and the world is incalculable. It means our world is about to get darker, the enemy is winning the battle, as we become less tolerant and caring, but more negative and adversarial. That’s not the kind of world we want to live in, or leave for our children to experience. And remember what Jesus said about our internal traits. ‘Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man, but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.’ (Matt. 15:11)
And that’s the gospel truth friends! What we put into our mouths doesn’t defile us, but what comes out of our mouths defiles us. That’s because the things that come out of our mouths come from our hearts, while what goes in comes out as bodily refuse. As Jesus explains: ‘For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things that defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defile not a man.’ (Matt. 15:19-20)
So whenever the goodness of God dies in us friends, it is indeed a sad day; a day to mourn for the well-being of our world. And right now, so much of the goodness of God has died in so many of us, that it’s no wonder our world is going through a rather dark and grievous time. And for it to turn around, it means that we, the disciples of Christ must do a better job than we’re currently doing. So let’s get to it nuh. Much LOVE!
…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
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