Christians are IN the World ONLY to pursue Christ’s Mission, not to be OF the World!

21 Dec 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

John 17:16.       They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

And it’s a sunshiny, but cold lazy-day Saturday with clean streets and a modicum of the white snow on the banks and roof tops. What more can we ask for in this winter and Christmas season eh? Only the arrival of Jesus, which is only four days away…and then…Wow! The whole world will go crazy with excitement, celebrations, joyful worship and thanksgiving, peace, LOVE and goodwill to all men! Even the non-believers will join in the merriment and have a modicum of LOVE towards their neighbours. 

That’s the beauty and power of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Even the unbeliever is affected by His glorious coming to earth, through our celebrations. Our task is then to take that receptiveness of the unbeliever and show them the benefits of truly believing in Jesus, the One and Only Saviour of the World, and without whom they don’t stand a chance of spending eternity in the wonderful realm of heaven with Him. 

Ah my fellow believers, this Christmas season where so much LOVE and true brotherhood abounds, is the time when we need to up our witness for Christ, because our world is fast going to hell in a bucket and that’s not why He underwent so much ‘sufferation,’ to see it lamely fall into the hands of Beelzebub! 

No! Jesus sacrificed His sinless life so that we could take it back from the devil through our spreading of the good news of His gospel and living the life that it mandates. So, while we are celebrating Christ’s birth, please, let’s throw in some comments, some remarks, some examples of His goodness and mercy, that will hopefully touch someone’s heart and make them give it to Him, as they ought to. (smile)

 Now, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer in all sincerity and truth. As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ 

Yes friends, I can feel the peace and presence of the Lord increasing, and there’s a big smile on His face as He welcomes our desire for greater intimacy with Him. As I keep telling us, there’s nothing that warms the cockles of God’s heart more than the desire of His people for greater intimacy with Him, because that’s exactly why He created us in the first place! It’s like when our young children come and desire to sit in our laps, to cuddle up there and just fall asleep in our warm, LOVING embrace and presence. It warms our hearts with joy. 

Well, it’s the same way the Lord feels when we go to Him seeking fellowship and greater intimacy. And I can’t understand why many more of us don’t do it, because it brings such joy and peace to all parties. But then again, I’m just a mere mortal and my mind is not attuned to the whys and wherefores of other mortals. I can just do what I believe I ought to do, and offer simple advice to others, who will have to make their own decisions, with their own free will. 

Ah friends, I’m chuckling here because I don’t know how we got to this point, the words just kept flowing. (smile) The important thing though, is that the sentiments are wise and true, and surely worth following. And with only four more days to go to Christmas Day, I hope we are all ready for it, with all the shopping, the wrapping of presents, the baking, the cooking, and all the other things we seem to do at Christmas time completed and just waiting to explode at the given time. 

But that would indeed be a miracle, for many of us are never finished with all the stuff we need to do even on Christmas morning. Anyway, let’s hope that the LOVE for Jesus is imbued in everything we do, and it’s not simply a matter of lust for worldly things.  For remember Jesus’ fateful words about our association with this world, in His prayer to the Father. 

‘And now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from evil (the evil one). They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.  And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.’ (John 17:13-19) 

Yes my fellow saints, Jesus went out of His way to ensure the Father would keep us in the world, but not as a part of the world! To sanctify or set us apart to do His mission, like Christ came to do the Father’s mission. We are here to do Christ’s bidding, of spreading the truth of His word, not getting ourselves entangled with the evil and ungodliness of this world. And as this Christmas season progresses, with all the hoopla and hullabaloo it brings, I believe it would do many of us some good to remember those words. We are  in the world, but not a part of the world. This is not our home. We are merely pilgrims passing through, on our way to heaven…our real home. 

So, on this lazy-day Saturday before Christmas, please, let’s take a moment and ponder, compare our actual lives to those words, and with the Lord’s help, make any necessary adjustments! That’s my prayer for us today! Much LOVE!

…everything that glistens is not gold…but the world tries to fool us…with a lot of glistening stuff…

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 August 2018 Psalm 4:7.

30 Aug 2018 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 4:7.   Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn (grain) and wine increased.

It’s a beautiful though somewhat cool Thursday morning! Yeh, the vagaries of the weather are already showing up. And if the weather people are right, today won’t be anywhere as hot as the last two days. But as the man says: ‘That’s life!’ And so we have to live it as it comes. 

And yuh know what friends? When we live this life with God, ‘Beautiful Things Happen,’ as our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin tells us. 

Please pray with me. ‘O God Such beautiful things happen When I meet you day by day In quietness and confidence. There is a deep inner wholeness And the assurance of Your guidance. I am not so easily disturbed By changing circumstances. I am less dependent on others And more dependent on You. 

My eyes may be full of tears But my heart is full of joy. In discovering Your hidden treasures I learn how deeply I am treasured by You. When day by day I am responsive To Your whispered secrets You do more for me in one day Than I could do for myself in a lifetime.’ 

Indisputable truth friends! All of it! Every last word! When we hang with the Lord daily, beautiful things do happen in our lives! Glory to God, my brethren! Oh, if only the majority of the world would hear that, believe it and do it eh! What a wonderful place our world would indeed be! 

And we would all be saying like Bruh David does in our Bit, taken from his evening prayer of trust in God, which is the Bible Promise associated with the ‘Beautiful Things Happen’ prayer. ‘Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn (grain) and wine increased.’ 

Oh precious people of God, isn’t that saying something? It surely is, if we can have more joy in our souls than the people have at harvest time. For harvest time is indeed the most joyful time of the year in an agrarian society. That time when the whole populace exults over the bountiful blessings that the Lord has showered down on them. And if one can get happier than that that, then it is indeed a joyous time, and only possible through close association with our heavenly Father. 

And hear how Bruh David continues nuh. As a consequence of such gladness in God, he proudly proclaims: ‘I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.’ (Ps.4:8) 

Oh my people, my people, what assurance we can get when we sincerely befriend our great and LOVING and comforting God! He allows us to lie down and sleep in peace, no worries whatsoever! Now who in their right minds wouldn’t want to have that experience eh? Apparently a lot of people, because a lot of them are turning away from God. 

All I can say to that though friends, is that as for me and mine, we WILL follow the Lord! No ifs and buts about it! Who doesn’t want to follow Him and enjoy the joy and peace of mind it brings, that’s their problem. We can only tell them about it and try to show it in our conduct. They still have to make their own decisions. 

Listen to what another psalmist says on the subject. ‘For thou, Lord, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods. Ye that LOVE the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance (for the memory) of his holiness (His holy name).’ (Ps.97:9-12) 

Oh ye current day saints of God, are you living such joyful lives; rejoicing and giving thanks? I certainly hope so. And if you aren’t, then it’s all your fault, for the Lord our God and faithful Provider has placed it all out there for us to enjoy. It’s now left to us to accept the gladness and mercy that He offers. Please be wise and reach out and accept it, for it doesn’t get any better than God’s goodness. 

Now for those of us who have wisely accepted God’s goodness and seen the prosperity in our lives, let’s go home declaring the myriad blessings that the Lord has showered down on us; so much so that our souls can hardly contain them. (smile) 

As one strong, enthusiastic and sincere voice 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 everyday! Amen!’ 

Ah mih people, that shows God’s unsurpassable generosity! Now let’s go out and be just as generous nuh, for that’s why He showered us with so many blessings in the first place. Much LOVE!

…blessings are not truly blessings…until they are shared…