31 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a disciplined mind, a life devoid of strife and hatred, a positive response, according to his own purpose and grace, according to the power of God, appear outwardly beautiful, appear outwardly righteous, as the hart panteth after the water brooks, be not ashamed of the Lord's testimony, be partaker of the afflictions of the gospel, before the world began, brought life and immortality to light, but of power love and a sound mind, by the putting on of my hands, called us with an holy calling, deceit, don't have time to spend with God, eccentricities, eternal life, faith, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, fraudulence, full of dead men's bones, genuine faith, given us in Christ Jesus, God-given abilities, good news of the gospel, gotten up off our rear ends, great joy on earth and in heaven, heartfelt sincerity, heed the urgent call of jesus, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I put thee in remembrance, I want to be with you now, increase my awareness of you today, intimacy with god, it's not too late to turn things around, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, like unto whited sepulchres, living a life filled with salt and light, LOVE, love and kindness, mercy, Mother Nature, my soul thirsts for God, no one to blame but ourselves, not according to our works, now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour, our world is a paradox, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, roll along with the tumbling tunbleweed, run Beelzebub out of town, salvation, self-aggrandizement, selfishness, sincere of heart, slow my thoughts, so panteth my soul after thee O God, spreading our salty flavour and bright light, still expect to receive his blessings, stir up the gift of God, thank you for this tenderness, the darkness and death that Satan offers, the sons of Korah, the unfeigned faith, true disciples of Jesus, truth, unpredictable year, whine and complain about the sad state of the world, whitewashed tombs, who hath abolished death, who hath saved us, wisdom, within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity, woe unto you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, your love both surrounds and fills me
2 Timothy 1:6. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on (laying on) of my hands.
There we have it friends, the end of another month of this crazy and unpredictable year of 2025! And I’m still amazed at how quickly the days and months are going by. And not only are the days and months passing by quickly, but the weather is also topsy-turvy. Yesterday we had highs in the twenties and you could feel the heat. Today though, our lazy-day Saturday will barely get up into the mid-teens, while being cloudy and very windy. And, unfortunately, it’s definitely not in our power to stop or control Mother Nature and her eccentricities, (smile) we can only roll along with the tumbling tumbleweed if we want to survive and be successful in the long run.
Our world today is a paradox that only the Lord could work out and understand. But we can certainly benefit from His colossal wisdom by turning to Him and asking for His wonderful assistance. So lets’ do that right now by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with heartfelt sincerity. As one strong 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!’
Now, that’s one of the great things about our God; we can pray to Him, and if it’s in His will, and we’re sincere of heart, then almost immediately we can get a positive response. Especially if it’s a desire to grow closer to Him. That just floors Him every time! (smile) And because intimacy and communion with Him were amongst the major reasons He created us, He obviously cannot refuse a sincere request to get intimate with Him. Not at all! That brings to mind these two marvellous verses from Psalm 42 titled – My Soul Thirsts for the Lord – where the Son of Korah write: ‘As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’ (Ps. 42:1-2)
Oh friends, that’s how we believers ought to be hungering and thirsting for our great and wonderful God. But sadly, too many of us supposed believers don’t have the time to spend with Him, or even want to spend time with Him, but we do expect to receive His awesome blessings and favours though. What a set of bloody hypocrites we are. It’s like Jesus saying to the Pharisees: ‘Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres (whitewashed tombs), which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and are of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (lawlessness).’ (Matt. 23:27-28)
Ah mih people, definitely too many of us fit that disgraceful sobriquet in these perilous times, brought about to a large extent by our unwillingness to get out into the world and impart Christ’s gospel to the heathen, by spreading our salty flavour and bright light in the terrible darkness that exists there. And why have we so badly reneged on our promise to go out and manifest the Great Commission? Who knows? Possibly through laziness, shame, fear, or whatever cunning and deceitful method the devil used to restrict us.
But let’s remember these fateful words of Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘When I call to remembrance the unfeigned (genuine) faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice, and I am persuaded that in thee also. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on (laying on) of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.
Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions (share with me the sufferings) of the gospel according to the power of God: Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began (before time), But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.’ (2 Tim. 1:5-10)
Yes my fellow saints, we have been appointed by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who, through His selfless sacrifice on the cross of Calvary, brought us salvation and eternal life, to go over all the world and spread the good news of His gospel, so that all the earth would have the option of accepting His amazing options of light and life over the dreaded darkness and death that Satan offers. But we have failed to live up to our promises as His true disciples, as His ambassadors and representatives here on earth. What a shameful display my brethren!
But then we whine and complain about the sad state of our world! Do we ever sit and consider what would have happened if many more of us had gotten up off our rear ends and gone out and lived the life of a true Christian. Not even preaching the gospel, but simply living a life filled with salt and light, with LOVE and kindness, one devoid of strife and hatred, of deceit and fraudulence, of greed and envy, of selfishness and self-aggrandizement! Yes friends, if a greater portion of us had lived that kind of life, our world would certainly not be in the ungodly and chaotic state that it’s currently in.
So, when we complain about the terrible times we’re now facing, let’s remember that a lot of it stems from our lack of living the way we ought to, so we have no one else to blame but ourselves. But thankfully it’s not too late for us to turn things around. So please, let’s wake up and heed the urgent call of Jesus nuh, and get together and use all the tools we have to run Beelzebub out of town! What great joy that would bring, both here on earth and in heaven above! Much LOVE!
…it’s time for us to wake up…and use our amazing God-given abilities…to turn the world around…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Christian life begins with total commitment, a great day to be alive, a living sacrifice, a new way of thinking, a time of renewal, a time to renew our passion for Christ, acceptable unto God, and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, As God for christ's sake forgave you, be kind to one another, be not conformed to this world, be ye angry and sin not, be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, blindness of heart, changing your thought patterns, christianity, Christians, closer intimacy with God, conduct of the world, created in righteousness and true holiness, deepen my breath, Easter Season, embracing biblical principles, engaging in creative activities, eternal life, evil speaking, faith, flowers sprouting, forgiving one another, good to the use of edifying, greed, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, if any man love the world, ignorance, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, justifying, laciviousness, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let him labour, let him that stole steal no more, Let no corrupt communication proceed out of thy mouth, let not the sun go down upon your wrath, living lives that honour Christ, LOVE, love not the world, making us righteous, members one of another, mercy, minister grace unto the hearers, Mother Nature, neither give place to the devil, neither the things that are in the world, perseverance, practical advice, practicing new habits, prayer, prsent thinking, put away all bitterness anger wrath and clamour, put off the former conversation, put on the new man, putting away lying, quiet my soul, reading scripture, rebirth, reflection, relax my muscles, renewed in the spirit of your mind, resist being poured into the mold of the world, resurrection, salvation, sanctifying, sealed until the day of redemption, sincere effort, sincerity and truth, slow my thoughts, speak truth with your neighbour, spring, tenderhearted, thank you for this tenderness, the BIBLE, the help of the Holy Spirit, the Lord's calming presence, the love of the Father is not in him, the old man, the passion of our souls, the sacrificial death of Jesus, the season of rebirth, the thing which is good, the truth is in Jesus, to align with the truth of God's word, total commitment, transform our minds, trees budding with green leaves, truth, value systems, vanity, wisdom, with all malice, working with his hands, your love both surrounds and fills me, your reasonable service
Romans 12: 2a. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,
Oh, this first lazy-day Saturday in May is a somewhat damp and cloudy one, but it’s oh so good for lazing around! (smile) And besides, that wonderful season of spring is in the air. The season of rebirth, of renewal, of all things being made new, and once again the trees are budding green leaves and flowers are sprouting in the gardens. What can be nicer eh, especially in this Easter Season, one of resurrection, of salvation and of eternal life! That means it’s a great day to be alive, so let’s give thanks to our wonderful God for that li’l fact nuh, by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer.
As one voice, in all sincerity and truth: ‘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!’ And as always, if our prayer was sincere, we can soon expect to receive a calming presence from our heavenly Father, for desiring to be with Him in greater intimacy is His favourite desire, and He cannot help but grant our wish.
And just as spring is a time of renewal and rebirth for Mother Nature, I believe it can also be a time of renewal and rebirth for us, a time to strengthen our faith, to renew our belief in Christ Jesus, a time to reignite the passion in our souls, having recently suffered through His sacrificial death on our behalf, and then witnessed His miraculous and amazing resurrection. That’s certainly a time to renew our passion for Christ. so let’s begin with this foundational scripture from Bruh Paul to the Romans.
‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (rational) service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’ (Rom. 12:1-2) Yes friends, in honour of all that God has done for us, justifying, sanctifying, and making us righteous, among other things, then we need to show some appreciation and respect by living lives that honour Him. And according to the scholars: ‘This shows that the Christian life begins with total commitment and irrevocable presentation.’
Now, the first step in this renewal of our minds is to stop being conformed to the ways of the world, which are mostly opposite and opposed to those of Christ. As per the scholars, we are to ‘resist being poured into the mold of the present thinking, value systems, and conduct of this world.’ And John, in his first epistle, tells it perfectly: ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him.’ (1 John 1:15) It could not be more explicit than that!
Then, we are to transform our minds, transition them to a new way of thinking, that supplied by Christ and His values. And I like how this commentary explains the process of transforming our minds. ‘Renewing your mind, often used in a spiritual context, involves actively changing your thought patterns to align with truth and God’s will. This process can be achieved through reading scripture, embracing biblical principles, and setting aside time for reflection and prayer. Practicing new habits, engaging in creative activities, and even taking a break from routine can also contribute to a renewed perspective.’
Yes, it’s not easy, especially if you were deeply involved in the ways of the world, and it does take time, but with a sincere heart and the help of the Holy Spirit, that transformation can be accomplished. And Bruh Paul, as is his habit, gives us some practical advice per transforming our minds, in his letter to the Ephesians. Having talked about the Gentiles being alienated from Christ, with their vanity, ignorance, blindness of heart, uncleanness, lasciviousness and greed, (Eph. 4:17-19) he then writes:
‘But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to hm that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying (educational), that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day or redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:20-32)
And that’s the practical manner in which we go about transforming our minds and putting on the new man in Christ! And yes, it’s a lot to learn and do, but that’s why we’ve been given the Holy Spirit as our guide and helper. And please remember that nothing happens overnight, but it takes sincere effort and perseverance on our part. If we do our part, the Lord will surely do His. So on this damp and cloudy first lazy-day Saturday in May, let’s do like Mother Nature does in springtime, and get to renewing our minds and bodies in the new man that resembles Christ Jesus! Much LOVE!
…you cannot be in Christ…or He in you…unless your mind’s been transformed…and you’re a new man…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Dec 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, curse, divine protection, fear not, fearmongering, go ye therefore and teach all nations, good friends, he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, I will not fear, it is better to trust in the Lord, LOVE, Mother Nature, negative word, peace be still, proclaim christ, prosper, put confidence in princes, send faith to answer when fear comes knocking, strife-filled situations, succeed, than to put confidence in man, the devil's stranglehold on the world, the divine storm calmer, the Great Commission, the Lord is on my side, the middle verse of the Bible, Thursday Blessings, thy faith hath made thee whole, what can man do unto me, with God all things are possible, without faith it is impossible to please God
Psalm 118:8. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. (the middle verse of the Bible)
Well friends, today, Thursday, the penultimate day of the workweek is supposed to bring us a big snowstorm. Thankfully though, so far we’ve only seen wind and freezing rain in my area. But if the weather forecast holds true, the evening commute home will be terrible. Let’s hope and pray that they are somewhat wrong about the intensity of the storm. And why would we desire an intense physical storm when we already have so many intense emotional and spiritual ones eh?
No way! However, those latter storms can be lessened and controlled by being in association with Jesus Christ, the divine storm calmer. But the physical ones are a different story. Oh, He can calm those too, if He so desires, like he did back on the sea of Galilee, when ‘He rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. (Mark 4:39) But usually, in those cases, He allows Mother Nature to take her course without interference. (smile)
And I believe the best way to handle that situation is to have Jesus calm our own personal storms, so that we can concentrate on the physical ones around us. But you know another li’l ‘secrat’? Jesus can also help us handle the physical storms around us, help us to stay calm in them and navigate our way safely through them. And all God’s children gave a loud shout of gratitude: ‘All glory and honour be to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who enables us to handle whatever storms come into our lives, be they physical, emotional or whatever!’
Ah friends, Jesus’ reach is infinite, and His awesome power is unimaginable, unstoppable, without end! As Jesus said so clearly when talking about it being easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter heaven. ‘With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:26) That my people, is one of the first things we need to believe when we come to Jesus. As Jesus said to the disciples after calming the storm we spoke of above. ‘Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? (Mark 4:40) But without that staunch faith, everything else is useless.
As the Big Library (smile) clearly spells it out in the book of Hebrews: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6) Yes my faithful brethren, we must believe that God exists and rewards those who diligently seek Him. And Hebrews goes on to give us examples of the patriarchs who exhibited that kind of strong faith in God and saw most of their dreams and His promises come true. People like, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, etc. etc.
And in these difficult, evil and turbulent times, it’s that kind of strong faith we believers need to stop the drain of people from Christ’s church, and instead bring them back to His fold, and also bring new believers to Him. But that can only happen if we the current and supposed faithful believers do our jobs; talk about Jesus to others and live the kind of life that will endear them to us and therefore to Him. We have to stop being lazy and lethargic, and override our fear of man and the world, and trust our heavenly Father to take care of us, as He’s so faithfully promised to do.
At this most important time in the annals of history, we believers need to grab the words of Psalm 118 and eat them, let them fill us up with faith. We must be able to unequivocally declare: (steups!!!) ‘I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large (broad) place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? The Lord taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.’ (Ps. 118:5-9)
Wow mih bredrin! That says it all right there! If we sincerely put our trust in Almighty God, we won’t fear what finite and frail man can do to us. And that brings us right to the crux of the problem: fear and faith; their interconnectivity. You simply can’t have both at the same time. It’s either one or the other; for fear kills faith and faith drives out fear. As they say, when faith comes a knocking, send faith to answer the door. And some of Jesus most popular words down here on earth were ‘Fear not.’
Yes friends, He was either telling people to not fear, or complimenting them on the strength and power of their faith. And you can find a great example of the latter in Mark 10:46-52, when the blind beggar Bartimaeus kept crying out to Jesus as He was passing through the streets of Jericho: ‘Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.’ (Mark 10:47) Jesus finally had the blind man brought to Him and asked what he wanted. Without hesitation, he replied ‘Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.’ (Mark 10:51-52)
Now that’s the kind of staunch and believing faith we need today. Unfortunately though, today’s church seems mostly filled with fear and very little faith, otherwise we would be more industrious in working and living for Jesus, and the devil would not have such a stranglehold on the world, especially on our children of this generation. Ah mih people, we can’t allow this fearmongering and strife-filled situation to continue in our world. It’s our job to clean it up. When Jesus comes back, He expects to find a strong, unified, and diligent church.
Has it ever occurred to us that the reason, or one of the reasons He has not yet returned, is that His church is weak, fearful, disunited and lazy? But even in our unfaithfulness, He’s seen it fit to shower us with undeserved blessings which enable us to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings, and they need to be declared (chuh!!!) out loud to be activated. So, let’s do that right now nuh.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘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!’
And I’m chuckling here as I think what a nightmare it would be if I had to write ‘declare’ (steups!!!) so often every week. Thanks for the power of copying. But seriously though my fellow saints, we now need to take those blessings and go out into this evil world and sincerely and diligently use them to proclaim Christ’s wonderful name and His magnificent gospel as we have been commissioned to do! Much LOVE!
…go ye therefore…and teach all nations…that’s our Great Commission…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
16 Nov 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a pristine white blanket, came out of the great tribulation, endure to the end, feed them upon the mountains of Israel, God shall wipe away all tears, halfway home, hands on the plough, he leadeth me beside still waters, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, hunger no more, I am the good shepherd, I will both search my sheep and seek them out, LOVE, made them white in the blood of the Lamb, Mother Nature, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not looking back, over one sinner that repenteth, seek that which was lost, so glad to be alive, thank God, that which was lost, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the first snowfall of the season, the Lamb shall feed them, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, the parables of the lost sheep coin and son, the son of man is come to seek and to save, there is joy in the presence of the angels, thirst no more, to a glorious future with Jesus, washed their robes, Wednesday Wail
Psalm 23:1-2. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
Well friends, we were wondering when it would come. The suspense is over now, because it came yesterday. Yes, we were greeted with our first snowfall of the season yesterday morning, and another set during the night. But thankfully it’s not a terrible situation, the roads are fairly clear though the lawns and other open spaces are covered in white. That gives us a chance to get accustomed to, or reacquainted with the white stuff before it just comes raining down on us as the winter season progresses. (smile)
And though you might dislike snow, when you see it covering the rooftops, the leafless trees and the lawns in a pristine white blanket, unsullied by humans, you have to admit that it is an eerily beautiful sight! (smile). Oh, if you are fascinated by the beauty of Mother Nature, then you will admire God’s awesome winter workmanship, like the other seasons, for it’s all part and parcel of His brilliance! And with that nod to Mother Nature and her winter qualities, let’s move on to greener pastures. (smile)
And when we talk about green pastures, no doubt all our minds turn to the marvellous words of Bruh David in Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.’ (Ps. 23:1-2) Now that’s indeed a promise from our heavenly Father. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to the prophet Ezekiel, after he rails against the sinful shepherds (leaders) of Israel and ‘promises the care of God Himself as the true Shepherd of Israel.’
‘For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers (streams), and in all the inhabited places of the country.
I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat (rich) pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgement (justice).’ (Ezek. 34:11-16)
Oh my people, what a glorious promise from the Lord our God! And remember He never reneges on His promises. And if you think that was just for Israel in the Old Testament, then listen to Jesus in the New Testament after the tax-collector Zaccheus repents. ‘And Jesus said unto 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) Yes friends, Jesus came to save those of us who were lost. Glory to God! And are we ever grateful that He did, because there was no other option but for crapaud to smoke we pipe down in the fires of hell!
And the scholars tell us: ‘The words seek, save and lost all appear elsewhere in the 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.’ And yuh better believe that includes all of mankind! And if we think that Jesus isn’t serious about searching and finding the lost, then please listen to Him here as He talks about His role in a shepherd context. ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep…I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of them.’ (John 10:11, 14)
Then please read the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost or prodigal son in Luke 15. The shepherd, the coin owner and father drop everything else and seek that which was lost. And when they found what they had lost, they celebrated it’s finding. Thus, Jesus says: ‘Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.’ (Luke 15:10) Oh my faithful brethren, doesn’t that just bring joy to your hearts, knowing that heaven celebrates when one of us comes to Christ? It ought to.
And I guess you have heard enough about the green pastures; you want to know now about the ‘still and peaceful waters.’ (smile) Then listen to John the Revelator, as he writes in the Book of Revelation, after seeing a great multitude of people of all nations and tongues that stood before the throne and the Lamb dressed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. (Rev. 7:9)
Later on, an elder explains it to John. ‘These are they which came out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light (strike) on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed (shepherd) them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears (every tear) from their eyes.’ (Rev. 7:14-17)
Oh my fellow saints, that’s what we have to look forward to! Being shepherded by the Lamb in the bright and shining presence of the Lord God, the Father Himself! And I don’t see how anyone in their right mind can turn that down for being in the fiery pits of hell with Satan. But since there’s no accounting for taste buds, then we’ll just leave it alone and let each individual do their own thing, and pay whatever price becomes necessary. (smile) However, for those of us who intend to stick with Jesus, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus!
As one strong and sincere 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 believe me friends, if we endure with Jesus right down to the end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or even imagine! So, let’s use that as added encouragement to live for Him nuh! Much LOVE!
…when Satan wanted us to die with him…Jesus came to save us to live with Him…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ
19 Aug 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, another arduous week of work, bodily exercise profiteth little, breaks the chains of sin, but of power love and a sound mind, doing his ungodly will, enjoyment of worldly pleasures, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, Friday chant, frighten us, godliness, godliness is profitable unto all things, Jesus- our number one companion, Mother Nature, promise of the life that now is, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, spiritual exercise, TGIF!, the grim reaper, the Holy Spirit, the life that is to come, the mainstay of our lives, unexpected storm, wake up and smell the coffee, work smart
1 Timothy 4:8. For bodily (physical) exercise profiteth little: but godliness (the result of spiritual exercise) is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
TGIF friends! TGIF! Yes, thank God it’s Friday and another arduous week of work is almost over, and a glorious weekend is imminent. (smile) And sadly, instead of living for Christ, a lot of us simply live for the weekend, that’s rest from our earthly labour and enjoyment of the worldly pleasures available. No wonder our lives seem so arduous and out of our control. But when we live for Jesus, our lives are never arduous. They might be hard, difficult, even very trying, but never arduous, because arduous implies a lot of our own energy and strength is put into our daily living.
However, when we make Jesus our number ONE companion, He enables us to work smart, to work with wisdom and not as laboriously as we do on our own. As the song says: ‘With Jesus I know I can make it. No matter what may come my way, I know that I can make it, My life is in your hands.’ And that’s the only way to live this earthly life; with Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, Good Shepherd and Comforter!
When we surrender our lives to Him, His goodness runs after us. He breaks whatever chains of sin and sadness in which we are entangled. We no longer have to run down life or anything in it, because He provides everything we need. He said it very clearly in His Sermon on the Mount. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
Yes my people, just as the Lord looks after all the other things He created in Mother Nature, He will likewise look after His greatest creation, the human being. And why wouldn’t He eh, when we’re made in His image, and are filled with His breath of life, and He controls all that we are and do? It just wouldn’t make any sense to just ignore and abandon us to the evil enemy Satan, after taking so much time, energy and pride to create us. The problem though is that in this fallen and sinful world, the enemy wields much power and influence and thus wants to frighten us into doing his ungodly will.
But there again, when we give our lives to Jesus, He imbues us with His Holy Spirit that then fills us with spiritual power to do His will. As Bruh Paul so confidently said 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).
Oh my fellow believers, that verse of scripture should be one we hold right at the front of our minds and hearts because in these days of constant fear, where fear seems to be bombarding us from all sides, we need it to keep reminding us that fear is not something that we deal in, that we have a spiritual power in Christ Jesus that overcomes fear. And we do need to exercise that spiritual power just like we exercise our bodies.
Why, you ask? Listen to Bruh Paul again as he advises Timothy on the subject. ‘For bodily (physical) exercise profiteth little: but godliness (the result of spiritual exercise) is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.’ (1 Tim. 4:8) And that’s the awesome truth my brethren. Spiritual exercise or godliness ‘has unlimited value, since it brings blessings for both now and eternity.’ And who doesn’t want to have a good life now and in the hereafter eh?
That’s what we all want, but it only comes through strong association with Jesus. However, for any number of reasons, most of them foolish and prideful, and thus sinful, many of us choose not to have an association with Christ Jesus. But that’s the worst decision any human being can ever make, for it deprives them of so many wonderful benefits available under Jesus’ all-encompassing umbrella.
I don’t like to keep harping on it, (smile) but it’s my job to keep reminding us that without Jesus as the mainstay of our lives, neither the abundant life on earth nor salvation that leads to eternal life in heaven are possible. The only other option we have is that of spending the afterlife with Satan in total damnation and death in hell and eventually the lake of fire where all the damned will be destroyed forever. Now, if you believe that the sinful pleasures of the world are worth that kind of end, then go right ahead and enjoy them.
But if you don’t like that kind of ending to your life, then you need to put your trust in Jesus Christ right now, for later might be too late. The grim reaper might just come calling sooner than you expected, or Christ might choose to come back today, and if any of those situations occur without you accepting Him as Lord and Saviour, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe. In other words, it’s too late and Satan’s place is where you’ll automatically be headed for. That’s why it’s ever so important to accept Christ as soon as possible. And that’s the end of today’s sermon! (smile)
Now, let’s turn to the most important and powerful weapon in our arsenal; that of prayer, or communication with our Creator. We’ll do that by declaring (ah Lord eh!) our Friday Chant. As one strong and 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 our many other problems 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!’
And now it’s time for us to get serious and show the Lord that we are truly faithful believers by our words, deeds and motives, so that He can positively answer our prayer. Much LOVE!
…Jesus…the only wise and sensible choice in this life…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
19 Apr 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: blow me down, Buccoo, Buccoo Goat Racing Stadium, climate change, committed all judgement unto the Son, Easter Monday, every knee shall bow to me, every tongue shall confess to God, fear ye not the reproach of men, Goat racing, He was ordained of God, his tongue talketh of judgement, hurry, I am the beloved of god, in god's eyes, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, Mother Nature, neither be ye afraid of their revilings, share His love with the world, stand before the judgement seat of Christ, straight from the horse's mouth, the law of God, the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our king, the Lord is our lawgiver, the mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, the people in whose heart is my law, the purpose of the law, the spiritual law deals with man's relationship to God, there is one lawgiver, to be the judge of the quick and dead, to reveal the sovereignty of God, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, who is able to save and to destroy, worry
Isaiah 33:22. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.
Oh, what a sad ending to a beautiful Easter Monday in my area – rain in the afternoon, and then wet snow in the early evening. I had a nap while it was raining, and on getting up, I looked outside, and, as the Bajans would say, ‘Blow me down!’ was I ever surprised to see the whole place covered in white, and the wet white stuff still coming down hard. It must have messed up the evening commute, but thankfully, the roads seem clean now, although the land is still covered in white. That’s Mother Nature for you in these days of climate change!
Anyway, today’s a new day – Easter Tuesday, and everything’s set for the big do on that day – Goat Racing in Buccoo, in sweet Tobago! Yes mih people, I hope you have yuh dan-dan (pretty clothes) ready to get down to that stadium in Buccoo built mainly to hold goat racing. And yuh better get there early if you want to get a seat, because they are coming from all over to check out this spectacular event, held only in Tobago. And was I ever surprised a few years ago when I went down there and saw the stadium.
Oh, it’s nice and all that, but I don’t think it can ever capture the atmosphere of the old Goat races, further up the road, on a strip of land between some houses, where everybody gathered around the track, in a more intimate setting. And in those days, I believe they also had crab races. But the best part of the day was the parties they had in the houses surrounding the track! Yes! I remember one particular year in my teens, my buddies and I getting totally inebriated, and a friend’s sister and I partying up the place. (smile) Yuh remember that one Harry? Possibly not, since he might have been into the waters even more than me.
I guess you would call those the good ole days. And they were, because our society was not as evil, ungodly and stressful as it is now. Today, it’s all about greed, selfishness, money, power and sinful pleasures, with God and His things of no real account. But, for the comparative handful of us who still hold Almighty God as El Numero Uno – Number One, who have unequivocally placed our hope and trust in Him, there is good reason to be joyful. Why? Because the scriptures, the immovable, unchanging everlasting true Word of God tells us so.
Listen to these words of the prophet Isaiah spoken to the people of Israel ages ago. ‘For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.’ (Is. 33:22) Wow mih bredrin! What a mighty God we serve if He is truthfully all those amazing things to us! And if you don’t believe me, then let’s check out some scriptures which ought to make you believe.
As per the Lord is our judge; listen to Peter preaching to the Gentiles. ‘And he (Jesus) commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick (living) and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission (forgiveness) of sins.’ (Acts 10:42-43) And there you have two of the promised things; Judge and Saviour.
Meanwhile, Bruh Paul said to the church at Rome. ‘But why dost thou Judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought (despise) thy brother? For we shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.’ (Rom. 14:10-12) Now, as per verse 11 above there, we are familiar with it coming from Phil. 2:10-11), but Isaiah declared it long before that in Is. 45:23)
And there’s never any better source of information than right from the horse’s mouth. So, check out these words of Jesus to the hypocritical Jews of His time. ‘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…And hath given him authority to execute judgement also, because he is the Son of man.’ (John, 5:21-22, 27) That’s straight from the horse’s mouth friends, so you better had believe it! And in there you also have about being saved by the Son of man that God sent to give us life eternal.
Now, re God being our lawgiver, listen again to Isaiah, as he calls the faithful to courage. ‘Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed (go forth) from me, and I will make my judgement (justice) to rest, for a light of the people…Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.’ (Is. 51:4, 7)
Then James says on the subject: ‘Speak not evil of one another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another.’ (James 4:11-12) Please remember that friends: there is only ONE lawgiver, Almighty God! And hear how Bruh David puts it in Psalm 37. ‘The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgement (justice). The law of his God is in his heart: none of his steps shall slide.’ (Ps. 37:30-31)
And the scholars offer a marvellous explanation on the ‘Law of God. 37:31. The law of God is the extension of God’s nature and expression of God’s will in His creation. God’s law is expressed in different forms, relating to different areas of His creation. The physical law of God includes the laws of nature which govern the continuous physical existence of this world (Gen. 8:22; Col. 1:17).
The moral law, also called “the perfect law of liberty” (James 1:25), governs the immaterial issues of life (2 Tim. 3:17). The social law of God affects interpersonal relationships and can be summarized by the “royal law” (James 2:8). The spiritual law deals with a man’s relationship with God. It is summarized in “the first and great commandment” (Matt. 23:37).
Illustration: The purpose of the law is to reveal the sovereignty of God (Ex. 20:2), to place a restraint on the sinner (68:7-8), to show the greatness and reality of sin (Rom. 3:19-20), and to lead the sinner to Christ (Gal. 3:24). The purpose of the law did not change with the gospel. When the Judaizers in Galatia sought to teach their erroneous view of the law, they failed to realize that the law has never been able to save anyone. Application: As Christians, we should be concerned to live decently and orderly. (First ref. Gen. 2:17; Primary Ref. Rom. 7:7-14; cf. Ex. 3:13).’
Wow! That’s a lot of scripture to reference, but that’s the only way we can truly learn it. So please, take some time and check out as many of them as you can nuh. I assure you it will lift your scriptural knowledge and increase your awareness of the law and LOVE of our great God. And, as per the saving part of our Bit, we don’t really need to talk about it, because that’s what we’ve been focused on and celebrating all weekend, the Saving Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ so selflessly accomplished through His crucifixion on Good Friday, then His triumphant resurrection on Easter Sunday!
It’s done friends! Like Jesus said on the cross before He gave up the ghost; ‘It is finished!’ Yes, it is! Salvation has finally come. Now it’s up to us to accept or refuse it. And for those of us who have wisely and confidently accepted it, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we graciously belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong voice 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 having made that boast, it now behooves us to go out and share that awesome LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Easter…the season of forgiveness, of redemption and salvation…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
02 Mar 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a peace beyond human comprehension, Ash Wednesday, bacchanal, be of good cheer, Carnival, evil doers, false gods, he trusteth in thee, i have overcome the world, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, intimate relationship with Christ, is still flowing through me, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, lean on God in total confidence, Lent, Lenten season, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, Mother Nature, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth, not looking back at the past, Peace i leave with you, perfect peace, shalom, thank God, the breath of life, the Millennial kingdom, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the redemption song, thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, to a glorious future with Jesus, trust in God's promises, trust ye in the Lord for ever, Wednesday Wail, whose mind is stayed on thee
Isaiah 26:3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee, because he trusteth in thee.
Now is it ever bright and sunshiny this Ash Wednesday morning! We could not ask for anything better…well, perhaps no snow on the banks, (smile) although we expect some warmer temps and rain in the next couple of days, which hopefully will melt and wash most of it away. Brother, I’ve never seen such a confused mixture of snow and rain in a winter season yet. But if that’s the way Mother Nature chooses to behave these days, then there’s nothing much we can do, except grin and bear it.
Anyway, all the frolic, the carnival and bacchanal is done now, and it’s time to get serious about life and about Jesus. The Lenten Season is here, which means a time of praying, fasting, studying God’s word, being more generous and treating each other better! And I guess the Lord knew why He had me ask yesterday about the keeping of our New Year’s resolution, because all those things back there are an integral part of not only Lent, but also of getting closer, becoming involved in a deeper and more intimate relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
And do we ever desperately need that in this ungodly, strife-filled, angry and greedy world! And I just saw a scripture that admirably describes our current plight. The prophet Isaiah said of his people Israel in his hymn of praise, a prophecy of the redemption song that will be sung in the Millennial Kingdom, when Christ finally comes to reign for a thousand years. ‘O Lord our God, other lords besides thee have had dominion over us, but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.’ (Is. 26:13)
And is that ever the gospel truth my people! We have allowed the evil and wicked idols and images to capture our lives and turn us away from the One and Only True God Jehovah! That’s why our lives and our world is in such a terrible mess. But as Isaiah continues: ‘They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore thou hast visited (punished) and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.’ (Is. 26:14)
Yes friends, the Lord is the process of destroying the false gods and evildoers. He began with the coming of Jesus, that first time two thousand years ago, where He was the first and only deity to die and rise from the grave, and live forever. And the Lord will continue that cleansing of evil from His world with the Second Coming of Christ. And though we might desire the evil and iniquity workers to be gone immediately, in God’s divine wisdom, He’s made it a long, drawn out process, and we can only do as He directs, and trust in His promises and faithfulness.
And to encourage his people, as well as subsequent believers, Isaiah, in the early part of his hymn of praise, also made this promise on the Lord’s behalf. ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee, because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.’ (Is. 26:3-4)
Oh my fellow saints, the Lord God Jehovah is indeed our ‘Rock of Ages,’ upon whom we ought to place all our trust and faith, to whom we surrender ourselves completely, to live for His Son Jesus, so that we can be amongst those singing that redemption song in the Millennial Kingdom, helping to run it with Jesus.
And the scholars offer some interesting explanations of those verses. They say that ‘the emphatic expression in the promise of perfect peace (shalom), indicates a peace that goes beyond human comprehension (cf. Phil. 4:7). To have one’s mind…stayed means to lean on God in total confidence and security. Trust is the ultimate expression of that confidence. Notice that the object of one’s faith is as important as the act of trust. Here the object of faith is the Lord Jehovah.’
Yes my faithful brethren, it’s equally important not only that we trust, but also in whom we trust. And if we want to end up in the Millennial Kingdom and see that perfect peace, we need to trust in Jehovah God, and Him ONLY, because He is the ONLY ONE that can provide the shalom we all claim to seek.
And if you don’t believe me, then listen to Bruh Paul as he spoke to the church at Philippi. ‘Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7)
That says it all friends! If we need that perfect peace, that shalom, then the only way to get it is to believe in, surrender to, live for, and trust in Christ Jesus! Otherwise we will always be filled with doubt, distrust and turmoil. And there’s absolutely no doubt that right now we desperately need the peace of Jesus, that passeth all understanding, since none of us can really understand the myriad of sad and unbelievable things that are currently happening in our world. Let me say it once more: It’s only through belief and trust in Christ Jesus that we will ever find some semblance of true peace in this evil world.
And Jesus said it so clearly on two occasions during His earthly sojourn: The first one goes thus: ‘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) So you clearly see that the peace found in Jesus Christ is not anything like the peace supposedly found in the world. It’s a spiritual kind of peace that operates at a much higher level than that of the world.
And in the second passage Jesus says: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) Now it’s up to us to believe that God is real and that His promises are faithful! And for those of us who believe that God is real, because we can feel Him deep in our soul, let’s go home joyfully declaring (yeah!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and confident 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 as always, we need to remember that if we endure to the end, that that future with Jesus will be even more glorious than we ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…shalom…shalom…the perfect peace…that’s only found in Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
21 Apr 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a test of one's trust in Christ, as ye have doen it unto the least, commitment to Him, digging deeper into the word of God, don't move away from the hope of the gospel, enriching the christian relationship, eternal life, faith if it hath not works is dead, faith ought to show out in our works, hang on to Jesus, he that shall endure to the end, I am halfway home, I was a stranger and ye took me in, I'm not turning back, it will all be worth it in the end, Jesus is never late, Jesus surprises us with good things, live up to the desires of Jesus, living good with our friends, LOVE, Mother Nature, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, naked and ye clothed me, our faith is worthless, perseverance in the Christian's faith, sends deliverance, snow on the rooftops, testing our faith, the breath of life, the Lord acknowledges our trust, the parabe of the talents, the same shall be saved, those things which are needful to the body, to a glorious future with Jesus, trials and tribulation, unknown adventures await, Wednesday Wail, well grounded in the faith, worthwhile ambassadors of Jesus, ye have done it unto me
James 2:17. Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Oh, how lovely it looks out there my people; white and virginal! (smile) Yes friends, there’s snow on the rooftops and the hitherto blossoming green trees. Was I ever surprised when I saw it this morning, but apparently it was predicted by the weather department. I don’t expect it to cause any serious problems though, because the roads seem bereft of the white stuff, and most likely it will all melt by this afternoon. Let’s hope so anyway. (smile)
But that’s one of the exciting and adventurous things about living in the northern climes; you’re never sure when Mother Nature will surprise you with something that’s supposedly out of season. And that’s exactly how our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ surprises us with good things when we walk sincerely with Him. So, although this earthly life provides many trials and much tribulation, let’s not lose faith and give up, because those are the times when the Lord acknowledges our trust in Him and sends deliverance.
Oh yes, He sees all of our struggles and helps us get through them all. Even when He’s testing our faith and commitment to Him. And in these turbulent and controversial times, we need to hang on to Jesus even tighter than before, because no other system or faith, or whatever, appears to have the power to answer all the questions and problems we are now facing worldwide. And believe me, if you stick close to Jesus, it will all be worth it in the end. That’s His promise: ‘But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.’ (Matt.24:13) And we know that all His promises are true and faithful, though probably not in our timing. (smile)
And yes, sometimes it feels like He will never show up, and I can personally tell you about that, for many times, He’s taken me right to the brink of the precipice, but He’s NEVER allowed me to go over. So I can also testify that Jesus is NEVER late! It might seem so to us, but He always catches the crisis before it drags us under. The problem is that we like to be relieved of our problems right away, but Jesus likes to test our faith, to see us walk our talk, and that’s what He is expecting of us right now in this unusual time of pandemic, strife and natural disasters.
So it’s a matter of digging deeper into the word of God, more prayer…and the sincere kind at that, and living good with our friends, families and neighbours. This is a time when Christians and the church of Christ are expected to come to the forefront and help our world understand that Christ is the answer to ALL of our many problems. As we said yesterday, we desperately need to be good and worthwhile ambassadors for Christ. That means we have to set a good example, and we can only do that when we are well grounded in the faith.
And there are several instances in the Good Book where Bruh Paul admonishes the brethren to be go deep in the faith. Listen to this verse to the Colossians as he talks about his service for Christ. ‘If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled (steadfast), and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; wherefore I Paul am made a minister;’ (Col. 1:23)
And the scholars explain that verse thus: ‘1:23. If ye continue in the faith (or “since you will persevere in the faith”): the Colossians future entrance into God’s heavenly presence depends on whether they remain in the Christian faith. The words “since you will persevere” indicate that they will remain loyal to Christ. Perseverance in the Christian’s faith is a test of the reality of one’s trust in Christ. This verse implies that true believers will persevere.’
And isn’t that the living truth friends! We are expected to walk out our trust in the reality of the way we live our lives. And never more so than in these critical times of our world! And as true believers we WILL persevere unto the end! That’s also an indisputable fact! Glory be my people! It certainly warms the cockles of Jesus’ heart to hear us say that so definitely and confidently!
But it’s more than talk friends, it’s even more walk! Faith is indeed necessary, but that faith ought to show out in our works. As James says: ‘What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food. And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed, and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body, what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.’ (James 2:14-16)
Now that’s the gospel truth friends. We can talk all the talk we want, but if we have the wherewithal to help another and don’t, then our faith is worthless. That’s why Jesus showed it was ever so important to help the poor and downtrodden as He spoke the parable of the talents (Matt. 25) and ended with these words. ‘For I was hungered, and ye gave me meat (food): I was thirsty and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in. Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.’ (Matt. 25:35-36)
Then, when the righteous look at Him in astonishment and ask when they did these things? ‘And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch, as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.’ (Matt. 25:40) Yes, my fellow saints, in as much as we help the poor, downtrodden and needy, we’re helping Jesus; that’s what He desires of us, which means we need to take our responsibilities as a Christian very seriously.
And as one commentator questions? ‘Are you enriching that (Christian) relationship every day through your communication with God? Listen to His voice as He gets your attention while reading His Word. Talk back to Him in prayer. Communicate with Him! Do you truly know Him friend? Will He recognize your voice when you call out to Him?’
Oh my people, I believe those are all important questions that we need to seriously ponder and then do our best to live up to the desires of Jesus in these sinful, godless and evil times! And for those of us who have already decided to work for Jesus, despite the trials and tribulations, let’s go home declaring (awright!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus!
So as one strong and sincere 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 as we all know, if we endure to the end, that future will be even more glorious than we can think or imagine! So let’s keep on working diligently and efficiently for Jesus my fellow saints, for it will all be worth it, when He comes into His kingdom! Much LOVE!
…on earth with Christ…unknown adventures await…but for sure…eternal life with Him in heaven…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
19 Mar 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a manifestation of his love for us, a two way street, an expression of our love for him, as a means of restoring faith in you, avoid serious setbacks, back to your fold, bring a lot of backsliders, Covid-19 virus, defeat the virus and the unrest, embrace your love and compassion, Friday chant, God's commandments, he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, I will not leave you comfortless, if ye love me, if you want my help, infringement on our personal freedom, introduce a whole new flock, keep my commandments, Mother Nature, obedience to his commandments, oh heavenly Father, one stop shopping, our sinful world, racial strife, rebel against God's rules, security in Christ, show trust towards our Triune Godhead, springtime, stand strong and steadfast, swallowing our foolish pride, the Holy spirit indwells us, the Son is our Redeemer, then keep my commandments, trusting faith, use this pandemic, wake up and smell the coffee, wise guidance, with your omnipotent help
John 14:15. If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.
Welcome my Scrip-Bit friends and family to a glorious sunshiny Friday morning! Springtime is almost here in the northern climes, but I certainly don’t trust Mother Nature, especially in these days of climate change. I won’t put it past her to drop another rough snowstorm upon us…just for good measure, just so we can remember her for the rest of the year. (smile) But until we see and experience it, let’s just fill our hearts, minds, bodies and souls with Jesus nuh, for He is the answer to our every problem, our every wish, our every desire! Glory be my people!
Jesus is indeed what we call today; one stop shopping! Whatever our needs and wants, He can meet them. In fact He is the ONLY one who can do that! But there’s something we must do so that He can help us. We have a responsibility in this wonderful partnership, and it’s a simple, but at times quite difficult rule to follow. Jesus said it this way: ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) Yes, it is a simple rule, but in this evil, aggressive, strife-filled and hateful world it’s not always easy to follow it, although when we sincerely come to Jesus, He will enable us to follow it through the workings of His Holy Spirit that indwells all believers.
As one Bible commentator says: ‘God’s commandments are a manifestation of His LOVE for us, and obedience to His commandments is an expression of our LOVE for Him.’ And that’s the glorious truth my people! God gives us rules to protect and guide us, just like we have rules and regulations for our children’s safety. But as our children often rebel against our rules, feeling that they are somewhat onerous and restrict their personal freedom, we also often rebel against God’s rules for the same basic reason; infringement on our personal freedom.
But my people, as we reach out to God, dig deeper in His word, try to understand what He’s really all about, we realize that those rules and regulations are actually for our safety and protection and they are all linked up to LOVE, the same way our rules for our children are based on our LOVE for them. John puts it this way in his first epistle. ‘For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (burdensome).’ (1 John 5:3) As the commentator above says, His LOVE for us, and our LOVE for Him.
It’s a two-way street friends. But, unfortunately, we only recognize that as we grow in faith, as we mature in our Christian belief. And that can’t happen until we begin to show greater trust towards our Triune Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who each have a different but vital role in our lives and our growth. Technically speaking, the Father sets the overall agenda; the Son lays the foundation, and the Holy Spirit enables, leads and guides the builders in the task of building the magnificent memorial!
But we need to implicitly trust each of them as they do their part in our lives, otherwise the glorious memorial in which we are involved in building won’t turn out right. And that basically means acknowledging that the Father is the Creator and Controller of the universe; the Son is our Redeemer who died to save us from our sins, and the Holy Spirit is the one who indwells us to show us the way to obedience in Christ Jesus.
Notice what Jesus said to His disciples after He told them our Bit. ‘And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter (Helper), that he may abide in you for ever. Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.’ (John 14:16-17) Yes friends, Jesus was there stressing that though He had to go away and leave them, the Holy Spirit would come and replace Him, dwell in them permanently. But most importantly, He’d be just like Jesus, a Helper and an Advocate; to lead and guide them in righteousness on their earthly journey.
And hear His awesome promise nuh. ‘I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.’ (John 14:18-20) Wow mih bredrin! That’s a promise of our security in Christ; everlasting security for all believers. We are secure in Christ, and Christ is secure in God! It couldn’t get any better than that!
But I like how Jesus never leaves us without a gentle reminder on whatever topic He’s talking about. ‘He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that LOVETH me, and he that LOVETH me shall be LOVED of my Father, and I will LOVE him, and will manifest (reveal) myself to him.’ (John 14:21)
So the question now is, have we kept His commandments and thus shown our LOVE for Him? And the obvious answer is a big NO! And consequently, our world is in a thorough mess, with sickness and strife and what have you. But now we’re tired of the current situation and want some relief from it, and belatedly realize that Almighty God is the ONLY source of the kind of help we so desperately need. That means swallowing our foolish pride and going to Him in prayer and asking for His help.
And we can do that right now through our Friday Chant. So, as one sincere voice, let’s pray: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. Yuh know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and the racial strife causing. We not accustomed to that kind of life Lord, and it really telling on us. And we know we can’t handle it on our own, that 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 sure and 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, so that we can avoid any more serious setbacks.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to also bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. It’s also a good opportunity to introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion because of the way we, your faithful believers, handle the situation. 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 the simple message is like it’s been from the very beginning; ‘If you want my help, then keep my commandments.’ It’s now up to us friends to keep our vows to God. Much LOVE!
…we can’t be disobedient to God’s commandments…and yet expect His divine blessings…
P.S. The ordinary workingman refused to speak to us today because he was real angry about the continuing confusion and negativity of the pandemic situation. (smile) Much LOVE!
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
30 Dec 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all ye that labour and are heavy laden, almighty god, apostasy, be joyful, blasphemers, blessed are they that have not seen me, boasters, come unto me, disobedient to parents, faith, foolish and stubborn, for vain is the help of man, give us help from trouble, given me the heritage, good character, hands fixed securely on the plough, he it is that shall tread down our enemies, I am halfway home, I am meek and lowly in heart, I am the way the truth and the life, I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever, I will give you rest, I will trust in the covert of thy wings, in whatever circumstances, jesus is god, Jesus sacrificed Himself, lead me to the rock that is higher than I, learn of me, lovers of their own selves, Mother Nature, my burden is light, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my yoke is easy, New Year's Eve, no man comes to the Father but by me, not looking back, only believe, Praise be to god, proud, reverence the name of the Lord, seeing is believing, Selah, sight unseen, sparkling white, take my yoke upon you, the breath of life, the great invitation, the name that's above every other name, the One True God, those that fear thy name, through God we shall do valiantly, to a glorious future with Jesus, to whom all knees must bow, unholy, unthankful, virginal, Wednesday Wail, ye shall find rest unto your souls, yet have believed
Psalm 60:12. ’Through God we shall do valiantly, for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.’
Well it’s another snowy morning, this eve of New Year’s Eve Wednesday! And like Mother Nature is all about making her mark this crazy year of 2020, for it’s a long time since we’ve seen so much snow in such a short period of time. And as long as I don’t have to go out in it, I just LOVE to see the place sparkling white and virginal when I get up in the morning. (smile) Ah friends, we might as well be joyful in whatever circumstances we find ourselves yes, because being unhappy and miserable won’t make them any better, just worse.
And remember we have Jesus…JESUS, that magnificent Lord and Saviour always with us through His indwelling Holy Spirit, so there’s NOTHING we can’t handle when we include Him in our daily journey. Oh praise be to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, for all the wonderful things they’ve done, are doing, and have promised to do for us! Without them continually in our lives we’d be so lost and lonely, it wouldn’t be funny. How else would Bruh David be able to truthfully write: ‘Give us help from trouble: for vain (futile) is the help of man.’ (Ps. 60:11)
And then in the very next verse assuredly proclaim: ‘Through God we shall do valiantly, for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.’ (Ps. 60:12) And yuh better believe that is ONLY Almighty God who is able and also willing to tread down our enemies if we place our sincere trust and faith in Him! And then hear Bruh David in Psalm 61 nuh: ‘Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed…’ (Ps. 61:1-2a)
Oh mih people, so many of our hearts are so totally overwhelmed today, but we refuse to call upon the One True God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the Only One who can truly ease our pain and trouble! Why are we so foolish and stubborn eh? Why we still looking to man for help eh, when we already know that man’s help is both futile and deceitful? And hear how Bruh David continues in that second verse: ‘Lead me to the rock that is higher than I:’ (Ps. 61:2b)
Mama Yo mih bredrin! That’s where we ought to want to go, and need to go, and should go…to the ROCK that is indeed higher than us…Jesus Christ – the name that’s above every other name, the magnificent personage to whom ALL knees will eventually bow! Wow!
And why should we look to Jesus you ask? Bruh David states it quite simply and clearly: ‘For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.’ (Ps. 61:3) And consequently, he declares (steups!) ‘I will abide in thy tabernacle (tent) for ever: I will trust in the covert (shelter) of thy wings. Selah. For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.’ (Ps. 61:4-5)
Yes friends, we too have the heritage of those who fear and reverence the name of the Lord…even in greater depth than those who went before us, since they never had Jesus sacrifice Himself for them, or His Holy Spirit dwelling in them, so we ought to have even more faith and good character than them! But sadly we don’t, because we don’t truly believe as we should, and are still turning to man and the evil world for too much of our happiness and contentment.
Please remember all these things that Jesus said nuh. First, this to Thomas who questioned how they could know whither He was going. ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) And then to Thomas again, who doubted when his friends told Him they’d seen Jesus after the resurrection. He needed to see the scars in Jesus’ hands and sides before he believed. And eight day later, Jesus showed up again, this time Thomas was with them.
And it is interesting how Jesus turned to Thomas, as though He came just to convince him. ‘Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless (unbelieving), but believe. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.’ (John 20:27-28) And the website trusting in Jesus.com tells us: ‘This enlightening statement by Thomas is considered to be among the greatest confessions ever made and is only one of ten “New Testament” passages proclaiming that Jesus is God.’
The point of the story though is that Thomas believed because he saw the scars on Jesus’ hands and body. But hear Jesus to him after that. ‘Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.’ (John 20:29)
Now friends, that points directly to us. We did not personally see Jesus walk on the earth, but we believe that He did, and that all the stuff that’s written about Him is true…at least I hope so. Now the problem with today’s world is that we don’t like to believe something until we see it, thus the saying – seeing is believing. But in Jesus’ economy, it’s all different; you won’t see something until you have the faith to believe it, as they would say, sight unseen! And that is the thing that’s screwing up our lives; we’re not fully believing in Jesus, because we’re listening to all the false, deceitful and misleading stuff that’s being noised abroad in these evil and disbelieving times.
As Bruh Paul warned Timothy about the coming apostasy (turning away from God): ‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be LOVERS of their own selves, covetous (money LOVERS), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy….’ (2 Tim. 3:1-2) And a whole lot more that you can read on your own. And when you read it, you will undoubtedly believe that this is the time Bruh Paul was referring to, for our world couldn’t get any more evil, wicked and unbelieving than it already is.
So please, let’s do ourselves and our LOVED ones a great favour and believe nuh, truly believe. In these unheralded and oh so rough, tough and uncertain times, we need to above all else accept that Great Invitation that Jesus offered to all and sundry. ‘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 you souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30)
Please, please friends, those words were spoken for exactly a time like this. So let’s be wise and accept that wonderful invitation nuh. There’s never been and will never be one as wonderful and inviting and truthful as it. Now let’s go home describing our marvellous position in Christ nuh, through our Wednesday Wail, a position we have achieved by accepting His Great Invitation.
Altogether now.’ ‘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 furthermore, we do know that if we endure until the end, that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…believe nuh….only believe…that is all He asks…is it that hard…
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