04 Jan 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, after one time is two, curse, exposes its evil soul, faith, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, holy spirit, I am the good shepherd, I am the light of the world, I am the resurrection and the life, In the beginning was the Word, Jesus Christ, jumping for joy, light pierces darknessto its very core, LOVE, negative word, only Christ can guide us through tough times, prosper, shall have the light of life, succeed, supernatural wisdom, take sunshine for granted, the darkness comprehend it not, the darkness of sin, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep, the guiding light of Christ, the life was the light of men, the light shineth in the darkness, the Son of God, the sun is shining, the Word was God, the Word was with God, Thursday Blessings, truth, what ain't meet you ain't pass you, whoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die, wisdom
John 8:12. I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Well, well, well! If it isn’t the sun! Brother, I was almost blinded earlier on when I peeked through my window blinds and saw bright sunshine! Imagine that nuh! After two weeks of nothing but dark, damp, wet, cloudy weather with a li’l snow thrown in for good measure, Father Sun has finally condescended to grace us with His presence. In my entire life, I’ve never gone two weeks with out seeing the sun, not even an occasional touch of it peeking through the clouds. But as the ole people would say, after one time is two, and what ain’t reach you ain’t pass you. (smile)
And it’s surely been an interesting though somewhat discombobulating experience when all through Christmas and New Year’s it’s only dark, damp, wet and cloudy weather. At least we had a somewhat white New Years…but even then the sun was noticeably absent, for usually when you get a new snowfall, the sun comes out bright and shiny the next day, even if it’s cold. So, the moral of the story is that we never know what we have until we lose it. We have always taken sunshine for granted, but I guess now we know better, and will appreciate it even more when we receive it. End of monologue! (smile)
Now that’s why I have to warn us of the importance of having Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, for it’s only with His comfort and perseverance that we can make it through such uncomfortable times. He is the ONLY ONE who can, and will guide us with a LOVING hand through the auspices of His Holy Spirit which indwells us. Satan won’t do it. In fact he’ll be glad, jumping for joy when we go through those periods of darkness, both literally and figuratively, because he is the prince of darkness and that’s all he wants us to experience, not the bright light that’s Jesus.
Remember the opening words of John’s gospel? ‘In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.’ (John 1:1-5) Yes friends, Jesus brought light to the children of men, who, unfortunately, did not understand or accept it.
Even when He personally declared (yesss!!!) to those around Him: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) They still did not believe Him, and the Pharisees even disputed His authority, because He witnessed to Himself. But who else was going to witness for Jesus in this dark and sinful world eh? Nobody! Not until some of us saw His miraculous works and believed that He was indeed the light of the world.
And what does Jesus being the light of the world really mean? This commentary puts it quite nicely and concisely. (smile) ‘We can’t see our future, direction, or destination, but Jesus can. Like the lighthouse guided the ship, Jesus directs us toward God’s light. The light of Christ guides us through the darkness of sin, life, and struggle both spiritually and literally.’ And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! Without the guiding light of Christ we cannot make it successfully through this evil and sinful world!
And sadly, those who don’t believe that Jesus is the light of the world and adhere to His desires and dictates will only find themselves living marginalized lives down here on earth and eventually being eternally separated from God when this life is over. I truly don’t know why we keep on listening to Satan and believing all his lies, for just like he deceived our forefathers Adam and Eve in the Garden eon’s ago, that’s still his heartfelt purpose to this day. He’s only using us as bait, trying to get revenge against God for kicking him out of heaven when he tried to overthrow Him, and takes great pleasure when we rebel against God.
But please listen to Jesus on the subject of Satan’s vengeful desires. ‘The thief (Satan) cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep.’ (John 10:10-11) Yes friends, Christ showed His sincerity by sacrificing His sinless life for us on the cross of Calvary, so that we could have the option of eternal life. But Satan is nothing but a liar and a cheat, with nothing but destruction on his mind, while Jesus is about bringing life and light to all!
Now which one would you rather serve eh? The deceiver and the destroyer, or the Giver of life and light? Wisdom would dictate that you serve the latter, Jesus Christ, because He’s the One who appears to LOVE and cherish those who follow Him, and even more importantly has the power of eternal life in His resurrected body. As he said to Martha, Lazarus’ sister, when she was admonishing Him for not coming sooner to save her brother. ‘I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet shall he live. And whoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?’ (John 11:25-26)
Oh friends, that’s a very good question, and one which we should also ask ourselves at this present time, and for our sakes, sincerely fashion an answer that resembles Martha’s. ‘She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.’ (John 11:27) And with those fateful and faithful words ringing in our ears, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Thursday Blessings, activating undeserved blessing generously bestowed on us by God to do his earthly work.
As one 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 having activated those blessings, it’s our duty now to go out and use them, just as generously, to help others come to the light and life of Christ! Much LOVE!
…darkness tries to hide from light…but it can’t…for light pierces darkness right to its very core and exposes its evil soul…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
28 Dec 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: believe not every spirit, bow to the master of darkness, clear direction for my life, climate change, curse, English weather, every spirit that confesseth Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, faith, favour, get a foothold in our lives, greater is he that is in you, he that knoweth God heareth us, holy spirit, is of God, Jesus Christ, LOVE, many false prophets are in the world, mercy, negative word, positive outlook on life, prosper, renounce God's presence, Seasonal Affective disorder, spirit of the antichrist, succeed, than he that is in the world, the spirit of error, the spirit of the antichrist, the Spirit of truth, therefore speak they of the world, they are of the world, Thursday Blessings, truth, try the spirits whether they be of God, we are of God, ye are of God
1 John 4:4b. … greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Brother! Can you believe it’s another wet, drizzly, cloudy day? It’s at least the sixth day in a row that we haven’t had even a hint of sunshine. No wonder SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) takes its toll during such long durations of gloomy, uninspiring weather. I have a light on the deck in my backyard to frighten away animals at night, it runs on solar power, but I haven’t seen it lit for a while now, because there’s been no sunlight to recharge its battery. I believe this is what is known as English weather. (smile) And it’s a sure sign of climate change, if all we’re getting at the end of December is light rain and absolutely no snow.
Now, it’s highly unlikely that we won’t get any snow at all, but by this time of year, we’ve usually had a few snowfalls. And yet many people still doubt the fact that climate change is occurring. As always though, when we don’t hear, we feel. But that’s also why we have Jesus as Lord and Saviour; to guide and protect us, to lead us in the way everlasting; in the way of truth and righteousness! Without Him, none of that is possible, for we cannot live a righteous and truthful life in our own strength, especially not with the immense pressure being exerted in these evil times for mankind to renounce the presence of Almighty God and bow to the master of darkness, Beelzebub himself!
And John, in his first epistle explains that though Satan is fighting to gain power over us, we have all the tools to resist him He writes: ‘Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try (test) the spirits, whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.’ (1 John 4:1) And that last phrase is the absolute truth my people; false teachers and prophets abound in these ungodly and evil times, and thus numerous spirits are flitting about trying to get a foothold in our lives.
And yes, the Holy Spirit of God does assure us, but with the many spirits that are currently out and about trying to wreak even more havoc and chaos than is already happening, we still need to be very careful what and whom we listen to, and test whatever we hear. So John explains how we can test those spirits. ‘Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is the spirit of the antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.’ (1 John 4:2-3)
Now we need to make a distinction between the person of ‘The Antichrist’ who is supposed to reign in terror over the world during the Great Tribulation, and what John is talking about here, more like a group, a body of ‘antichrists’ who are already in the world deceiving people and turning them away from the truth of God. The scholars tell us that ‘John’s opponents may have claimed to follow Christ, but without accepting that the Son who came in flesh was also one with the Father. This position was held by many Gnostics. John says that the Spirit will enlighten true believers to confess that Christ did come in the flesh. Jesus himself speaks of those who call Him “Lord” but are false followers. (Matt. 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)’
Yes friends, there are many around who pretend to be Christians, but are not true followers of Christ, just using His name for their own personal purposes. And per the Gnostics spoken of above: It’s said that ‘Gnosticism is a collection of religious ideas and systems that coalesced in the late 1st century AD among Jewish and early Christian sects. These various groups emphasized personal spiritual knowledge above the proto-orthodox teachings, traditions, and authority of religious institutions.’
And John continues: ‘Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.’ (1 John 4:4) And that’s no lie! Christ who indwells believers is greater than Satan who is trying to cause chaos amongst us. But because we are born of God, and Christ has already defeated Satan, we don’t have to be afraid, just make sure that we are diligent in our worldly dealings. ‘They (those ruled by the spirit of the antichrist) are of the world, therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.’ (1 John 4:5-6)
It’s obvious that those who are ruled by the spirit of the antichrist will find the world’s teaching more appealing than the truth of God. And the scholars explain verse six thus: ‘Those who acknowledge the truth of the apostolic (New Testament) witness to Christ will recognize and conform to the teaching John is presenting. Those who do not, are animated by a common and unifying spirit of error. John warns the readers against this spirit by contrasting their false views of Christ with the views that he, a personal follower and witness of Christ proclaims.’
Oh my people, our world today is full of heresy, blasphemy and outright lies about our faith, but we know that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, our Giver of eternal life and all the other wonderful things like grace and mercy, provided through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit in each and every believer. Therefore, we do not need to fear what the world says about us, or does to us, we just need to keep on faithfully believing, following the leading of the Holy Spirit, and be careful of whom and what we let into our lives. Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) and thus activating our Thursday Blessings which the Lord has generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work.
As one 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 having activated those blessings, we’re now obligated to go out and use them to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…to truly know Christ and be fruitful in Him…one must be obedient to the Holy Spirit…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
21 Dec 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook, a stranger and ye took me in, as a shepherd divideth the sheep from the goats, as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, bounden duty, Christ-like behaviour, Come ye blessed of my Father, curse, go away into everlasting punishment, I wan an hungred, inherit the kingdom prepared for you, Jesus came to seek and to save the lost, Jesus Christ, LOVE, man's inequitable society, negative word, salvation, success, thank you Lord for Jesus, thank you Lord for salvation, Thank you Lord for the cross of Calvary, the breath of life, the Great tribulation, the Great White throne judgement, the Living Spirit of God, the Millennium reign of Christ, the righteous into life eternal, the Son of man, thirsty, Thursday Blessings, truth, widows and orphans, ye gave me meat
Matthew 25:33. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Cloudy days are here again…Glory Hallelujah! And no, I’m not raising up or praising cloudy days, but giving thanks that I’m alive for at least one more day, even though it may be cloudy and miserable! Yes friends, each new day that we open our eyes, we ought to give Almighty God much praise and thanks for the breath of life, His magnificent Living Spirit, that’s still flowing through us, for there’s nothing greater than that Spirit of God! And being alive in this joyful and joyous season of Christmas, when we celebrate the incarnate birth of the Son of God, Christ Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, is even more special!
So let’s bow our heads and raise our voices and sincerely say: ‘Thank You Lord for Jesus; thank You Lord for the Cross of Calvary; thank You Lord for the salvation You initiated because of Your wonderful, unconditional and undying LOVE for us! And we pray it all in Jesus’ name! Amen!’ Ah mih people, we’ve got it so good with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, but we don’t truly understand the ramifications of it all. And I guess we’ll never truly do so until the day that Jesus comes in all His glory and separates the sheep from the goats.
The Word tells us: ‘When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. And before him shall be gathered all the nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred (hungry), 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. Then shall the righteous answer him saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred (hungry), and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 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. 25:31-40)
Yes friends, in as much as we help the poor, sick, downtrodden, or anyone in need of help and succour, we have done it unto our Lord and Saviour, because as He said so sincerely: ‘For the Son of man is come to seek and save that which is lost.’ (Luke 19:10) And that wasn’t only talk, because Jesus acted on it all through His earthly days, as this commentary so eloquently puts it. ‘Jesus came to seek and to save the lost, it was his passion which he devoted his life to. He was constantly surrounded by the lost and he made them feel that though they were lost sheep he was their compassionate shepherd.’
Now that’s where Jesus wins every time my people! He always makes you feel wanted, as though you are somebody, despite your humble, lowly or downtrodden place in man’s inequitable society. And that’s how we are also expected to make others feel if we want to be true believers in Christ. Help the sick, feed the hungry, and as the Word mentions so often, look after the widows and orphans. Oh my fellow believers, our God favours the lost and hurting, and pays special attention to them, and if we expect to be numbered with the sheep and not the goats, then our sincere efforts must also be along those lines. For listen to Jesus again, re the separation of the sheep and the goats.
‘Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred (hungry), and ye gave me no meat (food): I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord when saw we thee an hungred (hungry), or athirst (thirsty), or a stranger, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.’ (Matt. 25:41-46)
Very telling words my fellow believers, which ought to admonish and also encourage us to do better, to improve our Christ-like attitude and behaviour, in light of what God’s Word says is going to take place at some future date. Now, let’s hear some explanations from the scholars on that passage of scripture. ‘25:31-46. The judgement of the nations concludes our Lord’s prophetic discourse. This judgement of all nations must be distinguished from the Great White Throne judgement at the end of the Millenium (Jesus’ thousand year reign on earth) The nations are those peoples living through the Great Tribulation on earth at the time of Christ’s return.
This is a judgement of separation: sheep on the right – goats on the left. At that judgement all nations (better – “all Gentiles”) stand before Christ who then separates the sheep (the saved) from the goats (the lost) in a manner reminiscent of the wheat and tares parable. (Matt. 12:24-43) Note that these are living nations, whereas the Great White Throne judgement is one of the wicked dead whose bodies are resurrected to face the final judgement of the lost. Thus, the saved are invited to come into and share the blessings of His Kingdom: Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom. The basis of their acceptance seems to be their treatment of the least of these my brethren, the saved of the Great Tribulation.’
And believe me friends, if we think times are bad now, the days of the Great Tribulation will truly be terrible, with the Anti-Christ in full swing, and if you go through it sincerely living for Jesus, then you will certainly deserve a place amongst the blessed sheep. Now, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has generously bestowed on us to help us do His earthly work. Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And now that we’ve activated those blessings, it’s our bounden duty to go out and use them to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us! Much LOVE!
…whether it’s in the Great Tribulation or now…our Christ-like behaviour…ought always to be front and centre…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
14 Dec 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fulfillment of those things, a positive outlook on life, abundance, all generations shall call me blessed, blessed is she that believed, bounden duty, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost, filled the hungry with good things, God's supernatural presence, God's supernatural wisdom, he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden, he that is mighty hath done to me great things, his mercy is on them that fear him, holy spirit, how much of Christmas is focused on Christ, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, my soul doth magnify the Lord, my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour, negative word, Old Testament imagery, scattered the proud, the imagination of their hearts, the incarnate birth of Christ, the Magnificat, the mother of my Lord, the reason for the season, the rich he hath sent empty away, Thursday Blessings, truth
Luke 1:46-47. And Mary said, My soul doth magnify (exalt) the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
And then it was Thursday; the penultimate day of the work week, and also one day closer to the birth of Christ! And as I go around my neighbourhood, I can see all the activity, all the busyness that this time of year spurs. And it’s certainly the case in my home, as the Duchess is slowly ramping up the Christmas spirit. I can’t walk anywhere in the house without encountering some kind of Christmas decoration, some of which I don’t like, and I believe makes the place even more congested than usual. But apparently I have no say in the matter. (smile) However, the Christmas tree does look luverly.
And I bring all of that up because I want to find out just how much of all this Christmas activity is actually being focused on Christ and His incarnate birth, or are we more concerned about the time for gifts and feasting and secular celebrations? And for the many who proclaim, ‘Happy Holidays!’ What’s the holidays about eh? It’s about the birth of Jesus! Without the celebration of the birth of Jesus there would be no holidays, no shopping, with the cash registers merrily jingling every few seconds, no gift giving or joyful get togethers. So why can’t we acknowledge Jesus as the true reason for the season eh?
As our world becomes more evil, secular and ungodly, it’s becoming an uphill battle to remind people that Jesus’ birth is why we celebrate these supposed holidays. But let’s not give up my fellow believers, for if we keep on sending the message, in due course, the heathen, the ungodly, the evildoer, the greedy business person, will all come to recognize why there’s all the hubbub and hoopla at this time of year – the marvellous, miraculous, incarnate birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! There’s never before been a birth like it… and there will never again be another one as marvellous and miraculous!
And today I want to explore the situation of that incarnate birth a little bit more for there are some interesting ramifications to it, like what happens after Mary’s momentous encounter with the angel Gabriel. The Good Library tells us: ‘And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda. And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted (greeted) Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heart the salutation (greeting) of Mary, the babe (John the Baptist) leaped in her womb, and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.
And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that (why should) the mother of my Lord come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation (greeting) sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance (fulfillment) of those things which were told her from the Lord.’ (Luke 1:39-45)
Oh my people, doesn’t it astound and astonish you at the amazing dramatics that our God has placed in Hs Word? Listen to that drama there as Mary, the Mother of Jesus greets Elisabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. The Holy Ghost comes upon Elisabeth and John the Baptist jumps for joy in his mother’s womb, spiritually knowing that the One whom he is coming to prepare the way for is close by! Wow! Only our great God could engineer such a dramatic situation! Give Him thanks and praise for His awesome Word nuh!
But it gets even more dramatic as Mary then proceeds to sing this song, we call ‘The Magnificat.’ ‘And Mary said, My soul doth magnify (exalt) the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate (lowly state) of his hand maiden (maidservant): for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear (reverence) him from generation to generation.
He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats (thrones), and exalted them of low degree (the lowly). He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen (helped) his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed (descendants) for ever.’ (Luke 1:46-55)
Oh friends, what magnificent sentiments in praise of our God’s goodness and mercy, His strength and His faithfulness! How could an ordinary teenaged girl proclaim such things eh…not unless she was filled with the Holy Spirit! The Bible then informs us: ‘And Mary abode with her (Elisabeth) about three months, and returned to her own house.’ (Luke 1:56) Can you imagine the conversations between the two women, and the way Jesus and John the Baptist were carrying on in their mothers wombs during those conversations. (smile) Only in the Bible, you say! Yes! Only in the Bible!
And per the name of Mary’s soliloquy ‘The Magnificat’ the scholars tell us it’s based on the first word of the Latin translation (the Vulgate), and is rich in Old Testament imagery, for Jesus’ coming was in fulfillment of Old Testament promises. And that’s the gospel truth my fellow believers! From the very beginning of that noteworthy tome, there have been promises and talk of the coming of our Lord and Saviour. So please, as we go about our shopping and baking and all the etceteras of the season, let’s see if we can’t put a li’l more of our focus, our thoughts on the reason for the season, Jesus Christ.
Let’s try and keep Him first place in all we do, so that we won’t forget why we’re having this joyful period of the year. And to help us with all that stuff, the Lord has generously bestowed certain blessings on us that we call our Thursday Blessings, but to activate them we need to declare them out loud, so let’s do that right now nuh. Altogether: ‘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 having activated those underserved blessings, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and use them on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord gave them to us! Much LOVE!
…but for the incarnate birth of Jesus…there would be no holiday season…at this time of year…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
07 Dec 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundance, an intimate relationship with Christ, be of good cheer I have overcome the world, courage, creativity, curse, faith, holy spirit, I will love thee O Lord, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, in whom I will trust, it doesn't happen automatically, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the pilot of our life, live the abundant life, LOVE, my deliverer my God my strength, negative word, nothing shall separate us from the love of God, receive clear direction for my life, saved from mine enemies, self-discipline. self-control, stand strong in Faith, success, talent, the awesome power of His Holy Spirit, the horn of my salvation, the Lord is my rock and my fortress, the Lord is worthy to be praised, Thursday Blessings, we are more than conquerors, written indelibly in our hearts
Psalm 18:1. I will LOVE thee O Lord, my strength.
And, due to a somewhat snowy Wednesday night, we have ended up with a snow tinged Thursday morning. (smile) Yes, some snow, not a whole lot, just enough to cover everything, fell during the night hours, but by the time the day opened the roads were mostly clear and the white intruder had begun melting. But we still need to be careful as we go out today, because it’s still wet and possibly slippery. In other words, welcome to a damp and cloudy day! And as always, possibly a li’l more so today because of the wet, gloomy weather, before we step out of the house, we have to ask our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for His protection and guidance as we go about our business.
For He is the ONLY sure thing we have in this evil and ungodly world! And we have these strong and sure sentiments of Bruh David from Psalm 18, to prove it. He uttered these words in song when the Lord delivered him from all his enemies, especially King Saul. ‘I will LOVE thee O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength (rock), in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold). I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps. 18:1-3)
We can’t get any stronger or more faithful sentiments than those my brethren! And let’s hope that those are words we all believe, that we have written indelibly in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, for without that strong trust in Almighty God, who knows what will happen to us at any given time, on any given day! Only when we have surrendered our all, placed our complete trust in Christ Jesus can we walk in comparative safety. For Jesus is the able pilot of our good ship Life, and He, and He alone can pilot us safely through the storms that most certainly will come upon each of us.
Remember these word of His: ‘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) And yes, I know that’s easier said than done, for when the unexpected troubles and tribulations suddenly come upon us, sometimes we don’t even have time to think before we need to respond to them. But if we walk faithfully with that peace that comes from a strong and intimate relationship with Christ, then He will ensure that we have whatever time we need to think, before responding to our unfortunate situation.
Yes my people, it’s all about building the kind of faith in Jesus that will allow us to go about our business and His, with a type of peace that only comes from Him. as He says in the gospel of John: ‘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) And it’s ever so important to note that Jesus’ peace is way different to what the world touts as peace. His peace is that peace which passes all human understanding. It’s so far above our understanding, so powerful and refreshing, that we who posses it don’t understand it either, but we know that it’s there, indwelling us through the awesome power of the Holy Spirit!
Wow! And it doesn’t mean that we won’t feel fear, anxiety or any of the other negative emotions when tough times invade our souls, but that we will have the peace of Jesus to handle them without them taking us under. However, in those rough times, we need to stand strong in faith, by remembering all that Jesus has already done for us, and His promise never to leave nor forsake us, (Heb. 13:5) otherwise, all our talk will be in vain. He’s also promised that we won’t ever be faced with spirit-crunching fear because as Bruh Paul told Timothy: ‘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)
So you see, we have all the tools to handle the world’s attempts to drive us into the evil arms of Satan. That’s the peace of God which passes all human understanding; the promise of God never to leave nor forsake us, and God’s indomitable, invincible Spirit of power, LOVE and a sound mind! But unfortunately they don’t work unless and until we put them together in that big ball of strong faith required to defeat the enemy and his many attempts to overcome us. That brings to mind this added scripture of promise; the encouraging words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome.
He writes: ‘Who will separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long, we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:39)
Mama Mia! What powerful words my fellow saints! Words that we should all be able to truly espouse in our hearts, bodies and souls, if we want to live the abundant life that Christ died for us to have. Jesus said it thus: ‘The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) There we have it friends, Jesus died so that we can have an abundant life down here as well as in heaven, but unfortunately it doesn’t happen automatically, we have an important part to play in the process: that’s putting all the tools we’ve been granted together to make the whole come right.
But yuh know what, in addition to those tools, our God is so generous and forthcoming, that He’s also bestowed a number of undeserved blessings on us to use in our advancement of His kingdom. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare (yesss!!!) them now that they can be activated in our lives. As one 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 having activated those blessings, we’re now responsible to go out and share them with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…God’s given us all we need to succeed in life…it’s up to us how we use His gifts…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
30 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, be not wise in thine own eyes, bind them about thy neck, curse, despise not the chastening of the Lord, faith, favour, fear the Lord and depart from evil, fellowship, find favour and good understanding, God always comes first, he shall direct thy paths, health to the navel, honour the Lord with thy substance, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in the sight of God and man, Jesus Christ, lean not unto thine own understanding, length of days long life and peace, let not mercy and truth forsake thee, let thine heart keep my commandments, LOVE, marrow to they bones, mercy, my son forget not my law, negative word, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him, self-control, success, Thursday Blessings, thy barns shall be filled with plenty, thy presses shall burst out with new wine, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, truth, we can do all things though Christ who strengthens us, whom the Lord loveth he correcteth, wisdom, with the firstfruits of all thine increase, with the Lord's help, write them upon the table of thine heart
Proverbs 3:1. My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.
Well, the penultimate day of this work week, Thursday, and the last day of this month, November, has chosen to open bright and sunny, though somewhat cold. But this is the winter season, so what do we expect eh? (smile) Let’s at least give thanks for the sunshine, which I didn’t have when I was doing my errands yesterday. But with the Lord’s help we did handle them successfully though. And in the long run, that’s the important thing…We can do whatever the Lord desires us to do because He anoints and strengthens us to do it! All glory be to His blessed name!
And today friends, all we’re going to do is read, peruse, study and find some useful insights into perhaps one of the most important and insightful passages in the entire Bible. Yes, friends, if we follow these simple, but ever so important commands as outlined by Cousin Sol in Chapter 3 of Proverbs, our lives will be filled with the Lord’s grace, mercy and understanding. So let’s read from Proverbs Chapter 3, verse 1. ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.’
Wow! Right there we have the ultimate in fellowship and discipleship. The overwhelming need to remember the commandments of God, if you are a follower of God. Why? ‘For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.’ (Prov. 3:2) And aren’t those things that all of us desire? For sure! So we now know the way to find long life, length of days and peace…keep the commandments of God. We therefore have no more excuses. (smile)
Then the next verse kindly informs us: ‘Let not mercy (LOVING-kindness) and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck, write them upon the table of thine heart (thy mind). So shalt thou find favour and good understanding (high esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov. 3:3-4) There again we have the formula for finding favour in the sight of both God and man; the strong keeping of mercy and truth in our lives; so strong that they become like an adornment, like a necklace around our necks.
So now we know how to acquire long life, length of days, peace, favour and high esteem. Mama Mia! Are we ever going to go out and acquire them now! But wait a minute, not so fast, there are still a few other things we have to know and consider. (smile) Listen to the two basic, but perhaps the two most important verses in this section. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6)
Yes my brethren, if we practice those three things: trust in the Lord, don’t depend on our own native instincts and acknowledge God, that’s have fellowship and intimacy with Him all through our life, then He will guide our paths, make them straight before us. Now that doesn’t mean we won’t have problems, but when the problems come He will give us the wherewithal to handle them. So how can we ever go wrong if we do those three basic things eh? Never!
Then there are some other reminders that further build our lives in Almighty God. Hear this one: ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.’ (Prov. 3:7) Now that should be a no-brainer! It’s obvious we cannot put too much trust in our finite and puny understanding, while reverencing the Lord and staying away from evil are all important parts of being a Christian. And Cousin Sol tells us just how following that advice helps us. ‘It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.’ (Prov. 3:8) Now good health and strength are things we all desire. So now we know how to get them. (smile)
And here’s another bit of awesome wisdom: ‘Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:9-10) There we have it friends; if we want to be blessed with abundance, we need to honour God and man and give generously of our firstfruits, not from the remainder. God must ALWAYS come first!
And having heard all the comparatively easy things to do in this section of scripture, here comes another important but ofttimes difficult bit of wisdom to handle. And Cousin Sol puts it as nicely as possible. (smile) ‘My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, neither be weary of (detest) his correction: For whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov. 3:11-12)
Ah mih bredrin, we know that’s a hard pill to swallow, but we won’t always do right, and just like our earthly fathers correct us when we do wrong in their sight, likewise the Lord corrects us when we do wrong in His sight, not because He just wants to punish us, but because He LOVES us. Allowing us to do wrong and not correcting us is not LOVE, but and absence of LOVE, more like encouragement to do wrong.
And the author of Hebrews, using Cousin Sol’s thoughts, puts it like this: ‘And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children (sons). My son despise not thou the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.’ (Heb. 12:5-6)
Yes my fellow saints, even the best of us have faults and foibles that don’t belong in us, which stop us from becoming more Christlike, which is the Lord’s end plan. Therefore, He has to remove them by disciplining us. So let’s not be upset and disappointed when He chastens us nuh, for it’s only for our good. And He’s such a wonderful God that He’s even bestowed numerous undeserved blessings on us to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings, so let’s declare (yesss!!!) them out loud now, so that they can be activated.
As one 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 having activated those blessings, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and use them on the Lord’s behalf, just as generously as He bestowed them on us! Much LOVE!
…the fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the (very) beginning of knowledge…but fools despise wisdom and instruction…(Prov. 1:7)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
23 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be always ready to meet our Maker, be ready, caught up together with them, comfort one another with these words, coyrage, creativity, curse, eating and drinking, for ye knoweth not what hour your Lord doth come, giving in marriage, I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, in the days of Noah, Jesus Christ, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, negative word, positive outlook, Rainbow Bridge, the antichrist, the beginning of sorrows, the dead in Christ shall rise, the expansion of the church, the Great tribulation, the Millennial kingdom, the rapture of the church, Thursday Blessings, to judge the world, to meet the Lord in the air, truth, U.S Thanksgiving, wars and rumours of war, watch therefore, when it's not one thing it's another
Matthew 24:42. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING U. S. OF A!
Well, a Happy Thanksgiving Day to our Scrip-Bit friends and families in the U.S. of A! I do hope you all have a most blessed and rewarding day, as you gather with your people to give thanks to our great God for all the many wonderful blessings He’s showered down on you all over the years. Unfortunately, the celebration will be marred for some folks because of the tragic occurrence on the Rainbow Bridge Border Crossing between the U. S and Canada at Niagara Falls yesterday morning. Apparently, while going through the crossing from the U.S., a runaway car took off into the air and exploded causing the death of it’s occupants, some injuries to those nearby, and a whole lot of damage to the area.
That sudden and unexpected occurrence caused the authorities to err on the side of caution, treat it like a terrorist attack and shut down all the border crossings in the area, until further information was forthcoming. That meant some Americans who had come to Canada for the day, were unable to go back home last night, and some of the many Canadians heading south for the holiday were also unable to cross the border. The good news though is that it’s been determined that it was not a terrorist incident and I believe most of the other border crossings have now been opened up, except for the Rainbow Bridge because the damage was so extensive.
Ah Lord eh! When it’s not one thing, it’s something else yes! That’s why we have to be constantly living for Jesus and ready to meet our Maker at anytime, for we never know when we’ll be called home unexpectedly, or He will return unexpectedly. And Jesus gave us sufficient warning that we should all live prepared, both for the Rapture of the church, and then Christ’s coming to begin His Millennial reign after the Great Tribulation.
He promised to come back for us: ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions (dwellings): if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.’ (John 14:1-4) The scholars explain that refers more to the Rapture of the church than to Christ’s coming after the Great Tribulation.
Meanwhile Bruh Paul made his famous statement on the subject of the Rapture. ‘But I would not have you be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep (dead).
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump (trumpet) of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever (always) be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.’ (! Thess. 4:13-18)
Now that has to do with the Rapture and the resurrection for the dead when Jesus comes for the church, and comforts us in knowing that we will be with our LOVED ones in heaven when all is said and done. But then again, no one knows when that will be, which means we have to be in a state of constant readiness, because Christ can come for His church at any time, and after that the Great Tribulation will ensue for seven years, with Christ finally coming to destroy the evil doers and set up His Millennial kingdom.
He gives some warnings re wars and rumours of wars, then famine and pestilence and all sorts of natural disasters. But those are only the beginning of sorrows; for then follows martyrdom, the rise of false prophets and the Antichrist, and the age of iniquity, but also the expansion of the church and preaching of the gospel to all parts of the world…and then shall come the end. (Matt. 24:6-14) Jesus then described the prevailing situation thus: ‘For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.’ (Matt. 24:21)
Yes friends, those seven years of tribulation will have so much universal suffering and destruction like the world’s never seen before, or will ever see again. That’s why you have to make sure that you are all right with Jesus when He comes for the church in the Rapture. Then Jesus turned His attention to the time frame for those happenings. ‘But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
But as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe (Noah) entered the ark. And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away: so shall also the coming of the Son of man be… Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.’ (Matt. 24:36-39, 42)
Oh my brethren, it’s all so simple. In the first coming Christ comes in the clouds for the church, to settle them in heaven. In the second coming, He comes with the church to ,judge the world. And the exceeding chaotic state of our current world, clearly tells us that the time of both situations could not be too far off. Therefore, let us get ourselves prepared, that is, if we want to spend eternity with Jesus, because if He comes at either time and you’re not ready, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe!
Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to be ready, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) and thus activating our Thursday Blessings which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
Now, it behooves us to go out and use those blessings on God’s behalf, just as generously as He bestowed them on us! Much LOVE!
…the three most important b’s and r’s…be ready…be ready…be ready…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
16 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a good name is better than precious ointment, a good name is to be chosen above riches, a good reputation is more valuable than wealth, a positive outlook on life., blessings are upon the head of the just, curse, don't tarnish your name for worldly wealth, gnash with his teeth, he who steals my good name, he who steals my purse steals trash, his horn shall be exalted with honour, holy spirit, Jesus Christ, LOVE, loving favour rather than silver or gold, makes me poor indeed, names tainted with greed and evildoing, negative reaction to the word politician, negative word, pity party, politicians, self-control, the Lord will destroy the house of the proud, the name of the wicked shall rot, Thursday Blessings, truth, uplifts my spirits, violence covereth the mouth of the wicked, wisdom
Proverbs 22:1. A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and LOVING favour rather than silver or gold.
Oh, what beautiful days we’ve been blessed with all week in my neighbourhood. Even in my sickly state, and not being able to go out as much as I would like, I still appreciate the sunshine and pleasant temperatures! That’s because the sunshine uplifts my spirits and has me dreaming of when I can be hale and hearty again. Certainly hope that’s soon, for if it’s one thing I can’t stand is being sick for a long spell. Anyway, enough of my pity party, (smile) let’s see what the Good Lord wants us to talk about today.
And it seems He desires us to dwell on these most truthful words of Cousin Sol writing in Proverbs, where he solemnly announces: ‘A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and LOVING favour rather than silver or gold.’ (Prov. 22:1) And that my fellow believers is the gospel truth! A good name is to be preferred over all the wealth of this evil world! Why? Because that’s just how it is! People accept a good reputation much more than all the wealth that is being bandied about today.
Besides, many of the rich people today are veritable crooks and evil people. Just think about how many of the world’s wealthy you respect and think good of when their name is called eh? Very few, for there’s always some unfavourable aspersions cast against their names, be it true or not. And Cousin Sol reiterates the sentiment when writing as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes. He observes: ‘A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.’ (Eccl. 7:1)
And most of us experienced that sentiment about a good name when we were growing up in our small towns and villages, where financially troubled people were much revered over the financially blessed because of the good name they had established in the community. And why are so many politicians despised and hated today eh? Because their names are tainted with greed, evildoing and self-aggrandisement. Now some are obviously worse than others, but just mention the word politician to the ordinary man in the street and watch his very negative reaction.
Now listen to these truths of Cousin Sol from Proverbs, that pertain so much to the politicians of our day. ‘The Lord will destroy the house of the proud: but he will establish the border (boundary) of the widow. The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord: but the words of the pure are pleasant words. He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts (bribes) shall live.’ (Prov. 15:25-27) Oh my people, how I do wish the majority of politicians today could read those true words and take them to heart and change their ungodly character. But I guess that’s asking too much for so many of them are caught up in the lies, deceits and evildoings of today’s warmongering and greedy world.
And why is it so hard for us to accept that: ‘Blessings are upon the head of the just (righteous): but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked. The memory of the just (righteous) is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.’ (Prov. 10:6-7). Cousin Sol sure had a lot to say about the importance of a good name. The psalmist also said these things about the man who fears God. ‘Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man sheweth favour (is gracious), and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he shall not be moved (shaken) for ever. The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.’ (Ps. 112:4-6)
Yes my fellow believers, the names of the upright will live forever, thanks to our great God! Oh friends, the man who fears God: ‘He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed (steadfast), trusting in the Lord. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he sees his desire upon his enemies. He hath dispersed (distributed abroad), he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn (strength) shall be exalted with honour. The wicked shall see it, and be grieved, he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.’ (Ps. 112:7-10)
That’s for sure my brethren! It is the promise of our great God. So please, I plead with us to not get entangled in the wickedness and evildoings of this world, but rather to keep God first place in our lives and thus earn a good and honourable name in His sight. For all the wealth of the world is not worth tarnishing our names. And our God has been so great and generous that He’s bestowed undeserved blessings on us to help us do just that. We call them our Thursday Blessings, so let’s activate them by declaring (awright!!!) them out loud.
As one 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 having activated those blessings, we’re now duty bound to go out and use them as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, to help others come to know Him and stand strong and steadfast in His most holy and blessed name! Much LOVE!
…he who steals my purse steals trash…but he who steals my good name…makes me poor indeed… (abbreviated quote from Shakespeare’s ‘Othello.’
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
09 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, aiding and abetting the devil, all or nothing at all, Ananias And Sapphira, blessed with creativity, Christ's church needs cleaning up, Christians living more like the devil's children, courage, curse, faith, fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body, fear the Lord thy God, great fear came upon all the church, he that wavereth is like a tossed wave in the sea, holy spirit, if any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God, Jesus Christ, let him ask in faith, LOVE, lying to the Holy Ghost, mercy, negative word, not concentrating on our Christian duties, nothing seems right in our world, pay lip service, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, thou hast not lied unto men but unto God, thou shalt love the Lord thy God, Thursday Blessings, to tempt the Spirit of the Lord, truth, upon as many as heard these things, wisdom, with all thy heart soul and mind
Acts 5:11. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
Awright! So I’ve finally caught up on all my backlogged tasks and can now devote my time seriously to the Bit! Glory Be! And we had our first spell of winter weather yesterday evening and night with freezing rain amidst some heavy showers. The warnings had been sounded, but you know these days we’ve become so obstinate and know-it-all that we don’t pay sufficient attention to the warnings. And I’m sure many people paid for that lack of attention last evening as they made their way home from work. Anyway, that situation has now been rectified (smile) and there’s some sunshine out there amongst the clouds with a decent non-freezing temperature. So all’s right with the world!
Not true at all friends. Nothing seems to be right with our crazy, war-like, power hungry, hateful world, for everywhere you turn, there’s disaster and chaos aplenty. And most of it is man made. And when you add the many natural disasters constantly occurring, it balloons to a situation that only our great, omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present God can fix! That is, if He so desires. But are we giving Him occasion to have that desire? Certainly not! For even His supposed believers are not living as right as we should be, and living more like the devil’s children than those of Almighty God.
There’s no way on earth, nor in heaven for that matter, for our world to be in such man-made chaos if the majority of Christians were actually living a truly Christian life. That is truly having God as the Number One priority in our lives, by doing as Jesus demanded. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) We only pay lip service to that scripture. As well as to this one about the great commandment in the law. To which Jesus answered: ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.’ (Matt. 22:37-38)
What’s so difficult in that to understand eh? Nothing whatsoever! It says quite plainly that you must LOVE the Lord with every fibre of your being, not to LOVE Him partially, or conveniently, as so many of us do. With the Lord it’s ALL or NOTHING at ALL! And until many more of us realize that and begin giving ALL of ourselves to Him, our lives won’t improve and thus our world will continue to sink into the evil mire that the devil so eagerly wants to happen. And we’re aiding and abetting him by not concentrating fully on our Christian duties. Oh friends, what will it take for us to shake up ourselves and rise to the occasion for which we’ve been called eh?
And I recently heard a pastor mention what might just be our problem. We don’t FEAR the Lord! Don’t truly reverence Him and consider His awesome power and sense of justice and righteousness. We claim to LOVE the Lord, trust Him, believe in His infinite grace and mercy, but you never hear us talking about fearing Him, both in terms of reverence and outright fear. Jesus said it thus: ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt. 10:28)
No my faithful brethren, let’s not be afraid of people, who can only kill our body, but cannot harm our souls. However, we should fear God who can destroy both our bodies and souls in hell. And Cousin Sol pointed that out right at the very beginning of Proverbs when he so wisely wrote: ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the beginning (the principal beginning or very start) of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ (Prov. 1:7) There it is in black and white, written thousands of years ago, but it’s still the God-awesome truth!
You don’t achieve any kind of true, serious or lasting wisdom unless it comes from God, and you first have to fear and reverence Him to get it. As James so correctly said: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (not doubting). for he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think he shall receive anything of the Lord. a double minded man is unstable in all is ways.’ (James 1:5-8)
And I like the reference the pastor pointed out in the New Testament pertaining to God’s awesome sense of justice and righteousness. The scripture is found in Acts 5, where the New Testament church was growing and people were sharing what they had with each other. But this bumptious husband and wife (Ananias and Sapphira) decided to try and pull a fast one. They went out and sold a piece of land, but only decided to give a portion of the proceeds to the church. And that was quite okay, everybody only had to give what they wanted. But the fools went up to John and Peter, and said they’d given all they got for the land.
‘But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own, and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power (control)? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost (died): and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound (wrapped) him up, and carried him out, and buried him.’ (Acts 5: 3-6)
Yes friends, there was no need for him to lie. But that’s not the whole story. Listen to this next part that’s even more interesting. The Bible tells us: ‘And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt (test) the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then she fell down straightway (instantly) at his feet, and yielded up the ghost (breathed her last): and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.’ (Acts 5:7-11)
And yuh know what happened after that friends? The church settled down and it grew in numbers and grace and goodness to each other! And I believe we need some such awakening like that, or whatever it takes to bring great fear on the church today, so that we can get up off our fat, lazy, comfortable fannies and do what we’re supposed to do, instead of fighting each other and doing the things we ought not to do. And the sad part is that we have all the tools to do it in what we call our Thursday Blessings, conveniently bestowed on us for the express purpose of doing our earthly work. So let’s activate them right now by declaring (yesss!!!) them out loud.
As one 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!’
Now it’s time to rise up, to get out and use those blessings just as generously on Christ’s behalf, so that we can make the productive and positive difference we were placed here to make! Much LOVE!
…Christ’s church cannot positively affect the world…until it positively cleans up its own house…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
02 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a man sent from god, actions speak louder than words, calls men to accountability, courage, curse, death and eternal damnation, eternal life, faith, favour, free will, freedom comes with consequences, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, holy spirit, How high Lord, I am the light of the world, I am the resurrection and the life, in him was life, Jesus Christ, Jesus' revelation of God, John the Baptist, LOVE, negative word, positive outlook on life, prosper, salvation, salvation is not automatic, salvation is universally available, shall have the light of life, succeed, that all men through him might believe, that cometh into the world, the devil's highway, the life was the light of men, the option of salvation, the straight and narrow path, though he were dead yet shall he live, Thursday Blessings, to bear witness of that Light, truth, which lighteth every man
John 8:12. I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
And the days move along as the Lord planned them; after Wednesday comes Thursday and so on and so forth! (smile) But ours is not to question how the Lord runs His universe, ours is just to accept His dictates and when He says jump, to obediently ask; ‘How high Lord?’ Yes friends, we do have free will, freedom to choose whatever we want, but please note that freedom comes with many serious consequences. The Lord wants us to use that free will He’s given us to choose His straight and narrow way, not the devil’s highway that only leads to death and eternal damnation.
Now, let’s hope that this Thursday morning in early November, we have indeed chosen God’s path. That’s why He sent His only Son, Christ Jesus to earth, to die on the cross and give us the option of salvation and eternal life with Him. And only the foolish and unwise will reject that marvellous option so painstakingly earned for us by Jesus.
And before we were waylaid by the Holy Spirit yesterday and made to change tack, (smile) we were looking at the amazing word picture that John draws of our Lord and Saviour in the opening chapter of his gospel. So let’s get back to that nuh, because it’s ever so important to understand as much as possible about Jesus, if we truly intend to be His disciples. And yesterday we understood that Jesus was the Word of God, was with God from the beginning of time, and was also God, therefore He had a hand in making the entire universe. (John 1:1-3)
Then John continues: ‘In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended (apprehended) it not.’ (John 1:4-5) Oh friends those few words contain so much important information about Jesus. He had the spirit of eternal life, the light that shone in the darkness of men’s lives. He came to share that life and light with mankind, but mankind was so dark and evil that they refused to accept the light and life He offered. And the scholars explain: ‘In John’s writings, life represents salvation and deliverance through Christ, and light denotes Jesus’ revelation of God which calls men to accountability.’
Thus John was able to continue: ‘There was a man sent from God, whose name was John (John the Baptist). The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.’ (John 1:6-9) Please note how John the disciple and gospel writer ensures that his readers understood that John the Baptist was not the true Light, but just a prophet sent to bear witness of the true Light that was to later come into the world.
And the scholars tell us that the phrase ‘Lighteth every man means that God’s revelation is universally available. It does not signify universal salvation (cf. vs. 12; 3:18,36)’ That means salvation is not an automatic occurrence, but it’s available for all and sundry to accept. And I think it’s time we get down and dirty with some scriptures that prove John’s contention about Him being the light and life of the world. And they all come from Christ Himself. Please listen closely as Jesus declares (yesss!!!) some divine truths.
After forgiving an adulterous woman in front of the hypocritical Pharisees, he said to them: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) Obviously the Pharisees disagreed, contending that He was tooting His own horn. But He put them in their place as usual, explaining things they could not, or refused to understand. Later on, Jesus passed a man blind from birth, and the disciples asked who had sinned to cause him to be blind from birth?
‘Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in (revealed through) him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ (John 9:3-5) And yuh know what means my fellow believers; while Jesus was here on earth, He was the light of the world, but once He returned to heaven, that job fell to us believers.
Yes, we are supposed to be the light of the world and show that light, the salvation of Jesus to all those who live in darkness, in unbelief! However, it seems like we’re not doing such a good job because instead of getting brighter, our world is getting darker and darker with each passing day. That means we need to seriously evaluate ourselves and make the necessary changes so that we can improve our discipleship.
Then, when Jesus eventually came to Bethany after the death of His friend Lazarus, and Martha was taking issue with Him for not coming sooner, because He could have saved Lazarus. Jesus said to her: ‘I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?’ (John 11:25-26)
Oh my people, that is the very question that Christ is asking each of us this Thursday morning in November 2023: do we sincerely and truly believe in Him; in whom He says He is? It’s a question we ought to spend some time today seriously pondering, because many of us say we believe, but that’s only with our mouths, for our hearts and actions give a totally different picture, and that’s also why our lights don’t shine as brightly as they should, neither is our salt as flavourful as it ought to be!
Yes my fellow saints, we need to grab that baton that Jesus passed on to us when He returned to heaven and keep running the strong race that He set as an example for us, so that when He returns He’ll find lots of faith here, more light than darkness because of our magnificent efforts. Please, please, let’s get together and do better nuh. After all that Jesus suffered on our behalf, we simply cannot let Him down by doing so much less than we are capable of. And He’s so generous that He’s even given us blessings that we don’t deserve to help us do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s activate them by declaring (steups!!!) them out loud right now!
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!’
Oh friends, with all those marvellous blessings at our command, it’s our duty now to go out and put them to work on Jesus’ behalf, just as generously as He bestowed them upon us! Much LOVE!
…simply talking faith is useless…for actions speak louder than words…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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