30 Dec 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a constant state of readiness, a Sunday evening walk in the park, according to his riches in glory, and lo I am with you always, as for me and my house, be ye also ready, courage, creativity, curse, even unto the end of the world, feel it in every fibre of our being, for in such an hour as ye think not, gain the whole world and lose his soul, good friends, good health, He shall give you another Comforter, I will come to you, I will not leave you comfortless, if any man will come after me, if god be for us who can be against us, let him deny himself, LOVE, my God will supply all your needs, negative word, Omicron variant, one days is with the Lord as a thousand years, prosper, Seasonal Affective disorder, self-control, succeed, take up his cross and follow me, the Only Begotten Son, the Son of man will come, this is the day the Lord has made, through Christ Jesus, Thursday Blessings, to them who are called according to his purpose, to those who love God, watch therefore, we know that all things work together for good, we will rejoice and be glad in it, we will serve the Lord, what is a man profited, whosoever shall lose his life for my sake
John 14:18. I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you.
And it’s another one of those SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) inducing days, with a ballooning Omicron virus adding the finishing touches, as if we need any more problems in this already problem filled world! That’s why we need Jesus so badly in these turbulent times! Yes friends, the Only Begotten Son is the ONLY One who can promise us sustenance and succour in these ungodly times, and faithfully keep that promise.
And we need to use His Word, His promises to boost our self-confidence and help us retain our sanity. Words like: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it! My God will supply all of my needs according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus! If God be for us who can be against us eh? NOBODY! Yes mih bredrin, if the One and Only True Living God is for us, not a single soul can be against us! Consequently, we can then declare: ‘As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!’
But we need to believe it all, to feel it in every fibre of our being! Especially this all-encompassing verse: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) Oh, it does sound like a tough verse to believe, but it’s the basis of everything in our faith, knowing that despite the trials and tribulation we will endure in this evil world, that eventually the Lord will work it all out for our good!
Wow! What other deity can make that faithful promise eh? NONE! None whatsoever! Only the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! I know that some of us unwittingly come to Christianity as an easy go, as a Sunday evening walk in the park, but that’s the furthest thing from the truth my people. Did Jesus have an easy walk in the park when He came to earth to save us from our sins and reconcile us to the Father?
Absolutely not! They gave Him a terrible time, ranging from disbelief, to slander, to physical punishment, and finally crucifixion, and anyone, who decides to take up their cross and follow Him will inevitably find struggles and possibly persecution, just like He did. Please remember these fateful words of Jesus, for they are the foundational authority to discipleship.
‘If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.’ (Matt. 16:24-27)
Yes my fellow believers, that’s what we have to look forward to if we sincerely follow Jesus. And it’s a promise that seems will be soon fulfilled the way our world is showing many of the signs Jesus gave for His second coming. But soon with us and soon with God, are too entirely different things. Peter tells us that ‘one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.’ (2 Pet. 3:8) Now the early church thought that Jesus would soon return, but in our view, two thousand years have passed and He’s still not come back. However, that could simply be because to the Lord that’s only two days. (smile)
But please don’t be fooled, Christ’s return could happen at any time, that’s why He warned: ‘But of that day an hour knoweth no man, no not the angels of heaven, But my Father only… Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come…Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 24:36, 42, 44)
Oh my brethren, regardless of what signs we see or think we see, only the Father knows when the Son is going to return, that means we must be prepared, be ready for His Second Coming at any moment. That’s what those verses above are saying: ‘Be prepared!’ Are we prepared? Now that’s the big question. How many of us have set our house in order and are ready for if Jesus comes back today?
Remember they also say He can come as a thief in the night, (1 Thess. 5:2) that’s unexpectedly, at any time, day or night, today tomorrow or even another two thousand years from now. But the important thing is for believers to be in a constant state of readiness for whenever that marvellous occasion happens, because we know, are very sure, that it will happen eventually, just not exactly when.
And the wonderful thing about Jesus is that just like He promised before He went back to heaven, He has faithfully done: ‘And I shall pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever… I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you.’ (John 14:16,18) And at that first Pentecost after His ascension, (Acts 2:1-4) He did indeed send the Holy Ghost to indwell all believers, to keep us safe, to lead and guide us in the direction He desires, that is, provided we are willing to listen and abide by the guiding of the Holy Spirit.
Thus my fellow saints, the ball is now in our court! And our Jesus is ever so wonderful that He’s bestowed all kinds of blessing on those who believe that they can do His earthly work. And what a potent and plentiful set of blessings they are! We call them our Thursday Blessings, and since a blessing is not a blessing until it is declared out loud, let’s declare them right now nuh.
Altogether, in 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!’
MamaYo! What a magnificent set of blessings my faithful brethren! It now behooves us to put them to work in our lives and share them with others just as generously as Jesus shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…and, lo…I am with you always…even unto the end of the world… (Matt. 28:20b)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
16 Dec 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: bounden duty, choose life, Christ died for us, clam up, curse, discipleship demands sacrifice, divine protection, fear of rejection, five times received I forty stripes save one, free from the bondage of sin, God commendeth his own love toward us, God so loved the world, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, if he shall gain the whole world, in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, jump and shout for joy, kicked out of town, let him deny himself, living for Christ, lose his own soul, LOVE, love of the Father, negative word, our hearts were in chains to sin, praise the name of Jesus to the high heavens, self-control, self-discipline, shaming, spring like temps, stricken dumb, take up his cross and follow me, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the amazing love story of Christ, the joy of Christ's birth, the power of God unto salvation, the ultimate sacrifice of life, Thursday Blessings, what is a man profited, what shall a man give in exchange for his soul, while we were yet sinners
Romans 1:16a. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:
It’s a cloudy and somewhat windy Thursday morning in my neighbourhood, but we have spring like temps, something like 13 degrees Celsius, and it’s expected to go higher, although there’s a weather advisory also in effect. But however you cut it, we can’t really complain about that kind of temperature in the middle of December in the northern climes. And with the Christmas season in full swing, the joy of Christ’s birth has thankfully lifted the spirits of many who were hitherto somewhat under the weather.
And the amazing LOVE story of Christ will do that every time my people! Because that’s what He came to earth to share, the indisputable, unconditional, irreplaceable LOVE of the Father. A LOVE so strong and wonderful that the Good Book describes it thus: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 8:5)
Imagine that nuh mih bredrin…our heavenly Father sacrificed His one and only Son for us while we were still in bondage to the tyranny of sin! What sort of Father does that eh? Only one that’s very concerned about the people He created. As Jesus Himself summarily declared: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) What an amazing situation for our finite, puny minds to contemplate eh?
Yes friends, while our hearts were still in chains to sin, the Father offered up His sinless Son for us. Now shouldn’t that make us so grateful that we just want to jump and shout for joy, to tell everybody, and praise the name of Jesus to the high heavens? It ought to, if we are truly grateful and free from the bondage of sin. That’s why Bruh Paul positively proclaimed to the church at Rome: ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.’ (Rom. 1:16)
Unfortunately though, many of Christ’s supposed followers are ashamed of sharing His gospel with those around them because it will put them in a bad light with those whose opinions they tend to value more than Christ’s. And sharing Christ’s gospel can get you ostracized as Bruh Paul found out by often being beaten, jailed and kicked out of town, as he explains in these excerpts from 2 Cor. 11:23-27.
‘…in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save (minus) one… In weariness and painfulness (toil), in watchings (sleeplessness) often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.’ (2 Cor. 11:23-27) And yuh better believe that it is still possible for the sharing of the gospel in some societies today to cause serious problems, problems like Bruh Paul’s, thankfully though, not in our society.
But as one commentator, John Piper, puts it in his article on the subject on the desiringgod.org website: ‘The gospel does two things: It brings out shaming behavior in those who will not believe it. And it gives freedom from shame to those who do believe it.’ Yes my people, when we fully believe Christ’s gospel it gives us the power and strength to resist all shame and possible consequences. And that’s partly why our world is going through the current throes of calamity; we supposed believers were, and still are not truly convinced of the power of the gospel and we fear displeasing men more than we fear displeasing God, our Creator and Controller.
Now that doesn’t speak well of us, especially when Jesus said it quite plainly. ‘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) That’s Almighty God my brethren! But sadly, too many of us supposed Christians only talk a good talk about Christ with our Christian friends and family, but out there amongst the heathen, too often we clam up as though we are stricken dumb for fear of rejection and shaming.
Christ wasn’t ashamed to be crucified naked on the cross of Calvary for us, but we want His salvation without suffering any sacrificial moments. It doesn’t work like that friends. Please remember these words of Jesus to the disciples: ‘If any man will come after (follow) me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? ’ (Matt. 16:24-26)
Now that’s a very good question my fellow saints? What are we prepared to give up to save our souls eh? Jesus said if we want to be His followers, we must die to ourselves, to our will, and let His will take priority in our lives, even to the giving up of our mortal lives. And no, it’s not easy to do, or even to contemplate, because ‘discipleship demands sacrifice.’ However, the rewards of doing it His way are more plentiful and beneficial than embracing the only other option available, that of getting in league with the evil enemy, who only has the rewards of death, damnation and eternal separation from Almighty God to offer.
And, in keeping with His generosity, the Lord has given us freedom of choice to make our own decision. So please, please, let’s take His advice as set out by Moses to the children of Israel so long ago. ‘I call heaven and earth to record (announce) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19) Yes friends, that’s the best advice in this whole wide world – to choose Jesus, who offers blessings and abundant life!
And for those of us who have chosen Him and are sincerely trying to do His will, He’s given us numerous blessings that enable us to perform His earthly desires. We call them our Thursday Blessings and we delight in declaring (chuh!!!) them every Thursday. So, in loud and confident voice, let’s do just that nuh: ‘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 our bounden duty to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as Christ shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…living for Christ…the ultimate sacrifice of life…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
09 Dec 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a form of godliness, a positive outlook on life, a tome of enduring wisdom and vision, Advent, blasphemers, blind leaders of the blind, boasters, bring forth trouble, Christmas, conceive mischief, corruption and suffering, courage, Covid and its variants, creativity, curse, from such turn away, going to hell in a hand-basket, good friends, he will not hear, in all the wrong places, in desolate places like dead men, in the name of Jesus, joyful time of celebration, kicking up a mighty storm, Love thy neighbour as thyself, make haste to shed innocent blood, men shall be lovers of their own selves, negative word, neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear, none calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth, proud, speak lies, success, suffer for disobedience, the antidote to evil -the church, the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, the time of waiting and watching for Christ, the way of peace they know not, they trust in vanity, Thursday Blessings, turning away from God, we wait for light but behold obscurity, your fingers with iniquity, your hands are defiled with blood, your iniquities have separated you from God, your lips have spoken lies, your sins have hid his face from you, your tongue hath muttered perverseness
Isaiah 59:2. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
Well, onward and upward my fellow saints, on this cold, damp and snowy Thursday in the early days of Advent, that time of waiting and watching for our Lord and Saviour Jesus to appear at that joyful time of celebration – Christmas! And we might have a somewhat better time this year than we did last year when the Covid 19 virus obliterated much of everything and every pleasure, but it’s still far from what we used to consider normal.
Yes, there are decorations, lights, food shopping, gift buying and such, but underneath it all Covid and its variants are still kicking up a mighty storm, and we still need to be very concerned about what’s happening in our backyard as well as our world, since there’s really no good news to report. Numbers are up all over, and the dissension re the vaccine and if the virus is real and the numerous other problems seems to be increasing rather than decreasing.
So friends, this morning I have a li’l bit of info to share with us from a wonderful source, a magnificent tome of enduring wisdom and vision, re national corruption and consequent suffering. And I know we all agree that there’s way too much corruption and suffering in our world. But why is that eh?
The Word says: ‘Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood (bloodshed), and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity (empty words), and speak lies; they conceive mischief (trouble, evil), and bring forth iniquity.’ (Is. 59:1-4)
And just like it was back in Israel in those corrupt, sinful and disobedient days, the same it is today in our supposed more enlightened time! There’s not one act named above there of which our world is not also guilty of, just like Israel was back in olden times. And did they suffer for their disobedience and turning away from the God of their forefathers? Yes they did! So why do we think that we are different eh? It’s the same crimes we have committed and are still committing, so why shouldn’t we suffer like judgement?
Oh friends, our sins, our iniquity, our disobedience have separated us from God’s presence, especially since we are so intent on removing Him from our society. He’s leaving us alone to fix our business, which anyone with a modicum of wisdom knows that we cannot do.
Listen further to the Good Book as it describes our pagan society in lurid and vivid detail. ‘Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgement (justice) in their goings (tracks): they have made them crooked paths, whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.’ (Is. 59:7-8)
Yes my fellow believers, we could not write a more accurate description of our ineffective, immoral and ungodly society right now! It’s a total mess! No peace, no justice, only crookedness and corruption, violence and evildoing! And I don’t know of another time in history when innocent blood has been shed so easily and in such alarming amounts as we are currently doing, in what is essentially a time of peace.
It’s no coincidence that the Good Book continues: ‘Therefore is judgement (justice) far from us, neither doth justice (righteousness) overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity (darkness); for brightness, but we walk in darkness (gloom, blackness). We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night (at twilight); we are in desolate places as dead men. We roar all (growl) like bears, and mourn sore (moan sadly) like doves: we look for judgement (justice), but there is none: for salvation, but it is far off from us.’ (Is. 59:9-11)
Oh my brethren, that’s such indisputable truth re our current society that it’s not funny! We are looking for salvation, wisdom and peace, but in all the wrong places. Our leaders have become hopeless tyrants and oppressors! Reminding us of the very applicable words of Jesus, re the leaders in His day: ‘Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.’ (Matt. 15:14) No wonder our world is quickly going to hell in a handbasket with the poor quality of leadership we currently have.
And please don’t go blaming the secular world for all of our problems, the body of Christ, His church is also guilty of a lot of those sins and transgressions. We are supposed to be ONE body sharing the LOVE and salvation of Christ. Hn! But instead, we are an ever growing, separatist body of denominations, cliques and cults, all spewing our own divergent and disparate versions of God’s word and His salvation.
As Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy re the end times: ‘For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous (money lovers), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal), despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady (reckless) high-minded (haughty), lovers of pleasures, more (rather) than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.’ (2 Tim. 3:2-5)
Ah mih people, all those ungodly and sinful traits are very prevalent in our current society, even many of the supposed religious have mere religion and no real spiritual life, so why are we surprised at the sad and sorry state we are in eh? And if Christ’s church does not stand up strong and courageous and try to counteract them, then our world will just naturally fall to pieces, more likely than not implode from the hatred and evil currently existing deep within its soul and heart.
Anyway friends, it’s not too late, all is not yet lost! There is a relatively small group of us who are sincerely trying to turn things around by putting forth the true Word of God and the real Gospel or good news of Christ. And the Lord has bestowed on us numerous blessings to help us in our work, but they need to be spoken our loud before they can take effect. So, let’s declare what we call our Thursday Blessings in loud and confident 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 let’s get out into the evil and ungodly world and do our God-given tasks, sharing the Word of God and those many blessings, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…the antidote to evil in the world…the church…Christ’s body of faithful believers…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
02 Dec 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bed of roses, all the promises of God in him are yea, curse, divine protection, Elohim, faith, favour, God's supernatural wisdom, grieve not the holy Spirit of God, hope maketh not ashamed, Jehovah, LOVE, negative word, our eternal home, our suffering is worthwhile, receive clear direction for my life, redeemed, sanctified, sealed by the Holy Ghost, self-control, The Holy Spirit is the down payment, the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, the Son of God, this is the day the Lord has made, Thursday Blessings, unto the day of redemption, we will rejoice and be glad in it, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, Yahweh
Romans 5:5a. And hope maketh not ashamed (does not disappoint);
Oh friends, unfortunately, Thursday has not opened as nicely as Wednesday did; it’s wet and cloudy, but as always, the wonderful news and Spirit of Jesus lifts us up regardless of the quality of the physical day. And we’ve drawn breath today, so that makes it even more important! That’s why we confidently declare: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!’
Yes mih bredrin, life might not be a bed of roses, but since we have life, we have hope.. ‘And hope maketh not ashamed (does not disappoint); because the LOVE of God has been shed abroad (poured out) in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.’ (Rom. 5:5) Oh my people, what we have in Christ Jesus through His Holy Spirit is more than hope, it’s a certainty of our eternal home and destination.
But here’s how the bibleref.com website explains it nuh. They say: ‘Paul introduced a challenging idea in the previous verses (1-4): that Christians can see suffering as a cause for rejoicing. He did not mean by this that anyone should necessarily feel happy or enthusiastic about hard circumstances. Instead, those who are saved—who have expressed faith in Christ—can declare to ourselves that this suffering is worthwhile. It provides an opportunity to grow into the people that God is calling us to be.
He began by showing that suffering produces endurance: a deeper, longer trust in God. This produces character, meaning we more consistently choose to do what honors God. This, in turn, produces hope, where we experience growing certainty that our ultimate destiny is an eternity of good in God’s presence. Now Paul concludes this chain by saying that our hope will never put us to shame. By that, Paul means our hope will be fully vindicated. We will never, in the end, be disappointed for hoping to receive God’s goodness forever.’
And of that we can be certain sure my fellow believers, because our wonderful God has already proven His awesome LOVE for us by sending His Son Jesus to die on the cross for us while we were yet sinners. Yes, through His shed blood we’ve been justified, sanctified, redeemed, saved from God’s wrath, received salvation, been reconciled to the Father, atoned for and all the other wonderful things we gain by being true believers in Christ Jesus!
Wow! Which other supposed God has anything better to offer eh? NONE! Because they are not real gods, just wannabe imitations of the One and Only True Living God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! And that’s the indisputable truth! There is no other God but Yahweh, Jehovah, Elohim, whatever name we choose to address Him by!
That’s why Bruh Paul could also write in his second letter to the church at Corinth, these encouraging words. ‘For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not yea, and nay, but in him was yea. For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. Now he which establisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us is God; Who also hath sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.’ (2 Cor. 1:19-22)
Oh friends, the promises of God in Christ Jesus are all yes, yes, yes! Now hear the scholars’ explanation of that passage of scripture. ‘1:20-22. Amen is equivalent to yea. Whether one is a Gentile (yea) or a Hebrew (amen), the promises of God are sure. But the force of Paul’s analogy is that his word is as good as the gospel, because he which establisheth us with you in Christ…is God.
Sealed us: The sealing of the Holy Spirit has a threefold significance in the New Testament: (1) to indicate ownership (we belong to God, through Christ Jesus); (2) to indicate genuineness; (3) to preserve and keep safe (cf. Eph. 4:30; 2 Tim. 2:19; Rev. 7:2-3). This last idea is amplified with the earnest of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit Himself is the down payment, or pledge , of redemption. The indwelling Spirit is the surety and the “security” of all that is to follow in the final salvation of the believer (cf. Rom. 8:9-11, 23; 2 Cor. 5:5; Eph. 1:14).’
What more can we ask eh friends? Nothing really. God didn’t only send Christ to pay for our sins, but He also sent the Holy Spirit to seal us as His personal property. The Good Book tells it thus: ‘For ye are bought with a price: (the blood of Jesus): therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.’ (1 Cor. 6:20) Yes my people, we belong lock, stock and barrel to God! And He stakes His claim on us by sending His Holy Spirit to indwell us, as well as to give us security and surety of His promises.
That means our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, consequently, we need to behave in a manner worthy and appropriate of such a high honour. Please, let’s try doing that nuh. We all know what it means and what it takes, but we need to put out a serious effort to make it happen, especially in these tough times. And our God is so good and wonderful that He even gives us the tools, numerous blessings, so we can do just that, and show the world what a magnificent God He is. And since those blessings don’t take effect until we declare them, let’s declare what we call our Thursday Blessings 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!’
Now, the onus is on us to go out and share those blessings just as generously with others, as God shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God…whereby ye are sealed…unto the day of redemption… (Eph. 4:30)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
25 Nov 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, all praise honour and glory to God, as the heavens are higher than the earth, But God commendeth his love toward us, Christ died for us, courage, creativity, curse, disobedience to God, don't bow to the foolishness of Satan, eternal life in heaven, experience God's wrath, faith, favour, God is no pushover, God is the source of all our blessings, God is the source of healing, Happy Thanksgiving U. S of A, hell fire and damnation, if the Son sets you free, if ye continue in my word, kick God out of our soicety, LOVE, love the Lord with all thy heart soul and mind, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my thoughts higher than your thoughts, negative word, neither are your ways my ways, on the junk pile of history, on which side their bread was buttered, One Nation Under God, prosper, set free from the tentacles of sin, sinful children of men, so are my ways higher than yours, succeed, sufferation, the greatest commandment, the truth shall set you free, Thursday's Blessings, to God the Father all gratitude and thanksgiving, too big for his britches, while we were yet sinners, ye shall know the truth, you shall be free indeed
John 8:32. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING U.S. of A!
All praise, honour and glory to our heavenly Father this Thursday morning, my faithful brethren! It’s Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. Let’s hope that they do not get caught up and lost in the festivities and forget on which side their bread is buttered and spend some serious time considering their Creator because He is the source of all their blessings and also the source of the healing that their nation so badly needs. For their motto ‘One Nation Under God,’ no longer holds true, since they are now as divided and cantankerous as the days before the Civil War a couple hundred years ago, with Almighty God no longer the mainstay in the land.
And yes, to God the Father all gratitude and thanksgiving should go from all of us, for our awakening, our ability to walk, talk, eat and have a job to go to, for He is an awesome deity, the ONLY true and living God there is! And ALL Jehovah God’s children said a loud and grateful: ‘Thank You Father for your unconditional and undying LOVE, mercy, grace and faithfulness to us, sinful children of men. We LOVE You and praise Your holy name! Amen!’
And so we ought to friends, on account of the heartache that the Lord put Himself through for us, by sacrificing His only Son Jesus Christ so that we could be set free from the overwhelming tentacles of sin. Please note these heartrending words from the Good Book and let them soften our hearts. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his LOVE towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Can you imagine that? Sacrificing your only Son to set a bunch of ungrateful sinners free, when they did not seem the least bit interested in you. Hn! But the Lord did it because of His great LOVE for His best creation. However, to be set free from the bondage of sin we must acknowledge and believe in Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Like He said to the Jews at one stage in His ministry. ‘If ye continue (abide) in my word, then ye are my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.’ (John 8:31-32)
That means if we really want to be set free from enslavement to sin, then we need to know the truth, and the truth is found in Christ’s written word. So, we have to read the word carefully and study it diligently. That’s the only way to know what it says. Then, most importantly, we need to obey what it says, for knowing and not obeying is sin. A dusty, unopened Bible is of no use to us. We need to always have a well-read one close by, and also have what it says written indelibly in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls.
For remember, the greatest commandment is ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.’ (Matt. 22:37) And you can only truly LOVE the Lord when you know who He is and what He’s about, and you can only discover that when you read His word, His enlightened description of Himself and His ways.
And just one li’l footnote here to remind us of why He is God. As He says through the prophet Isaiah. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) It would do us all a whole lot of good if we would just keep those words at the front of our minds as we go about our daily living and don’t bow to the foolishness that Satan and his cohorts are trying to do in the land, like kick God out of our society.
Satan is a bloody fool, a created being who got too big for his britches! He couldn’t kick God out of heaven, what makes him think he can kick God out of the earth that He created eh? Hogwash! But unfortunately, too many of us are believing Satan’s lies and deceptions and are turning away from God. That’s the worst decision we can ever make my people, for all Satan has to offer is hell fire and damnation, while Jesus has eternal life in heaven with the Father, the Holy Spirit and Himself.
Now which one seems the best offer eh? Jesus’ obviously! But we fear what the world will say and do, and neither are we willing to put out the effort it takes to live sincerely for Jesus. But friends, if we read and study the Good Book, we will see how it ends, with God’s wrath levied against the evildoers. And believe me, our God might be LOVING, merciful and all those good things, but He’s no pushover, and I don’t think any of us will willingly want to experience His wrath. Just read about the ‘sufferation’ the Jewish people underwent for their disobedience to God, and all those other nations who got too big and proud to follow God. Where are they now eh? On the junk pile of history.
But that’s a decision each one of must make, so I am pleading with us to make the decision to live for Jesus, because that’s the ONLY wise and sensible one. As Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) likes to say, there are consequences to every decision, but eternal wisdom decrees to: ‘obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.’ You can’t argue with that statement. So, for those of us who have already committed our lives to Jesus, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work.
As one strong and confident 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, let’s rise up and go out and share those blessings just as generously with others as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know, LOVE and glorify Him as we do! Much LOVE!
…if the Son shall set you free…you shall be free indeed… (John 8:36)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
18 Nov 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a great family, be not afraid only believe, because thou hast seen me, believe in thine heart, believe on the name of his son Jesus Christ, blessed are they that have not seen yet believed, confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus Christ, curse, God raised Christ from the dead, God so loved the world, God's grace covers everything, God's grace is perfect, good friends, grace and peace, he gave his only begotten son, if thou wouldest believe, LOVE, negative word, prisoners of doubt, prosper, succeed, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the eternal peace of Christ, the importance of believing, thou hast believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God, Thursday Blessings, thy faith hath made thee whole, unexpected adventure, with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, with the mouth confession is made unto salvation
Mark 5:36. Be not afraid, only believe.
Grace and peace friends! Grace and peace from our heavenly Father this damp and cloudy Thursday morning in my neighbourhood! But as we know, that unwelcome physical day is no barrier to our living for Jesus, because in that grace and peace He gives us the wherewithal to handle whatever we need to in His awesome name. Ah mih people, God’s grace covers everything, every aspect of our life, and it just keeps overflowing when we stay in touch with Him. In other words, His grace is perfect!
And when you add His eternal peace to the mix, your life becomes so wonderful, so miraculous and mysterious that you find it hard to believe. But please believe it, because it’s true! With Jesus in our lives, any number can play at any time, unexpected adventure is always in the air, we just have to believe and be prepared, waiting expectantly with bated breath.(smile) For who knows where He will lead us on any particular day? But it’s for sure that wherever He leads, He will also be there to protect, since He’s faithfully promised never to leave nor forsake us.
And the beauty of the situation is that we only need to believe. And there are so many scriptures which highlight the importance of believing that we ought to look at some of them. Now let’s begin with this one from John’s first epistle, where he says: ‘And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and LOVE one another, as he gave us commandment.’ (1 John 2:23)
And if you don’t believe John, then listen to Jesus with this seminal, formative, ground-breaking scripture. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) Oh my people, that’s a scripture we all know and quote but obviously don’t truly or fully believe, otherwise there wouldn’t be as many doubts about Jesus as are currently running rampant through our church, and the fear and anxiety that are holding so many supposed believers’ prisoners of doubt.
Don’t forget Jesus’ words to Martha when He asked that they roll away the stone from her brother Lazarus’ grave, and she balked because of the expected stench that would emanate from the tomb. ‘Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?’ (John 11:40)
And listen to Jesus again as He was on His way to heal the daughter of a synagogue leader, but tarried a moment to talk to the woman with the issue of blood who had touched the hem of His garment and was made whole. To her He said: ‘’Daughter thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague (affliction).’ (Mark 5:34) And what is faith eh mih brethren? Simply, strong belief in something or someone. That woman believed that if she could only touch some part of Jesus’ garment, she would be healed, and that’s exactly how it turned out.
But while Jesus was dealing with the woman, the synagogue leader’s people came and told him that his daughter was dead. However, ‘As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.’ (Mark 5:36) Meaning to keep on believing that He would do what He set out to do; that is heal his daughter, which He eventually did. (Mark 5:41-42)
And how can we not remember Jesus’ memorable words to the disciple Thomas who refused to believe that Christ was risen from the dead until he saw Him and put his hands in the scars of His wounds. When Jesus finally appeared to Thomas, He said to him. ‘Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.’ (John 20:27-29)
That’s us friends! Jesus is referring to people like us who haven’t seen Him in physical person but still believe in Him and all that He stands for. Then we have that very interesting situation when Bruh Paul and Silas were in prison in Philippi, praying and singing psalms at midnight and a sudden earthquake occurred, broke down the prison doors and set all the prisoners free from their chains… but none escaped.
And when the jailer found that his prisoners were all accounted for, He turned to Bruh Paul and Silas and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house (household).’ (Acts 16:30-31) That’s exactly what he did. After hearing the word of God, he believed! He and his whole household were baptized. (Acts 16:32-34)
Now, there are many other scriptures encouraging belief, but we’ll end with these words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed (put to shame). For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.’ (Rom. 10:9-12)
And that’s the truth in spades! The Lord treats ALL who call upon His holy name richly, regardless of who or what you are. One caution here though. The scholars tell us, re ‘Confession made unto Salvation: One is not saved by his mouth’s confession, but rather, the mouth testifies readily of the grace of God in Christ which has been received by faith.’ So the confession of the mouth is just a vehicle for one’s testimony. (smile)
And one of the many benefits of sincerely believing in Jesus is that He endows us with numerous blessings which enable us to be His ambassadors and do His earthly work. However, since a blessing is not a blessing until it’s declared, (chuh!!!) let’s declare what we call our Thursday Blessings in strong voice with mucho gratitude.
Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
Now, it’s our responsibility to go out and share those blessings with others, just as generously as Christ shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…only believe…only believe…in JESUS…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
11 Nov 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and there shall be one fold and one shepherd, broken down the middle wall of partition, circumcision in the flesh made by hands, compassionate heart, curse, faith, favour, from the power of Satan unto God, Gentiles, goads, God moves in ways His wonders to perform, good health, headed straight for Hades, I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep and are known of mine, I lay down my life for the sheep, it is hard to kick against the pricks, Jesus' life-saving sacrifice, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, LOVE, negative word, no cloud cover, of twain one man, on the cross at Calvary, prosper and succeed, Saul Saul why oersecutest thou me, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, the beauty of Jesus and His Holy Spirit, the christian Church, the covenants of promise, the Mosaic Law, the Prince of Peace, they only bring sunshine, they shall hear my voice, Thursday Blessings, to make in himself, to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light, uncircumcision
John 10:14. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and are known of mine.
Then Thursday opened somewhat cloudy in my area – but still with great promise, meaning it can go one way or the other; that’s rain or shine…or even just stay cloudy. (smile) However, the beauty of Jesus and His Holy Spirit that dwells within us, is that they only, and always bring sunshine, no cloud cover whatsoever! Therefore, we can always have some sunshine in our lives when we have Jesus as our reigning Lord and Saviour! Give Him some thanks and praise my people for His wonderful goodness to the children of men!
Without His life-saving sacrifice on the cross at Calvary, we Gentiles would have been headed straight for Hades. But His sacrificial death and resurrection were life-giving instruments to us; that means we were also given the option of eternal life in heaven, and not that of hell alone. As He said so compassionately in His famous soliloquy on His role as a shepherd. ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and are known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also must I bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold (flock), and one shepherd.’ (John 10:14-16)
That other sheep, the other fold, means us, my brethren, who would be given the option of salvation later on, through the zealous work of Bruh Paul’s preaching of the gospel to the Gentile world. Ah friends, Bruh Paul, formerly known as Saul, was very instrumental in persecuting the early Christians, until his journey to Damascus to continue that persecution. On the road, Jesus accosted him and miraculously changed his outlook on life. Listen to the story of his conversion as he told it to King Agrippa.
‘At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue (language), Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard to kick against the pricks (goads – a sharp stick used to prod cattle to move, so Jesus was telling him it was foolish to resist). And I said, Who art thou Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear (reveal) unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I now send thee. To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified (set apart) by faith that is in me.’ (Acts 26:13-18)
Wow! What a faithful Saviour we have my brethren! Remember He promised to bring us, His other flock unto Him and make one fold. But who ever thought He would set it in motion so miraculously and through Saul, the most feared persecutor of the early brethren? But that’s the way our great God moves – in mysterious ways His wondrous works to perform, to open man’s eyes and bring light to their darkness.
And the wonderful thing about Bruh Paul is that after his conversion, he was just as zealous in saving Christians, as he was in persecuting them before he saw the light. Oh, how I wish that some of his zeal would rob off on some of us modern day believers, for with it, we could turn this evil and ungodly world upside down.
Now hear these marvellous words Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus concerning the unity of all believers, which we spoke of earlier on, that’s the joining together of both the Jewish and Gentile believers under Christ’s august leadership. He writes: ‘Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands.’ (Eph. 2:11) And the scholars explain: ‘Uncircumcision was a derogatory term used by the Jews regarding Gentiles because the latter were uncircumcised. Jews called themselves the Circumcision since they were circumcised.’
And Bruh Paul continues: ‘That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.’ (Eph. 2:12) That basically means that before they became Christians, the Gentiles were aliens from the Jewish nation, who were God’s people, so they had no part in the promises of God, like salvation and all the other godly goodies the Jews had been promised.
‘But now,’ Bruh Paul writes, ‘in Christ Jesus ye who were sometimes (once) far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ ( able to have a proper relationship with Him). For he (Jesus Himself) is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition (separation) between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances for to make (create) in himself of twain (the two) one new man, so making peace. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain (put to death) the enmity thereby. And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.’ (Eph. 2:13-17)
Wow! What powerful scriptures my fellow saints. And what does it all mean? Listen to the scholars: ‘2:14-15.Who hath made both one: Jesus has formed the two antagonistic groups of Jew and Gentile into a single new party, the Christian church. He did this by removing the middle wall of partition, that is the Mosaic Law. The law was meant to protect Jews from pagan corruptions; but by misconstruing the purpose of the law, the Jews felt superior to Gentiles, who were incensed at this arrogance. So Jesus abolished this enmity (hatred), caused by an abuse of the law, by making the law invalid for His church. Of twain one new man: As above, Christian Jews and Christian Gentiles now compass this “one new man” or Christian church.’
Yes friends, that’s basically how the Christian church, became one body, from two flocks. And we need to give much thanks and praise for Jesus being compassionate enough to include us Gentiles in His church. And that compassion isn’t only talk, but also action, as we discover through our Thursday Blessings, that He’s so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. And since a blessing isn’t a blessing until it’s spoken out loud, let’s declare them now nuh, in loud, proud and grateful 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!’
Our job now is to go out and share those blessings with others just as generously as Jesus shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him, like we do! Much LOVE!
…the only ONE who can bring unity and LOVE to all…Jesus…the Prince of Peace…Lord of Lords…and King of Kings…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
04 Nov 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a fool's pipe dream, a great family, acquaint now thyself with him (God), alive and kicking, call upon me in the day of trouble, curse, except the Lord build the house, faith, favour, fools despise wisdom and instruction, God is th Mightiest of the Mighty, good friends, I will deliver thee, it is he that giveth thee the power to get wealth, LOVE, negative word, offer unto God thanksgiving, pay thy vows unto the Most High, prosper and succeed, put away iniquity from thy tabernacles, return unto the Lord thy God, Scrip-Bit family, self-control, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, the grace peace and love of God, they labour in vain that build it, this is the day the Lord has made, thou hast fallen by thine iniquity, thou shalt glorify me, thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, Thursday Blessings, we will rejoice and be glad in it, we will render the calves of our lips
Psalm 50:14. Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High:
Well hello there my beautiful Scrip-Bit Family! The grace, peace and LOVE of our great God be upon us this new and exciting day! And it is exciting simply because we are alive and kicking! Could you imagine what we’d be saying if we hadn’t woken up this morning… (smile) I don’t know. But I do know that many of us would not have been happy. Yes, it is good to go to heaven and meet our Saviour, but many of us are just not ready yet, and obviously the Lord isn’t ready for us either, otherwise He would have taken us home. That means He still has important work down here on earth for us to do.
Therefore, let us declare as the psalmist so appropriately and joyfully did a long time ago…shout it out loud: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps. 118:24) And that should be our motto for each and every day that we draw breath on God’s great and wonderful, though evil and ungodly earth! Yes, friends, with Jesus leading our lives, we ought to be in a joyful mood for most of the day, despite our earthly problems, since He is the Giver and Comforter of our lives.
And I like how Asaph the psalmist puts it on God’s behalf in Psalm 50 – titled God is the judge. He writes: ‘Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.’ (Ps. 50:14-15) Oh my people those are two of the basic foundational rules of our faith: Praise God and ask Him for help. One leads to the other. We can’t ask for help unless we give Him thanks and praise, adoration and reverence, acknowledging that He’s the Mightiest of the Mighty!
Now, it won’t do any harm to look at a few scriptures that uphold that contention, would it? (smile) The prophet Hosea said it thus to his people Israel. ‘O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.’ (Hos. 14:2)
And what does all of that mean. Listen to the scholars. ‘14:1-3. Calves of our lips: The word ‘calves’ (Heb. par, “a young bull or produce”) is best understood metaphorically, referring to the words that lips produce – in this context praise to the Lord. The nation had used its lips to praise the idolatrous calves; now it will use its lips in praise to the Lord God.’
But yuh know what? Sadly, that exact same iniquity can be placed at our feet. In the last thirty or so years we have indeed turned from the God of our fathers to idolatrous worship. Nowadays we worship everything from money to men, and yet we expect our society to flourish and prosper. We obviously have forgotten these most important words of Moses to the Israelites. ‘But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish (confirm) his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.’ (Deut. 8:18)
And since the Lord our God does not change, it means that that condition still applies to all societies. Yes, societies can seem to get wealthy and opulent, but they never last, because the Good Book tells us in Psalm 127:1. ‘Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep (guards) the city, the watchman waketh (stays awake) but in vain.’
It doesn’t take a genius to understand that. Unless a society stands sincerely and securely on the Word of God, whatever it builds doesn’t last. And we are currently experiencing that awesome truth my brethren. Our society is crumbling fast, and the only thing that can stop it from going to hell in a handbasket is our turning back to the Lord our God. Or, as the author of Hebrews so wisely puts it: ‘By him (Jesus) therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name.’ (Heb. 13:15)
Oh my people, that’s the wisest move we can make in these deeply troubled and sorrowful times. And it doesn’t take a lot of wisdom to realize it either, for we have tried everything else and nothing’s working for us, the strife, hatred, anger, sickness and misery are becoming worse every day. The only thing we haven’t yet tried is a return to our roots, to the God we used to reverence, adore and worship not so long ago. And these words of Eliphaz, Job’s supposed friend, when he mistakenly implored Job to repent do serve as a wonderful reminder to us today of what’s to be gained in serving the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Eliphaz said: ‘Acquaint now thyself with him (God), and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. Receive I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles (tents, homes). Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.
Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defense (gold), and thou shalt have plenty of silver. For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God. Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.’ (Job 22:21-28)
Oh friends, it’s same basic advice that the Lord gave Joshua and every other prophet to speak unto the people: Honour me and I will make thy way safe and prosperous. But instead, we have chosen to dishonour God, even going so far as to try to get rid of Him from our society. But that‘s only a fool’s pipe dream! The Creator of the universe will never allow His foolish, prideful and arrogant creation to kick Him out of what He created, just like He did not allow that other fool, Lucifer, now known as Satan, the evil one, to kick Him out of heaven.
So please, let’s wake up, be the wise creation that the Lord boasts of, and realize that our ONLY HOPE is God Almighty. And He is still so good to us, despite our terrible iniquity, because He so dearly LOVES us, that He showers those of us who want to work for Him with magnificent blessings to do that work. But since a blessing is not a blessing until it’s spoken out loud, let’s declare what we call our Thursday Blessings in loud voice to put them into effect.
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 the corollary to that, is we now must go out and share all those blessings as generously with others as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…the fear (reverential awe) of the Lord…is the beginning of knowledge…but fools despise wisdom and instruction… (Prov. 1:7)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
21 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a still small voice, abundance, according to his riches in glory, all the days of my life, be ever ready to repel his assaults, be not afraid, be strong and of a good courage, clear direction for my life, curse, divine protection, he leadeth me beside still waters, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he restoreth my soul, holy spirit, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I shall not want, I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, in the presence of mine enemies, keeps coming relentlessly against us, LOVE, make evil inroads into our lives, my cup runneth over, my God shall supply all my needs, negative word, neither be thou discouraged, our part to play, prosper, reading and studying god's word, stand strong and steadfast, succeed, supernatural wisdom, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, talent, the awesome light of Jesus, the enemy though toothless and powerless, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord thy God is with thee, the world and all its evil minions, thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, this is the way walk ye in it, thou anointest my head with oil, thou mayest prosper, thou preparest a table before me, Thursday Blessings, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, whithersoever thou goest, wise guidance for everyday living
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
Well, it’s definitely not a bright, sunshiny day in my area today. Unfortunately, it’s wet and cloudy. But as we keep reminding ourselves, the physical state, the colour of the day doesn’t really matter, once we have the awesome light of Jesus shining within us, through the amazing Holy Spirit. That means, every day is a bright and shining day for believers. Glory to God!
But it all doesn’t come automatically, we have our part to play in the relationship. The enemy, that’s the world and all its evil minions, though toothless and powerless, still keeps coming relentlessly against us, and if we falter, for even just one moment, he will make evil inroads into our lives. Therefore, we have to be ever ready to repel his assaults, and we can only do that successfully by consistently reading and studying God’s Word, then obeying it.
That recalls the serious words the Lord spoke to Joshua when He made him leader of the Israelites after Moses’ death. ‘Only be strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper (have success, act wisely) whithersoever thou goest.
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth (shall constantly be in thy mouth); but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou discouraged: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:7-9)
Wow mih bredrin! What marvellous promises! But it’s only our holding to God’s word and the truth of His promises that will make us successful. And after Jesus came, we also got the Holy Spirit to help us. Listening to Him is a real Godsend, for He gives us good and wise guidance for everyday living. It’s like Isaiah said to the Israelites long ago, re turning to the Lord for help: ‘And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.’ (Is. 30:21)
That’s the way the Holy Spirit usually guides us; through a still small voice in our souls and spirits. But as we specified yesterday, it is of the utmost importance to learn to listen to Him, and then follow His wise guidance. And no, living a good and righteous life in this evil and ungodly world is not easy to accomplish, but there again, Jesus doesn’t ever ask us to do something without giving us the wherewithal, the strength and wisdom to do it. That’s why we can confidently say: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil. 4:13) But we must sincerely believe it, and then put it into action in our lives, otherwise it doesn’t work.
Oh friends, there are some promises of God that are unconditional, and some that are conditional, that means we have to do something to reap that promise, and standing strong and courageous in Christ Jesus is one of them. And when we do that, then promises like this one Bruh Paul made to the Philippians and also to us, will be fulfilled. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) Yes my fellow believers, when we stand strong for Christ, sacrifice for Him, the Lord will gloriously meet our needs in proportion to His unlimited resources, for everything in the world belongs to Him.
As Bruh Paul said to the church at Corinth in his second letter. ‘And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.’ (2 Cor. 9:8) Our spiritual and financial needs will be met if we listen and obey. Furthermore, as Bruh David so confidently stated in our favourite Psalm: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1)
And we see it in his life. Though he made many mistakes, and paid a hefty price for them, he never forsook the Lord, always kept Him first place in his life, and the Lord greatly rewarded him. And He will do the same for each of us my brethren, if we stand strong and steadfast for Him. And I believe this is a most opportune time for us to uplift our faith by repeating those marvellous words of Bruh David.
‘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. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ Amen…and Amen! (Ps. 23:1-6)
Yes friends, if those magnificent words of faith didn’t raise your spirits this wet and cloudy morning, I don’t know what will nuh. But for those of us who take it seriously, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) 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!’
And the only way those blessings will benefit us is if we now go out and share them with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…if we believe God…and do what He says…He won’t let us down…
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14 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a myriad of amazing fall colours, abundance, being his counselor hath taught him, Christ is number One, Christ's demise on the cross, comprehended the dust of the earth, courage, creativity, curse, forgiveness of sins, God is free from outside influence, God will exist forever, God's supernatural wisdom, I AM, I am come that they might have life, ignore his deceitful entreaties, in the hollow of his hand, Jesus - the cornerstone of our lives, Jesus doesn't play second fiddle, justification, LOVE, meted out heaven with the span, negative word, once powerful Lucifer, peace in the midst of the storm, prosper and succeed, reconciliation to God, righteousness., salvation, showed him the way of understanding, talent, taught him knowledge, the fire Jesus sets in our souls, the hills in a balance, the powerless Satan, the thief cometh but to steal, they might have it more abundantly, Thursday Blessings, unconditional LOVE, weighed the mountains in scales, who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, Who hath measured the waters, who taught him in the path of judgement
John 10:10b. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
And is it ever a beautiful looking day out there today my people! Sunshine, blue skies, with the leaves on the trees displaying a myriad of amazing fall colours; red, green, yellow, gold, russet and numerous combinations of them all! It is indeed one of those days when we have to raise our heads, hearts, eyes and hands, and sincerely declare: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it! Yes friends, it’s one of those days that’s so beautiful, that despite our many problems, rejoicing comes naturally to our soul! Glory be!
And when we add the wonder of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to all that, can you imagine the fire that’s set a burning in our spirits and souls! Wow! It’s what really makes life worth living! It’s the abundant life that Jesus spoke of when He said: ‘The thief cometh only but to 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)
Oh my people, only with Jesus as the cornerstone, the foundation of our lives can we ever hope to attain and enjoy that abundant life which we all so desire. And the abundant life is not just one filled with good earthly things, but even more with wonderful spiritual and heavenly things, like salvation and forgiveness of sins, peace in the midst of the storm, unconditional LOVE, reconciliation to God the Father, justification through the Son and a transfer of His righteousness to us through His demise on the cross.
Now how can you ever desire or acquire a better life than that eh? No way! And that’s what Jesus’ brings to our lives when we put Him first in all our dealings. Not second or third, but a faraway first! He doesn’t play second fiddle in any band, that’s any life, but always first. And that’s where so many of us fall down; we try to relegate Christ to the least or less important positions in our lives, but still expect to enjoy the abundant life that He alone can provide. That’s utter foolishness friends!
For only when Christ is truly Number One in our lives, will the abundant life ever flow our way. It’s a built-in requirement of the Father, and who can say Him nay eh? None of us, since He’s the Creator and controller of our universe. And I believe it’s right and wise and proper (smile) that right here, in these turbulent and dangerous times, we should consider the words of the prophet Isaiah as he long ago spoke of the majesty of the Lord. Yes my brethren, it’s in serious times like these that we need to remember who our God really is, so please listen up to Isaiah, when he asks?
‘Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted (measured) out heaven with the span (9 inches), and comprehended (calculated) the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his councillor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgement (justice), and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are as a drop of (in) a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance (in fine dust on balance): behold, he taketh (lifteth) up the isles as a very little thing.’ (Is. 40:12-15)
Oh my fellow believers, NO ONE assisted the Lord our God in creating the universe and all therein! He is the SOLE CREATOR AND RULER of the universe! And until we, mankind, His creation, wake up and realize that awesome fact, we will forever be holding the proverbial short and heifer dust end of the stick!
Listen to these explanations from the scholars re the Freedom of God. ‘40:13. God is the only Being in the universe that possesses independence from the Creation. The only limits to God’s freedom are in His own nature and attributes. He is unlimited in His existence. Because His existence relates to His nature rather than His will. God will exist forever. He who exists by reason of His nature rather than His volition (will, choice), must have existed – and must continue to exist – forever.
Illustration: When God revealed His name to Moses at the burning bush, He called himself “I AM” (Ex. 3:13-15). This name emphasizes God’s self-existence, the fact that He has always existed and always will. Application: Neither anyone nor any outside force will affect God’s relationship to us. He will deal with us according to His nature because He is free from outside influence. (First ref. Gen. 6;17; Primary ref. Is. 40:13; cf. Rom. 12:1).’
Yes faithful saints, NOTHING, or NO ONE, will or cannot influence our God, re His dealings with us, or anything else, for He is a law, or rather, the LAW unto Himself. And I don’t know what it will take for us to fully realize and appreciate that fact nuh, so that we can revere and be obedient to His dictates, and thus stay in His good graces.
And it’s not like we don’t have the example of the Archangel Lucifer trying to overthrow Him, but fought a losing battle and was unceremoniously kicked out of heaven with his foolish minions. So, I just can’t understand why we are allowing that once powerful Lucifer, who is now the powerless Satan, to turn us against our Creator, the same way he deceived our forefathers Adam and Eve. It’s totally non-understandable, non-comprehensible, in fact, totally foolish and stupid, since he has nothing better to offer us. All his glittering stuff is just that, glitter, with no gold! A façade, or frontispiece with no inside.
So please, let’s ignore his deceitful entreaties like the sickness and plague they are nuh. Instead, let’s look to our heavenly Father who in His LOVING-kindness, bestows numerous blessings on us to do His earthly work, which we refer to as our Thursday Blessings. And since a blessing is not a blessing until it is declared, let’s declare them in strong voice right now:
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 now that we have been so generously blessed, let’s go out and share those blessings just as generously with others, so that they can come to know and LOVE Jesus just like we have! Much LOVE!
…regardless of what the world says…the good and abundant life can ONLY be found…in Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
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