27 May 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a scripture of amazing promise, a tree planted by the rivers of waters, bless others, blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, blessings shall overtake thee, bringeth forth his fruit in season, curse, divine protection, faith, favour, his delight is in the law of the Lord, his leaf shall not wither, in his law doth he meditate, Isaac reaped a hundredfold, Isaac sowed in the land, like the chaff which the wind driveth away, LOVE, negative word, obey the voice of the Lord, our hearts are in the right place, prosper, rejoice and be glad in it, sitteth in the seat of the scornful, standeth in the way of sinners, succeed, the breath of life, Thursday Blessings, until thy cup overflows, walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, whatsoever he does shall prosper, whose hope the Lord is
Jeremiah 17:7. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
One more day friends, we have been divinely gifted one more day, this one called Thursday! Wow! What a wonderful God we serve and worship! So let’s rejoice and be glad in it nuh, like our Lord God intended when He allowed the breath of life to continue flowing through our mortal bodies this bright and sunshiny day!
Ah, what blessed lives we live my faithful brethren! The psalmist said it thus: ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder on) day and night.’ (Ps. 1:1-2)
What a beautiful scripture my people, one filled with such amazing promise! If we don’t let the enemy, or the ways of the world tie up our lives in knots like they want to do, but instead focus on the Lord and His word and will for our lives, we will be eternally blessed, down here on earth and also later on in heaven!
Now hear how the psalmist says that blessing will flow out. ‘And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps. 1:3)
Mama oh Mama! We are so blessed my people! But are we grateful for those blessings, and do we show it in our lives? Do we give thanks and praise to the Lord for His goodness and mercy to us? Do we bless others with the blessings that the Lord so generously bestows on us? I do hope so, otherwise we’re simply living a lie!
And unfortunately, that can truthfully be said about too many of us supposed believers. That’s why the heathen don’t pay as much attention to us as they ought to. Why they don’t rush to embrace Christ as their Lord and Saviour. And you can’t give them wrong when they see the ungodly lives too many so-called believers are living.
However, hear this explanation from the scholars. ‘Psalm 1. The key word in the psalm is the word blessed. It serves here as a pronouncement upon a man – but a certain kind of man. In essence, the psalm is teaching that the blessed or happy man is the righteous man. The happy man avoids evil influences, deeds, and attitudes (v.1); he delights in God’s Word (v.2); therefore, God causes him to prosper (v.3).’ Yes friends, when we serve the Lord God Jehovah with a willing and faithful heart, He blesses us so much that our cup overflows, and others see it and want to come to him to receive blessings like us.
And hear how the prophet Jeremiah puts it, when he talks about the blessedness of trusting the Lord. ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see (fear) when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer. 17:7-8) Wow! Imagine that nuh people! When we stay righteous, even in the times of drought and famine, hardship and trouble, we will still prosper because of the Lord’s blessings upon our lives!
And we have a good example of that in Genesis 26, where during a time of famine, the Lord instructed Isaac not to go down to Egypt but to stay in the land of the Philistines and He would provide for Him. And even though Isaac got himself in trouble with the Philistines, the Good Book tells us: ‘Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received (reaped) in the same year a hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him. And the man waxed (grew) great, and went forward (continued), and grew until he became very great.’ (Gen. 26:12-13)
Yes friends, that’s what the Lord can, and will do in our lives, although we are not the best we can be, but He sees that our hearts are in the right place. Who else could cause Isaac to reap a hundredfold in a time of drought and famine eh? Only the Lord God Almighty, the God of his forefathers. And that’s why it is ever so important for us to read and meditate on God’s word and live the kind of life He expects of us, because hear what happens to those who don’t.
‘The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.’ (Ps. 1:4-6) Now that’s putting it mildly, because perishing will not be an easy matter for the ungodly, but more like going through hell fire and damnation!
Anyway, listen to this continuing explanation of the scholars. ‘On the other hand, the ungodly is worth no more than chaff (the dry, protective, worthless outer casing of cereal grains) (v.4), and his destiny is judgement (v.5). Finally, the evaluation by the Lord Himself is described (v.6). There is an ellipsis (omission) which is understood with both clauses in verse 6. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous [and it will be blessed], but [He also knows] the way of the ungodly [and it] shall perish. The psalm forms an appropriate introduction to the Psalter since it sets before the readers the three characters who will figure mostly in the psalms: the righteous, the ungodly, and God.’
And I’m chuckling here friends, because I can see the mysterious moving of the Lord in Today’s Bit. I did not have any particular topic in mind, and He led me to Psalm 1, which teaches about the blessings of the Lord on the righteous, and what better day to do it than on a Thursday when we declare the bountiful blessings of our great God! So let’s do that right now nuh! As one strong and sincere voice, let’s shout out our Thursday Blessings to the world!
‘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 divine purpose for bestowing those blessings on us, is for us to share them just as generously with others as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…obey the voice of the Lord…and blessings shall come upon thee…and overtake thee…until thy cup overflows…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
20 May 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundance, another day of life, at they right hand are pleasures evermore, Christ paved the way, comapssionate heart, curse, divine protection, faing eternal damnation, God's joyful presence, he is at my right hand, I have set the Lord always before me, I shall not be moved, in the fires of hell, in thy presence is fullness of joy, LOVE, my flesh shall dwell securely in hope, my glory rejoiceth, my heart is glad, negative word, no need to fear when waling with Christ, our attitude towards death, prosper, share blessings generously, succeed, suffer the Holy One to see corruption, summertime blues, talent, the attitude of the righteous man, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the joy of the Lord is our strength, the nature of the beast, the righteous man rejoices and is hopeful, thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, thou wilt show me the path of life, Thursday Blessings, trust and spiritual devotion to God
Psalm 16:8. I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Summertime! Summertime! Summertime! I’ve got the summertime blues! Yes friends, all of us in the north country are just dying for the summertime to take strong effect, for it will at least get us of the house into our yards and patios and have fresh air circulating through our houses. Although, when the heat and humidity start hitting us, we going to complain: ‘Boy! It so hot eh! I wish I had air conditioning yes!’ (smile) But that’s just the nature of the beast, we LOVE to complain even when our basic needs are met and we living better than most of the world.
And today, since the Lord has seen fit to gift us with another day of life on His great earth, I am going to keep my promise of a few days ago and return to Psalm 16, finish talking about that most excellent Michtam or Contemplation of Bruh David, as he seeks preservation and blessing. Earlier on we dealt with ‘the attitude of the righteous man in life, which was to be one of trust (vs. 1), gratefulness for God’s goodness (vs. 2), delight in God’s people (vs. 3), separation from idolatrous worship (vs. 4), satisfaction in God’s gracious provisions (vs. 5-6), praise for the Lord’s counsel (vs. 7), and steadfastness in spiritual devotion (vs. 8).’
Oh my people, those are just a few of the things we need to concentrate on as we live this earthly life for Christ! Yeh, I know they seem plentiful and difficult, but in actual reality they are neither, because once you seriously and sincerely decide to live for Christ, He gives you all that you need to do it successfully, through the awesome guidance of His Holy Spirit and His amazing word filled with numerous promises. And if we stay steadfast, He will too. So the life situation is all taken care of there.
Today though, we’ll take a gander at what our attitude ought to be towards death. But first let’s hear some of those marvellous words of Bruh David as he broaches the subject. Now, having set his mind on spiritual steadfastness to God in his living days, he is able to proclaim. ‘I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.’ (Ps. 16:8) Yes my fellow saints, if we want to be able to handle death properly, that is the first thing we need to acknowledge, overwhelming trust and spiritual devotion to Almighty God.
And why is that? Because, as Bruh David continues: ‘Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in hope.’ (Ps. 16:9) Mama, O Mama! Isn’t that a wonderful position to be in precious people; possession of a glad heart with awesome rejoicing and secure hope in Christ? It most certainly is! And then Bruh David lays it right on the line: ‘For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (the abode of the dead); neither wilt thou suffer (allow) thine Holy One to see corruption.’ (Ps. 16:10)
Yes mih bredrin, when our hearts and souls are right with God, He will not allow our spirits to dwell in the place of death; but instead, they will be made full of life and dwell with Him in heaven eternally. And that’s why we should not be afraid of death if we are sincerely in tune with our Creator, for though our mortal bodies will return to the dust from whence they came, our spirits won’t ever see death. That’s because after we have taken our last breath here on earth, our spirit will take its next in heaven with Christ. That’s the promise to the faithful Christian!
And being persuaded and assured of all those things, Bruh David could therefore declare with a proud and certain heart. ‘Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.’ (Ps. 16:11) Now that’s good reason to shout for joy my people! When we walk sincerely with our heavenly Father, He guides and directs us down the path of life that leads directly to Him. And along the way, He also gives us His joy – for remember the joy of the Lord is our strength (Neh. 8:10).
You also know that there’s no other Being as generous as Him, so in His presence, we will be rewarded most generously for our steadfastness and endurance. Therefore, I don’t know why so many of us refuse to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour nuh, because the only other option available, that of being with Satan in the fires of hell, facing eternal damnation, holds no fascination whatsoever!
Now here’s what the scholars say our attitude to death ought to resemble. ‘In facing death, the righteous man rejoices and is hopeful (vs. 9). He is confident that God will preserve him from the decay of death, and that death will not result in his corruption (vs. 10). Rather, he will travel down the path of life, that is the path leading to life, which will terminate in God’s joyful presence (vs. 11). David’s confidence in his ultimate destiny is valid for him (and for ALL believers) only because Christ has travelled down that path and paved the way for all who believe in Him (Acts 2:25-28).’ That’s where Peter includes Bruh David’s words in his powerful Pentecost Sermon.
Oh, how wonderful is all that eh friends! Very much so! That’s why it boggles my imagination when so many people, so stubbornly refuse to come to Jesus and accept His light yoke and awesome salvation, that leads to eternal life with Him in heaven! For as I said earlier, the only other option available, being with Satan in hell, is downright unacceptable.
So, now that we know how to face life and death, let’s go out and face it mano-a-mano, like Jesus did nuh. And, as Christ always does, He gave us some awesome tools with which to do His wonderful work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. Now, as one, in strong voice, let’s positively declare them 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!’
And what are we supposed to do with all them amazing blessings eh mih people? Go out and share them just as generously with others as Christ shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…there is no need to fear either life or death…when walking sincerely with Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
13 May 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a future and a hope, a positive outlook on life, all things are full of labour, awaken to a brand new day with Jesus, curse, faith, favour, futile or worthless, futility, glamorous lifestyle, hell and destruction are never full, hellfire and damnation, how wonderful it is to live for Jesus, just a facade, man cannot utter (express it), negative word, no remembrance of former things, nor the ear filled with hearing, observable phenomena, share our blessings generously, the ceaseless cycles of nature, the earth abideth for ever, the eye is not satisfied with seeing, the eyes of man are never satisfied, the futility of life, the glitzy front shell, there is no new thing under the sun, Thursday Blessings, vanity of vanities, what profit hath a man from all his labour
Ecclesiastes 1:8. All things are full of labour (wearisome); man cannot utter (express it): the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
And then it was Thursday – another beautiful spring day in my neighbourhood. All praise and glory to the Lord for bringing me through the dark night of the enemy to another one of these sparklers with all of my faculties, or rather with most of them intact. (smile) Thanks and praise are certainly in order when we awaken to a bright, brand new day in Jesus! There’s nothing like it to lift our spirits, to energize our souls and give us hope, assurance, and comfort for the future! Oh, how wonderful it is to live for Jesus!
Please note I didn’t say easy, (smile) for as they say, anything worth its salt is worth working and facing difficulties for, and Jesus is definitely at the top of that list! He is indeed the greatest employer in the world! Who else can offer grace, mercy, LOVE and salvation to His people eh? Nobody! That’s why He is the greatest; the One and ONLY Superstar! A strong and mighty fortress! But despite working for the greatest employer, we must admit that basic life, when coupled with working in this crazy and evil world is full of problems.
Listen to how Cousin Sol puts it in Ecclesiastes nuh: ‘Vanity of vanities (futility of futilities), saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of (from) all his labour which he taketh under the sun (toils or labours)? One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever… All things are full of labour (wearisome); man cannot utter (express it): the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time (in ancient times) There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.’ (Eccl. 1:4, 8-11)
Yeh friends, Cousin Sol doesn’t mince words at all; life is one big cycle with work a major part of it, and not much of what we accomplish is ever remembered. The scholars explain it thus: ‘1:2. Vanity is the key word of the book and the refrain all is vanity its theme. The word “futility” means “that which is futile or worthless, of no value or profit.” As Solomon observed life, he saw little that exhibited profit and accomplishment. The word ‘all’ in the expression ‘all is vanity’ must not be taken to mean everything in the universe for these reasons:
(1) The author’s observations are clearly limited to what is “under the sun” or observable. (2) The negative conclusions always grow out of observable phenomena as the expressions “I saw,” “I have seen,” “Again I saw,” and so on, exhibit. (3) “Vanity” is never predicated of God, God’s work, God’s revelation, or man as man. (4) Specific realities are commended by Solomon in such a way as not to be considered vanity (e.g., the fear of God, enjoyment of life, and proper use of wisdom.’ What interesting and important insights friends! I believe we should read that slowly, at least a couple of times, so we can truly understand it, for it’s the very basis of Cousin Sol’s thesis.
And the scholars continue, per verse ‘1:3. The implied answer to this rhetorical question “what profit hath a man of all his labour…” is that there is no profit for man in his work. This supports the idea that “vanity” refers to a lack of profit, value, or worth. Under the sun is used 29 times in the book and denotes the sphere of Solomon’s observations. Now, this last scholarly explanation: ‘1:4-11. The ceaseless cycles of nature illustrate the futility of life. The amazing thing is that the earth goes on, but man, the height of God’s creation, passes into eternity with no remembrance (vs.11).’
And with all the effort, energy and labour we put into living this earthly life, it can be somewhat discouraging to know that a lot of what we do is worthless and will not be remembered. But that’s exactly why it makes so much sense to live exclusively for Jesus! For with Him, we have a future and a hope. Our lives won’t go to waste. We’ll dwell with him for eternity, and be rewarded for the good work we did as His representatives down here on earth, with robes of white, crowns of glory, righteousness and all sorts of other heavenly treasures! (smile)
Let’s also remember that our earthly bodies will one day cease to exist, will return to the dust from which they originally came, but our spiritual beings will live on forever, either in Hades or Heaven. However, we need to choose one of those options while we are here on earth, and for what it’s worth, I’ll say that heaven is the better choice, for we’ll be there with Jesus! And all God’s people gave a joyful and grateful shout of ‘Glory Hallelujah!’
And please, please don’t be fooled by the seemingly glamourous lifestyle that the world tries to offer, because it’s only a façade, behind the glitzy front shell there is only hellfire and damnation! So for those of us who have wisely decided to choose Jesus and heaven as our eternal destination, let’s go home declaring (steups!) our Thursday Blessings, those amazing characteristics that the Lord has so magnanimously 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 what’s the corollary to all that, you ask? Simple: we are expected to go out and share those blessings just as generously with others, as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…hell and destruction…are never full…so the eyes of man…are never satisfied… (Prov. 27:20)
P.S. The Bit is somewhat late because I had a mid-morning zoom meeting to attend. Brilliant excuse eh! (smile) Much LOVE!
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
06 May 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: contemned the counsel of the Most High, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, faith, favour, generously share our blessings, give thanks unto the Lord for He is good, glorify His holy name, God is the judge, he delivered them, his mercy endureth for ever, in the name of Jesus, let the redeemed of the Lord say so, LOVE, magnificent and magnanimous God, man's first responsibility, negative word, new mercies and compassions, offer up unto God thanksgiving, promotion, prosper, renewed breath of life, self-disicpline, sick and strife filled world, succeed, their soul fainted in them, they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, they rebelled against the words of God, Thursday Blessings, to praise God
Psalm 107:6. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.
Give it up for Thursday friends! Give thanks for the renewed breath of life flowing through us, with the Lord’s new mercies and compassions, fresh off the line, made especially for today! It is certainly an immense pleasure and privilege to do life with Jesus on another new day! Oh, glory be my people! Therefore, like the psalmist of old, we can most definitely declare (steups!) in grateful appreciation: ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING-kindness) endureth for ever.’ (Ps. 107:1)
Yes, my faithful brethren, we ought to be continually pouring out our thanks to the Lord God for His unending goodness to the children of men! I hate to think what would become of us if His mercies and compassions were not always available to us, despite the inherent sinfulness in our souls. And Psalm 107 is such a magnificent acknowledgement of God’s goodness to mankind that we going to look through it and cull some wonderful scriptures from it.
Here is the first one: ‘Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.’ (Ps. 107:2) And yuh better believe that is what we ought to be crying out in loud voice and sincere appreciation my brethren, because the Lord went out of His way to redeem us from eternal separation and destruction by sending His sinless Son to die on the cross to atone for our abominable sins! Now isn’t that something to be proud of and everlastingly grateful? It surely is! So why aren’t we proud of Him, and shouting out to all and sundry His wonderful mercies eh?
Because we are a bunch of proud and arrogant ingrates! And why do I say so? Just listen as the psalmist continues. ‘And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness is a solitary (desolate) way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.’ (Ps. 107:3-7)
Yuh see that mih people, when Israel found themselves in difficulty from their gross disobedience, they cried out to the Lord and He saved them from their problems. And I like how Asaph puts it in Psalm 50 – God is the judge. Talking about sacrificial offerings of animals, he speaks on God’s behalf. ‘If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fullness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer up 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. 50:12-15)
Yeh friends, that’s how the redeemed of the Lord ought to behave! No wonder the author of Psalm 107, takes issue with us and sadly declares (spelled it wrong there too): ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men.’ (Ps. 107:8) We should have no problem in doing that nuh mih bredrin. But unfortunately, we seem to have just such a problem.
And here’s why the psalmist tell us to give thanks and praises to our great and wonderful God. ‘For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron (prisoners). Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned (despised) the counsel of the Most High:’ (Ps. 107:9-11)
Oh precious people, those words speak directly to our situation right now. We stubbornly and arrogantly rebelled against God, trying to kick Him out of our society! And what happened? ‘Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.’ (Ps. 107:12) Any fool can see the obvious resemblance there to our current society, where we are suffering all kinds of problems and the more we try to solve them in our own strength, the greater the mess and confusion we’re making.
So what’s the answer eh? It’s obvious friends: ‘Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder (broke their chains in pieces).’ (Ps. 107:13-14) Yuh know, it still boggles my puny mind, that in all the troubles that we currently facing in this sick and strife filled world, very few of us, and none of the powers that be, are even considering calling unto the Most High God Jehovah for help. We’re only concerned about doing it in our own strength.
But what about the God of our fathers eh? Have we forgotten so quickly how good He was to them when they called out to Him in troubled times? It certainly seems so. But friends, please believe, that our problems will not be solved until we turn back to the God of our fathers, and do like the psalmist says: ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men!’ (Ps. 107:15)
And now that we have set us straight on that matter, (smile) let’s go home declaring (oh yeah!!!) our Thursday Blessings, which our magnificent and magnanimous God has seen fit to bless us most generously with to do His earthly work. In one loud 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 has 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 my faithful believers, we are ever so blessed, that we can’t truly appreciate it! However, let’s go out now and generously share all those wonderful blessings with others who so desperately need them nuh, for that’s what Jesus desires of us! Much LOVE!
…man’s first responsibility…is to praise God… to give Him thanks…to glorify His holy name…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
29 Apr 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, Billy Graham, broad is the way that leads to destruction, cast out demons in your name, choose wisely, clear direction for my life, come unto me, courage, creativity, curse, decisionmagazine website, enter ye in at the strait gate, eternal damnation, eternal separation from God, few there be that find it, gentle and humble, have we not prophesied in thy name, heaven with Christ, hell with Satan, I am meek and lowly in heart, I am the way the truth and the life, I never knew you depart from me, I will give you rest, Jesus is alive and kicking butt, learn of me, LOVE, many will say to me, negative word, no one comes to the Father but by me, one foot in heaven, one foot in the world, only two options in life, ride the middle road, self-discipline, short-sighted outlook, take my yoke upon you, the extremes of humanity, the great invitation, the short cut is often the wrong cut, Thursday Blessings, wide is the gate, ye shall find rest unto your souls, you cannot be neutral about eternal life
Matthew 11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Moving on to Thursday friends, another wonderful day on God’s earth! Oh yes, despite our many problems, it’s going to be a good day, because we know that Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, is alive and kicking butt on our behalf! Now isn’t that cause for celebration and encouragement? It certainly is!
When we have the Creator of the universe in our corner, there’s nothing more we need, except to accept Him with pride and gratitude and live the way He desires of us. And the wonderful thing is that His dominion is not tough, onerous or embarrassing as so many of us believe.
Just listen to what He says nuh. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Where else can you get such a marvellous invitation eh? Nowhere! That’s why we call it the Great Invitation!
No one else has the parts or the power to offer such an invite, only Jesus! So why aren’t more people flocking to Him and His cross eh? Because they mistakenly think that His yoke is a heavy burden, and has too many restrictions. But that’s not true my people, as we who sincerely follow Him know. There must be rules and regulations in every organization, otherwise anarchy will prevail, and the organization will soon crumble. Even our sinful, anything goes world, has rules and regulations, but many of us consider them less restrictive and contentious than those of Jesus.
However, that’s a very short-sighted outlook friends. The easy way is often the worst way. That’s why the old people taught us that a short cut is often the wrong cut. And Jesus is trying to teach us the same thing: the easy way is not the best way. Consequently, He taught us to ‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because strait (how narrow) is the gate, and narrow (difficult or confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt. 7:13-14)
Yes friends, there are only two paths to life, the strait and narrow one to eternal life with Jesus, which requires more self-discipline and self-control, with plenty LOVE, kindness, mercy and forgiveness involved. Meanwhile the other path, that of the wide-open road that leads to destruction and eternal separation from God, that’s what our evil world is offering, and unfortunately a whole lotta people seem to be following that one, because generally speaking, it lets them do whatever they want to do.
The rules and regulations are much looser than those of Jesus, but His are not a strait-jacket as so many of us feel. They are just more humanitarian and don’t condone evil like the world does. And I like how this article by Billy Graham, titled ‘Which Road are You on?’ puts the situation. It can be found on the decisionmagazine website.
Billy writes: ‘You cannot be neutral about eternal life, but a lot of people try to be. They try to ride the middle road—but there is no middle road. Jesus said it’s one or the other. He said if you’re not on the narrow road that leads to eternal life, then you must be on the broad road that leads to destruction. Every person is on one or the other. Which road are you on? The broad road or the narrow road? One leads to destruction and hell; the other leads to a full life here and now and eventually life to come in Heaven. Which is it? It’s one or the other.
And I want to tell you, if I did not know which road I was on, I would make sure, no matter what it cost. Notice that the broad road is a wide road. In other words, you can enter the wide gate and carry with you all your sins. You can carry your selfishness, your prejudice, your hate, your lust, your intolerance, your bigotry. There are no restrictions, no inhibitions, no rules. The extremes of humanity are on this broad road. There are the immoral, the dictators, the murderers. But there are also some moral people and even church people on this road.
The Bible says, “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me’” (Matthew 7:22-23). They were on the broad road all along. “Jesus said it’s one or the other. He said if you’re not on the narrow road that leads to eternal life, then you must be on the broad road that leads to destruction.”
And all those people who tried to keep one foot in the world and one foot in Heaven, those who tried to ride both roads—all of those people are on the broad road, in the sight of Christ. This broad road is also a crowded road. Jesus said there are many who go in by it. I think one of the greatest sins is conformity. We always hear, “Everybody else is doing it.” No other reason except everybody else is doing it. Conformity. Nobody has the moral courage anymore to stand alone.’
And is that ever the awesome truth! The proverbial motto nowadays is ‘Everybody’s doing it! So why not me?’ Good question? But sadly you’ll end up like everybody else, in eternal damnation, if you don’t take the way that Jesus recommends. And remember you can’t get to heaven and the Father, unless you go through Him, because, as He so plainly points out: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) That’s it in spades friends, no strait and narrow way, no Jesus, then no heaven, no eternal life with our Triune God! It’s as simple as that!
So let’s wake up and show some wisdom nuh. And for those of us who have found Him, let’s go home declaring (steups!) our Thursday Blessings which He’s bestowed on us to do His earthly work, to help lead others to Him, so that they too can be saved from the life-destroying fire of Hades. So as one strong 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 the natural consequence now is for us to go out and share those blessings, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…there are only two options in life…heaven with Jesus…hell with Satan…please choose wisely…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
22 Apr 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: beholding as in a glass, broken right now, by the Spirit of the Lord, call yourself a Christian, changed into the same image, clear direction for my life, comapssionate heart, commanded the light to shine out of darkness, covenant of Jesus, curse, from glory to glory, gives us new life, GotQuestions.org, hath shined in our hearts, have it more abundantly, he is a new creation, he put a veil on his face, if anyone is in Christ, in the name of Jesus, into the image of his own beloved Son, LOVE, negative word, of the glory of God in the face of Jesus christ, our glorious eternal welcome to heaven, redemption, reflecting the glory of God, salvation and eternal life, sanctification, self-discipline, that they might have life, the abiding presence of the Spirit of God, the flesh profiteth nothing, the glory of God, the glow of god's Spirit in Moses' face, the New Covenant, the new has come, the old has goen, the Spirit of the Living God, the spirit that quikeneth, the words I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life, Thursday Blessings, to give the light of knowledge, transform us, we all with open face, working for Jesus
2 Corinthians 3:18. But we all, with open (unveiled) face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed (transformed) into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
So now it’s Thursday, what we going to do today eh? Hopefully, it’s more of what we did yesterday. And what’s that you ask? We talking about working for Jesus! What else could it be eh? If you call yourself a Christian then that’s your obvious life’s work, regardless of what other position(s) you might hold in society. And hopefully, we’ll do a better job today than we did yesterday, as we grow in faith, becoming more mature a li’l every day, as the Lord moves us from glory to glory!
Oh friends, that’s such a wonderful journey to look forward to! As Bruh Paul wrote to the Corinthians in his second missive: ‘But we all, with open (unveiled) face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed (transformed) into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.’ (2 Cor. 3:18) And what can be more desirous than reflecting the glory of God eh? Nothing my brethren!
Now here’s how the scholars explain that verse in simple terms. ‘3:18. Beholding as in a glass: The term beholding can have the sense of “reflecting.” The believer himself “reflects” the glory of the Lord just as the face of Moses reflected the glory of the Lord. For Moses, the glory eventually faded away, but under the New Covenant the believer is changed into the same image. This transformation takes place by the abiding presence of the Spirit of God.’
And as a commentator from the website GotQuestions.org, describes it. ‘With those few words – “from glory to glory”—Paul sums up our entire Christian life, from redemption and sanctification on earth, to our glorious eternal welcome into heaven.’ Yes friends,that journey from one glory, the Old Mosaic Law to the other, the New Covenant, the gospel of Christ, is so wonderful to behold, words cannot fully describe it.
Remember back in the old days, when Moses came down from Mt. Sinai the second time, with the stone tablets on which the Lord had written the Ten Commandments, after the Lord had shown him His goodness and glory by passing before him, (Ex. 33:12-23), his face shone so brightly that the children of Israel were afraid to look at him, so he veiled his face when talking to them.
As the Good Book recalls: ‘And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not (did not know) that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him (the Lord). And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh (near to) him.’ (Ex. 34:29-30) But Moses called the elders, and eventually all the people, unto him and spoke with them.
And the Good Book reports: ‘And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.’ (Ex. 34:33). Yes people, that was indeed a momentous occasion in the time of the believer, for everybody could see the glow of God’s Spirit in Moses’ face, unfortunately though, the glow did not last, it eventually faded away. However, with the new and better, more glorious covenant of Jesus, the law was not written on stone tablets, but on the soft and yielding hearts of followers.
As the Lord promised through the words of the prophet Jeremiah: ‘But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts (mind), and write it in their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.’ (Jer. 31:33) And as Bruh Paul writes earlier on about that: ‘Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered (cared for) by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables (tablets) of stone, but in fleshy tables (tablets) of the heart.’ (2 Cor. 3:3)
So we know that promise made by Jeremiah was carried out with the coming of Jesus and His New Covenant. This is so much better than the Old one, for it forgives us of our sins, and with the Holy Spirit now entrenched within us, gives us new life. Here’s how Christ puts it: ‘I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10b) And that life is thus enabled: ‘It is the spirit that quickeneth (gives life); the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.’ (John 16:63)
And with this New Covenant, only the believer’s spiritual eyes can behold the glory of God, of Christ’s gospel. As Bruh Paul writes: ‘For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.’ (2 Cor. 4:6)
And these words from the commentator on GotQuestions.org complete our discussion very nicely. ‘But, as we move from glory to glory, there’s something even more important about the glory of the New Covenant that Christians must understand: its supernatural power to transform us. And that brings us to God’s ultimate purpose and destination for every believer, to transform us into the image of his own beloved Son (2 Cor. 3:18; Rom. 8:28-30; Phil. 3:20-21).
Before he finishes with the topic of being transformed from glory to glory, Paul presents yet one more astonishing claim: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor. 5:17). This is the invitation the Lord makes to all Christians, to have our lives radically transformed here and now, by opening our eyes to see the glorious journey He is taking us on “from glory to glory.”
Oh friends, that is definitely an invitation we cannot afford to refuse, because it deals with our eternal security! So please let’s get serious about walking with Christ nuh, for it’s the ONLY way to salvation and eternal life. Now, for those of us who have already made that decision, let’s go home declaring (chuh man!) our Thursday Blessings, the tools which our God has so generously bestowed on us, so that we can 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 has 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 our bounden duty is to now go out and share those blessings just as generously with others, as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…only a fool…would refuse to see…the glory of the Living God…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
15 Apr 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crying shame, abundance, clear direction for my life, courage, creativity, curse, decline from the words of my mouth, discernment, divine protection, exalt her, faith, favour, forsake ye not my law, fulfillment, get understanding, get wisdom, He gives liberally and without reproach, I give you good doctrien, if you lack wisdom ask God, keep my commandments and live, knowledge, make hay while the sun shines, negative word, out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding, searchest for her as for hid treasures, self-control, selfish lusts, she shall promote thee, talent, talking to Jesus, the beginning of wisdom, the fear of the Lord, the laws of God, the Lord giveth wisdom, the transmission of wisdom, therefore get wisdom, Thursday Blessings, we have surrendered our lives to Jesus, wisdom is the principal thing, wisdom is transmitted by personal influence, with all thy getting
Proverbs 4:7. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding
Come on friends, let’s make hay while the sun shines nuh! Let’s get a move on, let’s start our day by talking to Jesus and finding out what He wants us to do today, what’s on His agenda for us this blessed day. Please remember that He’s the Boss, and we have surrendered our lives to Him, so that means we need to do what He desires, not promote our own selfish lusts! And I believe He wants us to listen to Cousin Sol’s words today on a Father’s wisdom, so let’s do just that nuh. We can never go wrong if we do it.
So please read with me from Proverbs chapter 4. ‘Hear ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments and live.’ (Prov. 4:1-4) Yes my faithful brethren, those are the things we need to do in these troubled and trying times…keep God’s commandments so that we can live, and live good too.
And the scholars make a good point as they say: ‘4:3-4. Three generations are linked together in the transmission of wisdom, (from grandfather, to father, to son). Note that it is transmitted by personal influence, especially in the home.’ Now that’s a most important aspect of wisdom and learning God’s commandments, they need to be passed down first through generations of the family, not in the schools and churches, those should just be ancillary helpers of the home situation, to reinforce what is taught at home.
Unfortunately though, in these supposed modern and enlightened times, neither wisdom nor commandments are now taught in the home, so children don’t go to church, and the laws of God have been removed from the schools and other public places, where they were once proudly displayed. Ah Lord eh! So if parents are too busy, or just don’t care, and there are no ancillary places, where are young people going to learn wisdom and how to live this mish-mash earthly life successfully eh? Nowhere!
But there are a lot of places and people who are intent on teaching them how to live the worldly life! No wonder church and God are no longer important to a lot of people. In fact, in this supposed Christian society, it’s surprising how many people have never heard about Jesus! Isn’t that a crying shame? It certainly is! However friends, let’s not stray from our topic nuh; the wisdom that was on Cousin Sol’s mind. And he continues with these magnificent words of advice.
‘Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline (turn away) from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: LOVE her, and she shall keep thee.’ (Prov. 4:5-6) Oh my people, there’s no better advice possible in this whole wide world! Wisdom and understanding, as they pertain to Jesus, are the most important things in the human’s life! For without them, it is impossible to live or lead a wholesome and worthwhile life! So why are so many of us refusing to get wisdom and understanding as it pertains to Jesus eh?
Because the lifestyle of the enemy is more in line with our natural sinful nature, and living for Jesus means giving up some of our sinful behaviour and actions, which we just don’t want to do. But look at the benefits of wisdom and understanding nuh if you LOVE them and don’t forsake them; they’ll preserve you and keep you. Yes, mih bredrin, when we possess those things and keep them close to our hearts, they will enable us to live a rich and prosperous life in all aspects and situations.
For as Cousin Sol continues: ‘Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.’ (Prov. 4:7) And I guess you want to know what wisdom and understanding are, and why they are so important? Well, wisdom is basically knowledge and discernment, and understanding is knowing how to put them to good use in a practical manner. For knowing stuff and not using it wisely is a waste of time. And that’s why we ought to seek after wisdom and understanding.
As Cousin Sol further advises: ‘Exalt her (that’s wisdom), and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to (place on) thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver thee.’ (Prov. 4:8-9) Wow mih people! Now who doesn’t want honour and promotion, grace and glory eh? We all do! But seeking wisdom and understanding and living by their dictates is the only way that we’ll truly get all of that good stuff!
And some of us are still wondering where we can get wisdom and understanding? Well that’s easy; from God! As Cousin Sol says in other parts of Proverbs. ‘The fear (reverence) of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ (Prov. 1:7) Yes friends, it all begins with having a right reverence for God.
And how do we get that reverence eh? Cousin Sol tells us: ‘Yea, if thou criest after knowledge (discernment), and lifteth up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her (wisdom) as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures: Then shalt thou understand the fear (reverence) of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
He layeth up (stores up) sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler (shield) to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgement (guards the paths of justice), and preserveth the way of his saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgement (justice), and equity; yea, every good path.’ (Prov. 2: 3:9)
And the scholars offer these wise explanations. ‘2:1-22. The conditions for obtaining wisdom are given first: one must earnestly seek it, as a prospector would search for gold (vs. 1-4). It is not an undirected search, however, since the parent’s instruction is the basis. The consequences of obtaining wisdom are then listed (vs. 5-22): knowledge of God (vs. 5-8) and right conduct (vs. 9-22).’ We can therefore see friends, that living a good and prosperous life demands a well-directed life from birth until death.
However, the basics must be taught by the parents. We must give our children a proper roadmap for living this earthly life, otherwise they will falter and get lost and end up in the wrong place. So please, please, let’s get back to God nuh, let’s get back to teaching our children the right way if we truly want them to live a good and prosperous life. And it’s not like we don’t have the tools to do the job properly. We do. For the Lord has blessed us with everything we need to do His earthly work, so much stuff that’s contained in what we call our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare them now nuh, so that we can recall their purpose.
As one strong 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 go and share them with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…if any of you lack wisdom…ask of God…who gives to all liberally and without reproach… (James 1:5)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
01 Apr 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: All Fool's Day, an imperfect created being, April Fool's day, call upon his name, clear direction for my life, compassionate heart, curse, devoid of spiritual reality, divine protection, enjoying the glories of heaven, eternal damnation, faith, favour, foolish pride, God is my salvation, he hath done excellent things, hell fire and damnation, Holy Thursday, I will trust and not be afraid, Jesus' sacrificial death, learn from the mistakes of others, negative word, Praise the Lord, promotion, prosper, province wide lockdown, religious ritual, selfish ambition, sing unto the Lord, succeed, the breath of life, the fall of Lucifer, the Lord Jehovah is my strength, the roof over our heads, this is known in all the earth, Thursday Blessings, with joy shall ye draw water, worthless to our Sovereign God
Isaiah 12:2a. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid:
Aye mih people, can you believe that we are already entering the fourth month of this most controversial and troubling year of 2021? We thought 2020 was bad, but this one could be even more problematic. And would you believe that we’re on the verge of another province-wide lockdown in this wonderful Province of Ontario?
And no, it’s not an All Fools, or April Fool’s joke. It seems that all the ICU Departments in the hospitals are filled to overflowing, and we’re back up to some two thousand cases of Covid a day. And yuh better believe more confusion will reign after that decision is announced, because some things that were originally locked down, will apparently now stay open, while others that seem similar will stay closed.
Why is all of this happening eh? Is it because with vaccines available, some people are no longer obeying the few options we have to keep the virus in check? Or is it that the new variants are more highly contagious and the vaccines are not working so well on them? No one seems to have a good answer for our predicament, which might just be a combination of those two things, and even more. And though this is a serious matter, at times it seems even jokified, that the great creation called human beings with all their knowledge and understanding and foolish pride can’t get a handle on a li’l virus, that you can’t even see without a powerful microscope.
What does that tell us eh? That mankind is not as powerful, knowledgeable, and smart as we think, and that we’re only an imperfect created being, who ought to bow to his Creator and obey His commandments, not belittle and blaspheme His holy name and try to eradicate Him from our society. I don’t know why we can’t learn from other people’s mistakes nuh.
And we have a great example from which we can learn; that’s the demise of the archangel Lucifer, (Is. 14:12-16) a created being so much more powerful than us, but who, in his foolish pride and selfish ambition tried to overthrow Almighty God, and was kicked out unsavourily from heaven with the other angels, who foolishly sided with him. They were committed to a life of hell on earth after enjoying the glories of heaven, and eventual eternal damnation. So, why do we think a lesser mortal like us can overthrow our Creator eh?
It’s so senseless, so ridiculous, and on this Holy Thursday morning, the day before our Lord and Saviour, Jesus sacrificed His sinless life for us on the cross of Calvary two thousand years ago, I’m pleading with us, that instead of trying to get rid of God, to embrace Him with all our hearts, souls, minds and bodies, because He is the one who created us, and still looks after us, the One who owns the future and thus holds our future in the palms of His mighty, scar flecked hands.
Yes friends, instead of turning away from God, we should thank Him for all that He’s done for us, the breath of life He’s given us so we can go through today, the family and LOVED ones He’s provided, the food on our tables, the roof over our heads, the opportunity to get wealth and so much more! We should be offering thanksgiving for His mercies and not blasphemy!
And the Good Book opened today at this most appropriate song of triumphant praise from the mouth of the prophet Isaiah. So please offer praise with me. ‘And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedest me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings (awesome deeds) among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.’ (Is. 12:1-6)
Now that is the kind of stuff we should be doing and saying my people, in appreciation of all that our wonderful God has done for us. Remember all the pain and sorrow Jesus suffered that we could be saved from hell fire and damnation! And on the day before we mourn His sacrificial death, this is a rather good time to think on all the things we’ve spoken about this morning and get ourselves together so we can raise up His name instead of tear it down. And to further show our appreciation, let’s declare (steups!) our Thursday Blessings, that He 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 friends, it’s our bounden duty to go out and share those blessings just as generously with others, not selfishly store them all for ourselves. Much LOVE!
…religious ritual…without spiritual reality…is worthless to our sovereign God…
P.S. Isn’t it wonderful that it’s so short today! (smile) Much LOVE!
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
25 Mar 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a personal relationship with God, assured that God is on the case, clear direction for my life, curse, divine protection, eternal life, everything will work out for good, eyewitnesses of his majesty, faith, favour, get prepared for Jesus' Second Coming, give Christ first place in our lives, give Him thanks and praise, glorify thy Son, I am the Lord, in the end, in whom I am well pleased, looking after our affairs, LOVE, more than an endless existence, my glory will I not give to another, negative word, new mercies and compassions, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, our bounden duty, promotion, reward every man according to his works, self-control, self-discipline, shall come in the glory of his Father, share our blessings generously, the coming of the Holy Spirit, the hour is come, the Messiah, the servant of God, the Son of man, the transfiguration, this is my beloved Son, Thursday Blessings, we are blessed, what a wonderful God we serve and worship, whosoever shall be ashamed of me
Matthew 17:5. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
Here we are again people; alive and kicking on another wonderful day in God’s great universe! And all I can say is that we are BLESSED! Most certainly BLESSED to awaken to this day, even though everything’s not going our way. But we are also assured that God is on the case, looking after our affairs, setting it up so that in the end everything will work out for good!
Wow! What a wonderful God we serve and worship my brethren! Let’s give him some thanks and praise nuh, for allowing us to see another day, for all the new mercies and compassions that He’s prepared new just for today! As I said a few days ago, with our God, there’s no stale stuff left over for the next day! No sir! Every day, everything is brand new!
And do we appreciate His wonderful blessings? I certainly hope so. But it’s obvious that many of us still don’t appreciate Him, else we wouldn’t be trying so hard to get rid of Him from our society. And how many times do I have to remind us that He won’t ever allow it eh? He’s the supreme ruler and if it’s one thing He doesn’t play with it’s His glory.
Hear what He says on that subject nuh, through the prophet Isaiah. ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’ (Is. 42:8) Here Isaiah is talking about the servant of God (the Messiah) coming to earth to glorify God through His earthly ministry. And though man may, and has most certainly disobeyed God and tried to give His glory to false gods and graven images, from God’s perspective, He, the Lord, the Creator will not allow it to happen.
Oh, He might declare that He is a jealous God, in respect to His covenant with believers, (Ex. 20:5, 34:14) But He is not a selfish God, and He does share His glory with His Son Jesus Christ, who is a member of our Triune Godhead, as so many passages of scripture declare.
Let’s look at a few nuh. Matthew records Jesus words as He foretells His passion (death) thus: ‘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. 16:27) Meanwhile, Mark puts it this way. ‘Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’ (Mark 8:38)
Now hear Jesus from John’s gospel, as He speaks of the coming of the Holy Spirit. ‘Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself (on his own authority); but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of (what is) mine, and shall show (declare) it unto you. All things the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.’ (John 16:13-15)
And some more from John, when Jesus prayed for Himself and His own. ‘These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son may also glorify thee: As thou hast given him power (authority) over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self (alongside thee) with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.’ (John 17:1-5)
Oh friends, those are words of extreme importance to us believers. Why, you ask? Because the time had come for Jesus to be glorified on the cross and in the resurrection, and that the salvation and eternal life we so highly cherish, depended directly on Jesus’ glorification. Let’s also remember that ‘Eternal life is more than an endless existence. It is a personal relationship with God.’
And finally, these words from Peter, re Christ’s temporary glorification at the transfiguration. ‘For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.’ (2 Pet. 1:16) Yes friends, Peter, along with James and John, were eyewitnesses at the transfiguration of Christ, when He was revealed in all His glory. (Matt. 17:1-8)
The scholars tell us that ‘This was a foreshadowing of Christ’s coming in power and glory to establish His kingdom. The presence of Moses and Elijah on the mountain represented all those who enter the kingdom by death or translation. The declaration of the Father, ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.’ (Matt. 17:5) reinforces Christ’s dominion over His kingdom. Application: Since Christians live expectantly looking forward to the return of Christ, they ought to give Him first place in their lives today, just as He will have in the kingdom. (First Ref. Matt. 17:1-9; Primary Ref. 2 Pet. 1:16; cf. Heb. 9:12.)
Now that makes perfect sense friends. It’s best to give Jesus first place in our lives right here and right now, so we can get accustomed to it, for when He comes in all His glory with His angels, we won’t have any choice. (smile) And it’s now time for us to go home proclaiming our Thursday Blessings. Note, I didn’t say declaring (awright!) because I was afraid of spelling it wrong. (smile) But I did spell it right there.
So 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!’
It’s now our bounden duty to go out and share those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…it’s wise…to get prepared for Jesus’ Second Coming…while we wait and look expectantly for it…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
18 Mar 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, brings solace in the face of death, but my Father only, but of that day and hour knoweth no man, Christ's Second Coming, comfort one another with these words, curse, divine protection, divine responsibility, eternal damnation, eternity with Jesus, from spiritual apathy, hopelessness of the heathen, I show you a mystery, in the twinkling of an eye, leave you behind, LOVE, negative word, prosper, sooner than we expect, spiritual laziness, succeed, that fateful day, the Christian's hope of resurrection, the dead in Christ shall rise, the dead shall be raised incorruptible, the fiery depths of hell, the majestic halls of heaven, the Son of man cometh, the time of the Rapture, the trump of God, the trumpet shall sound, this corruptible must put on incorruption, this mortal must put on immortality, Thursday Blessings, wake up my people, watch therefore, we shall all be changed, we shall not all sleep, would yo be ready
1 Thessalonians 4:18. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Please wake up my people…and I’m not talking about from physical sleep, but from spiritual apathy, from spiritual laziness, for the day of Christ coming for His church is closer than we think, and every day it draws nearer still. So are you prepared? If the trump of God was to sound right now in the sky and Jesus were to appear in glory, would you be ready to go with Him, or would He be forced to leave you behind?
We all hope that the first situation will be the one, yet every day we keep putting off our preparedness, believing that we still have a lot of time. That’s a fallacy though friends, a betraying thought of Satan, for remember he wants us to go down into the fiery depths of hell with him and not to the majestic halls of heaven with Christ.
So today I’m warning us about the fact that on any day, and at any time, we could hear that trump blowing in the wind of high heaven and Christ appearing. Remember too, that even He didn’t know when that marvellous occasion would occur. ‘But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.’ (Matt. 24:36) And thus He warned: ‘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. 24:42, 44)
Oh friends, we’re sure that Jesus is coming back for us, we just don’t know when. However, it is imperative that we’re ready for whenever He comes, like the five wise virgins who took extra oil for their lamps were ready when the bridegroom eventually showed up. I don’t want us to be like the five foolish ones who didn’t take any extra oil and were shut out when he came. (Matt. 25:1-13) So please, let’s get serious and take this whole Rapture business to heart nuh!
Remember Bruh Paul’s words to the church at Corinth: ‘Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump (trumpet): for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.’ (1 Cor, 15:51-53)
Yes my fellow saints, we must become immortal and incorruptible to enter the hallowed halls so heaven. But, unfortunately, that will not happen to everybody; just those who are prepared for that big day. Again, remember Jesus’ words on the subject: ‘Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.’ (Matt. 24:40-41) And there will not be any more chances after that my brethren. That’s why it’s ever so important to get ready, RIGHT NOW!
But let’s go back to Bruh Paul’s words to the Corinthians, on which the scholars have an interesting explanation. ‘15:52. At the last trump: This is not the last trumpet of Revelation 11:15, but the last trumpet of 1 Thessalonians 4:16. It is so designated because it signals the end of the present age. Two groups are distinguished. The dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. The term dead refers to those who have died in Christ. The term we refers to those who are still living at the time of the Rapture.’
So you see friends, this is indeed serious business, and will determine where you spend eternity, which is a long, long time. Now, there are only two options, heaven with Jesus, or eternal damnation with Satan. It’s your choice. But I’m warning us that if Jesus comes back and you’re not ready, then the automatic choice will be eternal damnation. That’s all I’m saying.
So let’s turn now to Bruh Paul’s words to the Thessalonians, re the coming of the Lord. ‘But I would not have you be ignorant brethren (I have something to tell you), concerning them which are asleep (dead), that ye sorrow not (you will not continue to grieve), 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 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.’ (1 Thess. 4:13 -18) Oh my people, we surely can take comfort from those words, but we still must be ready for whenever that day comes, otherwise crapaud smoke we pipe!
Now let’s check out some scholarly explanations.‘4:13. That ye sorrow not is in the present tense: “So you will not continue to grieve.” Apparently these believers were concerned about their LOVED ones who had died in the Lord, especially in view of Christ’s promised second coming. (cf. vs. 14-15).Hope (Gr. elpis) means “certain expectation.” Glory be! That’s what we believers have…and lots of it!
‘4:14. Jesus died and rose again: The certainty of the believer’s hope is based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 15:20-23). Bring: This supposes that those who sleep in Jesus are with Him, and when He comes they will come with him.’ 4:15. Prevent(Gr. phthano “precede”): The Greek emphasizes that the living will have no advantage over the dead when Christ returns.’
‘4:16-17.The order of events of Christ’s coming is clearly given: (1) The Lord will descend with a shout, accompanied by the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God (cf. 1 Cor. 15:52); (2) the dead in Christ will be resurrected; and (3) then those remaining will be caught up with them in the clouds. Dead in Christ is a technical expression for believers of the church age. Caught up (Gr. harpazo, “to seize or snatch”): The Latin word for carry off is raptus. From which we get rapture. The doctrine of the Rapture of the church is given its clearest expression in this verse.’
‘4:18. Comfort :The Christian’s hope of the resurrection brings solace in the face of death – in contrast to the hopelessness of the heathen.’ And that’s exceedingly good news friends! Just imagine that because we believe in Christ we will live through eternity with Him, and furthermore be comforted by the fact that our LOVED ones will also be there with us! Wow! Nothing can be better than that! Both for this life and the one to come!
Now for those of us who are convinced of those immortal, immovable and unchangeable facts, (smile) let’s go home declaring (awright!) our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
Now it’s our divine responsibility to go and share those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…please be prepared…for that fateful day…is coming sooner than we expect…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
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