14 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blessed country, a high standard of living, a lot to be thankful for, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a modicum of circumspection, an everyday occurrence, animosities, be careful for nothing, bless the LOrd o my soul, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, christianity, cried unto the Lord, crowns thee with loving-kindness, disobeyed your word, divine aid, do everything with thanksgiving, faith, fills the hungry soul with goodness, for brethren to dwell in unity, for his wonderful works to the children of men, forget not all his benefits, forgives all thine iniquities, give thanks unto the Lord for He is good, go overboard, god, happy is he that keeps the law, Happy Thanksgiving Day, he also is become my salvation, he delivered them out of their distresses, he satisfies the longing soul, heals all thy diseases, his mercy endureth for ever, holy spirit, how good and how pleasant it is, humble ourselves, humble servants, hungry, in everything, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, let your moderation be known unto all men, life to see another new day, LOVE, mercy, moral compass, negative situations, new mercies and compassions, oh that mne would praise the Lord for his goodness, peace, pray, prosper us, redeemed from the hand of the enemy, redeems thy life, Rejoice in the Lord always, salvation, satisfies thy mouth with good things, serenity, sincerely seek your face, sing unto the Lord, spiritual decline, strong faith in Christ, the giving of thanks, the God who heals, the Lord is at hand, the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the redeemed of the Lord, the wells of salvation, thier soul fainted within them, thirsty, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, tragedy, truth, turn from our evil ways, wandered in the wilderness, we all have sinned, where there is no vision the people perish, wisdom, wise guidance, with joy shall ye draw water
Psalm 107:1. O Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY CANADA!
And then it was another Monday…but this time, a special one in this great country of Canada! It’s Thanksgiving Day my people! The special day, when, all over the land, we take our normal celebrations of thanks and praise to our great God to a higher level, truly acknowledging His awesome presence in our lives and the numerous blessings He’s bestowed on us in this past year. And yuh better believe that we have a whole lot to be thankful for, especially life and breath to see another new day and experience His new mercies and compassions.
And it’s obviously a holiday, meaning no work for most of us, but plenty celebrations. However, as always, we implore us to have a modicum of circumspection in our celebrations and don’t let them go overboard, because far too often in our festive times we overdo it, and unnecessary tragedy follows. Please, let’s not allow that to happen today. And remember we’re going back to work tomorrow, which means don’t celebrate too intensely, too far into the night. (smile)
Ah friends, despite our many problems, our country is so blessed, that we need to truly appreciate it! Why do you think so many people are trying to flee from other countries to come here? Because we have a standard of living and a peace and serenity that they cannot find in their own countries. That’s something we ought to cherish and try to maintain, by not allowing the old animosities from the old countries to take root here, and thus continue the same old patterns from which we’re trying to flee.
We’re trying to build a new and better life, and that can only be done when we live in unity and not disharmony. As these oh so appropriate words of Bruh David from Psalm 133 stipulate: ‘Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!’ (Ps. 133:1) Yes, my fellow Canadians, if we don’t put aside our old animosities, we’ll never move forward as a nation. Or as Cousin Sol puts it in Proverbs. ‘Where there is no vision (prophetic or divine revelation), the people perish (cast off restraint): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ (Prov. 29:18)
And that’s oh so true! Where we don’t follow God’s law, or moral compass, we will suffer moral and spiritual decline, which will only lead to chaos, as we’re seeing happening in so many countries of the world right now. And before we run out of time and space, let’s have a look at some scriptures that encourage thanksgiving, beginning with these wonderful verses from Psalm 103:
‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-KINDESS and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:1-5) Now, what better circumstances do we need to give thanks to our great God eh?
Then Bruh Paul, writing to the Philippians strongly advises us to: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say rejoice. Let your moderation (gentleness, graciousness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:4-7) Yes friends, everything we do unto God, should be with thanksgiving.
Now, listen to these marvellous words from Psalm 107. ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; 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 in 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. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.’ (Ps. 107:1-9) Now, those are all wonderful reasons for thanksgiving my people!
And we’ll close with these awe-inspiring words from words from Isaiah: ‘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 comfortedst 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 we 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 (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.’ (Is. 12:1-5)
And that’s no lie my fellow believers, our God has done great things in the earth, the greatest possibly being giving us salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ! So on this special day of Thanksgiving, let’s go confidently to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these turbulent and strife-filled times.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And to get divine aid, we must do exactly what our prayer says: pray and sincerely seek God’s face, while turning from our evil ways. There’s no other way! Much LOVE!
…the giving of thanks…should be a continuous…everyday occurrence…for believers…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: alive and kicking, became obedient unto death, being found in fashion as a man, being in the form of God, Bible, christianity, diligent servants, don't do the right things, duty bound, even the death of the cross, faith, god, he humbled himself, holy spirit, hurry, hypocrites, if there be any wicked way in me, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, know my anxious thoughts, know my heart, lead me in the way everlasting, LOVE, masquerading as Christians, meditate on the Word, mercy, new mercies and compassions, permeating the land, salvation, search me O God, share His love with my neighbours, sinfulness, the beloved of God, the breath of life, the dustbin of history, the form of a servant, the light of the world, the salt of the earth, to be qual with God, too comfortable, too fearful, too lazy, trust my friend Jesus, truth, try me, Tuesday Mantra, ungodliness, walking our talk, wisdom, without complaining, worry
Philippians 2:8. And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Tuesday, Oh Tuesday! How we LOVE thee! For thou hast pushed that ugly, ole, disruptive, overbearing Monday out of our way! And for that, we give thee much thanks, Oh Tuesday! Yes friends, many of us are happy to see Monday flushed into the dustbin of history, because it brings out too many negative things in us. But that’s just because we don’t do the right things in the first place.
But nonetheless, we’re alive and kicking this Tuesday morning, so let’s give our wonderful God some thanks and praise for that, as well as for all of His new mercies and compassions that He’s poured out on us on this brand-new day, that’s sunny, but a tad cool in my neighbourhood.
Please pray with me: ‘Oh heavenly Father, we thank You for the breath of life to see this new day, and ask that You let Your Holy Spirit lead and guide us in the way You desire us to go, so that we can be good and diligent servants as we engage in our daily walk. Please help us to be the salt of the earth and light of the world that You desire us to be. We pray it all in the holy name of Jesus! Amen.’
Now, that means listening to whatever the Holy Spirit has to say to each of us, then getting up and doing His bidding. And there’s oodles of work to be done, if we ever hope to make something godly and righteous of this sinful world. The point being, that we can only make any worthwhile changes with the help of Jesus and His Holy Spirit.
But there’s so much work to be done, that we cannot only touch the surface with Jesus, but we have to dig deep down in and with Him; study and meditate on the Word like there was no tomorrow, then right away put it into practice. For who knows if there will be any tomorrow? Our biggest problem, I believe, is not so much knowing the word, but putting it into practice, which ofttimes takes more than what many of us are willing to give.
Many of us know the word well enough to make some beneficial changes in our world, but the problem is getting us to make the effort, to put out the energy needed to make the sacrifices required to put those changes into effect. It’s all a matter of us being too lazy, too comfortable or too fearful. Remember, Jesus didn’t have to undergo the sufferation He underwent, but because of the Father’s great LOVE for his sinful creation, that’s us, and Jesus LOVE for the Father, He did it, without complaining too.
As the Bible tells us: ‘(Jesus) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (emptied himself of all his privileges): And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:6-8)
Yes my brethren, that’s what Christ did for us, so why can’t we become a li’l uncomfortable and do His work eh? Because we’re just a bunch of talkative, no good, lazy, compromising, comfortable and fearful hypocrites, masquerading as Christians! Yuh think, with the number of supposed believers in the world, if each one of us would get out into the world and act like we should, not join or compromise with the world, that the sinfulness and ungodliness that’s currently permeating the land would be as bad?
No way! But it’s just that we supposed believers are not prepared to stand up and sincerely fight for what we claim to believe in. And the longer we wait to pull up the reins on the soaring ungodliness, the worst it will become, until we won’t ever have a chance of stopping it. Oh my people, do we really want to see our grandchildren and their children living in a world that’s worse than this one?
Of course not! But to make that happen, we have to stand up strong and fight the enemy RIGHT NOW! It’s high time to stop all the talking, which we’re so good at, like the hypocrite Pharisees of Jesus’ day, and begin walking that talk. That’s the only way we will ever make any serious changes in our current sinful and ungodly world. And what a wonderful world we can bring about if we would just walk our talk a bit more than we’re currently doing.
But it actively requires Christ’s church, that’s His people, not the buildings, to get together and stop fighting against each other, to drop the animosity and petty differences that keep us apart. Christ is depending on us to do His work, and we cannot do it if we’re as divided and uncompromising as we are.
Oh my fellow saints, we desperately need to search our hearts and see what’s there and how we can make the necessary changes. It’s like Bruh David says in that great Psalm 139: ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my (anxious) thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’ (Ps. 139:23-24)
Yes my fellow saints, that’s what we all need to do TODAY, so that we can be on our way to becoming the true salt of the earth and light of the world as Jesus desires. End of Sermon! (smile) Now let’s go home declaring (oh heifer dust!!!) yes, my exclamation was much stronger today. (smile) Let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said all of that, we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…what’s it going to take… for Christians…to get up and truly act like Christians eh…another world war…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a declaration of hope, an accurate perception, be filled with, be filled with the knowledge of his will, be glad and rejoice, Bible, blessings, christianity, collect your beauty in my spirit, courage, creativity, curse, delivered us from the power of darkness, do not cease to pray for you, duty bound, eternal life, evil schemes of Satan, experience the sunshine, faith, favour, fruitful in every good work, giving thanks unto the Father, god, holy spirit, increasing in the knowledge of God, Jesus Christ, joint heir with Christ, joyfulness, longsuffering, LOVE, may my lightness be, negaive word, new mercies and compassions, partakers of the inheritance of the saints, pateince, practical circumstances, redemption, salvation, sit in heavenly places, smell the roses, spiritual understanding, strengthened with all might, success, supernatural strength, talent, teach me, Thank You Lord, the blood of Jesus, the forgiveness of sins, the penultimate day of our work week, the skilful application of wisdom, the true nature of things, the warmth of sunshine on my back, to appreciate the many colours, to celebrate your abundance, to look for beauty on heavy days, to revel in, trials, tribulations, truth, unto all pleasing, walk worhty of the Lord, wisdom
Colossians 1:10. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
And then it was Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week. And thank the Lord we’re only one day away from our starlight day of Friday! (smile) Oh, the expectations we weigh Friday down with; hopefully it lives up to it’s name and doesn’t disappoint us. But, regardless of whatever day it is, once we’re alive to experience the sunshine and smell the roses, let’s be glad and rejoice in it, because that’s God’s desire. It’s why He’s given us a brand new day with new mercies and compassions. And all God’s children said a loud and grateful, ‘Thank You Lord for allowing me to see another day on this troubled, but still beautiful earth! Amen.’
Now, here’s this month’s prayer from the InTouch Devotional that helps us to do just that. Please pray with me: ‘God, teach me to look for beauty on heavy days, to celebrate Your abundance and brilliance. I want to revel in the warmth of sunshine on my back, to appreciate the many colours You’ve created. I want to pause when the wind moves the trees just so, to admire the quirk in a friend’s personality. Though disappointments, losses, and struggles continue, I pray to laugh easily, to be frivolous with joy. May I collect Your beauty in my spirit and draw from it. May my lightness be a declaration of hope in Your goodness, today and always. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Yes friends, that’s the way we need to live this life; in full hope and trust in Almighty God, enjoying His goodness and mercy and all the wonderful things He’s made, even in the midst of all the troubles and tribulations we might face. And I believe these encouraging words from Bruh Paul to the Colossians give us some insight how to practically do all of what we’ve spoken of above.
Bruh Paul writes: ‘For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet (qualified us) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in (the) light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated (transferred) us into the kingdom of his dear Son (the Son of His LOVE): In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:’ (Col. 1:9-14)
Oh my people, that’s generally what’s expected of us: To know the Lord’s will for our lives, through studying and meditating on His Word and communing with Him through the Holy Spirit, with all wisdom or ‘accurate perception into the true nature of things,’ as well as understanding, ‘the skillful application of this wisdom in practical circumstances.’ And all of that is necessary so that we can walk (live) properly and please God.
And what does that mean in a practical sense? The scholars explain. ‘A worthy walk entails: the believer is (1) fruitful in every good work, productive in Christian service; (2) constantly increasing in the knowledge of God, ever coming to know the Lord better; (3) always “strengthened with all might,” becoming spiritually stronger and stronger; and (4) in the habit of giving thanks, sincerely expressing gratitude to God in both the pleasant and unpleasant circumstances of life.’
Now I know it all sounds wonderful in theory, but it’s not always easy to do in real life, for patience, which is persevering through trials and tribulations is only gained through experiencing those same trials and tribulations. (smile) And so is longsuffering, or bearing the faults and offences of others with a compassionate heart and mind. In other words we can only learn patience and longsuffering by going through trials and tribulations. The more trials and tribulations we go through, the better, hopefully, we’ll get at cracking those two tough nuts.
But at the same time, we need to remember all that the Father has done for us through His Son, Jesus Christ; bringing us out of darkness or bondage to sin, into the light of the truth of His Word, making us worthy to sit in heavenly places with Jesus, as joint heir with Him, redeeming us through the shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross of Calvary, offering salvation, forgiveness of sins, all with the marvelous end of eternal life. Now with all of that done by the Father on our behalf through the Son, how can we not LOVE both Father and Son and listen to the Holy Spirit which enlightens us to their desires?
Oh my fellow believers, living and working for Jesus is the most important and beneficial thing this world has to offer. So please, let’s wake up and realize it, and forget all the foolish lies, deceptions and evil schemes that Satan tries to distract us with nuh. For only by being close to Jesus can we ever obtain salvation and eternal life. Now let’s declare (chuh!!!) our undeserved Thursday Blessings, so generously bestowed on us to do the Lord’s earthly work.
Altogether: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (steups!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings for the benefit of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…true wisdom and understanding are only available…through sincerely living and working for Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all the days of my life, all ye lands, aspire to be like God, Bible, broke their chains in pieces, brought down their heart with labour, christianity, come before his presence with singing, dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, eternal life, faith, forgiveness, god, God always acts in a righteous manner, God never does what is wrong, goodness, goodness and mercy shall follow me, he made us, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endures to all generations, hurry, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, joy, know how to give good gifts, let the redeemed of the Lord say so, LOVE, make a joyful noise unto the Lord, mercy, new mercies and compassions, O taste and see that the Lord is good, oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, peace, redeemed from the hands of the enemy, salvation, satisfies the longing soul, serve the Lord with gladness, share His love with my neighbours, sit in darkness, teach me thy statutes, the beloved of God, the Lord he is God, The Lord is good, the Lord is good to all, the rubbish heap of history, the shadow of death, the sheep of his pasture, there is none good but one, trust my friend Jesus, truth, we are his people, wisdom, worry
Psalm 100:5. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
So we’ve come to Tuesday, having thrown Monday on the rubbish heap of history! And since it’s a new day, bright and sunshiny in my neighborhood, it means that new mercies and compassions from our great God are also in vogue, (smile) as they are every day that we draw breath. (Lam. 3:22-23) And that’s something to be very thankful for, otherwise our lives would be even more miserable and frustrating than they are already. But God is good, and He doesn’t want to see us destroyed without a chance to come to Him and His Son for salvation, and the eternal life that springs from it.
That’s why Psalm 100 is essential to our prayer life. Please read it with me. ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:1-5)
Oh friends, it’s a short but ever so sweet and comely psalm. It tells us to serve God joyfully because He’s made us, we are His, and He is good; His mercy and truth are everlasting! And what does it mean by God is good? This commentary explains: ‘He never does what is wrong. God always acts in a righteous manner because His nature is holy. The secondary meaning of holy refers to God’s pure and righteous actions. God does what is right. He never does what is wrong.’
No friends. God will always act with goodness in ways that make us better, strengthen us, heal us and restore us. And though being good all the time is impossible for us human beings because of our inherent sin nature, it doesn’t mean we cannot aspire to be like God and do good and right as much as possible. And Psalm 107, titled God’s Redemptive Power, also showcases God’s goodness when it declares: ‘O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hands of the enemy;’ (Ps. 107:1-2)
That’s us my brethren! The Lord has redeemed us from the bondage of sin through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ! That means we ought to be glad and good, for there’s no greater gift than that! As the psalmist later says: ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 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 (prisoners) in affliction and iron; Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned (despised) the counsel of the most High:
Therefore, he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. 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). Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men!’ (Ps. 107:8-15)
There you have it again friends, another reminder to thank and praise the Lord for His goodness and mercy towards the undeserving children of men. When are we going to learn that and keep doing it constantly eh? For it’s only because of the Lord’s mercies and compassions that we are not destroyed.
Meanwhile, Jesus, in His own way shows us that ONLY the Lord is good. When the rich young man comes running and kneels before him, saying; ‘Master (Teacher), what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.’ (Mark 10:17-18) Technically speaking, Jesus was also good, because He was also God, but according to the scholars, ‘Jesus knew that the man addressed Him as only a religious teacher. He reminds him that no mere man merits the title of good, for that term applies only to God. As the Son of God, Jesus does of course merit highest praise.’
That ought to remind us my people, that we cannot attain salvation and eternal life on our own, but we need the sacrificial death and awesome resurrection of Jesus to do it for us. And there are several other instances where the goodness of God is highlighted. So let’s look at a few. First up is this great verse from Bruh David’s majestic Psalm 23 – The Lord is my Shepherd. He ends it thus: ‘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.’ (Ps. 23:6) No better place to dwell my brethren!
Then Psalm 119:68 says: ‘Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.’ And Psalm 34:8 declares: ‘O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.’ Now hear Psalm 145:9: ‘The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.’ And in Matthew 7:11, Jesus reminds us: ‘If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him.’
Oh my fellow believers, it’s essential that we believe in the goodness of God if we intend to follow His Son Jesus Christ, otherwise we will be shortchanging ourselves and not receiving all that He has to offer us. Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, it now behooves us to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the major attributes of God…are what mankind desperately need right now…LOVE, joy, peace, goodness, mercy, forgiveness and salvation that lead to eternal life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: arise, better to not promise, Bible, by the decree of the king, came unto Jonah a second time, conveniently forget them afterwards, curse, defer not to pay it, disobedience, do whatever the Lord asks the first time, faith, favour, from the violence that is their hands, fulfillment, go unto Nineveh, god, he hath no pleasure in fools, I will pay that i have vowed, Jesus Christ, Jonah, LOVE, negative word, new mercies and compassions, Nineveh, Nineveh shall be overthrown., pay that which thou hast vowed, preach unto it, proclaimed a fast, promises roll off our tongues, put on sackcloth, repentance, sat in ashes, self-control, than to promise and not pay, that we perish not, the Lord helps us to do His bidding, the preaching that I bid thee, the word of the Lord, Thursday Blessings, turn away from his fierce anger, turn every one from his evil way, when thou vowest a vow unto God, who can tell if God will turn and repent, wisdom, yet forty days
Jonah 3:2. Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching (message) that I bid thee (told you).
And on this summer Thursday, the rain has finally abated at mid-morning, having fallen during much of yesterday, both day and night! And though the sun is making a valiant effort to come out, right now the clouds have the upper hand. It’s also somewhat cool and windy for a summer’s day. But regardless of our environmental circumstances, the important thing is that we’re alive and kicking, some more than others (smile) and enjoying this new day that the Lord has granted us with all its new mercies and compassions!
And everybody said a loud and grateful: ‘Thank You Lord for allowing me to see another wonderful day on your great planet earth!’ And most certainly that was Jonah’s thinking when the big fish vomited him out on dry land after his heartfelt prayer in the fish’s belly. So, since the Lord’s spared our lives today, let’s keep our promise and look further at Jonah’s ministry. But before we get into it, I want to note one significant statement that Jonah made in his prayer; one that bears especial significance to us believers in these turbulent and dangerous times. His second to last statement was: ‘I will pay that I have vowed.’ (Jon. 2:9)
Now that’s an ever important statement for us to know and do, especially in these days of overwhelming fraud and deceitfulness, where vows or promises are not worth the paper they’re written on, or the air in which they’re spoken. But that’s a very big matter with our God. As Cousin Sol so wisely and rightly points out in Ecclesiastes. ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than thou shouldest vow and not pay.’ (Eccl. 5:4-5)
Oh friends, those words are ever so important to us as believers in Christ Jesus, for the way we treat vows and promises can show very clearly if we are true believers. And God certainly doesn’t appreciate us making promises to Him and not keeping them, like so many of us do. The promises just roll off our tongues when we desperately want something, then we conveniently forget them after we’ve received what we desired. Please, let’s stop doing that nuh, because it will only put us in the bad books of both God and men, and will eventually boomerang back on us. Awright, I just had to get that off my chest. (smile)
So getting back to Jonah’s story. And what happened after he hit dry land? The Bible tells us: ‘And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching (message) that I bid thee (told you).’ (Jon, 3:1-2) Yuh see mih people, God gave Jonah the same task as before. He doesn’t change His mind and give you something else when you refuse to do the first one. No! He keeps harping on the same one until you do it. And I believe that’s an invaluable lesson we can learn form Jonah’s disobedience. Just do whatever the Lord asks the first time, for if you don’t, He will put you through tough times until you do.
And I can tell you that from personal experience, because many years ago when the Lord first approached me with the idea of the Bit, I laughed and told Him I was not qualified to do it. I didn’t know enough scripture, which was quite true. But He kept after me, making it somewhat uncomfortable in the interim, until I eventually capitulated. And the first Bits were simply a few verses of scripture, but as time went by, the Lord opened my eyes and helped me to get better. Until now, some seventeen years later, I’m writing too much. (smile) But I still can’t do it without the Lord’s help!
That’s another lesson we ought to learn; the Lord helps us in the tasks He asks us to perform. And Jonah must have known that, but apparently he disliked the people of Nineveh so much he just didn’t want to see them saved. However, on the second instruction from the Lord, Jonah did get up and go to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to walk from end to end.
The Bible says: ‘And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey (on the first day), and he cried (out), and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd or flock, taste anything: let them not feed, nor drink water. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent (relent), and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not.’ (Jon. 3:3-9)
Wow! That does seem like it was rather easy. Jonah just walked through the city saying that it would be destroyed in forty days because of it’s evil doings and people fasted and repented. The king even decreed it. So why was Jonah so adamant about not going there in the first place eh? Who knows, but we’ll check it out tomorrow, if we’re alive to tell the tale. (smile) Now, let’s activate our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has undeservedly bestowed on us to help us do His earthly work.
As one voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having activated those blessings, we are now duty bound to go out and use them to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us. Much LOVE!
…until you’ve fulfilled God’s first task…He won’t give you another…just keep giving you the same one…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 May 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool's voice is known by multitude of words, a spirit to know and love you, an inquiring and discerning heart, be more ready to hear, being alive is a memorable occasion, better it is not to vow, courage to do your will, curse, deceit, defer not to pay it, faith, favour, God hath no pleasure in fools, going home to the Lord, insincere promises, keep thy foot, let thy words be few, LOVE, misinformation, negative word, new mercies and compassions, pay that which thou hast vowed, persevere in whatever you lead us to, promise to love and obey you, social media, spiritual discernment, the gift of joy and wonder in all your works, the walls of anonymity, think carefully before you talk, thou should vow and not pay, Thursday Blessings, to give the sacrifice of fools, treachery, uttered out of deceitful mouths', waking up in this evil world, walk prudently, when thou vowest a vow unto God, wisdom
Ecclesiastes 5:5. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
And having opened our bleary eyes to another bright and sunshiny Thursday morning, I believe that it’s only right to acknowledge the Lord’s part in such an amazing occasion, by offering Him some thanks and praise for His new mercies and compassions provided specifically for today.
Yes friends, being alive and kicking today is most certainly an amazing and memorable occasion, for please remember the many who did not have the opportunity to awaken from restful slumber today, but have instead gone home to be with the Lord. And yes, in some instances that might have been better than waking up to this evil and ungodly world, but seeing as we are still here, it means that the Lord God Almighty has more work for us to do down here on His behalf.
Now, finally, after all that rambling, (smile) let’s pray. ‘O Lord, thank You for allowing us to see another glorious day on planet earth and we praise Your holy name for all that You’re doing for us. Today though Lord, as our world spirals out of control, we specifically ask that You sustain us with Your Holy Spirit. Please give us an inquiring and discerning heart; the courage to do Your will and to persevere in whatever You lead us to. And please give us a spirit to know and to LOVE You, along with the gift of joy and wonder in all Your works. We promise to LOVE and obey You as best we can. Amen.’
And please believe me, my faithful brethren, that last part of our prayer was the most important: our promise to LOVE and obey God to the best of our ability. For none of the other things will happen until we keep that promise. The Lord did not ask us to make that promise, but we took it upon ourselves to do so, therefore it’s of the utmost importance that we fulfill it. Why is it so important you ask? Well, let’s allow Cousin Sol to tell us why, as the Preacher from the book of Ecclesiastes, where he offers this discourse on honouring vows made to God.
‘Keep thy foot (walk prudently) when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready (draw near) to hear, (rather) than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon the earth: therefore let thy words be few. For a dream cometh through a multitude of business (effort or activity); and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.’ (Eccl. 5:1-3)
Oh my people, Cousin Sol must still be alive and writing about our current society, for using his logic, our society indeed overflows with fools, because the multitude of words that flow forth from us is simply mind-boggling. I don’t believe there’s ever been another generation that talks as much as ours. And the sad part is that in this era of rampant social media, most of what we’re talking is utter foolishness, idiocy, many outright lies, overwhelming deceit and treachery and misinformation like never seen before.
Unfortunately though, too many of us get away with the lies and deceit, hiding behind the tight walls of anonymity that the social media apparatus provides. But let’s remember though as Cousin Sol says, that God is in His high heaven, and we are on the evil earth and who knows what can or will happen to us when we engage in folly. But here’s the clincher of the whole story. (smile). He says: ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.’ (Eccl. 5:4-5)
And that’s certainly the gospel truth my people! But it’s something we do all the time, make empty promises to God when we pray and ask if He will do this or that, we will do such and so. And when He does it, we completely forget our promise, until the next time we need something else from Him. But that’s pure foolishness my brethren. How long or often do we think we’ll get away with that insincere behaviour eh? Not long at all, for God knows what’s in our hearts better than we do. And He knows the insincere promises before they even are uttered out of our deceitful mouths.
No wonder so many of us see our prayers go unanswered and wonder why. It’s because of the deceitfulness and dishonesty that the Lord sees in our hearts when we come so penitently, piously and innocently before Him. We can fool ourselves, but we can never fool God. And furthermore my fellow saints, as children of God, we should also only make vows to our fellow man if we intend to keep them. That’s another unpleasant aspect of our society, for it’s teeming with deceit and dishonesty.
There’s never been as many fraudulent schemes as they currently are. You can’t answer the phone without someone trying to defraud you. The same goes for social media and internet applications. There’s no one you can safely trust these days. Even close family are selling out each other for a few lousy dollars. That’s why we need the wisdom and discernment of the Holy Spirit that we prayed for earlier on. Otherwise, the many crooks, both in high and low positions will eat us up without us even knowing what happened. Such is the great evil that exists in our society today.
And the best way to avoid most of that evil is by taking this advice of Cousin Sol’s to heart. ‘Suffer not (do not let) thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel (messenger), that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice (excuse), and destroy the work of thine hands?’ (Eccl. 5:6) Yes, don’t go making silly excuses when you break your vows, admit your mistakes and take your punishment. ‘For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities (futility abounds).’ (Eccl. 5:7)
And that’s oh so true my friends. The more we dream and speak, the more mistakes and trouble we are liable to experience. So please, let’s be careful about how much we say, and about what we say. For remember, God in heaven, sees and knows all, but we down here on earth, don’t have a clue about what’s really going on. And for those of us who are sincerely trying to practice godliness, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Thursday Blessings, that have been so generously bestowed on us by our heavenly Father, so that we can successfully 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 bounden duty to go out and use those blessings to do the Lord’s work, just as generously as they were shared with us. Much LOVE!
… words are very powerful…they can make or break us…so please…let’s think carefully before we talk…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
15 Nov 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things work together for good, called according to His purpose, cannot be touched by our infirmities, diligence, every tongue that rises against you shall be condemned, excellence, follow in Jesus' footsteps, free will, God's unmerited favour, have good success, hurry, I am the beloved of god, in god's eyes, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, never to leave nor forsake us, new mercies and compassions, no weapon formed against you shall prosper, observe to do all that's written therein, our sinful nature, recociliation, shall not depart out of thy mouth, share His love with my neighbours, the blood of Jesus, the cross of Calvary, the dustbin of history, the gift of God is eternal life, the heritage of the servants of the Lord, the wages of sin is death, this book of the law, thou shalt meditate therein day and night, to them that love God, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, was in all points tempted like us, we have not a high priest, without sin, worry
Hebrews 4:15. For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (our weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Oh my people it’s Tuesday! Yes, we’ve successfully kicked Monday, our old nemesis into the dustbin of history, and are beginning on a new journey with our great God, which promises exciting things and wonderful adventures. Wow! What an interesting God we serve, for we never know what a new day will bring, except for His new mercies and compassions of that day. That’s all we are ever sure of. However, because He’s faithfully promised in Hebrews 13:5, to never leave nor forsake us, we are confident that though He takes us through the wildest and most dangerous scenarios of life, He will bring us safely through them.
Sometimes we’ll be anxious and scared to the point of trembling, but never will we doubt or give up on this most mighty and wonderful promise. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) And all God’s people gave a grateful shout of: ‘Thank You Jesus for promising never to leave nor forsake us and to eventually work everything out for our good! We LOVE You and gloriously praise Your Holy Name! Amen!’
Ah mih faithful bredrin, it’s so awesome to know that when you awaken on a morning, alive and kicking, or even just barely alive (smile) that you have an amazing Deity looking out for you, regardless of what comes against you. It just fills you with an unimaginable joy and sense of purpose, knowing that you can go out and accomplish anything that’s in the Lord’s will. Listen to this promise of empowerment nuh, so graciously offered since the time of the prophet Isaiah. ‘No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of (from) me, saith the Lord.’ (Is. 54:17)
Oh my my, what a glorious promise! But friends, there is a caveat to that promise and most of God’s other promises; that we act in His will, in righteousness and be true servants of God. We can’t just behave willy nilly, irresponsible and evil, like so many supposed believers are doing nowadays and expect to receive the benefits of His promises. No! Our God is indeed a good God, but He’s not a dithering, faltering grandfather, who just does whatever we wish, regardless of our behaviour. Certainly not! We are in a partnership with Him, and He does expect a certain standard of behaviour from His believers, and a high standard at that. One of diligence and excellence, like Jesus showed during His earthly sojourn.
No, the Lord doesn’t expect us to do everything right like Jesus, because He did not make us perfect, but He does expect us to walk as closely as possible in Jesus’ footsteps, with LOVE, and compassion being first and foremost in our lives, regardless of our personal difficulties, for that’s what Jesus did! And please remember that though Jesus was God, He was also human, so He experienced and felt the exact same things we do, but He just never sinned or gave into the temptations of the enemy. As the author of Hebrews tells us: ‘For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (our weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.’ (Heb. 4:15)
There again, our wonderful God has made provision for our falling into diverse temptations because of our sinful nature. Through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross of Calvary that brought reconciliation between man and God, we are also entitled to come to Him for forgiveness through sincere repentance. Now, which other faith has such wonderful provisions for a bunch of ungrateful sinners eh? None! And yes, the Lord’s given us free will to choose whatever we want to do, but it doesn’t mean we can just sin and be disobedient as we like and get away with it. No siree, for there are consequences, ofttimes major, life-changing ones to every sin that we commit.
Please don’t forget what Bruh Paul said in his letter to the Romans about that soul-defeating, challenging, enemy hurled thing called sin. He clearly outlined. ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ our Lord.’ (Rom. 6:23) Yes friends, that tells us what we deserve, as opposed to what we get through God’s unmerited favour! If we insist on being sinful and not embracing Christ as Lord and Saviour, then our eventual disposition will be unequivocal death, just like the sinful and disgusting enemy Satan.
However, if we sincerely embrace Christ, and do our best to live for him, though we may sin, but not live a life of knowing and continual sin, we will end up with Him in a miraculous place called heaven, where eternal life is guaranteed. Now, I can’t think or conceive of a better place to spend eternity. But if you can, please share it with me, like I’m sharing my best idea with you. (smile) Oh my people, God’s Word found in His Holy Library, the Bible, is so chocked full of promises that if we don’t read, study and meditate on it, we’ll never find success in this crazy and evil world.
And it’s not me saying that, but it’s what the Lord himself said to Joshua many moons ago, when He made him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. Please listen very closely to this oh so important scripture. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written there: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8)
Oh my fellow saints that’s possibly the most important scripture in the Bible! Why? Because when you constantly meditate on God’s word and keep it continually in your mouth, note it is to be kept continually in your speech, then you will know what the Word says, and you will be able to practice it and live a successful life! In summation, I sincerely offer that there’s nothing better than that in this earthly sojourn! (smile) But the only way you’ll ever find out if I’m telling the truth or not, is by doing what the Lord says, and what I’m passing on. (smile)
Anyway, for those of us who have accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour and are doing our best to live for him, let’s go home now declaring (steups!!!) our Tuesday mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice. ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, let’s go out and do just that nuh; share our amazing LOVE and friendship with Christ, so that others can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…choosing to follow the enemy brings certain death… choosing to follow Christ means living forever…please use your free will wisely…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ
04 Oct 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a derision to all my people, an attitude of total trust, broken my teeth, consistent responsible service to God, covered me with ashes, cry out to the Lord, great id thy faithfulness, his compassions fail not, hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord, hurry, I am the beloved of god, in god's eyes, it is good that a man, It is of the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, Jeremiah, just one of those days, Lamentations, lock stock and barrel, my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord, new mercies and compassions, not one ounce of gratitude, share His love with my neighbours, suffering in God's name, the Lord is good unto them that wait for him, the truth of God's grace and mercy, the wormwood and the gall, therefore I have hope, this I recall to mind, those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth, thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, to the soul that seeketh him, tomorrow morphed into today, trust in the Lord for ever, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, whose mind is stayed on thee, worry
Lamentations 3:25. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
Prologue: Please excuse the lateness of the Bit. I was just late all around today. Just one of those days. (smile)
And, as it was decreed at the time of creation, by the Lord God Jehovah, and thus has been happening since then, tomorrow has eventually morphed into today, which we call Tuesday! It’s another day of new mercies and compassions, fresh from the heart of our merciful and gracious God to us, His undeserving, disobedient children. But that just shows the extent of our heavenly Father’s LOVE and compassion for us. Something for which we ought to be everlastingly grateful, but which so many of us supposed believers, have, nor show, even one ounce of gratitude for.
And what I like and admire so much about that scene is that the Lord makes a special effort to give us new blessings and goodness each and every day. He doesn’t do leftovers, give us no stale, overnight, or yesterday bread, but spanking fresh and hot manna straight from His oven to us! And that’s where we get our confidence and steadfastness every day, even when we are in the throes of misfortune and disaster.
The prophet Jeremiah says it best in his Lamentations. He was being mistreated and abused for speaking the truth of God’s word to his sinful people. He even assumed that the God of his forefathers had deserted him because of his suffering in God’s name. And you can read about that in the opening verses of Lamentations 3 1-13. But listen to how that same truth of God’s grace and mercy carried him though his misfortune nuh.
He says: ‘I was a derision (laughingstock) to all my people, and their song (of contempt, or taunting) all the day. He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood. He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes (beaten me down). And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity (goodness). And I said, my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord: Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall (bitterness). My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled (bowed down) with me.’ (Lam. 3:14-20)
Yes my friends, how many times have we, like Jeremiah suffered evil and indignity while doing good in the Lord’s name, and sadly wondered why eh? Why was all this bad stuff happening to us when we were just doing what the Lord’s asked of us? And that’s always a very good question, although one to which we seldom, if ever, get an answer from the Lord. (smile) But what I want to point out to us today, to remind us of, is the power of God’s Word and truth in our lives if we stay faithful to Him, despite the disastrous stuff that’s happening to us. It won’t be always easy, but as with everything else in this world, if we cry out to the Lord, He will surely help us to withstand or go through our misfortunes.
And Jeremiah is the perfect example of that. Hear, as he continues his lament. ‘This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:21-26)
Oh my people, that is the kind of faith we are called upon to have, especially in these very troubled and trying times! Our God is ever-faithful and we need to be the same way too, even in the tough times, because that’s when our faith is really tested, and we see what we’re really made of, how much we truly believe God and His Word. And the scholars emphasize ‘that real faith is more than inner belief, even more than whole-souled committal. It is a condition of the soul marked by such a stable character and an attitude of total trust that the believer’s whole life is imbued with consistent, responsible, service to God.(cf. 1 Sam. 26:23; Ps. 37:3-6). From the biblical standpoint, true faith results in faithfulness in one’s life.’
And yes, it’s so easy to spout that dogma, but putting it into effective action is a horse of an entirely different colour. (smile) Unfortunately though, that is the kind of life to which we must aspire if we are to enjoy all the many and wonderful benefits that accrue from truly living for Jesus. And there’s no doubt that we will fail the test at times, but our heavenly Father understands that, because He made us and knows what we are capable of. So we don’t need to beat up ourselves or walk around continually feeling guilty when we fail, but needs be go to Him in sincere confession and ask for His awesome help. He will NEVER turn down anyone who sincerely comes to Him for help, you can count on that!
But then again, as the scholars point out re verse 26 above: ‘Jeremiah’s observation resembles those of other saints who have experienced great grief of soul.’ And they give us a whole set of references from men of great faith like Habakkuk (Hab. 2:20, 3:17-19); Job (Job 40:3-5); Bruh David (Ps. 37:7) Asaph (Ps. 73:23-27); Isaiah (Is. 26:3); Bruh Paul (2 Cor. 1:7; 2 Thess. 3:5). All of those scriptures advise waiting on the Lord, because He is ever faithful and trustworthy. And we’ll quote two of them here that we all know, or ought to know (smile)
First up is that verse from Isaiah that says: ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed (sustained) on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah (Rock of Ages) is everlasting strength.’ (Is. 26:3-4) And I added that last verse because it just adds to the depth of the scripture. (smile)
Now, here are these immortal verses from the pen of Bruh David in Psalm 37. ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37:7-9)
Wow! What powerful words of wisdom my faithful brethren! And I do hope that as we ponder them on this first Tuesday in October 2022, that they will bring to our remembrance all the good things that the Lord has done in our lives, all His marvellous promises, and that our faith will rise up to new levels, thereby helping us to stand strong and steadfast in Jesus!
Now for those of us who are sincerely trying to do His bidding, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. Altogether now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my neighbours. Amen!’
So let’s get out there and do just that nuh, so others can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…expectant waiting…patience…trust…faithfulness…LOVE…JESUS…the most important words in a believer’s vocabulary…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
22 Sep 2022
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 such rejoicing is evil, and doeth it not to him it is sin, boast not thyself of tomorrow, buy and sell and get gain, courage, creativity, curse, have life more abundantly, I am come that they might have life, in a partnership with God, LOVE, negative word, new mercies and compassions, sufficent unto the day is the evil thereof, take therefore no thought for tomorrow, that appeareth for a little time than vanisheth away, the morrow shall take thought for itself, the mountain of sins, the penultimate day of the work week, this is the day the Lord has made, thou knowest not what a day may bring forth, Thursday Blessings, to him that knoweth to do good, unchristian conduct, unto whom much is given much is required, we will rejoice and be glad in it, what is your life, wisdom in spades, ye know not what shall be on the morrow, your life is even a vapour
Psalm 118:24. This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.
And then it was Thursday, the penultimate day of the workweek, with many of us anxiously, hopefully looking forward to that last day tomorrow. But please remember Jesus’ wise advice: ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow (do not worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34).
Now that’s the overwhelming truth my people! We need to look after, to concentrate on today, which is all we have right now. Tomorrow will look after itself. We don’t know if we’ll even be around to see tomorrow, so why spend so much time concentrating on it eh? Instead, let’s do as the psalmist so wisely proclaimed: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24)
And that’s wisdom in spades. Today is what we have, so let’s enjoy it, otherwise we’re wasting God’s precious time and blessings, especially the new mercies and compassions that He’s prepared new for us this special day. Yes mih bredrin, every day we spend on this planet earth is a special day which the Lord made so that we can enjoy it and do His will. That’s why He blesses us anew every day.
Jesus said it very clearly: ‘I am come that they (His flock, His followers) might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10b) Now how can we enjoy a more abundant life if we’re always thinking of tomorrow and not focusing on today, as we ought to eh? That’s defeating Jesus’ very plan for our lives. And I like how James admonishes his readers, and consequently us on the subject of tomorrow.
Describing unchristian conduct, he writes: ‘Go to now (come now), ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain (make a profit): Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings (boast in your arrogance): all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.’ ((James 4:13-17)
Oh my people, James covers a whole lot in those few verses. So let’s see what the scholars have to say on them. Re 13-14: ‘This one is a fool, for he thinks he knows something that he doesn’t. He presumes he has the resources to control his destiny. (cf. Prov. 27:1; Luke 12:13-21).’ And those scriptures are excellent references of our unfortunate concentration on tomorrow. In the verse from Proverbs, Cousin Sol does declare very forcefully. ‘Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.’ (Prov. 27:1)
Meanwhile the passage from Luke is where Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool, who had so much that he had no room to store it. So, in his wisdom, decides to tear down everything and build anew, that he might have space to store all his wealth, and then take things easy: ‘eat, drink and be merry.’ But in his frail and finite wisdom he missed one important thing, he did not factor in God’s will.
Consequently, when God came along, He said to him. ‘Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.’ (Luke 12:20-21) Yes friends, we are in a partnership with Almighty God and partners are supposed to talk with and cooperate with each other. That means we cannot make plans without including God.
And going back to the verses from James, the scholars tell us in vs.15: Re ‘This or that. This verse teaches that God does have something for Christians to do and that they should plan accordingly. James only condemns elaborate planning that omits God. (cf. Prov. 16:9)’ Now, since I delight in spoon feeding us, (smile) here is that verse from Proverbs. ‘A man’s heart deviseth (plans) his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.’ (Prov. 16:9) Yes my people, our God is indeed sovereign over our scheming and planning. So it’s His will that usually wins out.
And moving back once more to James, we discover that in vs. 17: ‘To do good here requires including God in one’s plans. Omitting God is not merely bad planning; it is sin.’ And that’s not rocket science, but simple common sense. If you know what is right to do, and don’t do it, then you’re wrong, and it can therefore be construed as sin. And Jesus, in His telling of the parable of the unfaithful servant, (Luke 12:41-48) says as much.
‘And that servant, which knew his lord’s (master’s) will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.’ (Luke 12:47-48)
Oh friends, right there, Jesus is indirectly talking about us. Servants bear a great responsibility to their masters, and if Jesus is our Lord and Saviour, we as His followers, or His servants, also bear a huge responsibility to Him and His will. We need to remember that at all times. Yes, life is good, is better with Jesus than with anybody else, but that good life doesn’t come gratis or free. There is indeed a price to pay, a responsibility to be shouldered, and if we don’t shoulder our responsibilities, then there are consequences to be suffered for our irresponsibility.
But our God is so good that He doesn’t just send us out to do His bidding without the necessary tools to accomplish it. That’s why we’ve been endowed with what we call our Thursday Blessings, tools to perform His awesome will. So, let’s activate them right now by declaring (steups!!!) them nuh.
Altogether now, 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!’
And having activated those marvellous blessings, let’s go out now and put them to use in Jesus’ name, as is our bounden duty. Much LOVE!
…can you imagine the mountain of sins…we believers pile up each day…by knowing the good and right things to do…and not doing them…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
18 Aug 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: curse, eternal life, faith, favour, forgiveness, getting down to brass tacks, God also exalteth the horn of his people, God made man in his own image, God of Love, God's glory is above the earth and heaven, God's name alone is excellent, God's understanding is infinite, good health, grace, great is our God and of great power, in all sincerity and truth, in the conflict with God humans are the losers, justice, negative word, new mercies and compassions, no interruptions in Mother Nature, no leftovers, praise from the heavenly beings and bodies, Praise ye the Lord, prideful human animal, righteouness, salvation, self-disicipline, shout Hallelujah, the praise of all his saints, Thursday Blessings
Psalm 147:5. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite (cannot be measured).
And the week keeps moving right along to this new and sparkling day of Thursday, where all God’s mercies and compassions are also new. Yes friends, it’s a new batch of those wonderful things that our great and merciful God has brewed up afresh this Thursday morning, since we’ve either used up yesterday’s batch, or He just doesn’t like to use leftovers on a new day. (smile) But whatever the reason, we ought to give Him much thanks and praise for being the awesome God He is! A God of LOVE, Mercy, Forgiveness, Grace, Justice and Righteousness, Salvation and Eternal Life, all in one!
Yes! As the psalmist so rightly declares: ‘Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite (cannot be measured).’ (Ps. 147:5) And I’m chuckling here because that was not what I meant to write, but once I got into the description of our marvellous God, I just got caught up and lost in it! Oh, it’s so easy to do that when you truly appreciate your Creator and the Provider of your livelihood.
Anyway, what I had intended to say was something like this. Have you ever noticed that despite all the happenings in our world and in in our individual lives, the forces of nature never stop carrying out their jobs, they never change from one path to the other? The days keep moving on, the birds keep singing, the flowers keep growing as the bees keep buzzing around them, seasons change from summer to winter and back again, the sun rises in the day and the moon at night, with no interruptions, regardless of the wars, strife, hatred and enormous evil that fills the world.
That can also be attributed to the amazing power of our God, for His creation of the universe with its beauty and continuity, and oh so intricate workings, still leaves us awe stricken when we truly consider it. That’s also why the psalmist proclaimed that all creation ought to praise Almighty God. So please read with me, these beautiful words from the opening verses of Psalm 148, a psalm of universal praise.
‘Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah!): Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him from the heights. Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise ye him, all ye stars of light. Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created.’ (Ps. 148:1-5)
That’s what I’m talking about my people; the mighty power and awesome creativity of our magnificent God. He simply commanded all those things to be made and put in place…and they were! And what I truly like is the following verse, where the psalmist proclaims: ‘He hath also stablished (established) them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.’ (Ps. 148:6) Glory be my faithful brethren! The Lord’s made a decree that will never pass! Wow! Can any other supposed god or idol do that? No way Jose!
But the psalmist doesn’t stop there, for there are more things than the heavenly beings and bodies to praise the Lord. So, let’s continue reading: ‘Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons (sea creatures) and all deeps: Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour: stormy wind fulfilling his word. Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars: beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:’ (Ps. 148: 7-10) Yes, friends, the psalmist then turns there to the things of the earth; even Mother Nature ought to praise the Lord because she is so wonderfully made!
And no, he hasn’t forgotten God’s greatest creation; mankind, the only thing He didn’t speak into existence but actually made with His two hands! So let’s continue reading. ‘Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children: Let them praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent (exalted); his glory is above the earth and heaven.’ (Ps. 148:11-13)
Now we getting down to brass tacks mih bredrin! The Lord God Almighty deserves the praise of all His creation, especially mankind, whom He’s made in His own image, and gave His breath of life, His Holy Spirit to aid us in living a good and abundant life on His marvellous earth. That’s why the psalmist concludes the psalm with these telling words. ‘He also exalteth the horn (strength, dominion) of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah!)’ (Ps. 148:14)
Now do we still need encouragement to praise our great God? We shouldn’t after reading of all His mighty works and experiencing His LOVE, mercy, forgiveness, grace, compassion and salvation. But we’re such a disobedient, stubborn and prideful human animal that we take pleasure in using our free will to thwart the Lord’s desires for us. But yuh know what friends, the joke is really on us yes, because we’re not doing the Lord anything by being disobedient and intractable, we’re only harming ourselves.
Think about it nuh! The Lord is sitting on His fine throne in His marvellous heaven, enjoying life, while we are down here struggling with sin and evil, the punching bag of the enemy, stubbornly refusing God’s LOVING advances, filled with all sorts of good things to make this life and the other more wonderful than we can even imagine. Nothing we do will affect God’s good living, except possibly break His heart for the umpteenth time by stubbornly and foolishly refusing His wonderful gift of salvation and eternal life.
So, who’s the loser in this whole scenario eh? Definitely not God, the Creator…but we foolish human beings, the created! But thankfully our God is so good, and a handful of us are wise enough to accept His marvellous offer. That’s why, to do His earthly work, He’s bestowed so many undeserved blessings on us. We call them our Thursday Blessings, and it’s time for us to declare them so that they can be activated and show out in our lives.
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 having said all of that, let’s go out now and use those blessings to encourage others to come to Christ in all sincerity and truth. Much LOVE!
…let everything that has breath praise the Lord…and even those that don’t have breath…let them also praise Him…for He rightfully deserves the praise…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
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