The Absolute Necessity for Becoming a New Man in Christ, if One Desires to enter the Kingdom of God!

19 Jun 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Isaiah 43:19a.         Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?

And we’ve worked our way down to Thursday, the penultimate day of the workweek, without any major problems. Give thanks and praise to Almighty God for that, for we could not have done it without His Guiding Light and Presence! And all God’s children said a loud and grateful, ‘Thank You Lord for your goodness and mercy toward us, although we don’t deserve it! Amen!’

Anyway, I’m  chuckling here, because yesterday, before I even finished writing about it being sunshiny and bright, with the promise of rain in the afternoon, the rain apparently came pouring down, but I did not notice it here in the basement. And once it came down, it kept drizzling for most the afternoon and evening. Meanwhile, today, we’ve already felt it’s presence, with more to come later, with our new friend, the wind, also acting up out there. But it’s all good, because it’s all a part of God’s great plan to water the earth and seed it, so that it can bear food for us to eat and flora for us to admire. (smile)

And as I just went seeking something to write on from The Good Library, it opened unto the Book of Isaiah, and this amazing scripture caught my eye: ‘Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons (jackals) and the owls (ostriches): because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth (declare) my praise.’ (Is. 43:19-21)

Oh my fellow believers, the Lord was there referring to making a way in the wilderness for His people Israel, after using Babylon to punish them for their gross disobedience and rebellion. It’s the same thing He’s doing for His chosen people today. That’s those who believe in His Son Jesus Christ, accept Him as Lord and Saviour, and live according to His dictates. The Lord’s always doing something new in us, trying to bring us closer to Him, so that we can grow in spiritual maturity, have greater intimacy and know Him better.  

And these words of Bruh Paul to the Corinthians attest to that fact. ‘Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.’ (2 Cor, 5:17) Yes friends, as the scholars tell us, ‘that’s the universal truth that has been applied to Christ personally. Anyone who comes into vital union with the risen and glorified Lord, he is a “new creation.” Yes, we begin perceiving Christ in a new way, with our old man, our old way of life being left behind, and assuming a new abiding and enduring way of life in Christ.

It’s as Jesus said to Nicodemus the Jewish leader that came to Him by night seeking the truth. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:3) And in response to Nicodemus’ question re ‘being born again,’  Jesus said. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirt. Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again.’ (John 3:5-7)

So my people, to come to Christ, we must be born again; that’s receive His Holy Spirit and begin living like that new person, we’re meant to be. And from thence we walk after the law of the Spirit, not the law of man. That’s why Bruh Paul could write thus to the Romans. ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin (on account of sin) condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness (righteous requirement) of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.’ (Rom. 8:1-4)

Ah mih bredrin, the law of the flesh could not help us deal with our sin problems, so God in His inordinate wisdom, sent His Son to earth in the flesh to deal with it; be crucified on the cross of Calvary bearing all the sins of the world, and give us the option of being reunited with God. As Bruh Paul further says: ‘And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given us the ministry of reconciliation.’ (2 Cor. 5:18) And He did that by laying all the burden of sin on Jesus’ shoulders to free us from the law of sin. As the scriptures say: ‘For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’ (2 Cor. 5:21)

And considering all the work that’s needed to keep us on the straight and narrow path, we must do our best to help the Lord in His difficult task. For, as Bruh Paul wrote to the Philippians: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6) And just like God won’t ever give up on us, neither should we ever give up on ourselves or on God! For remember we’re now new, free creations, walking in the Spirit and not the flesh. Consequently, let’s go home declaring and activating our Thursday Blessings, undeservedly bestowed on us, to do God’s earthly work.

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

And now, having activated those blessings, it behooves us to go out and share them with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…to be in Christ…one must change one’s lifestyle to suit Christ…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit   21 March 2024   2 Corinthians 5:17.

21 Mar 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

2 Corinthians 5:17.       Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Oh brother, I don’t know what to believe anymore nuh; the computer tells me it’s minus 2 Celsius and mostly cloudy, but in my area, it’s sunshiny as ever and somewhat windy. I will take that over the cloudiness any day. (smile) But worse yet, they are predicting 3 centimetres of snow for Friday! Goodbye spring…welcome again winter! But like the world, we won’t believe it until we see it! (smile) And to help us remember that we serve a good and great God Jehovah, let’s check out this interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, simply titled ‘NOW.’ Obviously I don’t know whether I’ve shared it before or not, but as always, these poems are always worth sharing again. (smile) 

So please read with me: ‘Lord I don’t ask You to renovate me Nor do I ask You to reconstruct me Or make me over. I don’t even ask You to patch me up Or pare out the bruised spots Or gloss over the tin and tarnish. Rather, dear Lord, I ask You To make a new species – Something that never before existed. Impart to me Your very own Life. After all, Lord It is such a simple thing for You To create something beautiful From a shapeless, chaotic mass. It is such a simple thing for You To divide light from darkness. Please do it for me – now. (And the Lord replied) ‘Child of My Infinite Plan Two thousand years ago All you have asked I did. Please accept it from Me – NOW.’ 

And that’s the gospel truth friends! Two thousand years ago, with the birth, crucifixion and resurrection of Christ Jesus, the Lord recreated, reformed and refashioned man one more time, with Jesus as the foundation of the new process. As the psalmist so truthfully prophesied in Psalm 118, long before Christ’s coming: ‘The stone which the builder refused (rejected) is become the head stone of the corner (chief corner stone). It is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.’ (Ps. 118:22-23) 

The Lord was always one jump ahead of  us my people. He knew the plans He had in mind for us, plans and thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give us an expected end.’ (Jer. 29:11) That’s a future and a hope, so we could live with complete faith and trust in His magnanimity. Therefore, once Jesus came, all the old, unused, thrashy stuff was thrown away. As the Lord’s Word so rightly says in our Bible Promise for today’s poem: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ (2 Cor. 5:17) 

And there we have exactly what the Lord was speaking about in His answer to our pleas for recreation! It’s simple; if you want to be a new man, then all you have to do is believe in Christ Jesus as your Lord and Saviour and the work of recreation will immediately begin. As the scholars explain: ‘When a man comes into vital union with the risen and glorified Lord, he is a “new creation” (cf. John 3:3; 15:5; Rom. 8:1, 9; Gal. 6:14-15) and perceives Christ in a new way. And, Old things are passed away indicates a decisive break with the old life at the moment of salvation. Behold, all things are become new stresses the abiding results of the Christian’s union with Christ (cf. Is. 43:18-19; 65:17; Eph. 4:24: Rev. 21:4-5).’ 

Ah my people, those are all important and very valid scriptures, but we don’t have time to quote them all, so we thoughtfully suggest (smile) that you take a few moments to look them up yourselves. However, since we like to spoon feed you, (smile) we will quote a few of them, beginning with this total gem from Jesus when the Jewish leader Nicodemus came to him by night to ask about His ministry. ‘Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (from above), he cannot see the kingdom of heaven.’ (John 3:3) 

Right there friends, Jesus shows the overwhelming importance of change, of new life, of new behaviour, if one desires to follow Him. And Bruh Paul opens that magnificent chapter of hope, chapter 8 of Romans, with these most convincing words. ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.’ (Rom. 8:1) What a marvellous situation that is! When we become new creations in Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us and we cease walking after our carnal, fleshly lusts, but instead walk with the leading and guidance of God’s Spirit. 

And as the prophet Isaiah prophesied to the Israelites, and also to us, long before Jesus came: ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ (Is. 43:18-19) And He did it physically for the Israelites as they wandered through the wilderness, and for us spiritually with the coming of Jesus. And all God’s people gave a grateful shout of: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and peace, good will to men on the earth!’ 

Now that should be our earthly motto, but, unfortunately, Satan rules the earth with his evil doings, and hate and strife currently overwhelm our flailing world. But there is hope my fellow saints. Yes, once there is life, there is hope, in Almighty God! And the hope we have right now rests in what we call our Thursday Blessings. Undeserved blessings generously bestowed by God for us to do His earthly work, and turn this evil planet around. However, to activate them, we must vocally declare (chuh!!!) them. So let’s do that right now nuh. 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

And having made that declaration, (yesss!!!) we are now compelled to go out and use those blessing  in a generous manner to help others find Christ and come to LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…becoming a new creation in Jesus…is more important…and much easier…than buying a suit of new clothes…

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ

Today’s Scrip-Bit   26 January 2024 Romans 8:31.

26 Jan 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Romans 8:31.       What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

And it’s a wet and gloomy Friday in my neighborhood. It’s been raining since yesterday, so there’s not the usual enthusiasm when we proclaim: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ because we have to go out and face the inclement weather for another day. But as the man says: ‘That’s life!’ And anyway with God’s ever-faithful help, His children can stand up to any circumstance that comes against them. And His Word gives us that unwavering assurance. Listen to some wonderful extracts from it. 

This first one assures us that ‘No weapon 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) Brother! What an encouraging and inspiring scripture! And what does it really mean eh? It’s simply saying that anyone who desires to do evil against God’s children will utterly fail, despite it sometimes looking like we might be defeated. In other words, God assures us of the victory. And all God’s people said a loud and grateful, ‘Praise the Lord!’ 

Now hear these other marvellous assurances from our great God, as Bruh Paul elucidates or explains them in his letter to the church at Rome. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose… What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?… Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’  (Rom. 8:28, 31, 37) 

Yes friends, if we believe and work to God’s will, then everything will work out good for us eventually. And furthermore, if God is on our side, then NOBODY, not a single soul can stand against us, for through His everlasting and powerful LOVE we’re made powerful ourselves, more than conquerors, therefore ‘we can face the trials of life with the certainty that we are not alone. We have a mighty Father who fights for us.’ 

And that Chapter 8 of Romans is possibly one of the most potent and reassuring chapters of the Bible, because there Bruh Paul lays out our basic state as children of God. He opens it thus: ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.’ (Rom. 8:1) Wow! There’s no more condemnation my brethren, if we listen to and obey the voice of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. That’s certainly good and reassuring news. 

Then Bruh Paul steadfastly warns us: ‘For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.’ (Rom. 8:6)  Yes, if we have our lives dominated by our sinful nature, then death is our due, but if we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, then eternal life and peace will be ours. But unfortunately, too many of us in the body of Christ, too many supposed Christians are still living carnally minded lives; avidly seeking the things of the world, the things that their sinful flesh desires, rather than seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness, which the Holy Spirit guides us to. 

No wonder our world and the church is in such a shoddy and evil state! As James so wisely and rightly states: ‘Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts (fleshly pleasures). Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of (with) the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be (wants to be) a friend of the world is (makes himself) the enemy of God.’ (James 4:3-4) And that’s definitely not wisdom my brethren! Why would you knowingly want to be the enemy of the most potent and powerful force in the universe eh? The one who can kill both your body and soul and condemn them to hellfire and damnation!  

So how do we change our thinking and our actions then? James gives us the basic details, when he writes: ‘God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefor to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded. Be afflicted (lament) and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness (gloom). Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:6-10) 

Yes my fellow saints, that’s how we come out of the carnal state so many of us are still in. In fact, in whatever state we’re in, it is absolutely necessary to humble ourselves before Almighty God, because He hates the proud, who behave as though they don’t need Him, but the humble, He showers with unwavering grace and mercy. And since, with the sorry state of our world, we definitely need lots of that grace and mercy, let’s go to God right now, through our Friday Chant and seek divine help. 

Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough…   because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. 

We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

And a part of the answer lies right there in our prayer…by the example, we, your faithful believers set.’ Yes friends, if we sincerely desire divine help, then we need to begin the process by setting a good Christian example to those around us. Much LOVE!

…if you’re a true believer in Christ…then you will be concerned…but not overly worried or anxious about anything… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ                 

Today’s Scrip-Bit   22 March 2022   1 John 3:24a.

22 Mar 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

1 John 3:24a.     And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him.

Oh my my, another beautiful sunshiny day appears to be here! Thank the Lord! And though right now it’s a tad chilly, most likely it will warm up some later to spring-like temps, as it has done for the last two days. That’s why we can declare with gay abandon, those reassuring and encouraging words of the psalmist: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it! ‘ (Ps. 118:24) Now let’s go out and action that statement, because it won’t happen unless we actively have a mindset of rejoicing and gladness. 

Wishing and hoping won’t make it happen. We must turn the wheels of action before anything we say can happen. That’s why there are so many miserable and unhappy Christians in the world, we talk plenty, but don’t take the necessary action. With the amazing benefits and blessings we have through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour we ought to be the happiest group of people in the universe, but in actual fact, we are amongst the most unhappy, simply because we don’t truly believe the promises of God and follow His guidelines. 

Now why wouldn’t you be happy with the promises of salvation, of reconciliation to Almighty God, of forgiveness of sins, of going to heaven and living with the Holy Trinity, our Godhead, for ever and ever? And those are only a few of the benefits we obtain when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. But it all rests on belief, on faith, and putting those things to good use in our lives. Now, here is this li’l poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writing by Ruth Harms Calkin, that strikes right at the heart of the matter. It’s aptly titled ‘Deduction.’ 

Please read with me. ‘Lord, when You say The same thing to me so often I surely must need it And You surely must mean it! Help me to take You seriously. May I remember that the one settled proof That I have taken you seriously Will always be – OBEDIENCE!’ Ah friends, that’s the eternal truth of living for Jesus: OBEDIENCE! It’s like the three ‘L’s in owning a good piece of property: Location, Location, Location! The same can be said for living for Jesus: the most important things is Obedience, Obedience, Obedience! 

And the scripture used for that poem is one that comes from the first epistle of John, one that we all ought to know. It says quite clearly: ‘And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And thereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.’ (1 John 3:24) Now if that sounds a tad difficult for us to understand, then here is the NLT or New Life Translation. And that says: ‘Those who obey God’s commandments live in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Holy Spirit lives in us.’ Now you can’t say that is also too difficult to understand. (smile) 

Ah mih people, living for Christ is all about Obedience in Action! We can’t just talk the talk, but more importantly, we have to walk that talk! Listen to how Jesus said it to the disciples nuh, when He spoke of the promise of the Holy Spirit. ‘He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that LOVETH me: and he that LOVETH me shall be LOVED of my Father, and I will LOVE him and will manifest (show) myself to him…If a man LOVE me, he will keep my words: and my Father will LOVE him, and we will come unto him and make our abode (home) with him. He that LOVETH me not keepeth not my sayings (words): and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.’ (John 14:21,23-24) 

Now that should be easy to understand… (smile) Yes friends, Jesus is simply trying to drive home the point that you can’t be a true believer unless you do what He tells you. And that pertains to the following of any leader or organization; you can’t be a true follower unless you obey their rules and regulations. Let’s also remember these telling and true words of Jesus about abiding in Him. ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:4-5) Now that’s putting it as plainly and clearly as it can get! (smile) 

And as per the second part of the scripture verse used for our poem; ‘And thereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.’ Or ‘And we know he lives in us because the Holy Spirit lives in us.’ I think we should also point out some important and interesting scriptures re the Holy Spirit of Christ that comes to indwell believers. 

In making the promise of the Holy Spirit to the disciples, Jesus told them: ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you.’ (John 14:15-18) Oh Mama, Mama! What a beautiful promise, which we know was kept on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit filled the believers who were gathered together. ( Acts. 2:1-4) 

And we’ll finish with just a few important words from Bruh Paul about the Holy Spirit. To the church at Rome, he writes: ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit….For they that are after the flesh do mind (set their minds on) the things of the flesh, but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death: but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.’ (Rom. 8:1, 5-6) 

Now friends, for those of us who have decided to live as best as we can after the Spirit, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel! As one strong, confident and purposeful 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 the world. Amen!’ 

So now my fellow saints, let’s go out and do just that nuh; 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!

…if we are true believers…then LOVE for Christ ought to be just bubbling up in us…and plain for all to see… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8      

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 June 2021 Isaiah 43:19a.

23 Jun 2021 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Isaiah 43:19a.     Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?

So now it’s Wednesday, another beautiful day in the life! Thank the Lord for His goodness to the children of men! Especially when it comes to His wonderful Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour; the most beautiful, powerful and LOVING gift ever bestowed in this universe! And the saints of Christ, all lifted their heads, hearts and voices and sincerely declared: ‘Jesus! Jesus! The light of my life, my salvation and my glory! Thank You heavenly Father for giving Him to us. We LOVE You dearly, and we praise and bless Your Holy Name! Amen!’ 

Ah friends, what a momentous and joyful experience it is when Jesus comes into our lives! There’s nothing in the world to compare to or outclass it! You just simply feel a different vibe in your spirit, body and soul. Nothing like you’ve ever felt before. And you’re just astonished that such a remarkable transformation is possible, and wonder why you never experienced it before. But that’s just part of Jesus’ mystique; nothing happens before it’s time, before He is ready to come into your life. And it’s nothing to be afraid of; for He’s never late or early, always right on time with His well-drawn up and executed plans for each of his creations. 

As the Father said so long ago, through the prophet Jeremiah. ‘For I know the thoughts I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) That’s a very pertinent scripture in the lives of all believers my people. It means that whenever you accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, that is the exact right time, the time that He had planned from eons ago to come into your life. There’s nothing vikey-vie or wishy-washy in God’s economy. It’s all well laid out and executed. Every possibility and consequence have already been considered and plans made to countervail them. 

The prophet Isaiah declared it thus: ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ (Is. 43:18-19) Yes friends, when Jesus comes into our lives, it’s a whole new story, a rebirth! To all intents and purposes, we are born again, like He said to Nicodemus: ‘Verily, verily (truly) I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:3) 

And when Nicodemus looked surprised and asked: ‘How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily (truly), I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirt is spirit.’ (John 3:4-6) Yes my people, the rebirth we are talking about here is one of the spirit, one of life-changing attitudes, opinions and behaviour. 

And here’s how Bruh Paul explains this rebirth. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ (2 Cor. 5:17) And it’s of the utmost important that we understand the meaning of those words. Basically, it means that we give up the old lifestyle we lived and adopt a new one where Jesus, through His Holy Spirit that comes to indwell in when we receive Him, is our guide and leader. We now consider His ways and means as the guiding light of our lives. 

Sin, or the rejection of it, now becomes of much more importance. We no longer live after the flesh, or as the world dictates, because then we are merely IN the world, but not OF the world! We take our direction, our orders from Jesus and the things He desires, not from what the world says. We now live life in the Spirit, not in the carnal and sinful desires of the flesh. As Bruh Paul puts it to the church at Rome. ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.’ (Rom. 8:1-2) 

Yes friends, when we come to Christ, the influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives guides us in a new direction, to obedience and good works in Christ, not back to the old, carnal lusts and desires we once had. Oh precious people, receiving Christ brings us into a whole new ball game. Here is how Bruh Paul describes it to the Ephesians. ‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.’ (Eph. 4:22-24) 

And the scholars offer these explanations re those verses. ‘4:22-24. Christianity taught the addressees to (1) put off…the old man, to renounce their pre-conversion life and sins; (2) be renewed in…your mind, to be constantly changed, being brought more and more into line with God’s own viewpoint; and (3) put on the new man, that is, to assume a new nature (character) and conduct (life) at conversion.’ And yes, we all discover that changing our lifestyle in mid-stream is not an easy, or always a delightful task. But as true believers in Christ, it is absolutely necessary that we give it our all! And never fear, for Jesus is always there to help us! 

Now, here are a few practical pointers that Bruh Paul gave to the Ephesians, which are still helpful to us today in this topsy-turvy, deceitful, evil and godless world. They run from 4:25 -32, 5:1-2, you can read them at your own leisure, (smile) but to save time and space, I’ll just list them as the scholars’ explanations. ‘4:22-5:2. …practical guidelines as to how “the old man” (vs. 22) can be laid aside and how the “new man” (vs. 24) can be assumed in daily living. The passage specifies five sins to be discarded, the virtues that are to replace them, and the motive for such an exchange: 

(1) Lying is to be replaced by truth-telling, since Christians are fellow members (vs. 25). (2) Sinful anger is to be replaced by (briefly held) righteous indignation, that the Devil may not be given opportunity (vs. 26-27). (3) Theft is to be replaced by honest work, in order that one may have the means to meet the needs of others (vs. 28). (4) Foul language is to be replaced by gracious speech, that it may edify others and not grieve the Spirit (vs. 29). (5) Resentment and wrath are to give way to kindness and forgiveness, since God has forgiven us (vs. 31-32).’ 

That’s it in a nutshell friends! Nothing exotic, but very practical guidelines that we can all implement as we walk in LOVE, as Christ desires of us. Now let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail letting the world know of our wonderful position on Christ Jesus. 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And believe me, if we walk that narrow path right to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we ask or imagine! Much LOVE!

…to walk in step with Jesus…oh…what a joy divine…                                                                                

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