03 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a deep desire for personal righteousness, a fool, a new work week, a two way partnership with God, a word to the wise is sufficient, an evildoer, answer our prayers, anyone seeking to do evil against believers will fail, as a bride adorned for her husband, be of good cheer, be their God, burdensome, christianity, coming down from God out of heaven, confidence, conquering power, ease the pain, even our faith, every tongue that rises against you shall be condemned, evil and ungodly times, faith, faithfully keep your promise, find favour with God, God assures us of the victory, God himself shall be with them, God is sovereign, God shall wipe away all tears, God will dwell with them, have access to God, he that believes Jesus is the Son of God, his commandments are not grievous, holy spirit, humble ourselves, I am persuaded, i have overcome the world, I heard a great voice out of heaven, I John saw the holy city, in all these things, in me ye might have peace, in the world, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus' power over the world and the devil, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, mercy, neither sorrow, New Jerusalem, no more crying, no more death, no more pain, no weapon formed against us shall prosper, nor height nor depth, nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nothing shall separate us from the love of God, of the many suffering from negative situations, or any other creature, our daily attitude, place our sincere trust in Jesus, pray, responsibilities, salvation, show them your awesome grace and mercy, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, strong faith in Christ, strong trust in Christ, Thanks be to God, that neither death nor life nor angels, the BIBLE, the former things are passed away, the God who heals, the heritage of the servants of the Lord, the power to solve our many problems, the tabernacle of god is with men, the throne of grace, these things I have spoken unto you, they shall be his people, this is the love of God, through our Lord Jesus christ, to alleviate our problems, to prosper us, truth, turn from our evil ways, we are more than conquerors, we can handle whatever comes against us, we keep His commandments, whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, who gives us the victory, who is he that overcometh the world, wisdom, wise guidance, you shall have tribulation
1 Corinthians 15:57. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
Aye mih people, it’s a new Monday and a new work week, and who knows what joys and sorrows we will encounter this week, but be encouraged that with Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we will be able to handle whatever comes against us with a strong trust and confidence in the One who strengthens us and provides for all of our needs! How did Bruh Paul put it in his first missive to the Corinthians? ‘But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!’ (1 Cor. 15:57) And that’s a mighty big thanks my faithful brethren!
It’s such a big deal that there are several scriptures that attest to it. Verses like this magnificent encourager from 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) Now doesn’t that just your get your dander up and make you feel like you could face the world and beat it with God on your side! Of course! (smile)
But what does that mean? This commentary tells us: ‘Simply put, God was stating that anyone who is seeking to do evil against believers will fail. Though for a time it may seem that we are defeated in a situation, God assures us the victory.’ And that’s an attitude we need to walk around with every day my fellow believers.
Why? Because it plays right into this other well-known scripture, where Bruh Paul in writing to the Romans, about persecution befalling believers, states in no uncertain terms: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus.’ (Rom. 8:37-39)
Now that’s another noteworthy scripture that should be amongst our go to ones in times of doubt, trial and worry. Then John in his first epistle steadfastly proclaims: ‘For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (burdensome). For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.’ (1 John 5:3-5)
Wow! What an uplifting scripture! And the scholars explain those verses thus: ‘Whatsoever refers to every believer born of God. There is conquering power through this confession because God is sovereign over the world, and only through the Son of God does man have access to and find favour with God.’ And who wouldn’t want to have access to God and find favour with Him eh? Only a fool or an evildoer.
Now we cannot go home without featuring these revolutionary words from Jesus Himself, that He issued when warning the disciples of coming persecution and hard times. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) Yes friends and fellow believers, when we place our sincere trust in Jesus, then we can have peace and calm despite the trials and tribulations we might face, because His authority and power over the world and the devil, enables us to do it.
And we’ll close this Bit on the victories of God on our behalf through Christ Jesus, with the one that we’re all looking forward to. In the prophetic words of John the Revelator: ‘And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ (Rev. 21:2-4)
It could not get any better than that my fellow saints! And after what I’ve been through these last few months, I for one am looking forward to the day when there will be no more pain! Yuh better believe it! (smile) Now, let’s go to the throne of grace in humble confidence seeking help to handle all that ails us in these evil and ungodly 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!’
But please, let’s remember that we’re in a two way partnership with God; He has responsibilities, and so do we, and to get His help, we need to better carry out ours. Nuff said! Much LOVE!
… a word to the wise is sufficient…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good attitude, alive and kicking, answer our prayers, back home, be not afraid, Bible, bless the LOrd o my soul, christianity, clean up our act, crowns thee with loving-kindness, divine aid, faith, felt that she was healed, firsthand experience, forget not all his benefits, forgives thine iniquities, give me the strength to endure, go in peace, God shall wipe away all tears, healing all manner of sickness, heals thy diseases, Hesus' healing ministry, holy spirit, humble servants, in faith, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, mercy, neither sorrow nor crying, no more death, no more pain, only believe, redeems thy life from destruction, salvation, satisfies thy mouth with good things, sincerely seek your face, strong faith in Christ, tender mercies, thaknful for prayers, the former things are passed away, the fountain of her blood dried up, the God who heals, the gospel of the kingdom, the needs of my physical body, the throne of grace, the woman with a 12 year issue of blood, thy faith hath made thee whole, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, truth, who touched me, wisdom, your healing touch
Mark 5:36b. Be not afraid, only believe.
Well, a fine Monday afternoon to all you my faithful Scrip-Bit friends and families! The ole fella is alive and kicking! Yes, with the awesome help of our EVER-LOVING God, I’m back on track. I’m not kicking with the A or B Teams yet, but I am in there! Thank the Lord. As Bruh David would say: ‘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 LOVINGKINDNESS and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:2-5)
And the Lord God Jehovah has certainly done that for me during the last two days I spent in the hospital, where a diseased piece of my colon was removed. It was rough a bit of the time, but overall, with His help, I managed to pass the test. (smile) Now, I’m back home, the best place one can ever be, beginning to recuperate and I’m thankful for all the prayers you all offered on my behalf. But there’s one I want us to offer up together right now; a most appropriate one on healing, from the Prayer Cards recently issued by the In Touch Ministry. I know that I’m not the only one who needs healing, but many of us require it in these tough and deadly times.
So please pray with me: ‘Lord Jesus, You are the great Physician. When you walked the earth, You healed the sick, and You still heal today. In faith I bring you the needs of my physical body. I trust in Your goodness today, knowing that one day You will put an end to all pain and brokenness. Walk with me and give me the strength to endure. Thank You for Your healing touch Lord. Amen!’ And if our prayers were sincere, then we know that the Lord heard them and will respond in His own way and time. In the meanwhile, we have to keep our faith strong and bear whatever we’re going through with a good attitude.
And I know it’s not always easy to do that when the whole world seems to be falling down on you, but if you seek the Lord sincerely, He will help you handle it. And I’m talking here from firsthand experience, because that’s what I’ve had to do durng the last few weeks when the pain in my stomach became unbearable, despite some strong medication. And, as the prayer mentioned, we know the great promise of all time: ‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ (Rev. 21:4) But until then, we just have to grin and bear it. (smile)
And we’ll do one more thing the prayer card advises; that’s read a couple of the many accounts of healing in the New Testament to refresh our minds, bodies and spirits, that Jesus is indeed our Healer. And this first scripture gives us an overview of Jesus’ healing ministry. ‘And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness (every sickness) and all manner of disease (every disease) among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers (various) diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils (demons), and those which were lunatick (epileptics), and those that had the palsy (were paralyzed); and he healed them.’ (Matt. 4:23-24)
Wow! What a great healing ministry Jesus had here on earth…and still has, through His Holy Spirit that indwells us! But the problem is that we must believe, as these two stories we’re about to hear indicate. Jesus is on His way to heal the sick daughter of Jairus, one of the synagogue rulers, when this woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years, which would have made her unclean and almost an outcast according to Jewish law then, approaches Jesus walking in a crowd, and believes that if she can only touch the hem of His robe, or the fringe, the tassel of His robe she would be healed.
And so, she presses through the crowd, another unclean and unceremonial thing for her to do, and according to Mark’s gospel when she did touch Him, ‘Staightway the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague (affliction). And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue (power) had gone out of him, turned him about in the press (crowd), and said; Who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.
But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague (affliction). While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest the Master (Teacher) any further? As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.
Then he took Peter, James and John went to the ruler’s house, found the household weeping, and said, Why make ye this ado (commotion), and weep? the damsel (child) is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But Jesus put them out of the house, then took the mother and father, and his disciples, and went into the room where the child lay, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is being interpreted (translated), Damsel (little girl) I say unto thee, arise. And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment. And he charged (commanded) them straitly (strictly) that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be giver her to eat.’ (Mark 5:29-43)
Yes friends, Jesus still heals, still does miracles, but we need to have the faith, the trust and the belief! So, to boost our spirits, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid. 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!’
Now, regardless of how much we beg and beseech, divine aid will not come until we clean up our act. So please let’s get to doing that nuh! Much LOVE!
…many of our problems would be solved…if we’d only believe…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new earth, a new heaven, as a bride adorned for her husband, be diligent, be their God, be ye glad, Bible, blameless, Christ's thousand year earthly rule, christianity, cold and heat, come as a thief in the night, day and night shall not cease, endure to the end, eyes straight ahead, faith, god, God shall wipe away all tears, God's great mercy, halfway home, hands on the plough, he that sat upon the throne, holy spirit, I make all things new, Jesus Christ, judgement day, LOVE, may be found of him in peace, new Jerusalme, no more crying, no more death, no more infant of days, no more pain, no more sorrow, not turning back, rejoice for ever, seedtime and harvest, sinful humanity, spiritual maturity, spiritual wisdom, summer and winter, thank God, the breath of God, the day of the Lord, the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the eternal habitation of the saved, the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, the former things are passed away, the heavens shall be dissolved, the heavens will pass away, the holy city, the Millenium, the new Jerusalem, the tabernacle of God, there was no more sea, these words are faithful and true, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, Wednesday Wail, while the earth remains, wisdom, with a great noise, without spot
Revelation 21:1. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
And the days move along swiftly without waiting on anyone or anything! Why? Because that’s the way God planned it. It’s His solemn promise as stated in His Word. After destroying the earth and it’s habitants, except Noah and His family by a flood, the Lord promised Noah that He would never destroy every living thing again. (Gen. 8:21) Then He concluded: ‘While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.’ (Gen. 8:22).
And this portion of an article on the subject from the bibleref.com website explains it thus. ‘From this point, throughout the planet’s history, the patterns of nature will remain as God has created them. The cycles will continue. Day will follow night. One season will follow another. The world will continue to function predictably according to God’s design. This is the grace of God upon all His creation.
It is important to notice that this promise begins with “while the earth remains.” God doesn’t guarantee that the planet in its current form will exist eternally. In fact, at some point in the future, God will re-make the heavens and the earth (Revelation 21:1). But while it does, those who live on earth will enjoy the goodness of the repetition of the days and seasons by God’s great mercy on sinful humanity.’
And for our Biblical enlightenment (smile) here’s what Peter says about the destruction of the planet. ‘But the day of the Lord (Judgement day, not the Rapture) will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation (conduct) and godliness.
Looking for and hasting (hastening) unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.’ (2 Pet. 3:10-14)
Oh my fellow believers, since all that stuff will take place eventually, it’s necessary for us to follow Peter’s warning to look beyond this present world, and live accordingly, or so that we can become a part of the new, righteous and peaceful world. Now, here’s what the first few verses of Revelation tells us about that New World.
It’s John speaking: ‘And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. and he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.’ (Rev. 21:1-5)
Yes my brethren, if we remain faithful believers in Christ Jesus, that’s the glorious time we have to look forward to, when the universe will be cleansed of all the effects of sin! Wow! What a time that will be! After the Millenium (Christ’s thousand year reign) upon the earth, which will be a time of righteousness and peace, and the Final Judgement, New Jerusalem will become the eternal habitation of the saved.
The first heaven and earth which was predicted by Isaiah will be destroyed. On God’s behalf, he wrote: ‘For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be heard no more in her, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no more thence an infant of days (live but a few days), nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.’ (Is. 65:17-20)
Oh friends, yuh see that the Lord promised us a good place from way back when, if we only believe. And why is that so difficult to do eh? Because we don’t have the spiritual wisdom and maturity to look to the future; we’re held captive here by the things of this fallen world, which as we have seen, will all be destroyed. So all the earthly things that we are killing ourselves now to obtain will not serve us one iota of good in the next life.
And nothing’s wrong with things, but they should not be our idols, they should not be placed above the worship and presence of God, as so many of us do. But no one can make you choose Christ and His righteousness over Satan and his evil doings, we each have to make that decision for ourselves. But please, we plead with us to choose Christ, for His is the best choice. Just look to the future and see where you prefer to be, in the New Jerusalem, or the Lake of Fire.
Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in 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 if we endure right to the very end with Christ, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, see you there! Much LOVE!
…just imagine nuh…no more tears, pain or death…in the New Jerusalem…can’t wait to experience it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: as a bride adorned for her husband, behold I make all things new, Bible, blameless, christianity, crime, curses, do something worthwhile, endure to the end, eyes straight ahead, faith, gald to be alive, glorious words of wonder, god, halfway home, hands on the plough, he that sat upon the throne said, holy conversation and godliness, hunger, Jesus, Jesus Christ, LOVE, man's inhumanity to man, martyrdom, melt with fervent heat, Mother Earth, murder, new heavens and a new earth, New Jerusalem, no crying, no more death, no more pain, no more sorrow, no today only tomorrow, not looking back, One Year Book of Bible promises, Only Goodness, poverty sickness, rebellion, Ruth Harms Calkin, sit on our laurels, the day of judgement, the day of the Lord cometh as a thief in the night, the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, the former things are passed away, the have nots, the haves, the heavens shall pass away, the Rapture, the second coming of Christ, these words are true and faithful, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, whimpering cries from starving children, wipe away all tears, wisdom, without spot, your promise is your guarantee
Revelation 21:5a. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new:
And the days move along like there was no today, only tomorrow. Yes, that’s how fast one day is becoming another. Can you imagine that we were just worrying about Monday, and now it’s already Wednesday. (smile) Oh friends, we can no longer afford to simply sit on our laurels and just allow the world to speed by around us. No! We have to get up and get ourselves together and do something worthwhile in our lives, preferably work that Jesus has commissioned us to do. And even if you don’t believe in Jesus, there’s so much necessary work to be done, helping others in worse situations than ourselves, that there are no excuses for not doing something worthwhile in our lives.
Now that applies even more to believers in Christ Jesus who is depending on us to fulfill His Great Commission of spreading the good news of His gospel and kingdom all over Mother Earth! And to prove that very point, the Lord led me to this interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, titled ‘Only Goodness.’ Now, I’m pretty sure I’ve never shared this poem before because I would surely have remembered it. (smile)
So please read with me: ‘What glorious words of wonder Come from the Apostle Peter. He wrote, “But we are looking forward To God’s promise of new heavens and a new earth afterwards Where there will be only goodness.” O dear God “Where there will be only goodness.” After centuries of war, greed, and lust After indulgences shamefully practiced After hatred, hostility Jealousy and abuse. Murder and martyrdom Crime and cruelty Curses and rebellion. After whimpering cries from starving children After tragedy and catastrophe Loneliness and despair At last…at long last “There will be only goodness.” O dear Lord Your promise is Your guarantee But please hurry a little!’
Ah friends that poem is full of so much truth it isn’t funny. And all the things it talks about seem to be getting worse with each passing day. Our world’s gone mad my brethren! And only we believers, with the help of Almighty God, can slow it down until the Lord is ready to do His thing where “there is only goodness.” But we do need Him to hurry up and bring that promise to pass because things are so bad they’re shameful. Man’s inhumanity to man has reached heights we never dreamed possible. Hunger, poverty and sickness are rampant in a world of plenty. That ought not to be so. But the overwhelming greed of the haves prevent them from sharing with the have nots, thus there’s strife and every evil thing possible happening in our world.
Now some of us will be wondering where Peter spoke of “there will be only goodness.’ He writes in his second epistle: ‘But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of person ought ye to be in all holy conversation (conduct) and godliness. Looking for and hasting (hastening) unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.’ (2 Pet. 3:10-14)
Yes my fellow believers, at some stage of the game the world and all therein will go up in flames, in fervent heat, which could even mean a nuclear holocaust, which, right now, is a very present possibility, with threats of nuclear engagement being made every day by world leaders. However, be that as it may, we Christians are expected to be diligent and worthy in Christ’s employ until He comes back in the day of judgement, not the Rapture. That’s why Peter urges his readers, that includes us, ‘to look beyond this present world to the new heavens and a new earth.’
But although I don’t know how much we can do to stop the constant flow of evil and inhumanity, we do need to make a glowing and positive effort to at least slow it down. For it’s our initial lack of purpose and effort that has caused it to reach this astonishing level. And what Peter was talking about, John did write in Revelation: ‘And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a great voice saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be anymore pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new: and he said unto me, Write for these words are true and faithful.’ (Rev. 21: 1-5)
There we have it my people, the time when there will be only goodness and no evil whatsoever! And by the way, verses 3-4 above are the Bible verses on which our poem ‘Only Goodness,’ was based. Now for those of us who are doing our best to stay righteous and do good, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in 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 it’s been also promised that if we endure with Jesus right down to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So, see you there! Much LOVE!
…while looking forward to the second coming of Christ…we should be busy doing His work…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
21 Aug 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a name above every other name, a spirit hath not flesh and bones, anxious, befuddled, bewildered, come unto me all ye that labour, dioriented, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn it, God shall wipe away all tears, humble servants, I am the resurrection and the life, I will give you rest, inerrant truth, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus is our everything, liveth to make intercession for them, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, My Redeemer lives, no more death, sinned and disobeyed your Word, the former things are passed away, the God who heals, the great invitation, the world through him might be saved, triumphant from the grave, we have an advocate with the Father, whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die, why seek ye the living among the dead.
John 3:17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
So it’s Monday once again! The first day of the work week which causes a sad and unnecessary state of ‘confuffleation’ in many of us. In other words, for one reason or another, when Monday rolls around we just seem unable to think properly, to get it all together, and we become befuddled, bewildered, anxious, perplexed and somewhat disoriented. (smile) And that’s why it’s so important to fellowship with other believers on Sunday, so we can step out brave, bold and confident on a Monday morning, ready to spread the good news and glad tidings of Christ to all and sundry.
Now yesterday we sang the unique, distinctive song, ‘I know that My Redeemer Lives,’ and we asserted that ‘there’s not an untrue word in that hymn, and for every statement made, there is a scripture that can be brought forth to prove its inerrant truth!’ And today I want to try and prove it, as much as time and space would allow. It should bring up a whole raft of delightful, insightful, refreshing and reassuring scriptures. (smile) And the first and most important topic is ‘that my Redeemer lives…who once was dead, he lives…triumphant from the grave.’
Yes friends, if Jesus doesn’t live then everything else is false. So, let’s find some scripture that corroborates it. And the words of the angel sitting on the stone in front of Jesus’ empty tomb on Easter Sunday morning, should be evidence enough. He says to the women who came to the tomb that morning to finish embalming Jesus’ body: ‘Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember when he spoke unto you when he was in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words.’ (Luke 24:5-8)
And we know that Jesus was seen in His glorified body of different people, some eight times after His resurrection, and before His ascension, three of the most notable being when He spoke with the two followers on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), then when those men returned to Jerusalem to tell the others about their meeting with Jesus, and He suddenly appeared before them, and they were terrified, believing that there were seeing a ghost. ‘But Jesus said unto them, Why are ye troubled? And why do (frightened) thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.’ (Luke 24:38-39)
And the next notable occasion was Jesus’ conversation with Thomas who refused to believe until He saw Him in the flesh. (John 20:24-29) Then the song says: ‘he lives eternally to save;’ Jesus said: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17) Then to Martha, the sister of Lazarus, He says: ‘I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believe thou this?’ ( John 11:25-26) And in his first epistle, John further says: ‘And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the saviour of the world. (1 John 4:14)
And what about: ‘he lives exalted there on high.’ Bruh Paul clearly tells us in Philippians. ‘Wherefore God also hath exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:9-11) Oh my people, besides that of the Father, there’s no higher exaltation possible!
And per ‘he lives to plead for me above;’ listen to these amazing scriptures. Bruh Paul writes thus to the church at Rome. ‘Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.’ (Rom. 8:34) Meanwhile, the author of Hebrews puts it this way. ‘But this man because he continueth for ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.’ (Heb. 7:24-25) Then John writes in his first epistle. ‘My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not. and if any man sin, we have an advocate (intercessor) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.’ (1 John 2:1)
And as for ‘he lives to help in time of need,’ you can’t get anything better than Christ’s Great Invitation. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me: for I am meek and lowly (gentle and humble) in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) And if you’re foolish enough to refuse that invitation, then you deserve to have crapaud smoke yuh pipe!
And you certainly can’t beat this verse that covers: ‘He lives to grant me rich supply;’ Bruh Paul says it in spades in his letter to the church at Philippi. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) And furthermore Jesus has already specified that if you seek the kingdom of God and all his righteousness, then all your needs will be supplied. (Matt. 6:33) And what about Bruh David’s immortal words? ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) What powerful scriptures!
And we have time for one more, this marvellous promise: ‘he lives to wipe away my tears;’ And what could be more soothing and comforting than this promise of the end times? ‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ (Rev. 21:4) Now that’s something to look forward to my brethren. For our Redeemer certainly lives! So please let’s embrace Jesus as tightly as we can.
Now, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, let’s go to the throne of grace where Jesus is running intercession for us, and plead for divine help to handle our many earthly problems. As one voice: ‘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 the situation is simple: if we truly desire divine help, then we have to improve our godly behaviour. Much LOVE!
…Jesus is our EVERYTHING…Redeemer, Saviour, Lord, Brother, Friend, High Priest, Intercessor, King etc. etc…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
14 Jul 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious life everlasting with Jesus, a means of restoring faith in you, an incorrect vision of life, and he said unto me write, and lo I am with you always, behold I make all things new, even to the end of the world, Friday chant, I saw a new heaven and a new earth, if any man will come after me, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus is the way the truth and the life, let him deny himself, living in a fairy tale world, LOVE, no crying, no more death, no sorrow, omnipotent help, plagued by doubts and anxieties, put your trust in God, return backsliders to your fold, show them the error of their ways, simmering unrest, sufferation, take up his cross daily and follow me, the ends of living for Jesus justify the means, the former things are passed away, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Holy Spirit, the pit of hellfire and damnation, the truth shall make you free, these words are true and faithful, unexpected storm, wake up and and smell the coffee, wise guidance, ye shall know the truth
Revelation 21:5b. And he (Jesus) said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Well, another Friday has rolled around, and all the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ have been rolled out! But the world still spins on its axis every 24 hours, and regardless of how it might seem with all the confusion and controversy currently existing, the Lord is still in control of the universe that He created from nothing, so long ago! Now that’s the reality of the situation, and until you recognize and acknowledge that, you will have a warped and incorrect of vision of life. And all God’s people said a loud and proud ‘Amen!’ (smile)
But it’s the truth friends, until we recognize and acknowledge Almighty God as Creator and Controller of our universe, we’ll be living in a fairy tale world, and not a particularly nice one at that. You’ll be forever plagued by doubts and anxieties, because you’ll never be sure of what’s happening around you, and what to believe, what’s the truth of the situation, and thus you’ll be easily led astray, down the wide and destructive path promoted by the enemy.
But when you believe, put your trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, surrender your soul to His Son Jesus Christ, who came down from heaven and sacrificed His sinless life to save yours from being drafted into the pit of hellfire and damnation, then your senses will be quietened, whatever circumstances that surround you won’t bother you as much, because then you will have the faithful promise of Jesus, through the Holy Spirit that indwells you, to help you handle them.
Wow! Yes friends, then you’ll know the truth, because Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man comes unto the Father, than by and through Him! (John 14:6) And once you know that truth my fellow believers, that enormous truth will set you free from all the nonsense that’s happening in our world. For as Jesus also faithfully promised: ‘If ye continue (abide) in my word, then ye are my disciples indeed: And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ (John 8:31-32)
But there’s the crux of the matter: to know the truth we have to abide, live by His word, be His true and sincere disciples. And that’s not always easy to do, for here’s what Jesus had to say about becoming His disciple. ‘If any man will come after (follow) me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) Now that’s obviously a tough row to hoe, because it can be filled with sacrifices, while denying oneself and giving up control of your life to the desires and demands of Christ’s plan.
And though it’s not easy, it is the most beneficial and rewarding way to live this earthly life. Jesus won’t ever leave you alone, He faithfully promised that when he said to the disciples: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) That means He’ll look after you through His Holy Spirit that indwells you as a Comforter, Guide and Leader. And furthermore, He won’t ask you to do anything without giving you the grace, the mercy, strength, whatever you need to do it. He’ll never allow you to suffer more than you can bear, but will always find a way for you to escape the situation, or handle it with His mighty help!
And above all, if you endure to the end with Christ, being a sincere disciple, abiding in Him, while He abides in you, then you can look forward to a glorious life everlasting with Him, in whatever wonderful place He decides to spend it, instead of being shunted off to the depths of hell with Satan and his evil cronies. And believe me, eternal life with our Triune God will be marvellous. Let’s take a peek at the basics.
John the Revelator writes: ‘And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he (Jesus) said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.’ (Rev. 21:1-5)
Wow mih bredrin! What a beautiful end to this miserable, hard-scrabble life that so many of us go through! But it will all be worth it in the end if we endure with Jesus! Can you imagine a world with no more, pain, crying, suffering and death! Mama Mia! That alone makes it worthwhile, not to mention living in the eternal presence of our God.
Just think about the amount of pain, tears and ‘sufferation’ that’s currently enveloping our world nuh…and it tears apart your heart for most of it is unnecessary, and it’s simply man’s inhumanity to man, making countless millions mourn in an earthly hell. But when you live for Jesus, though you might need to undergo some suffering for His sake, the end rewards will indeed justify the pain of this earthly life. So, let’s be wise and live sincerely for Jesus now, so that we can bask in the sunshine of His marvellous glow later on.
And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine help to handle our current earthly problems. Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need 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. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to 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. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, 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 if we truly desire to receive positive help from heaven, then we must first improve our disobedient, ungodly ways. It’s as simple as that! Much LOVE!
…the ends of living for Jesus…certainly justify the means…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
01 Apr 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a thousand years as one day, according to his promise, April Fool's day, be diligent, be ye glad and rejoice for ever, blameless, cast into the lake of fire, contrary weather, death and hell were cast into the lake of fire, I create new heavens and a new earth, I must be about my Father's business, I will rejoice in Jerusalem, in all holy conversation and godliness, joy in my people, lazy day rations, LOVE, neither sorrow, no more death, nor pain, not willing that any should perish, one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, that ye may be found of him in peace, the Book of Life, the former things are passed away, the Lord is longsuffering to us-ward, the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, the Millennial kingdom, the rapture of the church, the second death, the voice of weeping shall be no more heard, we look for new heavens and a new earth, what manner of persons ought ye to be, wherein dwelleth righteousness, whosoever was not found written in the book of life, without spot
2 Peter 3:13. Nevertheless we, according to his promise look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Well can you believe it? It’s the first of April already! No, it’s not an April Fool’s Day joke, it’s the real thing. (smile) We just sailed through the first three months of this new year as though it was one day. It’s like Peter says: ‘one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.’ (2 Pet. 3:8) Those last three months certainly passed in a hurry. It seems like we just celebrated Christmas, New Years, Valentine’s Day and Carnival, now we’re about to celebrate Easter.
The weather is just as contrary too. After raining all through yesterday and last night, till early morn, it’s now bright and sunny with a temperature around eleven degrees Celsius, but it’s going to seem colder because of the brisk wind that’s blowing in the sunshine. So, all in all, it’s a beautiful day to be lazy. (smile) Unfortunately though, I’ve already used up my lazy rations for the day. Now I’ve got to be about my Father’s business. And it seems that the scriptures after the verse we quoted in 2 Peter are ideal ones for us to look at today.
So, let’s continue, as Peter tells us. ‘The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ (2 Pet. 3:9) Right there friends, we see that our God is worthy to keep His promises, but He’s also patient and persevering with us, and desires everybody to come to salvation, but we need to trust in Him, if that’s to happen.
Then Peter goes on to explain: ‘But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.’ (2 Pet. 3:10) Now let’s be careful and recognize there that Peter is talking about the final apocalyptic judgement, when Jesus returns to close out the old earth and heavens, not the Rapture of the church.
And since that will happen as suddenly and without warning like the Rapture, Peter therefore makes these very pertinent statements for those who will be living in the Millennial Kingdom, as well as to us living right now before the Rapture. ‘Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation (conduct) and godliness. Looking for and hasting (hastening) unto the coming of the day, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?’ (2 Pet. 3:11-12)
Oh friends, at some stage of the game, the old heavens and earth will be destroyed, what then? Peter tells us: ‘Nevertheless we, according to his promise look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.’ (2 Pet. 3:13) Oh my brethren, Peter is urging us to look past this heaven and earth to a new heaven and earth, one characterized by righteousness, with this further admonishment. ‘Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.’ (2 Pet. 3:14)
Yes, as a consequence of our looking forward to bigger and better things, we also need to come up higher in our walk with God. And if you don’t believe that one day the old earth and heaven will be destroyed, then read Revelation chapters 17-19, and they should clear up your doubt. Let’s not forget either the earlier promise of God that Peter talked about. It’s highlighted in the prophecy of Isaiah, where he speaks of the prosperity of God’s servants, beyond the millennial kingdom, in His promise of the new day.
‘For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered,, nor come into mind (come upon the heart). But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem in a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no more thence an infant of days (who lives but a few days), nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.’ (Is. 65:17-20)
Ah mih people, that was just the foreshadowing of what we read in Revelation 21 about the new heaven and new earth that John saw coming down from God. In particular this verse that we all look forward to. ‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ (Rev. 21:4)
Oh my fellow saints, what a magnificent scripture of promise that is! And remember it’s the third time it’s found in the Good Library, The second time is in Isaiah 66:22-24, which means it’s certainly going to happen some day, whenever the Father chooses. But for us to be there celebrating that momentous occasion we have to start living right from right now. We can’t say we haven’t been warned. And for good measure, let’s read some of that scripture.
John says in the Book of Revelation: ‘And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell (hades) delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell (hades) were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.’ (Rev. 20: 11-15)
Those are not my words my brethren, but the inspired, inerrant, truthful word of God. Now it’s up to ensure that our names are found written in the book of life. We know what to do to make that happen, so please let’s do it nuh. Much LOVE!
…we have everything we need to do it…so there’s no reason whatsoever…that our names…should not be found in the Book of Life…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
14 Dec 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sense of godliness and responsibility, all these things shall be added unto you, angry at God, as many as received Him, endure to the end, everlasting life, God is not a doting grandfather, God shall wipe away all tears, hands fixed securely on the plough, He came unto his own, his own received him not, I seek not mine own will, I'm so glad to be alive, learn to depend on God, live the evil life of Satan, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, neither sorrow, New Jerusalem, no more death, nor crying, not turning back, passed from death into life, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, spend eternity with Jesus, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the epitome of wisdom, the former things are passed away, the resurrection of damnation, the tabernacle of god is with men, the will of the Father, there shall be no more pain, to a glorious future with Jesus, to become sons of God, to fulfill our every whim and fancy, to them gave he the power, to them that believe on his name, Wednesday Wail
John 1:12. But as many as received him, to them gave he power (the right) to become the sons (children of God), even to them that believe on his name:
Unfortunately friends, Wednesday didn’t open as bright and sunshiny as Tuesday, but it’s not totally overcast, the sun is still making a valiant effort to come out and overcome the dark clouds. And that’s how we believers in Jesus ought to be; making valiant efforts to shine like Jesus in the darkness of this evil world! That’s supposing we want to spend eternity with Jesus and not with the devil in sinful and fiery bondage. It seems though, that many of us are intent on doing just that, because so many of us are shamefully turning away from God, from our Creator and Provider to live the evil and ungodly life that Satan promotes.
Why is that eh? I really don’t know, but I guess it’s because we’re angry with God since He didn’t give us what we wanted, when we wanted it, and we haven’t seen the goodness and LOVING-kindness that’s been so bandied about. But what we’ve failed to realize is that Almighty God is not our doting grandfather, who is just there to cater to our every whim and fancy. Instead, He is a just and righteous God, who cannot stand sin, and we are supposed to be obedient to His will, not Him to ours.
We’ve got the slave and Master relationship all backward. In fact, the Lord is not bound to give us anything at all, unless we are obedient to His will. Oh yes, He does LOVE us unconditionally, but that doesn’t mean He’ll spoil us like we’ve spoilt our children by falsely thinking that we’ve got to make life easy for them and give them everything they desire. His Son Jesus didn’t have it easy down here on earth, and most of us parents didn’t have easy growing up either, but that’s what built our sense of godliness and responsibility. We had to learn to depend on God!
And that’s where our generation of parents have fallen down and done a grave injustice to our children, so much so that they don’t have a clue about the word responsibility, and furthermore, think that they are entitled to whatever catches their fancy, and are thus rather sinful and godless. And we’ve no one to blame but ourselves. The simple fact of the matter is that too few of us are willing to do as Jesus says: ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto us.’ (Matt. 6:33) We want all these things added to us before we seek the Lord’s kingdom and His righteousness, but there’s no guarantee that we will if He gives us all we ask first.
Anyway, we all know that we’ve screwed up as parents because our children are as far removed from God as they can be, but it’s not too late for us to try and bring them back into God’s LOVING fold. And remember yesterday we were talking about the choices available for the next life; either with Jesus in heaven, or with Satan in the lake of fire. We finished up with Daniel’s prophecy of what would happen at the end times. And I know some of you think that’s all hogwash, everybody is going to heaven because the Lord is such a LOVING and merciful God.
But friends, please remember what John said of Jesus’ first coming. ‘He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power (the right) to become the sons (children of God), even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.’ (John 1:11-13) Yes, Jesus’ people, the Jews, rejected him, but He gave the power to anyone, Jew or Gentile to become a child of God by sincerely believing in Him. And those who don’t believe will die a sad eternal death. That’s just how the cookie crumbles. There’s not much any of us can do about it.
And if you didn’t believe Daniel yesterday, then hopefully you’ll believe Jesus today, when He says: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (judgement); but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.
And hath given him authority to execute judgement also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth: they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (condemnation). I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgement is just (righteous); because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.’ (John 5:24-30)
Ah my fellow saints, all the way down through the Good Book it’s the same story, of eternal life and eternal condemnation according to our choices in this life. Jesus doesn’t lie, neither does the Good Book, so let’s boost our spirits and faith by looking at what it says will happen at the end.
John writes in Revelation of seeing the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven. ‘And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ (Rev. 21:3-4)
Oh my people, isn’t that a wonderful ending! It surely is, but we will only get to enjoy it if we accept Jesus and live the way He desires of us. Please believe that and turn to Him RIGHT NOW! And for those of us who already believe and are doing our best to live for Him, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in 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 my fellow saints, if we endure to the very end with Jesus, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! So please let’s use that as encouragement and incentive to endure with Jesus for the long haul nuh! Much LOVE!
…living for Satan is extremely foolish…living for Jesus is the epitome of wisdom…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
28 Sep 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new earth, catastrophe, endure to the end, exuding thanks and gratitude, God shall wipe away all tears, hands on the plough, hold on tightly to Jesus, keep on keeping on, looking forward to God's promise, Lord your promise is your guarantee, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, neither sorow, new heavens, no more death, no more pain, nor crying, not looking back, One Year Book of Bible promises, Only Goodness, primary purpose of redemption accomplished, Ruth Harms Calkin, showed up our differences, starving children, the blessed ones, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the former things are passed away, the tabernacle of God, these words are true and faithful, threw away the mould, to a glorious future with Jesus, today, tragedy, Wednesday Wail, work out for our good
Revelation 21:4a. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes;
It’s today friends! Yes, another one of the many todays we’ve lived, are living and hopefully will live! Wow! Aren’t you grateful for having seen yet another today on God’s great earth? I surely am, and I’m trying to get us all excited about each new day that we’re alive, that we truly appreciate it and value it for what it’s worth!
Yuh know how many people wanted to open their eyes this morning and didn’t get the chance…many! That means you are amongst the blessed and chosen ones, also signifying that there’s more godly stuff for you to do down here, the Lord isn’t quite finished with your earthly plans. And for that we ought to be oh so thankful, just exuding thanks and gratitude, regardless of how difficult our lives might be at this time, but knowing that our most wonderful God will eventually work everything out for our good like He’s faithfully promised! Glory be!
Please give Him lots of thanks and praise for being the wonderful Father, God and Good Shepherd He is to us, His unworthy and disobedient children! And it doesn’t matter whether we’re six, or sixty-six, whether we’re good or bad, He still LOVES us with that burning LOVE that caused Him to send His only Son Jesus to die on the cross of Calvary, so that He could justly and righteously forgive our sins!
Mama oh Mama! What a marvellous God we serve and worship my brethren! There’s none other like Him…and there could never be another One like Him either, for when they made Him, they threw away the mould they used to form His most majestic Spirit! (smile)
And now that my excitement has died down some, let’s see what good news the Lord has planned for us today. And the good news comes from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This poem is most appropriately titled ‘Only Goodness.’
So please read and inwardly digest with me. ‘What glorious words of wonder Come from the Apostle Peter. He wrote, “But we are looking forward To God’s promise of new heavens And a new earth afterwards Where there will be only goodness.” O dear God “Where there will be only goodness.”
After centuries of war, greed, and lust After indulgences shamelessly practiced After hatred, hostility Jealousy and abuse Murder and martyrdom Crime and cruelty Curses and rebellion. After whimpering cries from starving children After tragedy and catastrophe Loneliness and despair At last…at long last “There will only be goodness.” O dear Lord Your promise is Your guarantee But please hurry a little!’
And in the current disastrous and evil state of our world most of us do hope that He will hurry and bring that time of ‘Only Goodness’ to pass. Oh, we know that all those ugly things have happened in our world down through the ages, but I don’t believe they have ever been so rampant and widespread all at once, especially in this the most enlightened and supposedly informed age of mankind’s history. All those dreadful things are still happening when there’s absolutely no reason for them to happen on the scale of which they are happening.
Millions of children, as well as adults are starving when there is so much food around the globe and some societies throw away so much good food every day. And don’t talk of the hate and hostility that’s currently engulfing our world! Chuh! The strife and anger fomenting on God’s earth right now has never been seen before, not even in the World Wars of the last century. Why is that eh? What’s happening to our supposed sense of reason and responsibility? Have we all just gone mad and lost the hold we had on reality?
It would certainly seem so, because we all seem to be so angry, resentful, unhappy and greatly disturbed by so many things, and the recent pandemic only showed up our differences even more, when instead of sharing the possible solutions, we all hogged them for ourselves. No wonder so many of us are entreating the Good Lord to hurry up with His promise of that time of “only goodness.”
Now here’s why some of us are so anxious to see those days of “only goodness.” In the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John describers his vision of the new heaven and earth that will be in the end times. And this is the promise our poem was based on. John writes: ‘And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. and he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.’ (Rev. 21:3-5)
Now isn’t that a marvellous time to look forward to? It certainly is! And we know that it will eventually happen because God’s promises are true, He never reneges on them, but we will have to wait on His timing, because His timing doesn’t often coincide with ours. (smile) Until then, we just have to put up with what’s happening, put our total trust in God, and do our best, in our small way to make what we can right and eschew evil for good, as the Bible teaches.
And here are some explanations from the scholars. ‘21:3-5. Tabernacle of God: The presence of God will be with His people, and He will forever dwell with them. A primary purpose of redemption will be accomplished: the complete fellowship of God with His redeemed people. In the eternal state, there will be no tears, death, sorrow, crying, or pain. Everything will become new. God’s promises are true, and He is always faithful to His Word (cf. 19:11)’
Ah friends, this earthly life certainly isn’t easy, but as we keep reminding, with Christ Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, Guide and Good Shepherd it is indeed possible to enjoy it, even in the tough times, because He enables us to have faith and provides little miracles in our lives every day that help us to keep on keeping on. So please, although times are rough, let’s not give up, because as you can see from His Word, we have a lot of good times to look forward to.
And for those of us who are attempting to do just that, let’s go home now declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our most excellent position in 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 just a li’l more encouragement to seal the deal. (smile) If we endure with Jesus right to the end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask for imagine! Wow! I LOVE that! So, see you then! Much LOVE!
…want to see the times of only goodness…then hold on tight to Jesus…till the very end…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
02 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a breath of wind, a wicked spinner, blind like a bat, comfort you in sorrow, don't worry, endure to the end, enter the hallowed halls of heaven, from the storms of life, give you the abundant life, glory hallelujah, God shall wipe away all tears, hands fixed securely on the plough, hold your head and bawl, I am halfway home, I am here with you always, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, I am the way the truth and the life, it is the power of god unto salvation, Jesus is all we ever need, Jesus' Second Coming, laugh with you in times of joy, lead you home safely, led like a lamb to the slaughter, life is like a vapour, LOVE, more than we can ask or imagine, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my Holy Spirit, neither sorrow nor crying, no man cometh unto the Father but by me, no more death, not looking back, our eternal lives, personally testify, root for Christ, spend eternity with me, thanks God, that's life, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the eternal home of the righteous, the former things are passed away, the grim reaper, the vicissitudes of life, throws you a curved ball, to a glorious future with Jesus, to every one that believeth, to love and protect you, to the mansions in the sky, today tomorrow and forever, trust in me, Wednesday Wail
John 14:6. I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Ah mih people, I believe we might have gone back to the damp, inclement, wet-snow, possibly rain weather yes. Chuh! It’s 3 degrees and cloudy and damp. And I was just getting accustomed to the bright sunshiny and cold days… But that’s life! It never likes you to be comfortable, and just when you are getting there, it throws you a curved ball, a wicked spinner, that causes you to hold your head and bawl. (smile)
However, that’s where our Lord and Saviour Jesus comes in, kisses our brow and says in a most compassionate and caring manner: “Don’t worry my child. I am here with you always to LOVE and protect you from the storms and vicissitudes of life. Just trust in me, and let me lead and guide you through my Holy Spirit that dwells within you.
I will comfort you in sorrow, and laugh with you in times of joy, and give you the abundant life that I died for you to have, and lead you home safely to the mansions in the sky that I have prepared for you, where you will spend eternity with me. When I shall wipe away all tears from your eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
Oh friends, what a marvellous promise, what a grand scheme to live our eternal lives under! No one else has ever promised anything better than that! Yes, life on earth might be rough, but this life is only a vapour, a short breath of air, while the promise of eternity is forever! What a reward for putting up with the troubles and tribulation of life! It could not get any better than that!
And that’s why it’s so important that we receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour, for it’s ONLY through Him that we can ever reap such a scintillating, life changing, everlasting reward. (smile) Remember what He said while here on earth. ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6)
And that’s gospel truth my brethren! We cannot enter the hallowed halls of heaven, where the Father resides, unless we are in covenant relationship with Jesus Christ, His Son. The problem here though, is that we all want to go to heaven, but we don’t want to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour. And if we don’t, then we’ll never lay eyes on that marvellous place called the eternal home of the righteous. Instead, we’ll most likely end up in the fiery dungeons of hell, where death and eternal damnation are the order of the day.
Now those are the only two choices available in this universe: heaven through Jesus, or hell through Satan. Which one will it be eh, my people? And one more thing…we have to choose our option right now, because if the Grim Reaper calls your number, or Jesus returns before you can cast your vote for Him, then you will automatically end up in hades, with the enemy. For there’s no choosing after death or Jesus’ Second coming. And since our life is like a vapour, a breath of wind, that’s here one moment, then gone the other, it’s of the utmost importance that we make the wise decision soon, preferably right now, that’s choosing to spend eternity with Jesus.
And if a dogmatic and well-educated Pharisee like Bruh Paul could turn his life around, from being a hater and destroyer of Christ’s church and His people, and become the hardest working apostle of all time, then that must say a lot for the promises of Jesus! And you can see the total change in his mindset by these bold and confident words he wrote to the church at Rome. ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.’ (Rom. 1:16)
Now, if a man who was previously rounding up Christians to be jailed, and encouraging others to kill them, can have such a change of heart, then Christ and His gospel must indeed be powerful and mighty! And we can see that through his conversion, where, on his way to Damascus to round up more believers for jail, Jesus knocked him off his mount through a blinding light, then basically told him, Saul, which was his name before conversion, why are you persecuting me eh? It’s time to stop, for you can’t win. Now get up and continue on to Damascus, where you’ll be told what to do. You have plenty work to do for me.’
And Bruh Paul blind like a bat, went meekly along, like a lamb to the slaughter, and eventually became the voice of Christ to the Gentiles. And if you don’t like my paraphrase, (smile) then you can read the entire story in Acts 9. But that’s what happens when Christ decides that He needs you to work for Him.
And I can testify to that, on a much smaller scale of course. I always wanted to write, but never had the inclination, knowledge, desire or anything to write about the Good Book. However, when the Lord approached me about it, I laughed and made my excuses. But He never took no for an answer, and kept bothering me until I reluctantly agreed. And it’s been fifteen years now that I’ve been writing the Bit, and the Lord’s been with me every bit of the way. That’s why I can testify to His faithfulness.
I knew nothing much when I began, and still don’t know a whole lot, but the Lord worked with me and encouraged me every step of the way. And that’s how He operates. He never gives you a task without giving you the wherewithal to do it, and is always right by your side offering His help as you do His will. I can’t count the number of times I’ve cried out to Him for help in writing the Bit, and He’s always been there offering it, though not always right away.
So friends, like Bruh Paul, I don’t have much choice either but to root for Christ, to not be ashamed of His gospel. And I do hope many of you will eventually come to the same conclusion, that is, before it’s too late. Now, for those of us who have already voted for Christ, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful and most enviable position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and confident, but humble 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 I just want to remind and encourage us to endure to the end, because if we do, that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. Much LOVE!
…Jesus is ALL we ever need…today, tomorrow…and forever…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
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