27 Jul 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a thousand years in thy sight, abnormal weather patterns, and be glad all our days, are but as yesterday when it is past, as a watch in the night, disobedient, don't have to hurry, don't have to worry, gain a heart of wisdom, glorious heights of evolution, godless lifestyle, I am the beloved of god, in god's eyes, intimacy with god, LOVE, natural disasters, new mercies and compassions, no one can take that from me, not what I do, not what I have, not what people say about me, O satisfy us early with mercy, our dwelling place, place of refuge, plagued by sickness, poverty, prideful, rulers of our own destiny, share His love with the world, sinful human pride, smelling our aram, strife, teach us to number our days, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the greatest thing since sliced bread, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, we may apply our hearts unto wisdom, we may rejoice, worship idols
Psalm 90:12. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (gain a heart of wisdom).
More new mercies and compassions from heaven on this new morning friends! Wow! Who else blesses His people with such wonderful gifts each and every day eh? No One but the mighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! So why do so many of us obstinately refuse to praise and worship Him eh? Just stupid, sinful human pride yes! We think because we’ve reached such glorious heights of evolution that we are the rulers of our own destiny…
Hn! What a joke! And if we’re so great, why can’t we avoid things like death and taxes eh? (smile) Because we are not the greatest thing since sliced bread. Yeh, I know that we are supposed to be the smartest and most wonderful creation in the universe. But we certainly don’t show our wisdom when we deliberately turn away from our Creator, the One and Only Living God Jehovah and worship all sorts of idols and dead things that can do absolutely nothing for us.
And though the Jewish people way back in time might have been dense and obstinate, when life got rough and tough with them because of their disobedience, they immediately turned back to the God of their forefathers and were once more gently and LOVINGLY ensconced in the arms of their Creator. But not this generation of humanity!
Because of the medical and technological strides we’ve made, we simply think that we are so great, we don’t need anybody else, especially some God far away in someplace called heaven. So this pandemic that’s been riding roughshod over our world for over a year now, and shows no signs of really going away anytime soon, hasn’t even made us think about returning to the fold of God. Instead, many of us are still touting the disgraceful and foolish idea of ridding our society of God period!
That’s why Moses in his only psalm, Psalm 90, and thus the oldest one in the Psalter, wrote these marvellous words of truth and wisdom. ‘Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place (place of refuge) in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.’ ( Ps. 90:1-2) Yes friends, those statements must have great truth in them because no other human being had as much intimacy with God as Moses did. So he should know a thing or two about God.
And thus, he continues: ‘Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return ye children of men.’ (Ps. 90:3) And that’s exactly what our heavenly Father is pleading with us to do right now in these sick and oh so turbulent times my people! Our magnificent and magnanimous God desperately wants us to come back to his fold, so that He can heal both us and our land. But instead of listening to and obeying Him, we are becoming more stubborn, arrogant, prideful, disobedient and stupid with each passing day!
Listen to how Moses explains it nuh. ‘For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up. In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth. For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled (terrified).’ (Ps. 90:4-7)
Yes my brethren, we ought to be terrified at God’s wrath, but obviously we are not, if we’re still being totally sinful, disobedient and ungodly! And any sensible creation would realize that something is dreadfully wrong with its way of life if at one and the same time its world is being plagued by sickness and poverty, strife and all kinds of natural disasters, even to the point of abnormal weather patterns. But no, mankind, the supposed greatest creation ever, doesn’t seem to think anything’s seriously wrong with his immoral, sinful and godless lifestyle. It’s not a factor in the troubled times he’s now experiencing.
But hear Moses again nuh: ‘Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance. For all our days are passed away in thy wrath; we spend our years as a tale that is told (a mere sigh). The days of our years are three score years and ten (our lives are seventy years long); and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength (boast only) labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off and we fly away. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? Even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.’ (Ps. 90:8-11)
Friends, please, let’s wake up and realize that our God is not a joke or a plaything. He’s been in existence long before we were, and will still be there long after we aren’t! Remember a thousand years to Him is only like a night watch, three hours, and consequently our lives are like a vapour that floats away after a li’l time. It’s ‘like a blade of grass that sprouts, fades, withers, and dies in a day.’ So why do we insist on being so arrogant, stubborn, prideful and disobedient eh, when we have no proper grounds to do so?
As the old people would say ‘we just smelling our aram.’ Meaning we think more highly of ourselves than we ought to, we believe ourselves to be wiser and more powerful than we really are. And these words of Moses, written so far back in the past, are surprisingly still of immense importance today. He writes: ‘So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (gain a heart of wisdom). Return, O Lord, how long? And let it repent thee concerning (have compassion on) thy servants. O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.’ (Ps. 90:12-14)
Yeh precious people, the indisputable truth is that our world will only get better if we turn back to our God in repentance and obedience. For regardless of what or how we think, in the long run, we are definitely not masters of our own fate! And the sooner we wake up and realize that li’l fact, the better off we’ll all be. Now, for those of us who already recognize it (smile), let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know who and whose we are.
In strong 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!’
And the upshoot of that, is we must now go out and share that awesome LOVE and amazing friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him! Much LOVE!
…it’s so wonderful living and working for Jesus…but not always easy… (smile)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
20 Jul 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things are become new, as far as the east is from the west, Chirst died for us to have, come unto me all ye that labour, enjoying the abundant life, God is omniscient, God's goodness and mercy, he is a new creature, I am come that they might have life, I am the beloved of god, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I will forgive their iniquity, I will give thee rest, I will remember their sin no more, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, if any man be in Christ, in god's eyes, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, my peace I give unto you, neither let it be afraid, no one can take that from me, not as the world giveth, old things are passed away, Peace i leave with you, share His love with the world, so far hath he removed our transgressions, sufficent unto the day is the evil thereof, take therefore no thought for tomorrow, the morrow shall take thought for itself, the peace of Christ, the thief cometh but to steal, they might have it more abundantly, this is the day the Lord has made, to kill and destroy, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, we will rejoice and be glad in it
John 10:10b. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
And as we move on through life with another new day, I do hope that we are appreciating and enjoying the abundant life that Christ died for us to have. What? You don’t know anything about the abundant life Christ died for us to inherit. Oh, poor souls! Please listen to Jesus, as He talks about His role as the Good Shepherd. ‘The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10)
Yes friends, Jesus didn’t die only so that we could go to heaven, but that we could also enjoy life down here on earth. Our heavenly life doesn’t begin when we physically get to heaven, but when we receive Jesus. That’s when all the good things kick in, like the entrance of the Holy Spirit and all its wonderful fruit and God’s goodness and mercy that He lavishes on all believers in His Son Jesus Christ.
So, although life on earth can be rough, with Jesus in our hearts and souls, we can still enjoy what we have down here, boosted by the promises of what awaits us in heaven. Why do you think the psalmist wrote these marvellous words way back when eh? ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24) Because God gives us a new day every 24 hours so that we can awaken fresh and bright and enjoy it. He wants us to leave the old day behind and enjoy the new one.
Why yuh think Jesus told His listeners: ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow (do not worry about tomorrow); for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof. (Matt. 6:34) That’s because we ought to concentrate on the day in front of us, today, for everyday has its own problems, most of which you can’t control, or even know about until you come to it. So, we should not place as much emphasis on tomorrow as we do on today.
And just a gentle reminder; (smile) you know tomorrow never comes, because we call every new day ‘today.’ That means we are always living in today, the present, not yesterday, or tomorrow. That’s why the Lord only allows us to live one day at a time. We can barely handle today, much less to worry about tomorrow, or be overly concerned about yesterday, which we can do absolutely nothing about, since it’s already long gone.
But that doesn’t stop so many of us living in the past, allowing the things that have already gone and been forgiven and forgotten by the Lord to haunt us, make us miserable so that we cannot enjoy today. Remember the words of Isaiah on the Lord’s behalf: ‘I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.’ (Is. 43:25) And Psalm 103 graciously informs us: ‘As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he (God) removed our transgressions from us.’ (Ps. 103:12)
So why can’t we remove our own sins too eh, instead of allowing them to cloud and clog our hearts and souls and stop us from enjoying the abundant life Christ died for us to have? And remember too, God’s promise through Jeremiah of a new covenant, to put His law in the hearts of the people, so everyone will know Him and turn to Him: ‘For I will forgive their iniquity, and will remember their sin no more.’ (Jer. 31:33-34)
And that’s what God did when He gave His Son’s life for us, made Him pay for our sins, then placed the Holy Spirit in the lives of all those who choose to believe in Him, that they could have close and intimate communion with Him. What’s the purpose then of Christ dying on our behalf, if we refuse to enjoy the things He died for us to have eh? None whatsoever!
Now here is an interesting question, one commentator asked. ‘Does God really forget our sins?’ The answer is not so much He forgets, but more like He chooses not to remember. God is omniscient, so He knows everything, and truly forgets nothing. He just chooses to forget our sins because Christ has already paid for them. Just like when we forgive, we choose not to remember the wrongs committed against us. But until we learn to let the past that currently burdens us, dwell in the past and live in the present with great hope for the future, we will never be able to enjoy what Christ has died to provide us.
Oh my people, our great and wonderful God desires great and wonderful things for us in this earthly life, but we have to let go of the old things before we can get those new ones. We need to take these words of Bruh Paul to the church at Corinth very seriously. ‘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, when we come to Christ, we need to become a totally new person, throwing away old bad habits and taking up new godly ones. And that’s the job of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us, but He cannot do anything on His own, He needs our participation to bring about those new godly changes. And they don’t happen overnight either, that means patience is necessary. But it’s most definitely time to be wise and begin throwing away all the baggage that’s weighing us down. And we can do that if accept Christ’s invitation: ‘Come unto me, all ye that are labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ (Matt. 11:28)
That’s right precious people, Christ is the answer to whatever ails us this Tuesday morning, and if we sincerely turn to Him, He will indeed give us rest from our problems. And the great thing about Christ is, that although our problems might not disappear, we can still have His peace in the midst of the mightiest storm! Hear His awesome promise: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27)
Oh mercy, mercy me! And that’s the gospel truth! With the peace of Christ circulating in your body and soul, you can be peaceful even amid serious calamity. But to get it, you have to go to Him and ask for it. It won’t come to you by osmosis or simply wishing for it. (smile) Now, for those of us who have accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour and are revelling in His constant communion, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are.
Altogether now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’ Glory be mih bredrin!
And it now behooves us to go out and share that awesome friendship and amazing LOVE of Christ, so that others will want to know Him by the good example we set. Much LOVE!
…when you become a new creation in Christ…life becomes…oh so exciting and adventuresome…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
13 Jul 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ascribe or attribute something to someone, Christ's redemptive work, everlasting life, forgiveness of sins, Got Questions website, grace, he hath made him to be sin for us, heading directly for hell, helps you to hold on, hope for a brighter day, I am the beloved of god, in god's eyes, Jesus is Love, Jesus is the power...and the glory, Jesus never leaves nor forsakes you, justification, LOVE, manifested to take away our sins, mercy, neither was guile found in his mouth, no one can take that from me, not what I do, not what I have, not what people say about me, redemption, righteousness., sanctification, sanctified in Christ Jesus, seals you as His child, share His love with the world, spiritual discernment, surrender to Jesus, that we might be made, the doctrine of imputation, the good news, the necessities of life, the One who can heal us, the promise of eternal salvation, the righteousness of God in him, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, ump for joy, who knew no sin, wisdom, with no means of escape
2 Corinthians 5:21. 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.
Now what’s the good news this new Tuesday morning eh friends? Well, let me tell you about it… It’s big, it’s wonderful, it’s exciting and everlasting! Yes my bredrin, the good news this morning is that Jesus is LOVE! Wow! He’s the One whom we can turn to for all the necessities of life! And be assured that He won’t let us down. He’s the One who can heal us, who can lead and guide us successfully through every which kind of storm or problem.
His is the power…and the glory…the joy and the promise of eternal salvation. He’ll pick you up when you fall, heal you when the world’s medics can’t, help you to hold on when you seem to be slipping, and comfort you when the cares of this evil and ungodly world get you down. Now, ONLY Jesus can do all of that my people! ONLY Jesus!
So, if this Tuesday morning, in these pandemic times you need any of that stuff, then the best advice, the best thing you can do, is turn to Jesus; surrender your life to Him, make Him the captain and pilot of your life. I promise you that you will never regret it. In fact, when you look back at your life, you will recognize that it was the best decision you ever made! And you’ll jump for joy and sing His praises loud, while giving Him much thanks for the awesome work He’s done in your life.
You’ll sit down and wonder, how you ever could have lived so long without Him, and bless His holy name that He finally came and found you and scooped you up in His wonderful comforting arms when your whole world was about ready to fall apart. Yes friends, that’s the kind of person our Jesus is! He comes to you when you are at your lowest point and picks you up both literally and figuratively and changes your whole life, brings it into alignment with His heavenly kingdom, providing hope for a brighter day, taking away the negativity that’s all this world offers.
And you know what precious people, the most important thing is, when you accept him as Lord and Saviour, when you surrender your soul to Him, He never, never, never leaves nor forsakes you! Wow! He seals you as His child, as His brother, friend and co-heir in righteousness forever! Now how could the news get any better than that eh?
But it does! In all that Jesus is and does, we find mercy, grace, forgiveness of sins, and everlasting life! And they endure forever, based on the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross of Calvary, where He shed His holy, sinless blood so that we could be forgiven, took ALL of our sin on His shoulders and gave us His righteousness. And it says so right in the Bible, the Good Book, the Word of God: ‘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)
Now what does that verse mean eh? The first thing we need to understand was that Jesus NEVER sinned, as several Bible verses tell us. Hear John in his first epistle. ‘And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.’ (1 John 3:5) He came to take away sin, but had no sin Himself. And Peter in his first epistle, quoting Isaiah 53:9 says of Jesus. ‘Who did no sin, neither was guile (deceit) found in his mouth.’ (1 Pet. 2:22)
Even the demons knew Him, as recorded in Mark when He cast them out of an unclean man. They said to Him: ‘Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.’ (Mark 1:24) So that all points to Jesus as being totally sinless. And furthermore, if He had even had one spot of sin on Him, then He would have ceased being God, and would therefore would not have been able to save us, or pay for our sins, because only a sinless being could do that.
Anyway, I found this interesting explanation on the Biblical website ‘Got Question.’ It says: ‘If He became sin for us does not mean Jesus was sin, or a sinner, or guilty of sin, the proper interpretation can only be found in the doctrine of imputation. This is confirmed by the second part of 2 Corinthians 5:21: “So that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
To impute something is to ascribe or attribute it to someone. On the cross, our sin was imputed to Christ. That is how Christ paid our sin debt to God. He had no sin in Himself, but our sin was imputed (attributed) to Him so, as He suffered, He took the just penalty that our sin deserves. At the same time, through faith, Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us. Now we can stand before God sinless, just as Jesus is sinless. We are not righteous in ourselves; rather, Christ’s righteousness is applied to us.
So, “God made him . . . to be sin for us” means that Jesus, although sinless, was treated as if He were not. Although He remained holy, He was regarded as guilty of all the sin in the world. Through imputation of our sin to Him, He became our substitute and the recipient of God’s judgment against sin. Having saved those who believe, He is now “our righteousness, holiness and redemption.”
So that’s how we are saved; our sins were imputed to Jesus and now, all that He was and is, are imputed to us. ‘But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us (became for us) wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.’ (1 Cor. 1:30)
And the scholars explain: ‘Because of the Father’s work we have become intimate with Christ Jesus. Paul concludes that all of the riches of salvation exist in Christ Jesus. All that the Corinthian believers are (and consequently all believers), they owe to Him. Thus it is not in oneself, or in party alignment, or in supposed human ability that any believer ought to glory. Paul tabulates the qualities that belong to the believer in Christ. Wisdom is not merely the acquisition of intellectual skills but the gaining of spiritual discernment based on the wisdom of God as demonstrated in the cross.
Righteousness is a legal concept and has in mind the righteousness that is applied to the believer’s account the moment he believes (Rom. 5). Sanctification has already been mentioned in verse 2, “sanctified in Christ Jesus.” This contemplates the work of Christ “in” the believer, as opposed to that which he does “for” the believer in justification. Redemption underlies all the above. Christ’s redemptive work opened the way for God to extend His grace to sinful man and to pour out upon him such benefits as wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification.’
Mama Mia! What more can I say eh friends? Christ has done so much for us, that we would be very foolish not accept His selfless sacrifice, for if we don’t, we will, without a doubt, end up eternally separated from God. And that can by no means be a good thing! So, for those of us who are serious about accepting Christ, let’s go home now declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know who and whose we are.
Altogether now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Our next step is to now go out and share that awesome LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know him. Much LOVE!
…without Jesus’ awesome sacrifice…where would be eh…heading directly for hell…with no means of escape…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
06 Jul 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a pit of darkness, awesome generosity, called I upon the name of the Lord, gracious is the Lord and righteous, he has heard my voice and my supplications, heartfelt thanks, hellish times, I am not what people say about me, I am the beloved of god, I am thy servant, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I found sorrow and trouble, I Love the Lord, I will pay my vows unto the Lord, I will take the cup of salvation, I will walk before the Lord, in god's eyes, in the land of the living, in the presence of all his people, LOVE, mine eyes from tears, my feet from falling, new mercies and compassions, no one can take that from me, our God is merciful, return unto thy rest O my soul, share His love with the world, tempestuous day, the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee, the love and peace that flows from Jesus, the pains of hell, the sacrifice of thanksgiving, thou hast delivered my soul from death, thou hast loosed my bonds, Tuesday Mantra, undeserving children of men
Psalm 116:9. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
We moving on friends! It’s Tuesday – a brand new day, with new mercies and compassions! Thank the Lord! So let’s leave all the heartache and anxiety of yesterday behind there nuh, where it so rightfully belongs. Today we must show gratefulness for this new day and the new blessings from our wonderful Creator. And it’s only right that we take a moment now to offer a li’l thanks.
Please pray with me. ‘Dear Lord, you are so awesome, so generous to us undeserving children of men. That’s why we want to give you thanks, and praise your holy name this Tuesday morning, as we embark on our daily journey in this sinful and ungodly world. Only with your amazing help, your awesome generosity will we be able to make it through another tempestuous day down here on earth.
So please accept our heartfelt thanks and gratitude for your mercy and grace, which enable us to make life worthwhile living. And we sincerely promise to continue honouring and praising your name and walking in the path that you have chosen for us to tread. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!’
Ah mih people, I don’t know what we would do without our Lord God Almighty nuh! For certain, life would be an even greater hell than it already is. But, thankfully, through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we have the God-given ability to create a heaven-like atmosphere even in the midst of hell! (smile)
And that’s the beauty of Christ Jesus – no matter what hellish times you might be going through, with Him by your side, and His Holy Spirit as your guide, you can always find peace and comfort in them! The surrounding negative circumstances won’t necessarily change, but your heart, your soul and spirit will be lifted with the LOVE and peace that flows from Jesus.
And if you don’t believe me, then please listen to the psalmist as he gives the Lord praise for deliverance from death in Psalm 116. He opens spectacularly: ‘I LOVE the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto (listened to) me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.’ (Ps. 116:1-2)
Yes friends, we must never forget to praise our great God when we come to Him, especially when He has done wonderful things for us, as the psalmist recalls. ‘The sorrows of death compassed (surrounded) me, and the pains (distress) of hell gat (laid) hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.’ (Ps. 116:3-4) Now how many of us have been ofttimes mired in such a pit of darkness eh, and called out to the Lord for help and succour? An uncountable number of us, an uncountable number of times!
And why did we cry out to Him for help eh? Because we knew what the psalmist says: ‘Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped (saved) me.’ (Ps. 116:5-6) Oh my people, my people, right there is all the cause and reason we need to give the Lord our undying thanks, LOVE and praise! For we know that He will help us in times of trouble if we call out to Him with a heavy and sincere heart!
And like the psalmist, we will be able to say: ‘Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.’ (Ps. 116:7-8) And isn’t it marvelous when the Lord lifts us out of our pit of darkness and shows us His bright lights of grace and mercy? For certain sure! Then we thankfully declare: ‘I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted: I said in my haste, All men are liars. What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?’ (Ps. 116:9-12)
Yes mih bredrin, that is when we have to stand tall and offer up some form of thanks and gratitude for the Lord’s awesome goodness and LOVING-kindness. And we cannot do any better than what the psalmist offered. ‘I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of all his saints.’ (Ps. 116: 13-15)
Wow! What a promise, and what an acknowledgement! Do we ever think along those lines my fellow saints of Christ? We ought to. The free gift of salvation is from the Lord and we need to tell others about it, about how He helps us in times of need, how He doesn’t’ want to lose any of His awesome creation, and the end result of eternal life with Him in heaven. Our thanks and praise must become our public witness.
Like the psalmist, we need to come to the point where we can say with utter sincerity: ‘O Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid (maid servant): thou hast loosed my bonds. I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people. In the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord…shout Hallelujah!’ (Ps. 116:16-19)
Oh friends, nothing less than what we have said above is worthy of God’s unfailing goodness to us! Yes, I know that we can never repay, or even come close to repaying His awesome generosity and mercy, but we do need to go to the utmost lengths that our puny and finite minds and souls will allow. It’s not a joke, but serious business, and we ought to treat it as such. Therefore, to all of us who have firmly embraced the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and are sincerely endeavouring to make known His holy name, let’s go home now, declaring (steups!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know who and whose we are.
Altogether now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And since we’ve promised to keep our vows to God, we are now duty bound to go out and share the awesome LOVE and amazing friendship of Jesus with others. Much LOVE!
…the Lord hath no pleasure in fools…pay that which thou hast vowed… (Eccl. 5:4b)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
18 May 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a convoluted sentence, according to his riches in glory, all for our benefit, answer to life, bounden duty, cease from anger, delight thyself also in the Lord, destined for destruction, don't have to hurry, don't worry, fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body, Fret not thyself over evildoers, have Jesus walking our walk with us, hell bound, his mercy endureth for ever, I am the beloved of god, if god be for us who can be against us, if God is for us who can be against us, in god's eyes, Jesus is the answer to everything, LOVE, my God shall supply all my needs, no one can take that from me, no weapon formed against you shall prosper, not what I do, not what I have, not what people say about me, nothing is impossible for God, O Give thanks unto the Lord, of whom shall I be afraid, Rest in the Lord, Satan, share His love with the world, the best example of rebellion against God, the heritage of God's servants, the Lord is my light and salvation, trust in the Lord and do good, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, We can do all things through Christ, what shall we then say to these things
Romans 8:31. What shall we then say to these things eh? If God be for us, who can be against us?
So then mih people, as we move on to another bright sunshiny day in God’s great universe, this one called Tuesday, tell me nuh, how yuh feeling today eh? (smile) Yeh, I know it’s a convoluted sentence, but so is life, and we all must answer to life. So, let’s hope we all feeling fine nuh, as we walk this crazy and confusing earth in these crazy and confusing times. But most of all, I hope that we all have Jesus walking our walk with us!
Now that’s the answer to everything! And why is that you ask? Because Jesus IS the answer to everything! Leh me show you why nuh. In the first place, the Good Book tells us that nothing is impossible to Jesus! That means everything is possible with Him! Then as the Good Book also says: ‘We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.’ (Phil. 4:13) And yet again, it tells us: ‘But my God shall supply all our needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19)
Wow mih bredrin! So it’s only logical that if Jesus could do everything, and strengthen us to do anything, as well as provide for all of our needs, then we don’t need nothing or nobody else but Jesus! Oh praise His mighty name! That’s why the psalmist so powerfully proclaimed: ‘O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING-kindness) endureth for ever.’ (Ps. 107:1)
And Bruh David says it even more powerfully. ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps. 27:1) And just in case you don’t the answer to those two questions, here it is: ‘NOBODY!’ Believers ought to fear no other human being when Christ is in our corner.
Remember what the prophet Isaiah said on the Lord’s behalf, as he spoke of the Lord’s everlasting LOVE for Israel? ‘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 (the inheritance) of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of (from) me, saith the Lord.’ (Is. 54:17) So what’s there to fear eh?
As Bruh Paul said to the church at Rome: ‘What shall we then say to these things eh? If God be for us, who can be against us?’ (Rom. 8:31) There again we have it my faithful brethren; once we have the Creator of the universe looking after us in the form of His Son Jesus, then nobody or nothing can touch us! And Bruh Paul cemented his argument with these words: ‘He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us good things?’ (Rom. 8:32)
Mamacita! How much more scripture do we need to convince us that Jesus is indeed the way, the truth, the life and the light and we should not fear what mankind can do, but put all our hopes, dreams, faith and trust in Him? Jesus said it loud and clear: ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt. 10:28) Yes mih people, the only Being that believers ought to fear, is Almighty God Himself; the ONLY ONE who can destroy both our bodies and souls!
But strangely enough, it seems that the Lord God Almighty, our Creator and Provider, is the living being we are least afraid of in these modern times of high technology. That’s because we foolishly and fearfully kowtow to men and their evil desires, while we don’t keep God’s commandments and live the way He desires of us. We are even desperately trying to rid our society of Him! So friends, if men can’t save our souls or offer salvation, and God can do both, as well as destroy us, where is the wisdom in our current behaviour eh?
I hope that these majestic and wise words of Bruh David help us to understand the dire situation in which we’re currently enveloped. ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass.
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37:1-9)
Now my fellow saints in Christ, that’s about the best advice we can find all in one place in the Good Book. It is wisdom of eternal proportions, so please, please, let’s accept it wholeheartedly nuh. Remember it’s all for our benefit, and neither Satan nor the evil men that follow him can do a blooming thing to help us when it comes to salvation and eternal life, only Jesus can! So let’s concentrate on kicking Satan and his evil minions out of our world nuh, instead of Almighty God. That’s the wise thing to do.
And for those of us who are already engaged in the fight, let’s go home declaring (oh yeah!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, telling the whole world who and whose we are. All together now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And having sincerely said all of that, our bounden duty now is to go out and generously share the awesome LOVE and friendship of Christ with those who don’t know Him. Much LOVE!
…Satan…the best example of rebellion against God…hell bound and destined for destruction…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
20 Apr 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a person who's not afraid to feel, an awesome blessing to know Jesus, be ye reconciled to God, call on Jesus anytime, called on to do something unique, caught up on the fast track., challenges you to keep prayed up, don't have to worry, full of the Spirit, getting to know Jesus, give people a sample of god, God working in people's lives, I am the beloved of god, I don't have to hurry, I'm not what I do, in Christ's stead, in god's eyes, In the Midnight Hour, Jesu has conquered the evil one, Jesus is the only one we need, LOVE, my fellow saints in Christ, no one can take that from me, not afraid to express what's going on inside, representing heaven, share His love with the world, something different is going on in your life, take people for granted, translated into the kingdom of God, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, unsurpassable gift, we are ambassadors for Christ, we pray you, your mission
2 Corinthians 5:20a. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ,
Another wonderful day to enjoy on God’s great earth my people! Wow! He’s so good to us that we can never really appreciate all that He’s done for us! Especially for that most excellent, indescribable, unsurpassable gift of His precious, sinless Son, Jesus! Glory be mih bredrin! What an awesome blessing and advantage it is to know Jesus!
As the song says: Who can bring you joy, who can bring you LOVE, who can heal your body, who can help you to hold out a little longer? Nobody but Jesus! He won’t ever let you down, He’s promised to be with you right to the very end, unto the end of the world, and His promises are never broken. His LOVE’S the power and the glory of this life, both earthly and heavenly! He’s the one who can turn your life around, who can pick you up when you fall, who’s always beside you!
Yes friends, none other but JESUS, can do all of those wonderful things! That’s why He’s the ONLY ONE we need! Once we’re under His mighty protection, no one, or nothing, can ever touch us, for He’s conquered the evil one, the world and all its lusts and temptations. But we still have a part to play my brethren. That’s the part of sincerely believing in Him and doing the work He desires of us, which is basically being a good example of His LOVE, mercy, forgiveness, and compassion, all of which will eventually lead others to Him, to also accept him as their Lord and Saviour, and thus enjoy those wonderful benefits we already enjoy.
Oh my faithful brethren, as Bruh Paul explained to the church at Corinth: ‘Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray (implore) you in Christ’s stead (behalf), be ye reconciled to God.’ (2 Cor. 5:20) Those fateful words still apply today friends! We need to be reconciled to God. And once we do that, then we become His ambassadors here on earth. That means we represent Him and His heavenly kingdom here on earth. And it’s through us, that others will come to know and accept Him.
So we have to show the world what the kingdom of God has to offer, and that it’s better than what they can get in Satan’s kingdom. But that also means we have to know what the kingdom offers, which further means we have to learn and grow, by reading the word, praying and getting closer to Christ. That’s the only way we can represent Him properly.
And I like how this message from the Worship Centre Website explains it. ‘When you give your life to God, you become a member of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Bible says that we are at that moment “translated into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son.” So, the rest of your time here on earth, you’re not just here for your own plans or interests, but you’re representing Heaven to those around you. Matter of fact, you’re the only real sample of Heaven most people will ever see. What they’ll know about God’s working in peoples’ lives, they’ll get from watching YOUR life. Pretty scary? Maybe.
On the other hand, it means you’re not limited to YOUR resources, because you’re not out there representing yourself. Since you’re representing God’s government, and HIS abilities, you have access to all the best that He has to offer. Remember, your whole mission is to give people a sample of what it is to have God at work in a person’s life. That’s what will make them want to get to know Him for themselves. They HAVE to be able to tell that something different is going on in your life. Something that just isn’t the way it happens for the average person.
How do they know? For one, you TELL them! You let them know what’s going on inside you and in your life! That’s right, you let people into your life! You bring your family, friends and co-workers into your inner circle, and let them share your experiences, your hopes, dreams, successes and failures. You tell them about answers to prayer, and God’s goodness to you. That’s part of being an ambassador for Christ. Being an ambassador for Christ means there’s learning and growing – getting to know the One you’re representing, and learning His ways. You’re called on to do something unique, and something incredibly hard; to represent someone to people in a way that they want to get to know Him for themselves.
They HAVE to be able to tell that something different is going on in your life. Something that just isn’t the way it happens for the average person. How do they know? For one, you TELL them! You let them know what’s going on inside you and in your life! That’s why they keep looking at your life, and checking you out to see if you’re really what you say you are. But, guess what? That’s good for you! It challenges you to keep prayed up and full of the Spirit. When you’re prayed up and full of the Spirit, you become a person who’s not afraid to feel, and not afraid to express what’s going on inside.
Most people try so hard to keep from hurting, and to harden their hearts so that nothing hurts. They do it so well, that not only does nothing hurt, but nothing helps anymore! By avoiding being hurt, they also can’t feel hope, joy or love. They become stiff and zombie-like, emotionally. That’s where you come in, you’ve been healed of that. You’re not deadened to your friends, co-workers and family. You’re no longer caught up on the fast track that you take people for granted. No, you’re incredibly alive, aware, caring and full of joy. Jesus gave us His words, as He said, “that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full (John 15:11).’
Oh my fellow saints in Christ, I certainly could not have done a better job of explaining our ambassadorial role for Jesus! So let’s allow those fateful words and noble dreams and ideas to sink into our hearts, minds and souls nuh, and be our joyful guide as we go out to represent our Lord and Saviour, Jesus!
Now, let’s go home declaring (steups!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
So, as true ambassadors, we must now go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others. Much LOVE!
…you can call on Jesus…at any time…in the morning, the evening, even the midnight hour…and He’ll come to your rescue without question…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
06 Apr 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: as the hart panteth after the water brooks, awe inspiring god, awesome benefits, Buccoo, Controller, cultivate an intense longing for God, deliverer, Easter Tuesday, for the help of his countenance, forgiveness, friendship of Jesus, Goat races, grace, hope thou in God, I am the beloved of god, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I shall yet praise him, I went with them to the house of God, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, in god's eyes, in the night His song shall be with me, LOVE, my giver of salvation, My god is awesome, my soul thirsteth for god, no one can take that from me, omnipotent power of God, our Maker, provider, sad lament and dejection, share His love with the world, so panteth my soul after thee O God, sure confidence in God, sweet Tobago, the health of my countenance, the in-crowd place, the ingenuity of my people, the Lord allows us to get wealth, the Lord will command His loving-kindness in the daytiem, the sons of Korah, trust and reassurance, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, unconditional LOVE, where is thy God, Why art thou cast down o my soul, why art thou disquieted within me, will for our lives, with the voice of joy and praise
Psalm 42:5b. Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).
Welcome to Easter Tuesday friends! And the in-crowd place to meet today is in the town of Buccoo, in sweet Tobago, where Goat Races are the featured event of the day…and has been for many, many years! It’s become so big, that they even built a stadium just to hold it! Awesome! But who knows if it’s going to be happening in this pandemic time, with the lockdown that’s currently in place?
However, given the ingenuity of my people, I wouldn’t vote against it happening, though in some reduced form and fashion, especially since I understand that Tobago is now the new playground for Trinidad, as the citizens can’t go further afield. Yes people, when it comes to partying, you can’t beat a Trinbagonian to find unique ways and means to bring it to fruition!
But what we all need, so much more than partying is to cultivate an intense longing for Almighty God, our Maker, Controller. Deliverer and Provider! That’s because He’s so awesome, so LOVING and compassionate, so protective of His people, hides us from the rain, heals us when we’re broken…! What else do I need to point out for us to understand that our God is great and greatly to be praised eh? And that the number one purpose for which we were created is to praise and worship Him, to have a most excellent communication between the Creator and the created!
Wow! My God is awesome! He’s the giver of salvation, author and finisher of our faith, high priest of our church…and so many other wonderful things! And instead of partying in the evil sense of the word, we ought to be rejoicing in the righteous way that speaks of Jesus; of His most awesome deliverance of sinful man in this Easter Season! No one else could do the miraculous deeds that He’s done. So we ought to celebrate His mercy, holiness, His forgiveness, grace and wonderful, unconditional LOVE for us, instead of bowing to the evil fool Satan and desiring to enjoy the pleasures of sin, instead of the righteousness of God!
So what we should be doing, as I said earlier on, is cultivating an intense longing for our awesome God! In these trying and troubled times of worldwide sickness and strife, only a return to God in true and sincere repentance can solve them! Yes my brethren, like the Sons of Korah sing in Psalm 42 – An intense longing for God – let’s do the same nuh, let’s celebrate and worship our graceful, merciful and awe-inspiring God. So let’s lift our hands, as we lift our voices in prayer.
‘As the hart panteth after (the deer longs for) the water brooks, so panteth (longs) my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my meat (food) day and night, while they continually say to me, Where is thy God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday (a pilgrim feast).’ (Ps. 42:1-4)
Yes friends, in earlier times we would go to the Lord’s sanctuary and praise His holy name in song and prayer. But then, as we became successful and prosperous, we began moving away from the very source of our success and prosperity. We forgot that it is the Lord who allows us to get wealth and prosperity, and instead began trying to turf Him out of our society. And now that immense strife and sickness have befallen us, we’re wondering what happened, how such a plague befell us? And the simple answer is that we turned away from God and began praising the devil instead. So now that we can’t find remedies for our awful predicament, we’re wondering what to do.
But like the sons of Korah asked so long ago: ‘Why art thou cast (bowed) down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted with me?’ (Ps. 42:5a) Today friends, the correct answer to the problem is still: ‘Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).’ (Ps. 42:5b) Yes my people, that’s the only sensible answer there is to our current troubles…hope in the God of our forefathers!
Hear the sons of Korah continue with their praise nuh. ‘O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill (the mount of) Mizar. Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts (waterfalls): all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.
Yet the Lord will command his LOVING-kindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. I will say unto God my rock, why hast thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? As with a sword in my bones (the shattering of my bones), mine enemies reproach (revile) me; while they say daily (all day long) unto me, Where is thy God?’ (Ps. 42:6-10)
And yes, my fellow believers, the heathen are at our throats every day with that question. And that then leads us to ask ourselves: ‘Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me?’ And what’s our reply? ‘Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance (my giver of salvation) and my God.’ (Ps. 42:11) Oh friends, let’s praise His holy name! Let’s look back over our lives and see where the Lord has brought us from, the mighty and magnificent things He’s done for us, and realize that He can, and will do the same things for us, once we are obedient to His word and will!
And I like this explanation from the scholars about the overall effects of psalms 42 and 43, which in some Hebrew texts are joined together. ‘Using the refrain Hope thou in God as a marker, the poem yields three stanzas. First, the psalmist expresses his deep longing for God (42:1-5); second, his sad lament and dejection before God (42: 6-11); finally, his sure confidence in God (43:1-5). The three stanzas reveal the changing moods of the psalmist: from longing and regret to perplexity, then to trust and assurance. If only every downcast soul could end up in that third stanza!’
And there’s no real reason why all of us can’t find true trust and reassurance in our great and mighty God! We all know His amazing, omnipotent power, and have all experienced some good and awesome benefits while walking in strong tandem with him. So why shouldn’t He do it again, if we sincerely seek Him and His awesome will for our lives? No reason whatsoever! So, for those of us who sincerely believe and diligently try to live for God, let’s go home now declaring (oh yeahhh!) our Tuesday Mantra, proclaiming to the whole world, who and whose we are.
Altogether now, in strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘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!’
And the obvious corollary to that is for us to now go out into the confused and godless world and gladly share Jesus’ awesome LOVE and friendship, so that we can overcome our ever so pressing problems! Much LOVE!
…our problems will diminish…in direct proportion…to our sincere longing for God…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
23 Mar 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a child of the Most High God, a revival of godliness, be not proud, before he cause darkness, do not give up on your journey, for the Lord hath spoken, Give glory to the Lord your God, God doesn't make idle promises, he turn it into the shadow of death, hear ye and give ear, humble yourselves, I am the beloved of god, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I'm not waht I do, I'm not what I do, in god's eyes, in sincerity and truth, let us rejoice and be glad in it, listen to the truth of God's word, LOVE, my God can turn it around, no one can take that from me, pay the price for disobedience, return to His fold, return to the God of our fathers, swallow our foolish pride, the bowels of hell, the darkness of national catastrophe, there's no time to lose, this is the day the Lord has made, Tuesday Mantra, unprecedented times of woe and sorrow, while there is life there is hope, your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, your pricipalities shall come down
Jeremiah 13:15. Hear ye, and give ear, be not proud: for the Lord hath spoken.
One more time friends, one more time to get out there and work for the Lord! That’s why He’s given us another beautiful day to enjoy and do His wonderful bidding! So let’s say and do as Bruh David so wisely said and did nuh: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice in it!’ That’s the best decision we can make this day my people!
So forget, yes, disregard the problems and circumstances that are trying to keep you down, because you are a child of the Most High God Jehovah, and He won’t allow anything to break you down. And He does have the power to turn all the things that are worrying you around. I can testify to that because I have seen my God turn it around…many many times too…for many many people too, so there is no need to give up on your journey because your God can and will turn it around for you also!
And in these unprecedented times of woe and sorrow in so many of our lives, this is as good a time as any other to listen to the truth of God’s word. Hear the prophet Jeremiah to his people Israel on God’s behalf, when they were in a state of turmoil, just like we currently are. ‘Hear ye, and give ear, be not proud: for the Lord hath spoken.’ (Jer. 13:15)
And I guess you want to know what the Lord hath spoken eh? Well, please listen very closely. ‘Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.’ (Jer. 13:16)
Oh my people, my people, that is a direct word to us from our great God today in this time of pandemic and strife and all the other negative problems our world is currently experiencing! How can we try to get rid of the Creator and Controller of our universe and expect to live a good life eh? That’s not wisdom in the least! It’s pure foolishness!
Look at Lucifer, who was so proud and haughty because he was an archangel and wanted to overthrow God, His Creator? It just isn’t possible for the created to overthrow the creator. And where is he now eh? Living in the bowels of hell, the most despicable place in our world! And if we keep thinking we can throw God out of society we’ll suffer the same fate as Lucifer!
I don’t know why so many of us believe that our God makes promises and won’t keep them. Oh we believe the good ones, but the ones that will come upon us for disobedience, somehow or the other, we convince ourselves that those won’t come to pass. But my friends, let me remind us that our God doesn’t make idle promises. Anything He promises, He will do, if the situations warrant them. And don’t talk stupidness about that’s in the Old Testament, for Jesus made many of the same promises in the New Testament.
If you don’t believe and obey, you will pay the necessary price. And please, please, don’t try to prove it nuh, because once you die without Jesus, or He comes back and you haven’t received Him as Lord and Saviour, your options are ended. The only thing then would be automatic living with Lucifer! And believe me, that’s an option you don’t want to end up with for eternity!
So please look at what the Lord said to the people of Judah and understand that He is not a joking God! Oh He is indeed a LOVING God, and will give oodles of chances, but you WILL pay the price for gross disobedience, as the children of Israel did! Now let’s listen to the rest of the message.
‘But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock is carried away captive.’ (Jer. 13:17) And there will be indeed weeping and gnashing of teeth and all sorts of other calamities, exactly like we are suffering right now, because we refuse to swallow our foolish pride and arrogance and return to the God of our forefathers!
And Jeremiah continues with the warning. ‘Say unto the king and to the queen (queen mother), Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory (your rule will collapse). The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open them: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive.’ (Jer. 13:18-19) And it certainly was carried away captive, because of their obstinate refusal to turn back to God.
And please note that many of our cities and towns have been shut up in the past year because of the pandemic and awful strife that’s been taking place. So why can’t we at least contemplate that some of the recent happenings are because we have become a godless and disobedient society eh? Nothing we’re trying to do on our own seems to be working. There’s all kinds of rebellion and disobedience towards authority that’s only making matters worse. The only option we haven’t yet tried is a revival of godliness! So why not try it and see eh mih people? We have nothing left to lose, but a whole lot to gain.
Now here’s an interesting explanation from the scholars, re our text for today. ‘13:15-17. A third illustration (warning to Judah by Jeremiah) concerns a weary traveller in danger of being overtaken by the falling darkness of night. Such was Judah. It must renounce all pride and give God His rightful glory before the final darkness of national catastrophe engulfs it.’
And let’s hope that many of us today will compare our current situation to that of olden Judah, and don’t follow their foolish ways, because we are not coming out of our predicament with our own efforts. The vaccines might be helping a few, but there’s also strong reactions against taking them, and the racial problems are increasing rather than getting better. Strife, anger, jealousy, and all the negative emotions and actions are now prevalent in our world, instead of the godliness that we so desperately need.
But there’s good news friends, while we’re still alive there is always hope! And I know that our God can turn it around if we wake up and start doing right by Him. So for those of us who are prepared to stand up and fight for Him, let’s go home now declaring (awright!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know who and whose we are.
As one strong and sincere voice then: ‘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 let’s get on with it nuh my fellow saints in Christ. There’s no time to lose, if we want to turn it around…sooner rather than later. Much LOVE!
…God can, and will turn it around…if we first turn ourselves around…return to His fold…in sincerity and truth…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
26 Jan 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to His purpose, all things work together for good, assurance, declared righteous, don't have to hurry, don't have to worry, early morning chores, eating meat and spuds, effectual communication of the gospel, from glory to glory, glorified, God's promised to work things out for our good, he also did predestinate, he shall also be my salvation, he that spared not his own Son, hear diligently my speech, I am the beloved of god, if God is for us who can be against us, in all his adversity, in god's eyes, inhibit the doing of the Lord's work, Job, judicial standing before God, justified, keep on loving trusting being faithful and obedient, late risings, make every Christian more like Christ, my declaration with your ears, no one can take that from me, not what I do, not what I have, not what people say about me, our spiritual journey, plan of salvation, predestinated, pretemporal, right to the very end, share His love with the world, surrender our all, temporal, the believer's glorification, the called, the divine perspective, the elect, the human perspective, the spirit of the Lord, they love Him no matter what, Though he slay me, to be conformed to the image of his Son, to know Jesus is to love Him, to them that love God, to them who are called, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, what shall we then say to these things, whom he did foreknow, yet will I trust him
Romans 8:31. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Oh chuh friends! Late risings and early morning chores certainly inhibit the doing of the Lord’s work yes! (smile) But what to do eh, better late than never on this snowy Tuesday morning.
We can’t complain because we have not seen any real precipitation of any kind for a while now, so the white that’s beginning to cover the ground is a nice change from the dark, damp days we’ve recently been having, except for the few cold and sunny ones last week.
Hope you can figure that one out. (smile) And thank the Lord I don’t have to go out in it! But whatever we have, nice or not, we still give our wonderful God much thanks because we know He’s promised to work everything out, both good and bad for our benefit if we keep LOVING, trusting and being faithful and obedient to Him! Glory to His precious name my brethren!
And if you don’t believe me, then listen to this mighty piece of scripture that details it all. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28)
And according to the scholars’ explanation. ‘8:28. To them that LOVE God is the human perspective. God is working all things together for good, but those who LOVE God are best able to appreciate that fact because they LOVE Him no matter what (cf. Job 13:15). To them who are the called is the divine perspective. Scripture often refers to believers as “the called” or “the elect.”
But we just got started with the whole contextual thing: ‘For whom He did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren.’ (Rom. 8:29) Yes friends, this foreknowing is a strong sense of knowing and being known, not merely an acquaintance kind of knowing! (smile)
And the scholars tell us: ‘8:29. Foreknowledge is God’s determination from eternity to bring certain ones into a special relationship with Himself (see also 11:2). Predestinate: See Ephesians 1:5. (To mark off or choose before. God chooses those He knows will participate in His plan of salvation and extends it to all who respond in faith).
To be conformed to the image of his Son: The goal of predestination is not to send some to hell and some to heaven, but is the believer’s glorification, to make every Christian increasingly more like His Son.’
Glory be mih people! As Bruh Paul said to the Corinthians: ‘But we all, with open (unveiled) face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed (being transformed) into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.’
Oh fellow saints of God, unlike Moses’ who had to put a veil over his face when the Lord’s glory shone through Him (2 Cor. 3:13) but which glory eventually faded, ‘under the New Covenant the believer is changed into the same image. This transformation takes place by the abiding presence of the Spirit of God.’ That means it’s a gradual process, so we have to keep on trusting and being faithful right to the very end.
But getting back to our original topic, Bruh Paul declares (yeah!) ‘Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.’ (Rom. 8:30)Wow! What wonderful news! ‘Predestinated, called, justified, glorified!’ Brother only our wonderful God can make those things happen!
As the scholars explain: ‘8:30. Called: The calling of 8:28 is pretemporal; it occurred before the creation of the world (Eph. 1:4). The calling here is temporal and refers to the effectual communication of the gospel, resulting in salvation. Justified: See 3:24. (And that says being justified means being declared righteous, signifies the believer’s judicial standing before God).
Glorified: Glorification is God’s doing. While God’s foreknowledge and predestination take place in eternity, and while God’s calling and justification are realized in history, God’s glorifying is yet future. It is as certain, however, as the previous works. Hence glorified is in the past tense. From God’s point of view it is already accomplished.’
Oh Mama, Mama! How great is our God eh? What assurance we have, that although something, our glorifying, is not done yet, He talks of it in past tense, as though it has already been done! So how can we not LOVE and obey and trust and surrender our ALL to Him eh? I just can’t understand it.
Consequently, as Bruh Paul continues: ‘What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?’ (Rom. 8:31) And the loud and clear answer to that my precious people of God is ‘NOBODY! NOT A SINGLE SOUL!’ And you ask a doubting why?
Bruh Paul also gives us the answer. ‘He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?’ (Rom. 8:32) Yes people, that makes mucho sense! If God gave up His sinless Son to save sinners, why would He then refuse to help us in time of need eh? No reason whatsoever!
No wonder, Job in all his adversity could calmly and stoically proclaim: ‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust him: but I will maintain (defend) mine own ways before him. He also shall be my salvation: for a hypocrite shall not come before him. Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.’ (Job 13:15-17)
Powerful words of faith friends! But are we able to proclaim such words ourselves? Now that’s the ultimate question. But if we consider ourselves true and faithful believers, we should be able to declare (yesss!) them without a pause or doubt in our minds and speech.
So let’s consider all that we’ve said today nuh…I know it’s plenty, but at this stage of our spiritual journey we should be eating meat and spuds, not still drinking milk, (smile) and thus be able to digest more scriptural technicalities and meanings than when we first came to Christ.
Anyway, it’s all in the reading and learning and doing and persevering that we mature, and are raised from glory to glory; a lifelong process. So if you don’t get it all now, just keep on keeping on and eventually you will get it. That’s the Lord’s promise!
And for those of us who are sincerely trying to keep on keeping on, let’s go home now declaring (oh yes! – three times I got it right today, on the first try) (big grin) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know WHO and WHOSE we are.
In strong voice, as one now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And it follows that our task is to now go out and share Christ’s LOVE and friendship with others, as He so greatly desires! Much LOVE!
…to know, know, know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him….no doubt about it…
P.S. Yes, it’s long and late…but sweet! (smile) Much LOVE!
19 Jan 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ah lick him, all mine are thine, changing power, comforting words and promises of Jesus, disunited, divided, don't have to hurry, don't have to worry, earthly ambassadors, extraordinary times, glorify thou me, healing medicine to the angry spirit, I pray for them, I pray not for the world, in god's eyes, Jesus prays for his own, Judas Iscariot, keep our faith strong, keep them from the evil one, lose my cool, neither pray I for these alone, no one can take that from me, none of them is lost, not what I do, not what I have, not what people say about me, praise songs, riddle I this riddle I that, righteous saints of Christ, sanctify them, set apart, share His love with the world, the beloved of God, the joy of Christ, the power and purpose of prayer, the son of perdition, the truth of God's word, they are not of the world, they have kept thy word, thine are mine, to be one, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, ungodly and inhuman way we living, we would be one, which shall believe on me through their word, worship mode
John 17:17. Sanctify them (set them apart) through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Yes mih bredrin, riddle I this, riddle I that nuh! (smile) How can a body go to bed, early to boot, feeling fine, then wake up coughing and being miserable eh? And all the foolish cough doing is to irritate the dormant asthma and getting me more ignorant than usual. Yeh, coughing is the easiest way for the enemy to make me lose my cool.
But yuh know what? Ah lick him this morning by getting into worship mode and listening to some praise songs. Glory Hallelujah! Still listening to them as I’m writing. Thank you for Jesus and His songs of praise and worship! They are indeed healing medicine to the angry spirit. And although the chest is still tight and wheezy, the spirit is fine friends!
Thanks be to the refreshing and comforting words and promises of Jesus in song! And that’s my testimony for this Tuesday morning, this snowy Tuesday morning in January of this new and unknown year of 2021, when so many unordinary things have seemingly become ordinary.
Oh my people, we are in the middle of some extraordinary times, and on the brink of even more extraordinary ones, if life plays out the way it’s shaping up. And no reason why it should not. But there’s one thing all we believers ought to know and believe; that is, come what may, we will all make it through, and safely too, because that’s the glorious promise of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
Be concerned yes, but don’t be worried, for Jesus has all those who believe in Him in the palms of His mighty hands. And I just want to point out some wonderful scripture where Jesus prays for His own, that’s us! Glory be!
‘And now, O Father, glorify thou me, with (alongside) thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. (Clear indication of His pre-existence (cf. 1:1) I have manifested (revealed) thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them (to) me; and they have kept thy word.
Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou hast given me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.’ (John 17:5-10)
Yeh friends, even Jesus, the Son of God, knew the power and purpose of prayer! In his final hours down here on earth He beseeched the Father on our behalf. That’s how important we were, and are, and always will be to Him! That’s why we need to keep our faith strong, keep on believing in Him just like He believed and still believes in us. That’s why He made us His earthly ambassadors!
Now hear Him further nuh: ‘And now I am no more (longer) in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee, Holy father; keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.’ (John 17:11)
Yuh hear that people, Jesus prayed that we would be ONE, just like He and the Father were ONE! How come we so divided and disunited eh? Could that be one of the problems why our world and lives are in such a disgusting state? Oh yes! It surely contributes to the ungodly and inhuman way we living.
But let’s keep on listening to Jesus: ‘While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost (destroyed), but the son of perdition (Judas Iscariot); that the scripture might be fulfilled.’ (John 17:12) Yes friends, Jesus did not lose any of those whom God gave Him to propagate His word on earth after Him: none except Judas. But that had to be so that the written scripture might be fulfilled.
‘And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.’ (John 17:13) Wow! Yuh hear that friends, Jesus desired that we might have His joy fulfilled in us! So why we are we so blooming miserable and unhappy eh, when we have the joy of Christ Himself dwelling in us? Because we fear the world and what it brings.
But listen to Jesus again: ‘I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world. Even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil (one). They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.’ (John 17:14-16)
Oh my people can we understand that we are not of this world, but we have to be in it if we want to spread Christ’s message. And that’s why Jesus asked the Father: ‘Sanctify them (set them apart) through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.’ (John 17:17-19)
Oh believers in Christ, the truth of God’s Word is what’s supposed to set us apart from the world, but is it doing that right now? Not to the extent it ought to. But hear this oh so important part of Jesus’ prayer nuh. ‘Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;’ (John 17:20)
That means us friends! Jesus had the foresight to pray for those who came to believe in Him all down through the ages, until His second coming. So what’s going on with us eh? Why are we living like the rest of the world and not sanctified, justified, reconciled, righteous saints of Christ eh?
And hear this last part of Jesus’ prayer. ‘That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast LOVED them, as thou hast LOVED me.’ (John 17:21-23)
What’s in all of that we don’t understand eh people? We were set apart, to be ONE, so we could show the world the truth of God’s Word! But we definitely could not be call unified, or even close to being ONE! No wonder the world doesn’t take us seriously. And until we become more unified and not more divided, as we seem to be getting, we’ll have little or no power to change the world in Jesus’ name! Nuff said!
But for those of us who are sincerely trying to do what Christ desires of us, let’s go home now declaring (oh yeah!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know who and whose we are.
As ONE now:‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
So let’s go out and do just that nuh! Much LOVE!
…only as Christ’s people are unified…will they truly have changing power…
Previous Older Entries
