18 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a big family of children, a long way from resembling the Lord, a state of transformation, babes in Christ, beholding as in a glass, being confident of this very thing, but then face to face, by the Spirit of the Lord, caring, carnal, catch our second wind, changed into the same image, come face to face with Christ, dissesnsions, divisions, endure right to the end, envying, eternally separated from God, faith, fed you with milk not meat, forgiving, from glory to glory, get with the programme, giving, glad to be alive, grow in spiritual maturity, halfway home, hands on the plough, he did predestinate, he which hath begun a good work in you, holy spirit, I put away childish things, I spake as a child, I thought as a child, I understood as a child, Jesus Christ, leave us in the lurch, LOVE, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not looking back, now I know in part, now we see through a glass darkly, One Year Book of Bible promises, put away childish things, reflecting the glory of God, Resemblance, rfts in the church, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, sharing, strife, thank God, the abiding presence of the Spirit of God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the firstborn among many brethren, the glory of God, the worst thing that can happen to a human soul, then shall I know even as also I am known, times of uncertainty, to a glorious future with Jesus, to be conformed to the image of his Son, to resemble each other, truth, two people love deeply, wake up, walks as men, we all with open face, we always have Jesus by our side, Wednesday Wail, when I became a man, when I was a child, whom he did foreknow, will perform it until the day of Jesus, wisdom, ye are yet carnal, you were not able to bear it
Romans 8:29. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
It’s Wednesday friends, the middle day of our work week, when we’re supposed to catch our second wind and finish strong on Friday for Jesus! And it’s a beautiful summer’s day in my neighbourhood, with temps in the mid-twenties, and possibly going higher as the day progresses, although they are calling for some afternoon rain. But however it plays out, let’s remember that we always have Jesus by our side, and His Holy Spirit within us to help us with whatever comes against us!
And in keeping with that thought that Jesus is always with us, let’s consider this interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one is simply titled ‘Resemblance.’ Don’t know if I’ve shared it before, but it’s still worthwhile sharing, especially in these times of fear and uncertainty.
So please read with me. ‘Lord, somewhere I read That when two people LOVE deeply When they live together Sharing Caring Giving Forgiving Eventually they begin to resemble each other. Lord, how long will it be Before I look like You?’ Now isn’t that an interesting question? It certainly is. And there’s proof to show that when two people live together for a long time in good circumstances they do begin to resemble each other. So the assumption here is that as believers in God, we live with Him for a long time, and thus at some stage we will become like Him.
And yuh better believe that’s been the Lord’s plan from day one; that we will all become like Jesus, as our Bible Promise for the poem reflects the words of Bruh Paul to the church at Corinth. ‘But we all with open (unveiled) face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed (transformed) into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.’ (2 Cor. 3:18)
Now what does all of that mean eh? The scholars explain. ‘Beholding as in a glass: The term beholding can have the sense of “reflecting.” The believer himself “reflects” the glory of the Lord just as the face of Moses reflected the glory of the Lord. For Moses the glory eventually faded away, but under the New Covenant the believer is changed into the same image. This transformation takes place by the abiding presence of the Spirit of God.’
In other words we are gradually changed to become like Jesus. As Bruh Paul said to the Roman church: ‘For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.’ (Rom. 8:29) Yes friends, those the Lord predestined to believe in His Son, were to be changed into His image, so that there would be a big family of like children, with Jesus being the firstborn. And the Lord has been working steadily on it. Remember what Bruh Paul wrote to the Philippians? ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begin a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6)
Ah mih people, once the Lord begins His transforming work on us, He will not stop until Jesus returns, or He takes us home; whichever one comes first. (smile) And I guess you can compare our transformation to what Bruh Paul said in his first letter to the Corinthians. ‘When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass (mirror) darkly (dimly); but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.’ (1 Cor. 13:11-12)
Now that brings a sense of how we ought to behave as believers. In the early days we would know a little like children do, and behave like them., merely seeing like shadows of the real thing. However, as we grow in spiritual maturity, we need to put away the childish things, know more of the Word and put it into greater action, and eventually we shall know it all when we come face to face with Christ.
We ought not to be like Bruh Paul told the Corinthians earlier on. ‘And I brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat (solid food): for hitherto (until now) ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions (dissensions), are ye not carnal, (fleshly), and walk as men (according to man and not to God).’ (1 Cor. 3:1-3)
And sadly, that can be said about too many of us supposed Christians. We’re still involved in the many evil and ungodly ways of the world, with envying, strife, dissensions and disunity causing many rifts in the church of Christ, which ought to be One body, not the many bodies it is today. So, unfortunately, because of our carnality, too many of us are still a long way away from resembling the Lord, as our poem enquired. Now, that’s not a very good thing, because our carnality can leave us in the lurch, far away from God, even eternally separated from Him. And that’s the worst thing that can happen to a human soul.
So, let’s wake up and get with programme nuh man. We’re playing with our eternal destiny, the most important aspect of our lives, and it’s not wise to do that. And, for those of us who’re indeed trying to do better, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ.
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 for those who endure with Jesus right down to the very end, it’s been promised that they will enjoy a future even more glorious than their minds can imagine. Therefore, I hope and pray that we will all endure to the very end, and enjoy that more than glorious future with Jesus! Much LOVE!
…you can’t be a true believer in Christ…unless you’re in a state of transformation…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a demanding kind of love, a gossip, a hell hole, a hellbound world, a serious warning, anger, arrogance, bear any grudge against the children of thy people, bearing life long grudges, dedicate your life to God, disobedience to God's word, do not rebuke your neighbour, do not suffer sin upon your neighbour, eternal separation from God, everlasting truth, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, flowing through me, for thy good, free will, glad to be alive, God will circumcise thine heart, halfway home, hands on the plough, hang all the law and the prophets, hating our brothers, hatred, holy spirit, I am the Lord, Jesus Christ, keep the commandments of the Lord, LOVE, Love the Lord thy God, Love thy neighbour as thyself, mercy, narcissistic love, not looking back, obeying God's commandments gives life, on these two commandments, resentment, right to the very end, robots, salvation, Satan is of no help, selfishness, stand against the blood of thy neighbour, step up to the plate, stick with Jesus, strife, thank God, that thou mayest live, the basic foundation of God's law, the basis for a fulfilling life, the breath of life, the essence of God's law, the first and great commandment, the heart of thy seed, The Lord our God is one Lord, thou, Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer, thou shalt not hate thy brother, thou shalt not take vengeance, to a glorious future with Jesus, to celan up our act, to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, treat others with care and compassion, truth, two fundamental principles, Wednesday Wail, what doth the Lord require of thee, when the chips fall, wisdom, wish to see the pearly gates, with all thy heart soul and mind
Matthew 22:37. Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.
And it’s going to be another beautiful summer’s day, with high temps and a cool breeze to nullify the heat. So what more can we ask eh? Nothing really, except that we step up to the plate and truly do as Jesus tells us in reply to the uppity, arrogant lawyer’s question. ‘Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:37-40)
Yes mih friends, those two commandments are the basic foundation of God’s law…LOVE God – dedicate your life to Him, and LOVE your neighbour as you LOVE yourself – treat others with the same care and compassion that we give ourselves. It’s all about LOVE! The greatest emotion and attribute of God and mankind! Hopefully we’ll LOVE ourselves with a good LOVE, not a narcissistic, arrogant, selfish and demanding kind, and we can then transfer that wholesome LOVE to our neighbours. Wow! What a wonderful world this would be if we could only live that way!
And this commentary explains the purpose of the Great Commandment thus. ‘The “Great Commandment,” as cited by Jesus in the New Testament, refers to two fundamental principles: LOVING God with all your being and LOVING your neighbor as yourself. It’s not a single commandment but two intertwined ones, representing the essence of God’s law and the basis for a fulfilling life. These two commandments are presented as the foundation upon which the entire law and the prophets rest. They are not a replacement for the Ten Commandments but a distillation of their meaning, emphasizing the importance of a heart-felt LOVE for God and for others.’
And that’s nothing new, for Moses reiterated the Great Commandment at least three times for the children of Israel in the book of Deuteronomy. So, let’s check them out nuh. In chapter 6, Moses declares: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.’ (Deut. 6:4-5)
Then in chapter 10, he says: ‘And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to LOVE him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good (benefit or welfare).’ (Deut. 10:12-13) And please note that last verse specifies that keeping the Lord’s commandments are not for His good but for ours!
When are we going to wake up and realize that everlasting truth eh my people? So that our world can become a much better place for our children’s children, because what we’re currently bequeathing to them is nothing less that a hell hole, a tragically hell bound world!
Then in chapter 30, Moses again tells the Israelites about their basic duty to God. ‘And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to LOVE the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.’ (Deut. 30:6) Please note that last phrase ‘that thou mayest live.’ Again, LOVING God and obeying His commandments will give us life, and by inference, doing the opposite will surely cut it short. How long is it going to take us to learn eh friends, that all the Lord says and does and expects of us is for our good?
And as per LOVING and respecting our neighbour, hear these instructions from the Book of Leviticus. Moses writes: ‘Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer (gossip) among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood (life) of thy neighbour: I am the Lord. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise (surely reprove, criticize, rebuke) thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him (bear sin because of him). Thou shalt not avenge (take vengeance), nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.’ (Lev. 19:16-18)
Unfortunately though, all those things that the Lord said we should not do, are exactly what we’re doing today. For, gossip, taking our neighbour’s lives, or putting them in jeopardy, rebuking, criticizing, bearing sin against our neighbours, hating our brothers, both biological and figurative, taking vengeance on others, and bearing unnecessary, even life-long grudges are the things that are most prominent in our current society. What it does it say about out LOVE for God eh, about the reverence and obedience we have for Him! Nada! We don’t consider Him important, else our behaviour would be entirely different.
And then we wonder why our world is in such chaos and disaster, with strife, anger, hatred, resentment amongst the major ingredients of our lives. It’s simple friends: disobedience to God’s Word, and a strong desire to live the carnal and evil way that Satan promotes. But let’s remember that when the chips fall, Satan can’t help us, not even one iota, for all those who live like him will be headed straight to hellfire and damnation, with eternal separation from God. Therefore, this is a serious warning for us to clean up our act if we ever wish to see the pearly gates of heaven.
Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to live for Christ, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail (chuh!!!) and let me apologize for a mindless blunder yesterday, calling our Tuesday Mantra, the Tuesday Wail. Don’t know where my head was. (smile)
So with strong and sincere voice, let’s offer up our Wednesday Wail. ‘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 our puny, finite minds cannot picture the glorious future that awaits those who stick with Jesus right to the very end. Hope and pray to see you there! Much LOVE!
…God did not want His most marvellous creation to be robots…so He gave us free will…hoping that we would use it to live for Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a healthy fear, a solid foundation to build on, acknowledging God's sovereignty, act in an appropriate manner, an ornament of grace to your head, beat about the bush, causes one to act in an appropriate manner, chains about thy neck, choose wisdom over folly, continue to the end with Jesus, discretion shall preserve thee, even when he is old, experiential knowledge of God, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, falsehoods, fanciful theories, fools despise wisdom, forsake not the law of thy mother, glad to be alive, godly wisdom, good and bad, halfway home, hands on the plough, he will not depart from it, hear the instruction of thy father, holy spirit, if God spares life, instruction, Jesus Christ, liable to fall for anything, LOVE, mercy, moral discipline, naive people, not looking back, on the wrong track of life, our Christian lifestyle, our second wind day, our wonderful position in Jesus, salvation, skill in living, Solomon, teach them the right way from the start, the apprehension of reality, the beginning of knowledge, the best gift we can give our children, the Book of Proverbs, the capability to distinguish between true and false, the controlling principle of wisdom, the fear of the Lord, the gospel truth, the power of formulating and carrying out right measures, the purpose of Proverbs, the reverential awe of God, the skill to live life successfully, the wisdom of God, the wisdom of man, the wisest man ever, the Word of god, those open any influence, to a glorious future with Jesus, train up a child in how he should go, truth, understanding, Wednesday Wail, who's the boss, wisdom, wisdom and understanding should begin at home
Proverbs 1:7. ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the beginning (the principal beginning) of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom.’
So, once again it’s Wednesday friends, our second wind day, and we on the late, late bus, because I had some stuff to take care of here at home. I couldn’t put them off any longer. I tried, but the Duchess would not allow it. And yuh know who’s the boss. (smile) Anyway, it’s a fairly warm, cloudy day with the promise of rain in the forecast, but that won’t bother me because I’ve already done my outside running around.
And today we’ll touch on the subject of wisdom, that’s godly wisdom, not the nonsense the world showcases as such, for if that was so right, our world would not be in the awful mess that its currently in. And who better to learn wisdom from, than the wisest man ever, Cousin Sol. And he touches, no, he examines it very deeply in the Book of Proverbs. He doesn’t beat about the bush either, but gets right to the point, opening with the purpose of the Book.
It’s been written for mankind ‘To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive (discern) the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgement, and equity; To give subtilty (prudence) to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; a man of understanding shall attain unto (acquire) wise counsels:’ (Prov. 1:2-5) And having stated his avowed purpose, he then sets down the basis of his theory with these wise words. ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the beginning (the principal beginning) of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom.’ (Prov. 1:7)
And both of those statements are indisputable true! The beginning of wisdom starts with acknowledging Almighty God, His sovereignty and omnipotence! And it’s obvious that fools despise wisdom, as so many of today’s population refuse to acknowledge Almighty God and serve Him. Then he pleads with his son, or those who follow after him: ‘My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.’ (Prov. 1:8-9) Yes friends, that’s how important wisdom is to us.
And what you ask, is this great thing called Wisdom? It’s the key word in the Book, and basically, as the scholars tell us, it means “skill in living.” So it can mean either having a physical skill like metalwork, engraving, carving or such, but metaphorically, as used in Proverbs, it refers to the skill to live life successfully. Meanwhile, Instruction (vs.2) refers to moral discipline of one’s life, not to classroom instruction. Understanding (vs.2) means the capability to distinguish between true and false, good and bad, what matters most and what does not matter at all.
The simple in verse 4 are naïve young people open to any influence, and they are among the ones to whom Cousin Sol chiefly addresses the book. Knowledge (vs.4) means the apprehension of reality, including experiential knowledge of God. Discretion (vs.4) refers to the power of formulating and carrying out right measures. And the wise (vs.5) as well as the untaught can learn from this book. The fear of the Lord (vs.7) means submission to the Lord and His revelation. When one is afraid of something, he either runs from it or submits to it. The latter idea is in view hear. It is a healthy fear, like the fear of electricity or the fear of one’s parents, which causes one to act in an appropriate manner.
The beginning (vs.7) does not mean that “the fear of the Lord “is left behind in the course of acquiring wisdom, but that it is the controlling principle of wisdom. Then My son (vs.8) begins the first of ten similar discourses in which the father appeals to his son to listen to his counsel and choose wisdom over folly. The mention of the mother shows that the original setting of the book was home, not the court or school. End of explanations.
And is that ever where wisdom and understanding ought to be begin…in the home, by the parents, unlike what’s happening today. We’re so busy and otherwise occupied that we claim not to have time to teach our children the right way, and leave that for places like school and the church to do. But neither do those who work in those places always have time to teach the children the right stuff, or most probably what they’re teaching them is not in accord with the Word of God and our Christian lifestyle. So they can be teaching them any of the many fanciful theories and falsehoods that exist today, and that’s basically why so many young people are currently on the wrong track of life.
They should have had the proper groundwork taught to them at home. Remember what Cousin Sol says later on in Proverbs? ‘Train up a child in the way he should go: and (even) when he is old, he will not depart from it.’ (Prov. 22:6) And that’s the gospel truth my friends! And I can vouch for that from personal experience, for my mother trained me properly, and though for a while I deviated from it, I never lost sight of what she taught me. And that’s the best gift we can ever give to our children; teach them the right way early on, for then they at least have the basic knowledge of life, and as we all know, if you don’t know have a solid foundation to build on, you’re liable to fall for anything.
And I’m chuckling here friends, because I never intended to get into all those explanations, but I’m glad we did, because it now gives us a good foundation to understand some of Cousin Sol’s very profound statements on wisdom, which we’ll get into tomorrow, if God spares life. Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) 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’ve learned true wisdom, then we’ll continue right to the very end with Jesus, because that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! So, hoping and praying to meet you there! Much LOVE!
…oh…for our world to know, understand and practice…the wisdom of God…and not that of man…as we’re currently doing…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a joy, bangles, baubles, bright shiny things, broken right now in the name of Jesus, climate change, curse, dem's the breaks, Demas hath forsaken me, discouraging message, divine protection, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, favour, following Jesus is a serious commitment, fulfillment, go thou and preach the kingdom of God, hands fixed securely on the plough, having loved this present world, he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever, holy spirit, if any man love the world, is fit for the kingdom of heaven, Jesus Christ, lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, let the dead bury their dead, life's lesser matters, look to the future not the past, looking back, looking back means you're not dedicated enough, LOVE, love not the world, lust of the flesh, mercy, meritorious benefits, moth and rust doth corrupt, negative word, no man having put his hand to the plough, not looking back, only a life with Jesus lasts forever, personal desires, physical desires, plow means work or task, pride, pride of life, prosper, rewards for faithful service, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, self-interest, share generously, springtime, strong faith in Christ, succeed, supernatural strength, supernatural wisdom, the disciple has more important things to do, the love of the Father is not in him, the lust of the eyes, the lust thereof, the spiritually dead, the spiritually dead can bury the physically dead, the spiritually living, the world passes away, thieves break through and steal, things of the world, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, where your treasure is there will be your heart also, winter climate, wisdom, working for God on earth
Luke 9:62. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit (suitable) for the kingdom of heaven.
Oh friends, Thursday has opened bright and sunshiny from the very beginning, although it’s still somewhat chilly. Let’s hope it stays that way…but luck of all luck, I just looked down at the bottom of the computer and saw this dreary and discouraging message: ‘3 cm of snow on Sunday.’ Brother, I thought that since we’re in springtime, we were all over with that white stuff, but apparently not. And we can’t write off the report, because last week when it said snow on Monday, we did get snow early on Monday morning, although not a great amount and it melted very quickly.
But dem’s the breaks! If you live in the winter climate, you must expect winter weather at any time, especially with the crazy weather patterns that we’re currently experiencing in the throes of climate change. Anyway, not to worry, we will overcome whatever comes against us through strong faith in, and the help of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. He’s promised it, and He keeps all of His promises.
So, today, let’s look at a couple of interesting verses from Luke’s gospel. The story behind it is that one man wants to follow Jesus, but he wants to go and bury his father first. To which Jesus replies: ‘Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.’ (Luke 9: 60) Now that sounds somewhat rough and unfeeling of Jesus, but this commentary explains it thus: ‘The man needs to let someone else bury his father; he needs to spread the news of the coming of God’s kingdom. Jesus’ play on words most likely means that the spiritually dead—those who refuse to follow Him—can bury the physically dead; in this case, the spiritually living—the disciple—has more important things to do.’
That leads to this next situation. Another man wants to go and say farewell to his family before following Jesus. ‘And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit (suitable) for the kingdom of heaven.’ (Luke 9:62) Now that’s a big statement my people! And what does it mean? The scholars put it thus: ‘One who makes life’s lesser matters of greater priority than God’s work is of little use to him.’
Then this commentary explains: ‘Luke is showing that following Jesus is a serious commitment. We can’t look back at the past; we need to keep our eyes on our work and where it will take us in the future.’ Meanwhile this other commentary says: ‘Plow is synonymous with work or a task. The implication is that once you begin your walk with Jesus, but then look back to the worldly life you lived once before (i.e.: in longing for), you are not dedicated enough to continue and/or complete that task.’
There you have it my brethren: Basically, once we have begun our walk with Jesus we cannot look back or long for the things of the past, but need to press on to the things of the future that Jesus has in store for us. That’s why we have this statement in our Wednesday Wail: ‘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.’ It’s all about looking to the future my brethren!
And we have an interesting comment on just that from Bruh Paul to Timothy: ‘Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica…’ (2 Tim. 4:9-10) Now, that’s the kind of thing Jesus is talking about. We cannot just up and leave our ministry for the world and expect everything to be hunky dory.
As John so rightly puts it in his first epistle. ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (physical desires), and the lust of the eyes (personal desires), and the pride of life (self-interest), is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’ (1 John 2:15-17)
Ah mih people, I know Satan and his evil cronies are always throwing baubles, bangles and bright shiny things in our faces, and it’s hard to stay away from the entrancing and captivating things of the world, but we need to seriously realize that most of those things are either not necessary, ungodly, or not a part of God’s will for us, plus they will not last forever. Only a life with Jesus will last forever!
Jesus made it quite clear, when He delivered these teachings. ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through and steal. For where you treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:19-21)
Yes friends, we should not be so taken up with accumulating things here on earth, which rust and rot and thieves can steal, but with accumulating treasures in heaven, where they are safeguarded from moths, rust and thieves. And according to the scholars: ‘The concept of laying up treasures in heaven is not pictured as one of meritorious benefits, but rather of rewards for faithful service, as illustrated elsewhere in the teachings of Jesus.’
And yuh know what, our God is such a great God that He’s bestowed undeserved blessings on us so that we can better do His earthly work and thus earn more heavenly rewards for faithful service. We call them our Thurseday Blessings. So, let’s declare them out loud and thus activate them nuh. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having activated those blessings it’s now our bounden duty to go out and use them to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…working for God on earth…should be a joy…as we consider…the treasures we’re building up in heaven…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a light unto my path, avoids evil influences, be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, Bible, blessed are the undefiled, blessed are they that keep His testimonies, blessed is the man, brings forth his fruit in his season, called to do His work, christianity, daily light our paths, day and night, declared righteous, delights in God's Word, do no iniquity, drag us down to the depths of Hades, even to the end of the world, everlasting hope, evil attitudes, evil deeds, faith, goodness, halfway home, hands on the plough, his delight is in the law of the Lord, his leaf also shall not wither, holy spirit, I am with you always, if any man will come after me, in his law doth he meditate, it is not a free pass to sin, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the everlasting hope, Jesus took our punishment, joy, justified, let him deny himself, living for Christ is not easy, lo, LOVE, mercy, more joy that sorrow in our hearts, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, nor sits in the seat of the scornful, nor stands in the way of sinners, not because we fear punishment, not looking back, our human sin nature, promised to make all things right, prosper and have good success, right to the very end, salvation, second wind day, seek him with their whole heart, short -lived pleasures, show us the way, stay the course with Jesus, take up his cross daily and follow me, thank God, that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, the blessed man is the righteous man, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the paths of righteousness, there are always consequences to sin, there is therefore now no condemnation, this is the day the Lord has made, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to a glorious future with Jesus, to them which are in Christ Jesus, to those who love him, truth, turn away from sin, walk in his ways, walk in the law of the Lord, walk not after the flesh but after the spirit, we understand God's love and sacrifice, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail, whatsoever he does shall prosper, wisdom
Psalm 118:24. This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
So, Wednesday, our second wind day has rolled in, but most of us don’t really need to catch any second wind, because so far, we’ve only worked one day for the week. Or maybe I’m wrong, all the partying over the long Family Day weekend, or the shovelling of all that snow still has a hold on us. (smile) But however we are, today is a new day, and we can expect new things to happen from our great God. That’s why we can joyfully declare: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24)
And there’s no better way to greet a new day my faithful brethren, because we never know what joy and goodness it may contain, and we’re always expecting something good from our God; that’s the everlasting hope we have in Him! He’s promised to make all things right eventually, for those who LOVE Him and are called to do His work, (Rom. 8:28) so if we are His children and believe His Word, then we ought to always have more joy than sorrow in our hearts.
Life will never be totally easy, especially with our human sin nature, but if we’re sincerely walking with God, then we know that He is guiding and leading us along the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. As these opening words of Psalm 119 indicate: ‘Blessed are the undefiled (blameless) in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.’ (Ps. 119:1-3) Yes friends, that’s what expected of us, as believers in Christ Jesus: to walk in His ways, now and forever.
And if you don’t believe those words from Psalm 119, then try these from Psalm 1. ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder) day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps. 1:1-3)
Oh my people, that is the kind of believers we’re called to be. And I like how the scholars explain it. ‘The key word in the psalm is the word blessed. It serves here as a pronouncement upon a man – but a certain kind of man. In essence, the psalm is teaching that the blessed or happy man is the righteous man. The happy man avoids evil influences, deeds and attitudes (vs.1); he delights in God’s Word (vs. 2), therefore, God causes him to prosper.’
Now the big question is why aren’t so many of us supposed believers prospering? Is it that we are allowing the evil deeds, attitudes and influences of the world to overly influence our daily lives? That could surely be a part of the answer, especially when we see the great hold that evil and all its attendant vices currently have on the world and are constantly bombarding us with the cheap and short-lived pleasures of iniquity.
However friends, we cannot use that as an excuse, because we have the Lord’s Word and His everlasting promise that if we meditate on it day and night and put it into action in our lives, then we will prosper and have good success. (Josh. 1:8) That means, if we’re not prospering, then some, if not all of the fault lies in our not taking God’s Word seriously and doing as He says. Remember what the author of Psalm 119 also says; ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105)
Now, are we making that the truth in our lives? Are we allowing the word of God to show us the way, and daily light our paths? That’s another question we ought to ask. And please don’t take this as condemnation, for remember Bruh Paul’s words to the church at Rome: ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.’ (Rom. 8:1)
And that, as this commentary explains, basically means ‘those who have faith in Jesus are no longer under judgment for their sins, because those who believe in Jesus are justified, or declared righteous before God. This is because Jesus took on the punishment that people deserve for their sins, dying in their place. However, we turn away from sin, not because we fear punishment, but because we understand the LOVE and sacrifice that God has bestowed upon us. In conclusion, Romans 8:1, when properly understood, is a powerful declaration of God’s LOVE and mercy towards us. However, it is not a free pass to sin.’
Definitely not! For there are always consequences to sin. But we have to fight, to truly know, to meditate on God’s Word and put it into action so that our sinfulness will not drag us down to the depths of Hades. Oh my fellow saints, we all know that living for Christ is not as easy as it sometimes sounds, because we have taken solemn vows to be His ambassadors and agents in the world. Remember what Jesus desires of all who choose to become His disciple. ‘If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23)
Yes friends, that’s what we signed up for, to DAILY take up our cross and follow Jesus. But let’s remember too, that He’s always with us, helping us out in each and every situation, per His promise; ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) And when we remember that, it gives us the wherewithal to keep on keeping on in His glorious name! Now, let’s go home declaring 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 yuh know what, it’s been promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine, if we stay the course with Jesus right to the very end. So, let’s be wise and do that nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…the best way to success in this evil world…meditating on God’s Word…then putting it into action…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house, apologies, Bible, Chrisitans, continue thy righteousness, drink of the river of thy pleasures, endure to the end, ever-faithful is God's name, expereince with God builds trust, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, filled with wonder, God cannot deny Himself, God is indeed faithful, God's faithfulness, halfway home, hands on the plough, holy spirit, how excellent is thy loving-kindness, I look forward with joy, I remember all that you've done, in thy light shall we see light, Jesus Christ, lift up my heart to you in trust, LOVE, mercy, not looking back, nothing is too hard for you, one of those days, praise your name, reacheth unto the clouds, remembering what God has done, salvation, so glad to be alive, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the children of men put their trust, the essence of faith, the essence of faithfulness, the fountain of life, think of your great faithfulness, thou preservest man and beast, thy faithfulness, thy judgements are a great ocean, thy righteousness is like the great mountains, to a glorious future with Jesus, to seeing your plans fulfilled, truth, under the shadow of thy wings, Wednesday Wail, when I don't understand an outcome, when things look impossible, wisdom, you come through in amazing ways, your are faithful, your ways never fail
Psalm 36:5. Thy mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS), O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
Oh my people, please accept my heartfelt apologies, but it was just one of those days, when everything that could happen, happened. I did not even get to go to my Wednesday morning prayer group because I wasn’t in such good shape, then I had a doctor’s appointment in the noonday, and that took longer than I expected. Then, with the running of a couple of necessary errands, I did not return home until late in the afternoon, and by then I needed to rest. So the Bit was put off until now!
I even toyed with not writing it, but did not want to miss any more days than I’ve already done in the last week or so. Therefore, this will be short and sweet. (smile) And today we’re going to have a short talk about God’s faithfulness. And if you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you will know that God is indeed faithful. And before we get into any scripture, let’s read this prayer from one of the prayer cards recently put out by the In Touch Ministry, so aptly titled ‘God’s Faithfulness.’
So, please pray with me: ‘I’m filled with wonder, God, when I think of Your great faithfulness. When things look impossible, You come through in amazing ways. Truly nothing is too hard for You. I remember all You’ve done in the past and praise Your name! When I don’t understand an outcome, I will lift up my heart to You in trust. You are faithful, and Your ways never fail. I look forward with joy to seeing Your plans fulfilled. Thank You for Your perfect works.’
And believe me friends I can certainly testify to the faithfulness of God, back in the past and also right now in the lengthy health problems that I’m going through. As the prayer says: ‘When things look impossible, You come through in amazing ways.’ And I saw that happen today. Something that should have taken weeks to happen will now happen in days, because of God’s faithfulness.
And the important thing that so many of us forget to do, is as the prayer says: ‘I remember all You’ve done in the past and praise Your name!’ Yes friends, that’s the essence of faith and faithfulness; remembering what God has done, and thus knowing that He can and will do it again. But too many of us don’t remember God’s faithfulness, that’ why our faith is oftentimes so small when it needs to be big.
Then there are these most important words that come from that faithfulness in God. ‘When I don’t understand an outcome, I will lift up my heart to you in trust. You are faithful, and your ways never fail.’ Now that’s where true faith comes in! You know God’s faithfulness and although you don’t understand what’s happening, you still put your heartfelt trust in Him, because you’ve seen Him come through for you many times before. And that’s one of the benefits of having a long personal relationship with God, your experience builds your trust.
And since we promised to be short and sweet, (smile – it is possible) let’s turn now to the scripture quoted on the card for the Lord’s faithfulness, a most amazing, positive and uplifting one. Please read with me, these faithful words of Bruh David from Psalm 36. ‘Thy mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS), O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains (lit. mountains of God); thy judgements are a great deep (ocean): O Lord, thou preservest man and beast.
How excellent (precious) is thy LOVING-KINDNESS, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness (fullness) of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. O continue thy LOVING-KINDNESS unto them that know thee: and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.’ (Ps. 36:5-10)
And you can bet your bottom dollar my fellow believers, that if you truly know God and His righteousness, then He will continue to be faithful to you right until the very end! 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 it’s been promised that the future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So please, let’s plan to meet at the very end nuh, and enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…the Lord is faithful even when we’re not…for EVER-FAITHFUL is His name…and He cannot deny Himself…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a godly attitude, a way out, above that ye are able to bear, an egress, an enormous price to pay, an ungodly world, avert temptations, be of good cheer, Bible, blessings await those who endure, call on you for help, called unto the fellowship of his son, capitulation, challenges, christianity, Christians, common to man, conquered the forces of evil, delivered him up for us all, demonic followers, disobedience, draw us into his web, endure to the end, eternal death, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, frustrations, give me the wisdom and courage to take it, God is faithful, God will not suffer you to be tempted more than you can bear, grace, halfway home, hands on the plough, he that spared not his own Son, holy spirit, i have overcome the world, if god be for us who can be against us, in me ye might have peace, in that marvellous journey, in the world, In Touch, inviting them to join us, Jesus Christ, joys, looking for company, lose the best thing we've ever had, LOVE, loving me enough, made me firm against old temptations, mercy, my desire to be obedient, not looking back, not turning back, our wonderful position in Jesus, problems, recognize temptations, refuse us anything else, rejoice, salvation, Satan, separation from God, short-loved pleasure, show the way out, sinfulness of Satan, so glad to be alive, temptation, temptations are inevitable, thank God, thank you for victory, the breath of life, the propitiation for our sins, the pull of false pleasure, there hath no temptation taken you, to a glorious future with Jesus, to rescue me from every trap, truth, victory, what then shall say to these things, where I'm still tempted, wisdom, you shall have tribulation, your escape route
1 Corinthians 10:13 b. but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able;
Awright friends, Wednesday is up with its joys, problems, challenges and frustrations. But since this is the day we catch our second wind, then hopefully we’ll deal with all of them with a right and godly attitude. (smile) To help us do that, let’s offer up a prayer on a very appropriate subject: Temptation. Yes, we all know that’s our biggest problem in this world, and although we have all the tools to deal with it, the enemy doesn’t make it easy for us. This prayer comes from some prayer cards recently issued by the In Touch Organization, on useful topics that constantly affect our lives. And there’s certainly none bigger than Temptation!
So, let’s pray: ‘Father, where Your grace has made me firm against old temptations, thank You for victory. In areas where I’m still tempted, I call on You for help. Show me the way out, and give me the wisdom and courage to take it. Make my desire to be obedient greater than the pull of false pleasure. When I see Your escape route, I will rejoice, knowing blessings await those who endure. Thank You for LOVING me enough to rescue me from every trap. Amen!’
Oh friends, do we ever need God’s recuing from all the traps Satan and his demonic followers place in our paths! Especially, as the prayer says with ‘the pull of false pleasure.’ That’s Satan’s favourite way of drawing us in; placing what looks like pleasure before us, but a pleasure that’s often short-lived, and very often with an enormous price to pay for our disobedience. But thanks be to God that He’s promised to help us recognize and hopefully avert those temptations.
And here’s the most famous scripture on that topic, from the pen of Bruh Paul in his first missive to the Corinthians. ‘There hath no temptation taken (overcome) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13) Now that tells us that we all experience the same basic types of temptation, but we have a most faithful God who will not allow us to undergo a temptation bigger than we can handle, but even if it seems like He’s done so, He will always make a way for us to handle it.
And according to the scholars: ‘Make a way to escape (lit. “an egress” or “way out”): In early Greek usage, this term had the sense of a landing place for a ship. The idea is thus not that He will allow us to escape temptation, but that He will enable us to land intact on the other side.’ Now, that’s something a lot of us supposed believers need to come to terms with. Temptation is a must; it’s just part of the world order of things. Even Jesus was tempted before He officially began His ministry. (Luke 4:1-13)
And He subsequently warned us: ‘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) That means in this ungodly and evil world we will certainly have trials, troubles, tests, temptations and all kinds of trouble! However, as believers in Christ Jesus, who has already conquered the forces of evil, we can be of good cheer, or have a basic peace and faith that allows us to go forward with courage, facing whatever comes against with a good, strong and godly attitude.
Why? Because our God is faithful to His promises! Bruh Paul said it thus to the Corinthians: ‘God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellow ship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (1 Cor: 1:9) And I like this scripture that corroborates that one. ‘What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him freely give us all things?’ (Rom. 8:31-32)
Now those are indeed very good questions? If the omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent God is for us, who can harm us eh? Nobody! And if He’s already broken His own heart, done the most important thing ever by giving us His Son Jesus Christ as the propitiation for our sins, why would He refuse us anything else eh, for nothing can be more important than that?
Oh my fellow believers, if we would only use our brains and meditate on God’s Word, we’d certainly see how much He truly LOVES us and desires us to have a good life. He’s bent over backwards to show it, there’s no more He can do. The rest is all up to us; either to accept or reject His grace, mercy, favour, faithfulness and LOVE! Or to foolishly accept the short-term pleasures and sinfulness of Satan, who has no LOVE whatsoever for us, but is only looking for company to spend eternal death and separation from God with him. Let’s hope we’re not foolish enough to allow him to draw us into his web and lose the best thing we’ve ever had; that’s Jesus Christ.
Now, let’s go home declaring (chuhhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, and inviting them to join us in that marvellous journey! 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 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 please, let’s plan on being there right at the very end nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future! See you there! Much LOVE!
…in an ungodly world…temptations are inevitable…but capitulation to them is not…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a curtailing of strife, a feed trough, a multitude of heavenly host, a part of the Prince of Peace's peaceful army, a Saviour, abide by the rules, an angel descended from heaven, appeared to shepherds in the fields, begin a slow march back to peace, Bible, break Satan's bondage, Christ the Lord, christianity, Counsellor, double minded people, draw near to God, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fear not, glad to be alive, Glory to god in the highest, halfway home, hands on the plough, Happy New Year, his name shall be called, holy spirit, humble and peaceful, humble yourselves in the sight of God, I bring you good tidings of great joy, in the city of David, Jesus Christ, Jesus' birth, joyful Christmas season, judgement, justice, LOVE, lying in a manger, mercy, Merry Christmas, not looking back, on earth, peace and good will to men, personified by Christ, praising God, princely and proud, ramp up our situation with God, resist the devil, resist the devil and he will flee from you, rumours of wars, salvation, sitting on the fence, submit yourselves to God, the everlasting Father, the glory of the Lord shone around them, the government shall be upon his shoulder, the mighty God, the One True God, the Prince of Peace, the winds of change, the zeal of the Lord of hosts, this Christmas day Wednesday, this day is born, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, wars, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, Wonderful, wrapped in swaddling clothes
Isaiah 9:6a. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
Ho, Ho, Ho! A Merry Christmas to all; and to all a Happy New Year! Yes friends, we wish you and yours all the best for this joyful Christmas season. For as Isaiah prophesied so long ago: ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of his father David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is. 9:6-7)
And my fellow believers, the zeal of the Lord of hosts did perform that miracle some two thousand years ago, when in the fields of Israel, one starry, starry night, an angel descended from heaven on high and appeared to shepherds watching over their flocks. And the shepherds were terribly afraid, because as the angel appeared, so too all around them the glory of the Lord began shining.
‘And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David (Bethlehem) a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes (cloths), lying in a manger.’ (Luke 2:10-12)
Yes friends, our great God does whatever He promises. And on this day some two thousand years ago, the Prince of Peace was born of lowly parents in a lowly stable and laid in a manger (feed trough) for a cradle. And please note whom the Lord decided to first inform of His Son’s birth, lowly shepherds. That must say something about the Lord’s purpose for His Son; that His earthly life would not be princely and proud, like so many expected, but humble and peaceful as befitted the prince of peace.
And the Lord wasn’t satisfied with just letting the shepherds know that Jesus Christ was born, no, He instigated a ceremony worthy of His Son. As the Bible tells us: ‘And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, and good will toward men.’ (Luke 2:13-14) And that is exactly what we hope will manifest itself as we celebrate Jesus’ birthday; that there will be a curtailing of the strife and all the negative emotions that’s oppressing our world, and we will begin a slow march back to the peace that Jesus desires of us.
It’s the perfect day and time to end all the nonsense, all the wars, and rumours of wars that are burdening our world and sadly dragging it under. It’s time to repudiate Beelzebub and all his foolishness and turn back to the One True God, as personified by Jesus Christ, who sacrificed His sinless life on the cross of Calvary, so that our sins could be forgiven, and we receive salvation and eternal life!
What good has Satan ever done for us eh? Absolutely nothing! He’s simply trying his best to drag us down to the depths of hell with him, because he was once foolish enough to try to overthrow his Creator, and is now paying dearly for that foolishness. In other words friends, Satan is just looking for company, he doesn’t have our good at heart at all. So please, let’s try and break the bondage he holds so many of us in nuh. As believers in Christ Jesus, along with the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, we have all the tools to resist him, but we must be prepared to make a serious effort, because he doesn’t ever give up trying to belittle us in the eyes of the Lord.
But to accomplish that we need to do as James, the brother of Jesus says in his epistle: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you… Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-8, 10)
Oh my fellow saints, if we want to get away from the devil, that is exactly what many of us need to do in these oh so trying and troubled times; draw closer to God, for you cannot resist Satan without God’s help. However, there are many of us who are trying the ole sitting on the fence trick, trying to play one side against the other, but that won’t work, because neither God not Satan accepts double minded people, or those who try to outsmart them. So, it’s absolutely necessary to ramp up our situation with God, if we want to be a part of the Prince of Peace’s peaceful army. (smile) And there’s no better time to do it than on this the celebration of His birthday.
And before I forget, let me apologize for the lateness of the Bit, but I went to church this morning, then came home and found a big breakfast waiting for me, which I heartily enjoyed. But that then meant I had to go and get a nap and allow the food to digest, because there’s another, even bigger meal in the offing this evening. Brother! I don’t see the need for so much food, with so few people! But I don’t make the rules, the ladies of my household do, and I’m just expected to abide by them. And in my own fashion, I’m trying to be obedient. (smile)
Oh, I also wanted to sing a hymn today yes, ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing,’ but it seems like I got sidetracked, so let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, it’s very applicable and appropriate for today, showing our trust and faith in Christ. As one strong and sincere voice:
‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Christmas Day 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 we know that the Lord has sincerely promised that whoever endures with Jesus to the very end, will enjoy a future that will be more glorious than they can ever ask or imagine. So please, let’s make a solemn date to meet there at the very end nuh, and enjoy that future together! Much LOVE!
…Jesus birth…began the winds of change…in our evil and ungodly world…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and angel f the Lord appeared unto Zacharias, barren, barren women, bear thee a son, Bible, call his name John, chosen by lot, christianity, dark. dreary, dramatic Bible story, drink neither wine nor strong drink, Elisabeth, endure to the very end, faith, fear fell upon him, fear not, feeling just like the weather, flowing through me, frustrate you no end, glad tidings, good news, great in the sight of the Lord, halfway home, hands on the plough, Hannah, holy spirit, I am Gabriel, Jesus Christ, LOVE, manh shall rejoice at his birth, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, niggling things, not able to speak, not looking back, one of the daughters of Aaron, righteous before God, salvation, Sarah, shall be fulfilled in their season, so glad to be alive, spirit at a low ebb, stand in the presence of God, stricken in years, the birth of Jesus Christ, the birth of John the Baptist, the breath of life, The Christmas season, the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, the prophet Samuel, the wife of Abaraham, thou believest not my words, thou shalt be dumb, thou shalt have joy and gladness, thy prayer is heard, till the day these things are performed, to a glorious future with Jesus, to burn incense, truth, turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, well advanced in age, wisdom, you don't believe my words, Zacharias
Luke 1:14. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
Ah friends, this Wednesday morning the weather is a replica of the last two; wet and drizzly, windy and cold, dark and disheartening. And sadly, the ole fella is feeling just like the weather, dark and dreary, with his spirit at a low ebb. And why is that you ask? Because of some negative things in my life that are taking too long to get fixed. And I can’t do much more on my own, so I just have to wait until the Lord decides it’s time to fix them. And they are really small things, but you know those small, niggling things are the worst, since you expect to deal with them easily, but they just frustrate you no end when you can’t.
Anyway, enough of my complaining. This is the Christmas season, when our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was born, and for that we ought to have a bright, blossoming spirit, rather than a dark and dreary one. (smile) So let’s get to another dramatic story from the Bible, this one about the birth of John the Baptist.
Now the Good Library tells it thus from the Gospel of Luke. ‘There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course (division) of Abia: and his wife was one of the daughters of Aaron, (the first high priest), and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken (advanced) in years.’ (Luke 1:5-7)
So we have another older, barren woman being made pregnant by the Lord’s grace and mercy. First there was Sarah, the wife of Abraham, who conceived when she was ninety years old and bore Isaac. (Gen. 21:1-8) Then there was Rebekah, Isaac’s wife, whom Isaac entreated with the Lord on her behalf for she too was barren, and she finally bore the twins, Jacob and Esau. (Gen. 25:19-28)
And what about Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel, who was so tired of the jests her husband, Elkanah’s other wife, Peninnah, who had lots of children, made about her barrenness. So one day while her family was visiting the temple of Shiloh, Hannah went in there, and on bended knees, cried out her eyes and heart to the Lord for a child, promising that she would give Him to the Lord, if He took pity on her. And the Lord did, allowing her to bear the prophet Samuel, whom she dedicated, as promised to the Lord’s work. (1 Sam. 1-2)
And before we get back to John the Baptist’s story, it’s important to note that back in those olden times, a woman who could not bear children was looked upon with heightened reproach and severely scorned. That’s why there are so many references to barrenness in the Old Testament. And having got that out of the way, (smile) let’s continue with intriguing story about the birth of John the Baptist.
After telling us about the couple’s lack of children, Luke continues: ‘And it came to pass, that while he (Zacharias) executed the priest’s office (served as priest) before God in the order of his course (division), According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot (he was chosen by lot) to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without (outside) at the time of the incense.’ (Luke 1:8-10)
And the scholars offer an important note on the subject of burning incense, saying that it ‘would be a sacred moment in Zacharias’ life, for no priest could offer incense more than once in his lifetime. Many never had the chance at all, there being an estimated 18,000 priests at this point in Jewish history.’
The story then goes on to say: ‘And there appeared unto him (Zacharias) an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.’ (Luke 1:11-12) Note the difference in reactions to Gabriel’s entrance between Mary and Zacharias. Mary was simply confused by the greeting, (Luke 1:29) while fear filled Zacharias’ spirit.
‘But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. and he shall go before him in the spirit and the power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’ (Luke 1:13-16)
Ah friends, that was certainly a lot for an old man to handle all at once. So he asked the inevitable question: ‘And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife well stricken (advanced) in years. And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings (this good news). And behold thou shalt be dumb (mute), and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season (own time).’ (Luke 1:18-20)
Now that punishment might seem rather harsh on the old man, but he had all the years of priestly experience and supposedly knowing God in a deeper way than most, and was expected to believe without any hesitation. And when it’s compared to Mary’s reaction, her immediate belief, old Zacharias could possibly have done better. Anyway, we’ll stop there for today, and go home declaring 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 continue with Jesus right down to the very end, then it’s been promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! So see you there! Much LOVE!
…when the Lord speaks to us…it is best to simply say…I believe Lord…than to ask any questions…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a source of strength, a spiritual rebirth, according to his riches in glory, all things are become new, an intimate union between the believer and Christ, any man be in Christ, born again, created in Christ, discouragement, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fill me with your peace., glad to be alive, God's handiwork, good pleasure of His will, halfway home, hands on the plough, he is a new creation, help me to see myself as you do, human frailty, I am the vine ye are the branches, I live by faith in the Son of God, I long for est, In Touch Devotional, insecurity, Jesus Christ, LOVE, my God shall supply all your needs, not looking back, old things are passed away, our identity in Christ, question descions I've made, reconciled to himself by Jesus Christ, relieve me of self doubt, replay conversations in my head, salvation, teach me to be confident, thank God, the adoption od children, the breath of life, the life which I now live in the flesh, the longing to reach out and touch, the transformative power of faith, to a glorious future with Jesus, to acknowledge weaknesses without judgement, to do good works., to know who I am in you, true security, truth, we're nothing without Jesus, wisdom, without me ye can do nothing
Galatians 2:20b. …and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of (in) the Son of God, who LOVED me, and gave himself for me.
And it looks like another nice day in my neck of the woods. Possibly not as warm, but still beautiful for this time of year. So let’s say thanks, and enjoy it, for this might just be the last of its kind this year. (smile) Now, let’s delve into the prayer from the In Touch Devotional for October.
Please pray with me: ‘God, some days I feel unsure. I replay conversations in my head and question decisions I’ve made. I long for rest – for true security – and can’t find it. Help me to see myself as You do, to look in the mirror and see a precious creation made by a good Father. Teach me to be confident in my strengths and to acknowledge weaknesses without judgement. I pray for confidence, to know who I am in You. Relieve me of self-doubt, Lord, and fill me instead with Your Peace. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
And yuh know what friends, that prayer is very applicable to all of us at some time or other in our Christian walk, because we all face times of self-doubt, discouragement and insecurity, although deep down we know that we’re LOVED, protected and belong to a wonderful family, with a marvellous Father at its head. That’s just the human frailty in us. The uncontrollable longing to reach out and touch, touch something or someone more secure than ourselves. And we can only rebound from those insecurities by turning to God and His Word to remind us of all the good things we have though Jesus Christ.
And that’s the most important thing to realize; that we’re nothing without Jesus, and everything with Him. As He says so definitively in the gospel of John. ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) And the very basis of Christianity is found in our identity in Christ. Yes friends, this Christian life is all about who we are in Christ, for it’s only through Christ’s deeds and powers that we can become the children of God.
The scriptures tell us that when we receive Christ as Lord and Saviour, we become new people. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given us the ministry of reconciliation.’ (2 Cor. 5:17-18) That means we become new people, born again, undergoing a spiritual rebirth. And that it was God’s deepest desire to reconcile us back to Himself through Christ Jesus, which ought to give us the confidence of LOVE and security we need.
When we accept Christ, and become spiritually born again, we are also adopted into God’s family. As the Bible says: ‘Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children (as sons) by Jesus Christ himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.’ (Eph. 1:5) Yes, from beforehand the Lord hath appointed those who would believe in Christ to become His sons, and that not through any thing we have done, but purely through His goodness and grace.
And this commentary from the biblestudytools.com website gives an interesting insight into the whole matter. ‘The concept of being “in Christ” is a recurring theme, suggesting an intimate union between the believer and Jesus. This union is often portrayed as a source of strength, security, and purpose. Christians are called to find their identity in Christ, recognizing that their worth and significance come from their relationship with Him rather than worldly standards.
Ephesians 2:10 for example, states that believers are “God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” This implies a divine purpose and a sense of belonging that shapes the Christian identity. Overall, the traditional Christian understanding of identity in Christ is rooted in the transformative power of faith, emphasizing a new and purposeful life found through a personal relationship with Jesus.’
Meanwhile Galatians reinforces that all we are is through Christ. ‘For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of (in) the Son of God, who LOVED me, and gave himself for me.’ (Gal. 2:19-20)
And the scholars offer this explanation on those verses. ‘To be crucified with Christ means the believer has been freed from the law (vs. 19), and from the ruling power of sin that was aroused by the law. Nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me is interpreted, “And I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” Since the believer has been freed from the law and sin, the old sinful life no longer asserts itself as formerly.
Instead, “Christ liveth in me;” that is, Jesus cultivates within the believer (Paul) His own desires, virtues, character, and power, thus morally transforming him and working through him in others. Paul lives his current life by the faith of (in) the Son of God , that is by depending on Him for strength and all necessities.’
Likewise my fellow believers, we ought to live our current lives though faith in Christ, and depend on Him for all that we need. As these two well-known scriptures remind us This first one from Bruh Paul. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Philp. 4:19) And this one from Jesus Himself. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) So, we need to realize that this Christian life is all about Jesus; nothing else! And we can get all we need from that miraculous relationship!
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!’
But here’s another promise; if we endure to the end with Jesus, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So, let’s plan to meet up at the very end and enjoy it together nuh! Much LOVE!
…the Christian life is all about Christ…and without Him…you cannot live it successfully…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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