03 Apr 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great cloud of witnesses, as in Adam all die, be born again, believe, christianity, comfort one another with these words, despise not the chastening of the Lord, Easter, Easter Sunday, endure to the end, eternal separation from Almighty God, faith, forgive others, forgiveness of sins, god, Good Friday, halfway home, hands on the plough, hellfire and damnation, in Christ shall all be made alive, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ our Anchor, Jesus defeated hell the death and the grave, Jeus's triumphant resurrection, lest ye be wearied and faint, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not turning back, our redeemer, our rock, ramifications of Easter, resurrection, run with patience, salvation, sealed the deal, set down at God's right hand, thank God, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the breath of life, the dead in Christ shall rise, the firstfruits of them that slept, the race set before us, the Rapture, the trump of God, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, whom the loveth he chasteneth, wisdom
1 Corinthians 15:22. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
It’s a wet, windy and cloudy Wednesday! And it’s not just some spring showers, but the effects of a North American wide storm moving all the way from California, across the continent dropping snow and rain in its path in unusual proportions. This rain has been falling in my area since yesterday, and has attached to it the potential for some wet snow. So there’s reason to be careful, either through flooding or slipping and sliding if the snow materializes. What a good thing it is that we have our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, our Anchor, our Rock, our Redeemer, to help us in all and any situations! All praise to His holy name!
And since the Lord has spared life today, let’s keep the promise we made yesterday and turn to the second part of our discourse on the ramifications of Easter. Now, yesterday we saw the great benefit Jesus’ death on Good Friday wrought for us; that’s the forgiveness of our sin debt. However, we need to first believe, be born again, and forgive others of their trespasses against us, if we want the Father to forgive us our trespasses. And if there was any doubt, Jesus’ triumphant resurrection on Easter Sunday, sealed the deal! Yes, He defeated Satan and his negative domain, that’s hell, the death and the grave!
Wow! And because Christ rose from the dead, all those who believe in Him are promised eternal life, that’s the continued living of their soul with Christ, wherever He is. As Jesus said so clearly: ‘And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.’ (John 3:13-15) There you have it friends, because Christ was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven, so too shall those who believe in Him be raised from death into eternal life with Him!
As Bruh Paul writes to the church at Corinth: ‘But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits (the anticipated harvest) of them that slept (have died). For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.’ (1 Cor. 15:20-23) Ah my fellow believers, that’s just so wonderful! Because Christ rose from death, so shall we. And that last verse promises that when Christ comes for the church at the Rapture, believers, all those who died believing in Christ will also experience resurrection. And the scholars offer these references for that that situation: (cf. 1 Thess. 3:13: 4:14-18).
And that second reference reads thus: ‘For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep (have died). For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump (trumpet) of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever (always) be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.’ (1 Thess. 4:14-18)
Now, let’s hope we all sincerely believe that promise, find sure comfort in it, take it to heart very seriously, and consequently live the earthly life that will make it come through for us, because it’s not going happen automatically; not unless we believe and live according to Christ’s desires. And what are Jesus’ desires you ask? I believe this passage from Hebrews explains it perfectly. ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us.
Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (discouraged) in your minds (souls). Ye have not yet resisted unto blood (bloodshed), striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children (sons), My son, despise not the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.’ (Heb. 12:1-6)
Yes, my fellow saint. We have a whole lot of others to look to, who testified or witnessed to the benefits of our faith, but the chief one for us to emulate is our founder and finisher, Jesus Christ! And like Him, to run the race required of us, we have to drop all the stuff that weighs us down; sins, clothes, personal baggage, whatever, and endure all that comes against us, like Jesus, for the joy of spending eternity with Him! That means even enduring the Lord’s discipline without too much complaining, because if the Lord LOVES you, he will discipline you, just like we discipline our children, because we LOVE them and don’t want to see them go astray.
And with those ramifications of the Easter occurrences in mind, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus! As one 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!’
Then there’s this promise; that if we endure to the end with Jesus, then we’ll experience a future so glorious that we cannot ask or imagine it. Now that’ certainly something to look forward to eh. Hope to see you then! Much LOVE!
…without the awesome happenings of Good Friday and Easter Sunday…we’d be headed straight for hellfire and damnation…eternal separation from God…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
20 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a light unto my path, be good examples of love and light, be not afraid, be strong and of a good courage, Bible, birds singing, by them is thy servant warned, christianity, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, God's narrow path, groundhogs, hands on the plough, have good success, how I love your law, how sweet are thy words unto my taste, I am come that they might have life, I believe in the freedom you promise, I hate every evil way, in keeping of them is great reward, In Touch Devotional, it is my meditation all the day, Jesus, Jesus Christ, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, may your word be sweeter than honey to me, more to be desired than gold, neither be thou dismayed, not turning back, O how I love thy law, our guidebook for earthly living, psalms, reshape my misguided desires, shout with David, spring, sweeter than honey to my mouth, thank God, the abundant life, the breath of life, the judgements of the Lord are true, the Lord thy God with thee whithersoever thou goest, the power to get wealth, the sun's shining, the thief comes only to steal rob and kill, this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, thou shalt meditate therein day and night, through thy precepts I get understanding, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, wisdom
Psalm 119:97. O how I LOVE thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
And it’s like we’re not talking about spring, with the birds singing their joyful tunes, and the trees putting out some early buds, for it flurried all day yesterday, and some last night or early this morning, but not enough to make any worthwhile difference. And though the sun’s shining, and it’s not too chilly out there, the computer is advising a weather alert, with more snow in the forecast. Brother! That’s what we get for listening to those fake groundhogs and their shadows. What early spring did they see eh! Chuh! This is the kind of contrary weather that get’s people sick; mentally expecting one type of weather and dressing for it, only to experience the unpleasant reality of a different kind.
But enough of the weather and it’s eccentricities, let’s turn to this prayer from the ‘Let Us Pray’ section of this month’s In Touch Devotional. As one voice: ‘God, I admit – I don’t always want to follow You. Some days, Your way seems narrow and lifeless. Yet I believe in the freedom You promise. Show me, Father, the abundant life found in keeping Your wisdom. I want to shout with David, “How I LOVE Your law!” But my heart is not there yet – I need Your help. Reshape my misguided desires, Lord. May Your Word truly be sweeter than honey to me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.’
Yes friends, we all have those times, when we don’t feel so into God and His narrow path, but nonetheless we know that He is the right way to go, if we sincerely want to find the abundant life that Jesus died for us to have. And Jesus made it quite clear that’s what He was about, when he said. ‘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 life more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) What a magnificent statement my people! Jesus came that we might have a decent life down here as well as eternal life with Him in the other world! What can be better than that eh? Nothing!
But to enjoy that abundant life, we have to sincerely seek the Lord and His righteousness, and do His holy will. It doesn’t just fall into our laps automatically, even when we believe. Jesus has already done His part; sacrificed His sinless life for ours, and risen from the dead, so that we could also rise in due time, we now have to do our part, follow His lead and be good examples of LOVE, light, salt and righteousness in this evil and ungodly world. And keeping God’s law ought to be our number one priority. For as the psalmist says in Psalm 119: ‘O how I LOVE thy law! it is my meditation all the day.’
And that’s exactly what the Lord commanded Joshua to do with the Israelites, as they were about to cross the Jordan river and enter the Promised Land. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth (shall be constantly in thy mouth); but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8) Ah mih people, that is the very genesis of success; meditating on God’s law and then following it, putting it into action in our own lives. That’s the ONLY way we will ever have success in this world and the one to come!
And I just LOVE this next verse, where the Lord pounds it into Joshua’s head, and hopefully ours today too. ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9) Now those same words still apply to us today, my fellow saints, and until we sincerely believe them and act accordingly upon them, we’ll never have the success that the Lord intends for us to have. For remember who gives us the power to get wealth? The Lord God Jehovah! And the major way to do that is by concentrating on the Lord’s Word.
Then, further down in that section of Psalm 119 that speaks of the LOVE of God’s law, the psalmist further proclaims: ‘How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every evil way.’ (Ps. 119:103-104) Oh, how I wish that we could all say those words with utter sincerity! For then we would be able to truthfully say the next verse: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) Now that’s exactly what the Lord desires His Word to be for us, a light and lamp to guide our feet and show us the right path to tread.
And Bruh David said it thus of the Lord’s word in Psalm 19: ‘The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear (reverence) of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb (the drippings of the honeycomb). Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.’ (Ps. 19:8-11)
Now that last verse says it all friends. The Lord’s Word serves as a warning for us, and when we follow it, we are well rewarded, both down here on earth and in heaven above. And that’s the indisputable truth. So, having those words of godly wisdom written indelibly in our hearts, lets’ go home now, declaring (steupsss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful and most marvellous position in Christ Jesus.
Altogether now: ‘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 there’s a rather important proviso to that proclamation: If we endure right to the very end with Jesus, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So let’s be wise and plan to meet at the very end with Christ nuh! Much LOVE!
…the Word of God…is our Guidebook for earthly living…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
28 Feb 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all ye that labour and are heavy laden, belief is the key to everything, believe right to the end, Christ, come unto me, crapaud smoke yuh pipe, eternal life, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, feast of the dedication, forgiven sins, hail storm, halfway home, hands on the plough, hell bound, I am meek and lowly in heart, I and my Father are one, I will give you rest, if thou be, if thou be Christ, Jesus Christ, Jesus' invitation, learn of me, lightning, LOVE, makest thyself God, my yoke is easy and my burden light, not turning back, salvation, selfless sacrifice, sinless Son of God, sufferation, take my yoke upon you, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the cross of Calvary, the fires of hell, they shall never perish, thunder, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, wisdom
John 10:30 I and my Father are one.
Well, so much for sunshine yesterday and getting to the doctor’s before the promised rain began! Hn! When I came downstairs to write the Bit, there was brilliant sunshine outside, but then I saw where heavy rain was in the forecast, and by the time I went back upstairs about an hour later, the place was as dark as night and it was raining. Chuh! That meant I went to the doctor in the pouring rain, and came back in it, interspersed with occasional streaks of lighting and bolts of thunder. There were other errands I wanted to run, but decided against doing so, and came straight home.
And it’s a good thing too, for about half an hour after I got home, a powerful hail storm hit my area. It didn’t last long, somewhere between five and ten minutes, but you could hear the pounding on the roof, and I said to myself, that couldn’t be rain, so I looked outside and the small hailstones were just pouring down relentlessly. Then this morning, around 3. a.m. the thunder and lightning and rain again made themselves felt. But so far the day has been fairly sunny, with temps in the mid-teens, though somewhat windy. However, there’s also another promise of heavy rain in the offing. But we’ll deal with that when we come to it. (smile)
In the meanwhile, let’s talk about the best subject we can ever talk about, that’s Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, the One who died on the cross of Calvary to pay for our sins! Wow! How can anything be better and greater than that eh? No Way! That’s why we ought to pay him so much homage and LOVE Him right down to the ground, for without His selfless sacrifice we’d be hell bound without any options whatsoever! But because of His marvellous sacrifice and terrible ‘sufferation’ we now have the option of gaining eternal life and spending it in heaven with Him.
So why aren’t many more of us rushing to get that marvellous gift from heaven, by accepting Christ Jesus as Lord and Saviour eh? It boggles my imagination that with all the talk about hellfire and eternal damnation that people wouldn’t be much more receptive to Jesus’ Invitation, where He offers much more than anyone else does. Listen to His words and see if you don’t desperately need the succour and relief that He is offering, especially in these tense and turbulent times. He LOVINGLY invites: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30)
Oh friends, in this current crazy and confused society, so many of us are crying out for rest and peace and a break from carrying our heavy life burdens, so why aren’t we turning to Jesus in droves eh, when what we need and desire is exactly what He offers? Wish I knew. And the strange thing is that all we have to do is to believe that He is indeed the Son of God and died to have our sins forgiven. Yes my people, it’s all about belief. So many times in the scripture Jesus admonished us to only believe. That’s all it takes. But I guess too many of us prefer the world’s standard of seeing it then believing it, rather than to believe it then see it, which is what’s desired in Jesus’ kingdom.
But that’s oh so foolish friends, for Jesus has the BEST groove going, both in this world and the next. Anything Satan can give you, so can Christ, and give you even better, unless what you want is the evil, ungodliness, immorality, and licentiousness of this world. But unfortunately those in Jesus’ time were just as foolish as us. Listen to what happens when they charged Him with blasphemy. The Bible tells us: ‘And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication (Hanukkah), and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch. Then came the Jews round about him , and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt (keep us in suspense)? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck (snatch) them out of my hand. My Father , which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck (snatch) them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.’ (John 10:22-29)
Oh my brethren, what godly assurance that believers will be safe from anyone or anything that desires to destroy them. And that last verse (30) told the Jews what they asked in verse 24. If He was the Christ? But having heard that affirmation, they then took up stones to stone Him. ‘Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not: but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.’ (John 10:31-33)
Can you believe it friends? But, unfortunately, many of us today still think of Christ in those terms; that He was just an ordinary man, or a prophet, or some sorcerer or the other, but definitely not the Son of God. But tell me nuh, who else but the sinless Son of God could have paid for our abominable sins eh? No one else! And now it’s all left up to you, to either believe or not believe in Christ and all that He stands for. But please note that believing in Christ is the BEST decision you can ever make in this world. And if you refuse to make it, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe with Beelzebub in the fires of hell!
Now, for those of us who sincerely believe, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our marvellous position in Christ Jesus. Altogether now: ‘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 believe right down to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So let’s plan to see it together nuh! Much LOVE!
…in the kingdom of Christ…BELIEF…is the key to everything…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
21 Feb 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a coard about pain, a great high priest, be conformed to the image of Christ, christianity, come boldly before the throne of grace, common to man, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fiery ordeals, Fiery Trials, find grace, God is teaching me, God will make a way of escape, hands on the plough, hip pain, holy spirit, if any man suffer as a Christian, Jesus Christ, lessons regarding growth, let him glorify God on this matter, let him not be ashamed, LOVE, mercy, my willingness, my yieldedness, no temptation has overtaken you, not turning back, obtain mercy, One Year Book of Bible promises, partakers of christ's sufferings, praying fo an open heart, rejice, Ruth Harms Calkin, sore throat, spring has sprung, strong faith in action, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the pain of loneliness, to a glorious future with Jesus, to escape testing, Wednesday Wail, with the temptation
1 Peter 4:16. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf (matter).
Oh friends, if I didn’t know better I would swear that spring has sprung! That’s because a short while ago I opened my side door to put out my waste and was greeted by a blast of relatively warm sunshine! Wow! According to my computer it’s already 5 degrees on the plus side, and it’s going up to 8, when normally at this time of year, it’s on the minus side of the centigrade scale. But I’m not complaining about the weather, rather I’m complaining about my right hip that’s suddenly for the last two days making my life a so and so nightmare. Almost every movement of my right leg sends a shooting pain through my hip. Can’t even sleep comfortably on that side. Chuh!
Then to make matters worse, this morning I woke up with a sore throat. Brother! I had planned on going to church today and doing some other chores, but my sore throat and tender hip nixed that idea right in the bud. Ah Lord eh! You’d think that my physical problems would be with my right eye, on which I had surgery last week, but that’s been fairly wonderful, no real problems with it. But my foolish hip, which bugs me off and on decided to act up at a level it’s never done before. However, I won’t allow those minor aches and pains (smile) to quell my desire for God.
That’s why I searched our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin until I found this most appropriate writing, titled ‘Fiery Trials.’ So please read with me: ‘God is teaching me incredible lessons regarding growth. I see with undeniable evidence that growth means pruning, and pruning means pain. I confess, I’m actually a coward about pain. I certainly never pray for it. I don’t anticipate or look for it. I do only one thing. I ask God to steady me, since the Bible so clearly states that trials are a part of our lifewalk with Him.
In all honesty, I would prefer to escape the testing. I don’t like the pain of emotional trauma, which can be so overwhelming and baffling. I don’t like the deep cutting pain that goes on and on without relief. The pain of loneliness frightens me, the pain of losing someone dear to me grieves me. Nevertheless, I am praying for an open heart. I can’t begin to contemplate what fiery ordeals God may choose for my testing and growth, but I do long for my yieldedness to prove my willingness to be conformed to the image of His dear Son.’
Wow! How true all of that is! None of us like pain, but it’s all a part of life, especially in the Christian walk when the Lord decides to test our faith. And we’d rather escape the test than go through it. In fact, many of us cringe in fear when we learn that pruning, which equals pain, is an important aspect of our Christian life. And no, it doesn’t seem fair to test us, least of all when we do not expect it. And that’s when we usually get the testing, when we least expect it and under unusual circumstances that most times we cannot handle on our own.
But that’s the very purpose of the testing; to ofttimes bring us to our knees and show us that we cannot do life successfully without Almighty God in our corner. And all we can really ask for is the strength and power to bear whatever pain it takes to conform to the image of Christ, which is God’s eventual state for us. And the great part of it all is that God either gives us the strength to handle the test, or helps us escape it through one of His many means and miracles.
The Bible promises, in Bruh Paul’s words: ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) 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 make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13) Yes friends, though our God might allow us to undergo temptation, which is as old a the world itself, He will not leave us alone to handle it, but will lend a helping hand in one form or the other. The problem is that we must be big and faithful enough of Spirit, Hope and Trust to understand this.
As Hebrews so kindly informs and reassures us. ‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession (confession of faith). For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (our weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in the time of need.’ (Heb. 4:14-16)
What a marvellous scripture my brethren! It tells us that Jesus was tempted with sin like all of us, but never sinned. That means He can sympathize with our frailties, our shortcomings, and we can trust Him to help us. But it all takes a measure of faith. Thus the Bible verse for our writing today, which comes from the first epistle of Peter. ‘Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch (to the extent that) ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
If ye be reproached (insulted) for the name of Christ, happy (blessed) are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of (blasphemed), but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody (meddler) in other men’s matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf (matter).’ (1 Pet. 4:12-16)
Oh my fellow believers, that is indeed some hard scriptures to put into action, but by the grace of God we can certainly do it! It’s all a part of the testing of our faith, that when we suffer for Christ, that eventually we will rejoice with and in Him. That’s the glorious hope of our Christian future. The point is that we never give up, keep hoping and trusting in our great God, who LOVES us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins! Now that ought to mean a whole lot more to us than it does. So please, in these evil and ungodly times, let’s stand up strong and faithful in the promises of the God of our forefathers. That’s the ONLY way to conquer the enemy and make a significant difference in our world.
Now, let’s declare (steups!!!) our Wednesday Wail, telling the whole world of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one 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 to the very end with Christ, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So, let’s plan to meet there at the vey end nuh! Much LOVE!
…true Christianity…is strong faith in action…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
14 Feb 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Ash Wednesday, endure to the end, faith, fasting, halfway home, hands on the plough., holy spirit, in whom I am well pleased, into the wilderness, Jesus Christ, Jesus rebuked the devil, Jesus was led up of the spirit, lead me in the way everlasting, Lent, Lenten season, like a hand and a glove, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, no outward fanfare, not turning back, of a sad countenance, prayer, purging our spiritual selves, repentance, reward thee openly, righteousness, search me O god and know my heart, see if there be any wicked way in me, sharing love, soul-searching, spiritual house cleaning, spiritual power, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Word of god, this is my beloved Son, thy Father which seeth in secret, to a glorious future with Jesus, to be tempted by the devil, try me and know my thoughts, unresolved wickedness, Valentine's day, Wednesday Wail, when ye fast be not as the hypocrites, with repentance comes forgiveness
Psalm 139:23. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my (anxious) thoughts:
Welcome to Wednesday friends, the middle day of our work week! The Carnival partying is over now, but a whole lot of other stuff has been put on our plates on this Wednesday in mid-February. I don’t know if this has ever happened before, but I can’t remember experiencing it, where Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday fall on the same day. But that’s what’s happened this year. And it’s certainly an interesting concept! Personally, I don’t see them as contrary to each other, and it might even be a good idea to celebrate them together each year. (smile)
Valentine’s Day, where we shower others with LOVE and gifts of LOVE; the greatest attribute of our wonderful God Jehovah, and Ash Wednesday, when we get serious about communing with God, checking ourselves to see what’s wrong with us, how our spiritual selves are doing, with repentance, fasting and prayer being uppermost in this Lenten Season. To my mind, nothing’s wrong with sharing LOVE and engaging in soul searching at the same time. (smile) In the memorable words of Bruh David from Psalm 139, we can be strong and courageous, and ask: ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my (anxious) thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’ (Ps. 139:23-24)
Oh my people, that’s a wonderful thing to do in these forty days of Lent, but it’s also very difficult, because we don’t know what the Lord will come up with, what He’ll find hidden in our hearts. And those who know that there’s unresolved wickedness in our hearts will definitely want to stay away from it. But this is a time when Christians ought to get serious about their faith and so engage in some long overdue house cleaning; that’s spiritual house cleaning. We can’t be afraid of confessing what‘s in our hearts, for this is a time of spiritual purging, and that’s what the Lord expects of us, and with sincere repentance will come forgiveness.
But when we keep the evil locked up in our hearts without confession, that’s when we suffer the most, for we’ll be very miserable and unhappy because the evil will continually eat at our souls and spirits while the Holy Spirit keeps nudging us to confess. And it’s also interesting how these forty days of Lent commemorate the forty days our Lord and Saviour spent fasting and praying in the wilderness, after the Holy Spirit led Him there. But, it’s also somewhat incomprehensible to us human beings with lesser minds, how and why that all happened.
The story begins when Jesus comes to John the Baptist at the Jordan River to be baptized. But John refuses, saying that it was he who needed to be baptized by Jesus. ‘And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now (allow it): for thus it becometh us (it is fitting for us) to fulfill all righteousness. Then he (John the Baptist) suffered (allowed) him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water; and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him. And lo a voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ (Matt. 3:15-17)
Now, that was all well and good, but hear what happens directly after. ‘Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred (hungry). (Matt. 4:1-2) That’s when the devil came to tempt Him, and when he usually comes to tempt us; when we are tired and hungry and not on our best strength, but filled with fear and doubts. However our Lord and Saviour Jesus was up to the task, and rebuked the evil one three times using the Word of God, before he got tired and left Him alone, until another time.
And that’s something very important to note. The devil doesn’t ever go away for good. When you resist him, he takes a break until the next opportune time. So that’s something we have to do all our earthly lives; keep resisting the ever-tempting enemy. And why was Jesus led up into the wilderness as soon as He was baptized and the Father made known His pleasure in him? That was to strengthen, to test him, so that He could attain the spiritual power necessary to begin His earthly ministry, for it’s only after those forty days and nights of fasting did Jesus begin to preach.
And I think we need to look at one more scripture as we begin this Lenten season where fasting, prayer and holiness are expected to be in vogue. (smile) And it’s these words of Jesus on Fasting. ‘Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites (pretenders), of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.’ (Matt. 6:16-18)
Yes my fellow believers, we don’t need to make a spectacle of ourselves and let the whole world that we’re fasting; or doing anything at all. For Jesus also taught the same thing on giving and prayer. Whatever we do, prayer, giving, fasting, it’s not to be done unto man, but unto God, so we simply go about our business as usual, without any outward fanfare. Once our heavenly Father knows what we’re doing, that’s sufficient. And with all of that good stuff on our plates, to learn and inwardly digest, (smile) let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
As one 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 right down to the very end with Christ, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So please, let’s plan to me there and enjoy it nuh! Much LOVE!
…sharing LOVE and soul searching…go together like a hand and glove…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
07 Feb 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a gift from God, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, A Listening Heart, a peculiar treasure, a small minded mentality, a trace of impatience, Be still and know that I am God, disobedience, endure to the end, enjoy good in his labour, exalted in all the earth, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, from the hand of God, good examples of salt and light, halfway home, hands on the plough, hear and your soul shall live, holy spirit, I will be exalted among the heathen, if my people would only listen, if ye will obey my voice, in whom I am well pleased, incline your ear and come unto me, Jesus Christ, keep my covenant, lack of faith, lack of faithfulness, listen to Him, LOVE, not turning back, nothing better for a man, thank God, the breath of life, the god of jacob is our refuge, the joy of the Lord is our strength, the Mount of Transfiguration, this is my beloved Son, this is the day the Lord has made, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail
Psalm 46:10a. Be still and know that I am God:
A blessed Wednesday my people, as we rise and greet this new day, and assert with faith and thanksgiving: ‘This is the day the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24) And if we’re wise, we’ll do just that because it’s our heritage, our gift of God. I like how Cousin Sol says it in Ecclesiastes. ‘There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour (his soul should enjoy good). This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.’ (Eccl. 2:24)
And the scholars explain: ‘When a man toils in his own strength, he is bound to suffer pain and grief. The answer then is to enjoy his work by receiving it as a gift from God.’ And isn’t that the awesome truth! When we look at what we have and do as gifts from God, a sense of peace and rightness comes over us and we labour in a much more joyful spirit than otherwise. So, on this middle day of our workweek, when we catch our second wind, please, let’s listen to the voice of the Spirit of our great God, and allow Him to bring us that joy of the Lord that’s our strength, that we might do His work with sincerity and truth, and be good examples of salt and light in this dark and evil world.
And I believe that this piece from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin will help us do just that. It’s titled ‘A Listening Heart,’ and I’m sure that I’ve shared it already, but it’s good enough to share again. (smile) So please read with me: ‘I remember vividly the lesson I learned from my husband one day as he came home from his office weary and depleted. It had been a difficult day. He needed to talk. My day had been difficult too. Countless interruptions, phone calls, guests coming for brunch the next day. I wanted to listen, so I suggested that he follow me from room to room while I dusted furniture.
We tried it. while I dusted the piano, he talked. When I cleaned the clanging piano keys he continued, but with a trace of impatience. Next the stereo, then the tables. When I moved, he moved. Suddenly he grabbed my shoulders. ‘Please listen to me!’ Frankly I was shocked. “Honey, I heard every word you said.’ ‘I mean listen with your heart!’ I dropped the dust cloth. We sat down, and I gave my full attention. No body signals, no folded arms, no finger tapping. I was again aware of the tremendous responsibilities my husband carried. He needed my understanding. He thanked me profusely for listening.
That night I remembered how often God had said to the children of Israel. ‘If my people would only listen.’ I thought of God’s yearning for an intimate relationship with us. He waits for our response to his still small voice. He longs for our listening hearts, How we must grieve him when we don’t listen.’ And is that ever the gospel truth my fellow believers! It certainly grieves the heart of our wonderful and ever-LOVING God when we don’t listen to Him, because He knows that the good He has in store for us will bypass us, and we’ll suffer the pangs of this world unnecessarily.
Now, here are a few scriptures that prove the point. The Bible tells us of the Lord’s warning to the Israelites: ‘And Moses went up unto God and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say unto the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare (sustained) you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar (special) treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.’ (Ex. 19:3-6)
What a blessed message friends! Straight from the mouth of the Lord their supposed God! But did they listen and obey His voice? No! And you’re asking why the Israelites didn’t listen to God? This commentary gives us some idea of the basic reason. ‘Why did the Israelites continue to disobey God, even when they always would be punished for their actions? Disobedience comes from lack of faith and lack of faithfulness. Their mentality was often that of a weak God, a God who couldn’t do much for them or who they didn’t want to serve.’
And, unfortunately that is the basic reason why so many of us today still refuse to listen to the voice of God; our faith is small, and we don’t consider God to be the true omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present Deity that He is. And we refuse to serve Him too because we like the evil lusts and pleasures of the world rather than the things of God. Then there’s this marvellous invitation from God to the Israelites again, this time through the prophet Isaiah.
‘Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me (listen closely), and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness (abundance). Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.’ (Is. 55:1-3)
Yes friends, another instance where the Lord invited the Israelites to listen to Him, and they again refused. And He also pleads with us in the New Testament. That day on the Mount of Transfiguration, where ‘Jesus’ face did shine as the sun and His raiment (clothes) was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them (Peter, James, John) Moses and Elias (Elijah) talking with him (Jesus). Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias (Elijah). While yet he spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye (listen) to him.’ (Matt. 17:2-5)
But yet we still don’t listen, because we find the discipleship of Jesus, the narrow path, is too onerous, compared to the wide open, but very destructive path of the world. But please my faithful brethren, it’s to our benefit to listen. And as the psalmists, the Sons of Korah so wisely advised in the Bible Promise for our reading: ‘Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in all the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.’ (Ps. 46:10-11) Please, let’s remember that and listen to the still small voice of God speaking to us through His messenger, the Holy Spirit.
Now, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. Altogether: ‘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 down to the very end with Jesus, that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, see you there! Much LOVE!
…to spend eternity in heaven rather than hell…one must listen and obey…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
31 Jan 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a positive mental attitude, ahnds on the plough, all was vanity, an open mind on all subjects, earthly riches, endure to the end, engaged in a labour of love, eyes fixed straight ahead, financial security, freedom from fear, glad to be alive, halfway home, harmony in human relationships, hope of future achievement, Jesus Christ, lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, lay up treasures for yourselves in heaven, LOVE, moth and rust doth corrupt, my portion of all my labour, no profit under the sun, not turning back, our improper attitude of enslavement toward wealth, self-discipline, sound physical health, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the capacity for applied faith, The Twelve Aspects of True wealth, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, vexation of spirit, Wednesday Wail, willingness to share one's blessings, wisdom, wisdom to understand people, Ye cannot serve God and mammon
Matthew 6:24b. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (earthly riches).
Oh friends, last night as I was sitting at my desk, contemplating what task to commence, and not wanting to do the ones I really desired to do, (smile) I happened to look up at the wall on my right side, a wall filled with pictures, and words of encouragement that I very seldom seem to look at. But as my eyes wandered over all the stuff there, they fell on this particular list written in bold red and black colours titled ‘The Twelve Aspects of True Wealth.’ And it suddenly occurred to me that I didn’t know what those aspects of true wealth were. So I took a few moments to read it, obviously the first time in a long while.
Then, having done so, the truth of it all suddenly came back to me, and I had the inspiration to share them with you today. So here they are. (1) A positive mental attitude. (2) Sound physical health. (3) Harmony in human relationships. (4) Freedom from fear. (5) Hope of future achievement. (6) The capacity for applied faith. (7) Willingness to share one’s blessings with others. (8) To be engaged in a labour of LOVE. (9) An open mind on ALL subjects to ALL people. (10) Complete self-discipline. (11) Wisdom with which to understand people. (12) FINANCIAL SECURITY.’
And there you have them; the Twelve Aspects of True Wealth. Now that last one I have in capital letters with dollar signs ($) all around it. Why it was done like that I can’t remember, but I believe it was put last to show that it was not the most important aspect of wealth, which it isn’t. Yes friends, financial security is nice to have, but it is not the most important aspect of our lives, or of true wealth, as can be observed by the numerous people who are financial secure, but are not truly happy.
And I know that the world touts the accruing of money and other forms of wealth as the search for the Golden Grail, but setting your sights on the accumulation of worldly wealth is only a formula for unhappiness, because it’s a process filled with things like greed, envy, jealously, hardheartedness, endless work, possibly ill health from too much work, poor personal relationships and lack of a good family life. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. And you know friends, I don’t think that anyone said it better than Cousin Sol as the preacher in Ecclesiastes.
Let’s listen to him as he reminisces. ‘I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: I made me pools of water, to water (irrigate) therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees (grove of growing trees): I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle (herds) above all that were in Jerusalem before me: I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar (special) treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me (acquired) men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
So I was great, and increased (excelled) more that all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. and whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy (pleasure), for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of (reward from) all my labour. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured (toiled) to do: and behold, all was vanity (futility) and vexation of spirit (a grasping for the world), and there was no profit under the sun.’ (Eccl. 2:4-11)
Oh my people, if the richest and wisest man ever, did not, or could not find true happiness and lasting joy in all his wealth and wisdom, why are we still trying to attain happiness and joy along those same lines eh? Because the world and the devil have deceived us into thinking that’s the way to joy. But it’s not. The only way to true joy is through acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour and walking faithfully in His will! And I like the way the scholars explain it. ‘Solomon pursued fulfillment through pleasure (vs. 1-2). wine (vs. 3), great works (vs. 4-6), wealth (vs. 7-8) aesthetic and artistic pleasures (vs. 8), and fame (vs. 9). All of these failed to bring lasting satisfaction to the wisest man of all time, yet people three thousand years later are still trying them in search of enduring fulfillment.’
Yes friends, the riches of the world do not automatically bring lasting joy and satisfaction. No. Not unless they are paired with the righteousness of God in our lives. There’s nothing wrong with having worldly wealth, for there are many wealthy Christians, but running down the wealth, just for the wealth’s sake is a waste of time. As Cousin Sol so wisely puts it; ‘it’s all vanity,’ that’s futility and a waste of our efforts. Meanwhile Jesus had this to say on the subject of accumulating earthly wealth for it’s own sake.
‘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 nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also… No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and LOVE the other, or else he will hold to (be loyal) to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (earthly riches).’ (Matt. 6:19-21, 24)
And there’s truth galore in Jesus’ statements. In the first place wherever your treasure is stored, your heart will focus on that place. Thus if you are targeting earthly riches, then your heart will be focused on the things of the earth. Likewise, if you are storing up treasures in heaven, then your heart will be focused there. But friends, we cannot store treasures in both places and give proper attention to any of them. As the scholars so wisely remind us: ‘Total loyalty to God cannot be divided between Him and loyalty to one’s material possessions. So therefore Jesus is quite right when He says, ‘Ye cannot serve God and mammon.’ However, He is not condemning money or possessions in and of themselves, but the improper attitude of enslavement toward wealth.’
And with all we’ve said today, let’s hope that we now know what true wealth is, and have the right attitude towards it! (smile) So it’s time to go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. Altogether now: ‘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 furthermore, if we endure right down to the end with Jesus, it’s promised that that glorious future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, let’s plan on enjoying it together nuh. Much LOVE!
when you die…your earthly treasure stays on earth…while your heavenly treasure awaits you there…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
17 Jan 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a different perspective on life, a no brainer, a prisoner of myself, all of life turned right side up, all of life upside down, as for me and my house, at the end of my rope, be of good cheer I have overcome the world, christ is the winner every time, christianity, come unto me all ye that labour, come without feeling, defenseless, don't climb, don't compete, don't cringe, endure to the end, eternal life, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, find rest unto your souls, glorious sunshine, halfway home, hands on the plough, I am meek and humble, I called upon the Lord in distress, I came, I will give you rest, Jesus Christ, Lord look at me just look at me, LOVE, mercy, never hunger, never thirst, not turning back, Reversal, see without eyes, set me in a large place, spiritual bread, take my yoke upon you, thank God, the BIBLE, the bread of life, the breath of life, the Lord answered me, the Lord set me free, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, walk without feet, we will serve the Lord, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, without merit or hope
Psalm 118:5. I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large (broad) place.
Oh my people, there’s glorious sunshine in my neighborhood It’s also pretty cold…but who cares eh? The sun’s shining brightly, that’s all that matters! And yesterday, despite the cloudiness and snow, we also had some sunshine for a part of the early afternoon, so we can’t complain. Now that’s what winter is supposed to be all about!
And having said all of that, I just discovered a wonderful poem in our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, simply titled ‘REVERSAL.’ As usual, I don’t know if I’ve shared it before, but if I did, it’s certainly worth sharing again, (smile) especially in these rough and ungodly times, when we’re all experiencing serious problems.
So please read with me: ‘I said: Lord, look at me Just look at me All of life upside down – Tangled emotions smeared with fear Guilt Despair Disgust A prisoner of myself. The hopeless thing is that It’s all decided. I’m defenseless At the end of my rope Locked in And I’ve tried, Lord Tried desperately. But how does one see without eyes Or walk without feet? How, Lord? You said, Come unto me. You need not cringe Nor climb Nor compete Nor change Come even without feeling without tokens Without merit or hope… But come. Come now. I came And all of life Turned right side up.’
Wow! I just LOVE that poem, for it’s the gospel truth and I can certainly testify to it, as many of you my fellow believers also can, because that’s exactly what happens when we sincerely turn our attention to Christ and surrender our all to Him. Our lives are inexplicably turned around. And although our circumstances might not change very much, we are able to bear them much better than before.
The thing is, that with Christ in our lives we develop a completely different perspective on life; one that promotes positivity and the concept that any and everything is possible with God. So we no longer feel alone and disgusted with ourselves because we are not living up to whatever standards we think we ought to. Oh friends, it’s important to go to Christ just as we are, broken and disgruntled. As the poem says: ‘there’s no need to cringe, or climb, or compete, or change. Just come; even without feeling, without tokens, without merit or hope…but just come.’
And that’s exactly how Jesus expects and welcomes us. Regardless of our position, He just wants us to come…come as we are, and He will fix us up. It’s as the psalmist says in the Bible Promise for our poem. When talking about God’s mercy, he confidently states: ‘I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large (broad) place.’ (Ps. 118:5) One translation says ‘he set me free.’ And that’s what He will do if you entrust your heart, mind, body and soul to Him.
And you cannot get a better scripture that encompasses it all than Christ’s Great Invitation! No friends, how can you ever top this bold and compassionate invite? ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble); and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Oh my people, what an invitation! And you’d be really foolish and unwise not to take Jesus up on it, because no one else has such an invitation to offer. Certainly not the evil one, Satan.
Now, it doesn’t mean that your life will then be all peaches and cream. No! For in this evil, ungodly world you will always have trials and tribulation, but as Jesus said: ‘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’s the important part my brethren; to know and believe that Christ has overcome the world, so there’s no need for us to fear what man or beast can do to us.
Unfortunately though, in this world, it’s imperative we bow to somebody, and we only have two serious options, Satan or Christ. But since Christ’s yoke and burden are much lighter and have many more good rewards than Satan’s, especially the forgiveness of sins and life eternal in heaven, it only makes sense to accept him as Lord and Saviour. It’s the wisest decision you’ll ever make. And besides, your worst day with Christ, is going to be better than your best day with Beelzebub! That’s for sure!
Now listen to Jesus as He again offers what no one else can offer. He said to the crowd that followed him: ‘I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth in me shall never thirst.’ (John 6:35) Yes mih bredrin, the people were looking for physical bread and drink to quench their physical hunger, but Jesus was talking about the spiritual bread, the bread which gives eternal life. And for sure, NO ONE ELSE can make that kind of offer in all sincerity and truth! Jesus is the ONLY ONE who can make and keep it!
So there we have it; two options in life: Put your trust in Satan and end up in hell with eternal separation from Almighty God, or put your trust in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and end up in heaven with eternal life to look forward to. And there is no doubt or hesitation on my part as to which is the better option. I’m going to do like Joshua and say: ‘as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’ (Josh. 25:15) That’s my unalterable position. And for those of us who feel the same way, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
Altogether: ‘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 there’s a further promise that if we endure with Jesus right down to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, let’s plan to meet at the very end and enjoy that glorious future together nuh! Much LOVE!
…the choice between Satan and Christ…it’s a no brainer…Christ is the winner… EVERY TIME…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
27 Dec 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crown of glory, a desire to know jesus better, a light unto my path, a word to the wise is sufficient, after the pleasure comes the pain, align my soul, by understanding he established the heavens, don't want to feel guarded, each day is like heaven, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fools refuse instruction, for His name's sake, forget about Jesus, forsake her not, get understanding, get wisdom, give to thine head an ornament of grace, glad to be alive, halfway home, hands on the plough, heart closed off to God's love, holy spirit, I may see your beauty where it multiplies, Jesus Christ, keep sound wisdom and discretion, let me be open, LOVE, more love he bestows, my ears tuned to God's voice, my face turned toward God's, my feet set in God's direction, my heart overflows, New Year's Eve, New Year's resolutions, not turning back, only one resolution needed, pay the Piper, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the longer I serve Him the sweeter He grows, the Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth, the Lord shall be thy confidence, the more that I love him, the skill to live life successfully, the years of thy life shall be many, thy foot shall not stumble, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to a glorious future with Jesus, to better receive your wisdom and follow it., truth, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, wisdom is the principal thing, your grace where it flows
Proverbs 4:7. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
Well, after the pleasure, usually comes the pain! And I’m sure that many of us are in pain this dark, wet, drizzly Wednesday morning as we crawl back out to work after the long Christmas weekend. (smile) Yes, the celebrations were most excellent, but now comes the time to pay the Piper for all the piping he’s done over the last few days. And believe me, the piping isn’t quite over yet, because we’re moving into the New Year’s Eve celebrations this weekend, which is an even a bigger time for the piper. (smile)
That’s where, unfortunately, so many of us forget about Jesus and the Christmas celebrations, and concentrate more on ringing out the Old Year and ringing in the New one, with all the numerous resolutions for the upcoming year, most of which will most likely fall by the wayside a couple months into year. What a feckless, indecisive and soft society we’ve become! Anyway, realistically speaking, many of the things we talk about doing in and for the New Year, we cannot do in our own strength, regardless of how strong our determination is, since we usually set the bar too high.
The truth of the matter though, is that there’s only ONE resolution we really need to make; that’s a desire to get to know Jesus better, to LOVE Him more, be more obedient to His Word and Will! And if we do that, life will surely improve, because Jesus will guide us to do the things we need to do to improve it. For as the song says: ‘The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows. The more that I LOVE Him, more LOVE He bestows. Oh each day is like heaven, My heart overflows. The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows. Yes, The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows!’
And that’s the gospel truth my people! We, who do our best to serve and LOVE Jesus know that, and that’s why we continue in His service, although sometimes things can get a bit tough for His name’s sake. But in the long run, serving and LOVING Jesus is the ONLY thing that makes sense in this crazy and turbulent world! End of Sermon! (smile)
Now here’s a prayer that will help us do just that. It comes from this month’s In Touch Devotional. Please pray with me. ‘Lord, I don’t want to feel guarded, my heart closed off to Your LOVE, Your Spirit, Your gifts. Instead, let me be open, my face turned toward Yours, my ears turned to Your voice, my feet set in Your direction. Align my soul to better receive Your wisdom and follow where it leads – so that I may see Your beauty where it multiplies, Your grace where it flows. Amen!’
Oh mih people, those are the exact things we need to do if we desire to serve and LOVE Jesus! Our hearts must be open to His LOVE, Spirit and gifts. Our faces must be turned towards His, our ears tuned to hear His voice, and our feet walking in His direction. As the Good Library says: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) And all of that helps align our souls to better receive His wisdom and go where it leads.
As Cousin Sol says so wisely in Proverbs: ‘Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline (turn away) from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: LOVE her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to (place on) thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.’ (Prov. 4:5-10)
Wow! What magnificent words of wisdom my brethren! Yes those words that encourage us to seek and find wisdom and understanding are also true words of wisdom! And if we’re wise, we will follow them. Why? Because that’s the ONLY way we will ever see the multiplication of God’s infinite beauty and enjoy His amazing grace as it rains down on us. Oh my fellow saints, as Cousin Sol says, wisdom is the principal thing and along with it comes understanding. And what exactly are those two illusive, intangible things that are so important in this life, you ask?
Well. the scholars tell us that ‘wisdom is basically the skill to live life successfully.’ Meanwhile ‘understanding is the capability to distinguish between true and false, good and evil, what matters most and what does not matter at all.’ And those two are so important, because, as Cousin Sol showed in his oration on the preciousness of wisdom in the previous chapter. ‘The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths (deeps) are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.’ (Prov. 3:19-20)
Yes friends, wisdom and understanding are so important that God used them to create the world! And if they were that important to God, then they ought to be even more important to us. And since Cousin Sol tries so desperately to impart the importance of wisdom and understanding to us, that we need to hear these next few verses.
‘My son, let not them depart from thine eyes, keep sound wisdom and discretion: So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace (favour) to thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Be not afraid of sudden fear (terror), neither of the desolation of (trouble from) the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken (caught).’ (Prov. 3:21-26)
Now, with all that wisdom and understanding under our belt, (smile) let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful, invaluable position in Christ Jesus. Altogether: ‘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 as an added bonus to all who endure right to the very end with Christ, that future will be even more grand and glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So let’s plan to meet at the very end nuh, so that we can all enjoy that most glorious future with Christ! Much LOVE!
…a word to the wise is sufficient…but fools refuse instruction…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
20 Dec 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all we like sheep have gone astray, cast off restraint, Christmas, endure to the end, everyone has turned to their own way, eyes fixed straight ahead, free will, get down to brass tacks, glad to be alive, God's moral law, hands on the plough, I do not forget thy commandments, I have gone astray, it is not the will of your Father in heaven, Jesus Christ, Jesus christ is our Good Shepherd, like a lost sheep, LOVE, not turning back, one of these little ones perish, rejoiceth the more of that lost sheep, second-wind day, seek thy servant, seeketh that which was gone astray, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the good shepherd, the iniquity of us all, the Lord hath laid on him, the onus is on us, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, where there is no vision the people perish, while there is life there is hope, wisdom
Psalm 119:176. I have gone astray, like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.
And then it was Wednesday, the second-wind day of our work week, but unlike yesterday, today has more cloud than sunshine, however it’s dry. And one out of two is never bad! (smile) We are also late, because on most Wednesdays at ten a.m. I go to a small church service lasting about half an hour, consisting on average of around seven people. But it’s a close knit and cozy gathering, without a lot of church rhetoric, more like a discussion group, although we do pray for those who’ve asked the church for prayers, and receive communion.
And believe me, I sometimes get more out of that small gathering than the big, church service. But that might just me, with my contrary self. (smile) And after that, I had to run around and do a couple of errands before coming home, which made me even later. But here we are at last. (smile) Anyway, enough palaver, let’s get down to brass tacks. Now, today, we’re going to look at a rather appropriate verse of scripture for these trying and ungodly times. It comes from the longest chapter in the Good Library, Psalm 119. And the verse most expressively and wisely says: ‘I have gone astray, like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.’ (Ps. 119:176)
And that, my fellow believers, is something that could be said about many of us in these difficult and mind boggling times. Many of us, for whatever reason(s) have gone astray like lost sheep, but deep down in our hearts the Lord’s commandments are still there. We’re just not following them. Consequently, the psalmist, because he’s recognized his mistake, is asking the Lord to search for Him, like a shepherd goes out and looks for a lost sheep, and so bring him back to His fold.
Oh my people, many of us could surely benefit from that prayer; asking the Lord to search for us and bring us back to Him. Remember what Isaiah said on the subject. ‘All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.’ (Is. 53:6) Yes, that’s a very good description of our current society. Everyone, including believers, is intent on doing his or her own thing. That’s just the way of today’s world. Rules and regulations are bypassed without even a bat of an eyelash. We seem to truly believe the saying that rules were made to be broken. No wonder our world is in such chaos, for where law and order don’t exist, or are not treated as important, then chaos will prevail, as it’s certainly doing in numerous parts of our groaning planet earth.
Cousin Sol said it this way in Proverbs: ‘Where there is no vision (prophetic vision or revelation) the people perish (cast off restraint): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ (Prov. 29:18) And that’s exactly what’s happening today; there’s no prophetic vision or revelation in our society; God’s Word, His moral law, is not recognized by many, and that’s what keeps a society balanced and on the right path. Consequently, if God’s moral law is being disdained and refuted, as Cousin Sol so wisely says, the people will perish. And that’s exactly what’s happening to us right now, we’re perishing, because we have cast off any restraint we had when we followed God’s moral law.
But the good news my people, is that there’s still hope for us. That old saying, where there’s life there’s hope,’ is oh so true! And most importantly, please remember that we have a Good Shepherd, who is totally interested in us and our whereabouts. His name is Jesus Christ, and in a few days, at Christmas we’ll be celebrating His magnificent incarnate birth. However, when He became a man, He made these bold bit true and faithful statements per our safety and protection. ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth is life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) Then, He went out and did just that; died of us on the cross at Calvary.
He also said; ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of them.’ (John 10:14) Yes friends, Jesus knows who belongs to Him, and we ought to know that we belong to Him, for He bought us with the price of his precious blood which flowed on Calvary’s hill. (1 Pet. 1:18-19)
And furthermore, Jesus acknowledged His shepherd’s duties and values towards us, when He told this parable of the lost sheep. ‘How think ye? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which was gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth the more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.’ (Matt. 18:12-14)
How wonderful is that my fellow saints! Our heavenly Father doesn’t want any of us to perish, but we must take the proactive action and seek Him out. He’s always there, but the choice has to be ours; we must want to be a part of His fold. He will never refuse us, but neither will He force us to accept Him against our will. He’s always cognizant of our whereabouts and our state of mind, body and soul, and lurking just in the background, anxiously waiting for our cry for help, so He can quickly jump in and restore us to the beautiful relationship He’s planned for all of His children. But please remember, that although sometimes God invites us, the onus is on us to make the connection, and/or accept the invitation. That’s why He gave us free will.
And having straightened out those matters, (smile) let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our most wonderful position in Christ Jesus. Altogether now: ‘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 also been faithfully promised that those who endure with Jesus down to the very end, will enjoy an even more glorious future than they can ask or imagine! Wow! Hope to se you there! Much LOVE!
…if you’re lost and want help…please cry out to the Good Shepherd…He’ll be there in a jiffy…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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