10 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a breakdown in communication, a daily commitment to living for Christ, a lack of true discipleship, a radical transformation of life, as I am not of the world, be better witnesses for Christ, behaving holy on Sundays, behaving like the rest of the world the rest of the week, chaotic place, christianity, Christians, Christians must do a better job for Christ, come to know and love Christ, courage.curse, creativity, divine protection, duty bound, embrace the difficulties of, faith, favour, for their sakes, given them thy word, God's supernatural wisdom, grace, greedy, have my joy fulfilled in themselves, holy, holy spirit, I sanctify myself, if any man will come after me, Jesus Christ, Jesus' kingdom is not of this world, keep them from evil, lawless, let him deny himself, listen to, live a life modelled after Jesus, living a life dedicated to jesus, LOVE, mercy, negative word, no excuses, not living up to our covenant with Jesus, our dailu walk with Christ, our lives should be worthwhile testimony be, penultimate day of our workweek, personal desires, promotion, prosper, pull up our socks, putting aside personal desires, righteous, run the enemy out of town, salvation, sanctified through the truth, sanctify them through thy truth, set us apart for His holy purpose, showing unbelievers the light of Christ, succeed, success, supernatural strength, take up his cross daily and follow me, the anointing, the BIBLE, the bright light of Jesus, the challenges that come with following Jesus, the commitment to follow Jesus, the cost of following Jesus, the sad truth, the still small voice of the Spirit, the ultimate call to discipleship, the world hated them, they are not of the world, thy word is truth, tighten our britches, to prioritize God's will, to sacrifice worldly gains for eternal rewards, truth, undeserved blessings, we're not following the script, will prevail over the darkness of Satan, willing to make certain sacrifices, wisdom, worldly attachments'
John 17:16. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
So, the penultimate day of our workweek, Thursday, rolls around with cool temps and a shallow cloud cover. Who knows what the rest of the day will be like. Let’s hope that the bright rays of the battling sun will prevail over the dark clouds, just like the bright light of Jesus will prevail over the sinful darkness of Satan! And all God’s people said a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’
Yes friends, I know our greatest desire is for the enemy to be run right out of town on the very next train, but unfortunately that will not happen unless we pull up our socks, tighten our britches and begin being better witnesses for Christ! Obviously, you don’t want to hear that, but it’s the sad truth. The world would not be such an evil, hateful, greedy, lawless and chaotic place if we Christians were doing a better job of showing the unbelievers the marvellous light of Christ through the rich examples of our own lives. Instead of being holy on Sundays, then behaving like the rest of the world on Monday to Saturday, we have to behave holy and righteous each and every day.
Remember what Jesus said about us when He prayed for the Father’s help before He left this world. ‘And now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from evil (evil one). They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they might also be sanctified through the truth.’ (John 17:13-19)
Yes my people, we’re not of this world, so we’re not supposed to behave like this world. And Jesus steadfastly prayed that the Father would sanctify us, set us apart for His holy purpose, but, unfortunately, we’re not following the script as laid out by Jesus. And it’s obvious that we’re not perfect and we will all make mistakes here and there, but on the whole our lives should be a worthwhile testimony to the unbeliever.
Remember what we agreed to when we became Christians, disciples and followers of Christ? Jesus said it thus: ‘If any man will (desires to) come after (follow) me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) That’s the agreement we made when we became Christians, followers of Christ. But sadly, not enough of us are living up to that covenant. Too many of us are still dithering and wavering when coming to denying ourselves and daily taking up our cross. We refuse to make certain sacrifices that are necessary to serve Jesus, and dredge up all kinds of excuses not to take up our cross.
And if we don’t understand what all this means, then this commentary explains it fairly well. As for the Context: Jesus is speaking to his disciples, emphasizing the cost and commitment involved in following him. “If any man will come after me…”: This is a conditional statement, meaning that if someone desires to be a follower of Jesus, they must be willing to make certain sacrifices. “let him deny himself…”: This means putting aside personal desires, ambitions, and worldly attachments in order to prioritize God’s will and follow Jesus.
“…and take up his cross…”: The “cross” symbolizes the suffering, hardship, and challenges that come with following Jesus. It’s a call to embrace the difficulties of living a life dedicated to Christ. “…and follow me.”: This is the ultimate call to discipleship, urging individuals to live a life modelled after Jesus’ teachings and example. Meaning of Discipleship: To follow Jesus requires a radical transformation of life, a willingness to sacrifice worldly gains for eternal rewards, and a daily commitment to living for Christ rather than oneself.’
Oh my people, truly following Jesus is not always easy, but it’s always worthwhile. Remember too, He doesn’t ask us to do anything that He Himself did not, or would not do, plus He always gives us the tools, the grace and mercy, the anointing to do whatever He asks of us. Then we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us to lead and guide our daily walk with Him, but probably too many of us don’t listen to the still small voice of the Spirit, and insist on doing our own thing. That will obviously lead to a breakdown in communications and thus a lack of true discipleship.
My fellow saints, it’s time we owned up to our shortcomings on Jesus’ behalf and make amends by turning our lives around, becoming true disciples and living sincerely for Him, truly desiring to make a difference in this ungodly and evil world. And God’s so good to us, that He’s even bestowed on us underserved blessings to help with His earthly work, so there are no excuses not to do our godly bidding. We call those tools our Thursday Blessings. So, let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, (yesss!!!) we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings 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!
…to be a true follower of Jesus…you cannot behave like the world…because Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a journey of becoming like Jesus, a legal benefit of our union with Christ, a mercy seat, a part of the discipleship process, a product of God's grace, a spiritual benefit of our union with Christ, a weekend release, all have sinned, attain God's standard of righteousness, being justfied freely by his grace, Bible, can never be reckoned, Christ has imputed His righeousness to the sinner, Christ has satisfied God's holy law, Christ's death is the ransom, christianity, curse, declared righteous, divine provision, duty bound, faith, fallen short of the glory of God, favour, fly away to heaven, forgiveness of sins, from the tiring throes, get a good handle on, God hath set forth, God's unmerited favour, good health, grace, growing in divine grace, handle the ups and downs, have life more abundantly, having Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, holy spirit, human need, I am come that they might have life, I am the good shepherd, Jesus Christ, Jesus' shed blood, judicial standing before God, justification, justified, life in the big city, LOVE, mercy, negative word, no just cause in man to warrant justification, of the daily grind and common task, passing over of sins, redemption, release on payment of ransom, righteous, salvation, sanctification, sanctified, self-discipline, set apart, set apart for God's purposes, supernatural strength, the good shepherd gives his life for his sheep, the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus, the monumental work of Jesus, the penultimate day of our work week, the process of becoming holy, the remission of sins, the same ole everyday life, the sinner is not rendered guiltless but pardoned, the spilled blood of Jesus, the thief coes only to steal and kill, through Christian commitment, through faith in his blood, through the forbearance of God, through the redemption in Christ Jesus, to be a propitiation, to declare his righteousness, to spend eternity with Christ, transformation into the image of Christ, truth, washed, wisdom, with a good attitude
John 10:10b. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
And then it was Thursday, the penultimate day of our workweek, and we’re just mindlessly moving along, somewhat impatiently waiting for Friday to show up with its promise of a weekend release from the frustrating and tiring throes of the daily grind and common task. (smile) But that’s life in the big city my people, and the only way to get a good handle on the bland, same ole everyday life is by having Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, and thereby getting all the tools to handle whatever ups and downs might come your way, with a good attitude.
That’s called the abundant life! Jesus died that we might have it. Listen as He says so: ‘The thief cometh not but (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) What more can we ask for eh friends? Nothing really, for Christ gave His life on the cross at Calvary so that we could have a decent earthly life and then fly away to heaven to spend eternity with Him!
As He said: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) And that’s exactly what He did! So why is it so difficult to trust Him eh, to surrender our all to a Deity who died that we could live a righteous, justified, sanctified, holy and blessed life? And Bruh Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians, explained that no evil doers shall inherit the kingdom of God: ‘And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified (set apart), but ye are justified (declared righteous) in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.’ (1 Cor. 6:11)
And what do those terms really mean eh? This commentary takes us a little deeper, as it explains. ‘Justification is a legal benefit of our union with Christ, granting us forgiveness of sin and righteousness before God through faith alone (Rom. 3:23-26; Gal. 2:16). Sanctification is a Spiritual benefit of our union with Christ, involving the believer’s transformation into the holy likeness of Christ.’ So, you see all that we are, comes through Christ!
And I just found this interesting information on Sanctification. It says: ‘Sanctification is a Christian term that refers to the process of becoming holy or being set apart for a special purpose. It can also refer to the state of being sanctified. Sanctification is a lifelong process that involves: Being set apart from the world for God’s purposes, Growing in divine grace through Christian commitment, Being transformed into the likeness of Christ, Submitting one’s heart, mind, and body to following Jesus. Sanctification is part of the discipleship process, which is a journey of becoming like Jesus. It’s a product of God’s grace, and it’s anticipated that Christ will complete the process of sanctification when he returns.’
Hope that helps us to understand more about sanctification and appreciate the big step it is in our Christian life. And yes, it does seem to be somewhat onerous, but let’s remember that with Christ as our Main Man, all things are possible. Now, let’s have a look at those verses in Romans that the above commentary referenced. I believe they can help further our understanding of the process of how and who we become by the spilled blood of Jesus.
Bruh Paul writes: ‘For all have sinned, and come (fallen) short of the glory of God; Being justified freely (without any cost) by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (a mercy seat) through faith in his blood, to declare (demonstrate) his righteousness for the remission (passing over) of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.’ (Rom. 3:23-26)
Now that’s certainly a mouthful, and is somewhat confusing, so let’s hear how the scholars explain it. ‘3:23: For all have sinned: The human need and the divine provision are alike applied universally. Come short of the glory of God: Man can exceed his own standards but never, left to himself, can he attain to God’s standard of righteousness. 3:24: Being justified indicates being declared righteous. It signifies the believer’s judicial standing before God. Freely: There is no just cause in man to warrant justification. By his grace: Unmerited favour is bestowed through the redemption (release on payment of ransom). Christ’s death is the ransom. The sinner is released on the basis of the ransom’s having been paid.
3:25-26: Through faith: Christ’s death satisfies the Father’s righteous demands. Its benefits are appropriated only through faith in His finished work. In his blood: The emphasis is not on the blood as it coursed through Christ’s veins, but as it was shed for our sins. This is how the propitiation (atonement, forgiveness of sins) was accomplished. Just, and the justifier: God can remain just (true to His nature) and still declare sinners to be righteous only because Christ has paid for sin and satisfied (propitiated) His holy law. The sinner is not rendered guiltless but pardoned. Christ has taken the sin on Himself and has imputed (assigned, credited) His righteousness to the sinner.’
Wow! That’s a whole lot to understand, but it’s ever so important if we are to know all our rights, privileges and responsibilities in God, through Christ! Please, let’s spend some time considering all that we’ve said today nuh, so that we can grow in spiritual understanding and intimacy with God. Now let’s go home declaring (yesss!) and thus activating our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work.
As one 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, we’re now duty bound to go out and share them with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…oh…the monumental work that Jesus’ shed blood has done for us…it’s value can never be reckoned…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Jan 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: cease from anger, compassionate, delight thyself also in the Lord, doesn't play favourites, doesn't spare the rod to spoil the child, drink of the river of thy pleasures, evildoers shall be cut off, faith, faithful, for the salvation of the Lord, God never gives up on us, great is thy faithfulness, holy, how excellent is thy lovingkindness, I may know you all the more, increase my awareness of you, it is good that a man, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus Christ, just, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, loving, mercy, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, remembering mine affliction, rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him, righteous, salvation, should both hope and quietly wait, slow my thoughts, the Lord is good unto them that wait for him, the wormwood and the gall, therefore I have hope, those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth, thy faithfulness reaches unto the clouds, truth, we serve an intimate God, wisdom, your unceasing nearness
Lamentations 3:26. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.
Well, I guess it’s what we will now refer to as a anormal day; cold and cloudy. And although there is a li’l daylight showing through the cloudiness, I won’t hold out much hope for bright sunshine. (smile) But, as we like to say, regardless of the weather and all our other disturbing circumstances, we will do very well, because we have the Lord Jesus Christ on our side! And all God’s people gave a grateful shout of ‘Praise the Lord!’
So, in keeping with that sentiment, let’s turn to our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer and declare it with all sincerity and truth. As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And as always, when we say those few words with heartfelt feeling, we experience the presence of the Lord moving in and around us, doing exactly what we asked for, calming our souls and refreshing our spirits, while increasing our intimacy with Him. What a LOVING and intimate God we serve my fellow believers! There’s none other like Him! He’s holy, righteous, just, faithful, LOVING, compassionate, doesn’t play favourites, and doesn’t spare the rod to spoil the child. (smile)
That means He is the perfect Father! And although many of us have become rebellious children, He NEVER gives up on us, always has His eye on our situation, so that when we finally reach rock bottom, and in all sincerity, cry out to Him for help, He’s right there to save us and bring us back into His fold. What a wonderful, marvellous, caring and compassionate God we serve! We can never say it too often.
Bruh David said it thus in 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 (of God); thy judgements are a great deep (ocean): O Lord, thou preservest man and beast. How excellent (precious) is thy LOVINGKINDNESS, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness (fulness) 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.’ (Ps. 36:5-9)
Oh my people, what a beautiful and true discourse on the wonderfulness of our great God! That’s why, despite the tough times Jeremiah went through doing the Lord’s work, he could still so rightly describe it in his Lamentations. ‘Remembering (I remember) mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall (bitterness). My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled within me (bowed down). This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:19-23)
And those words of truth we cannot ever doubt, for without God’s compassion and mercy, we would have been long ago consumed in our sin and unrighteousness. But the Lord is ever so faithful that even in Jeremiah’s tough times in doing the Lord’s work, he doesn’t give up, because he knew that the Lord would eventually come through for him. And because of that he had hope in the rough times, and likewise, we who claim to believe in God and His faithfulness, ought to have hope and not give up during the stormy times.
Just like the Lord is faithful to us, we are expected to be faithful to Him. Consequently, Jeremiah continues: ‘The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore I will hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.’ (Lam. 3:24-25) Yes friends, when we sincerely seek the Lord, His blessings flow down on us even more than normal. As the Lord says in Jeremiah 29:13. ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’
That says it all! If we don’t actively and sincerely seek the Lord, we won’t find him, and therefore He won’t hear us. Then Jeremiah gives us this wonderful verse of scripture: ‘It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:26) Truer words were never spoken my brethren!
And Bruh David acknowledges them in Psalm 37. ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on God’s faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For evil doers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37:3-9)
Oh my fellow saints, there’s nothing in those heartfelt words to doubt, because Bruh David lived them. He wasn’t perfect, and like us made many mistakes, but all through the long and dangerous years when he was anointed to be the next king of Israel but spent them running for his life from the current King, Saul, he never took matters into his own hands or turned away from the Lord, but waited patiently and always sought Him for advice and comfort. And if we are going to be true believers in Christ Jesus, then that’s how we also ought to live in these trying and turbulent times. Much LOVE!
…godly wisdom says to…earnestly seek the Lord…and then faithfully wait on Him…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
22 Aug 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ask and it shall be given to you, be careful for nothing, come unto me all ye that labour, delight thyself also in the Lord, enter in to his gates with thanksgiving, give thanks, He came to me when I needed Him, He gave me wealth untold, he shall give thee the desires of thine heart, He's only a prayer away, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endureth to all generations, hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name, I asked the Lord, I count all my blessings each day, I only had to pray, I thank the Lord for everything, I will comfort you, I will give you rest, I'll lift your cares away, if we ask anything according to His will, in everything by prayer and supplication, Jimmy Duncan, Johnny Lange, LOVE, my burden is light, my yoke is easy, praiseworthy, righteous, soulful gospel touch, takes your breath away, that your joy may be full, the great invitation, The Lord is good, this is the confidence that we have in Him, when things weren't going my way
Psalm 37:4. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Oh my fellow believers, it’s Sunday! That means it’s time to come together, once more, to worship Christ in all sincerity and truth! Oh yeah! Nothing can be better, more beautiful or righteous and praiseworthy than that! And as always, we begin our worship with a song of praise and thanksgiving. Today’s song is a Christian contemporary song written in the last century by a couple of American Hit songwriters. It’s titled ‘I asked the Lord.’
And what’s interesting about this song is that the writers, Jimmy Duncan, 1927-2011, and Johnny Lange 1905-2006, both had a hand in writing some non-gospel hit songs. Duncan wrote the famous country/western hit ‘My Special Angel’ for Bobby Helms in the late fifties, and Lange wrote the gimmicky song ‘Mule Train,’ made popular by Frankie Laine in 1949. You folks of the younger generation won’t know those songs, but they are classics from your parents’ days. (smile)
And we are indeed thankful that Duncan and Lange collaborated to give us this wonderful Christian song. I hadn’t heard it in a long time, until a couple of days ago, when someone sent it to me through a WhatsApp video. And I just knew that we had to sing it today because it’s so beautiful and applicable to our lives in these trying and troubled times. Now some people sing it slow, but we’re going to put a medium tempo with a solid, soulful gospel touch to it today.
So let’s sing: ‘I asked the Lord to comfort me When things weren’t going my way; And He said to me, “I will comfort you And I’ll lift your cares away.” I asked the Lord to walk with me, when darkness was all that I knew; And He said to me “Never be afraid, and I will see you through.” I didn’t ask for riches, but He gave me wealth untold, The moon and the stars, the sun in the sky, and He gave me eyes to behold.
I thank the Lord for everything, and I count all my blessings each day; For He came to me when I needed Him, I only had to pray. And He will come to you, if you ask Him to, For He’s only a prayer away. I thank the Lord for everything, and I count all my blessings each day; For He came to me when I needed Him, I only had to pray. And He will come to you, if you ask Him to, For He’s only a prayer away.’
And is that ever the gospel truth my brethren! God is only a prayer away from us, and all we have to do is ask Him to come and He will gladly come, come running too! Oh friends, Jesus said it several times and several different ways. Let’s hear some of them nuh. This first one He says when He talks about not judging. ‘Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7-8)
And after He cursed the fig tree, He told the disciples: ‘And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’ (Matt. 21:22) Then in John, when Jesus declares that He is the only way to the Father, He tells the disciples: ‘And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.’ (John 14:13-14) And when He talks about the vine and the branches, He states: ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.’ (John 15:7)
Then this final scripture, when Jesus tells the disciples about going back to the Father and leaving them, and seeing their sorrow, He offers comforting words. ‘Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy shall be full.’ (John 16:24) So you see friends, asking is a big part of our relationship with God. However, that asking is not to be frivolous and self-centred, but in the will of God. Hear John explain it in his first epistle. ‘And this is the confidence that we have in Him (Christ), that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.’ (1 John 5:14)
And remember too that Jesus said we should ask in His name, that means as His agents or ambassadors, to be able to do His work. God always wants to give us good things, but we must ask persistently, unselfishly and in faith. The important thing my brethren is that we get into God’s will, want what He wants. And when that happens then this wonderful verse from Psalm 37 will come into play. ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.’ (Ps. 37:4)
As one commentator says: ‘The key here is that the heart of the seeker is changed—when we delight in the Lord, God’s desires begin to become our own. When our desires match God’s, then our prayers are automatically aligned with His will.’ So, asking is good and right, but there are conditions.
A couple of other important scriptures can be derived from the song. Where it says: ‘And He said to me, “I will comfort you And I’ll lift your cares away.” That points right back the Great Invitation: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (humble and gentle): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Yes my fellow saints, there is no other place to find rest, comfort and succour than in the arms, or under the umbrella of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
And I want to close with this other important attitude we can derive from the song, that of counting our blessings and giving thanks. Listen up to these wonderful scriptures on the subject. Bruh Paul to the Ephesians: ‘Giving thanks always for all things unto God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (Eph. 5:20)
To the Philippians. ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.’ (Phil. 4:6) And finally from the psalmist: ‘Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. (Ps. 100:4-5)
That says it all my people! Much LOVE!
…when you consider the greatness of our God…it just takes your breath away
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
03 Dec 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all that glistens is not gold, and forget not all his benefits, as a father pitys his children, as far as the east is from the west, bless the Lord oh my soul, bounty, clear direction for my life, compassionate, crowneth thee with loving-kindness, curse, do our bounden duty, executeth judgement for the oppressed, forgiving, free speech, generously share our blessings, giveth food to the hungry, God is a straight-shooter, gracious, he preserveth the strangers, he turneth upside down, he will not always chide, his acts unto the children of Israel, Jesus is filling our hearts, just, loving, magnanimous to a fault, merciful, negative word, neither will he keep his anger for ever, not even gold-plated, openeth the eyes of the blind, our world is totally rotten inside, plenteous in mercy, prosper, raiseth them that are bowed down, redeemeth thy life from destruction, relieveth the fatherless and widow, rewarded us according to our iniquities, righteous, satisfieth thy mouth with good things, self-control, slow to anger, so far hath he removed our transgressions, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him, stubborn hard-hearted pride, succeed, supernatural wisdom, tender mercies, that white menace, the inmates of the asylum, the Lord is merciful and gracious, the Lord looseth the prisoners, the Lord loveth the righteous, the sun's shining brightly!, the way of the wicked, Thursday Blessings, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, turned against their Keeper, we are dust, weighty cement shoes, welcomed them with opened arms, what a sad tale to tell, which made heaven and earth
Psalm 103:2. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Gee…it’s Thursday, Thursday, Thursday! The day before Friday, Friday, Friday, when we’re let out to play! And thankfully, the roadways are bereft of that white menace, so nicely called snow! It sure seems like all’s right with our world; the sun’s shining brightly, Jesus is filling our hearts, and the java, she is indeed worthy of that venerable name; strong and sweet and potent!
But remember, all that glistens is certainly not gold, sometimes not even gold-plated. (smile) Yeh friends, despite the outward sheen, our world is totally rotten inside, and stinking to high hell! Hn, hn hn! I just realized I said, ‘high hell’ instead of ‘high heaven’. But that’s okay because heaven doesn’t encourage stench to come up there. (smile) Unfortunately though, the works of evil dominate our societies from one end of the globe to the other, from north to south and east to west! What a sad tale to tell! And why is our world in such a discombobulated and uncertain state eh?
One basic reason; the inmates of the asylum have turned against their Keeper, their Maker, the Lord God Almighty: ‘Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth forever: Which executeth judgement (justice) for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The Lord looseth (gives freedom to) the prisoners. The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind: the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord LOVETH the righteous: The Lord preserveth (watches over) the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down (makes crooked their way).’ (Ps. 146: 6-9)
Oh my people, that’s whom we have turned against! And no wonder our world is turned upside down, in a topsy-turvy evil and ungodly mess! If you turn against the good, just, LOVING, compassionate, merciful, gracious, righteous and forgiving One who created it all – and still controls it all, what else can you really expect eh?
But yuh know what my people, the same way we have turned away from God, we can again turn back to Him. The Israelites in their foolish and stubborn hard-hearted pride, although they knew of His goodness as well as His wrath, did it several times, and each time they came back, He welcomed them with opened arms, for that’s the kind of forgiving and merciful God He is!
Hear how Bruh David puts it nuh in Psalm 103 – Thanksgiving for God’s mercy: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgement for all that are oppressed. He made his ways known unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.’ (Ps. 103:2-7)
Yuh see friends, our God is a straight shooter! He made whatever He made, however He wanted to make it, and then told us how He wanted us to behave, and what rules He wanted us to follow. But He was then magnanimous to a fault; He gave us the bounty, or weighty cement shoes of free speech. It could work either way, depending on our disposition towards Him. And sadly, I have to say that right now that supposed garnishee of free speech is acting like cement shoes, for we have turned against God and our abominable sins are weighing us down into the mire of deceit and self-destruction.
But the awesome God who made us is so wonderful, so magnanimous, that He’s known as the God of second chances, in fact the God of many chances! That’s why Bruh David could further expound in Psalm 103: ‘The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-kindness). He will not always chide (strive): neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-kindness) toward them that fear (sincerely reverence) him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear (sincerely reverence) him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.’ (Ps. 103:8-14)
Oh mih people, what more can I say eh? I’ve tried to prove to us why our world is in such a sad and sorry state, and also how we can get it out of that distressing mess. It all depends on our relationship with the Lord God Almighty, Maker and Ruler of heaven and earth! If we sincerely worship and reverence Him, then our world will be turned around, be saved from the hellfire and damnation to which we’re currently headed in our dreadful and sinful pride and stubbornness!
It’s all up to us. Remember what Bruh David said at the start: ‘forget not all his benefits.’ (Ps. 103:2) Yes friends, all that Lord does and says is not for His benefit, but for ours, and He will not force us to do what we don’t want to do. So our future is all in our hands. End of sermon! (smile)
Now for those of us who are sincerely trying to live the way God desires, let’s go home declaring (yeahh!) our Thursday Blessings; awesome blessings which the Lord has magnanimously bestowed on us, so that we can do His work down here on earth. Altogether now: ‘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 everyday! Amen!’
So let’s go out now and do our bounden duty nuh; share those blessings with others, just as magnanimously and generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…to sincerely reverence our God…brings such joy and peace…to one’s spirit and soul…
10 Apr 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a carpenter's son, a warrior king, Adam and Eve, all have sinned, almost all things, atonement, blood that maketh an atonement, by the law, chosen people, Christ's sacrificial death, coats of skins, come short of the glory of God, Easter Sunday, eternal life, eternally separated form God, fig leaves, forgiveness, go to hell, Good Friday, I have power to lay it down, I lay down my life, impotence, just, justice must be done, LOVE, mother of the living, My God my God, nakedness, no man taketh ti from me, no remission of sins, Noah, only a fool breaks his own heart, peace, purged with blood, redemption, Resurrection day, righteous, roadblock, salvation, shame, slavery, take it back up again, the Garden of Eden, the gift of God, the Isrealites, the Messiah, the Old Testament, the wages of sin is death, through Jesus Christ, tower of Babel, ungrateful sinners, why hast thou forsaken me, without shedding of blood
Hebrews 9:22. And almost all things are by the law purged (cleansed) with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission (forgiveness).
Prologue: Yes, it’s long and late, but that’s nothing new. (smile) I thought though that a heads up was necessary, since today’s Bit is somewhat different to what we might all expect on a day like today. But that’s where I was lead. So I hope it does make sense and it resonates strongly and deeply with us all. (smile) Much LOVE!
And then it was Good Friday! But you ask what’s so good about it, when they tortured our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ so terribly, then nailed Him to a cross to suffer and die in the burning noonday sun? Well the simple answer is that we were, and still are, a bunch of disgusting, ungrateful sinners, and if we didn’t get some form of salvation, we’d all go to hell and be eternally separated from the Lord God Jehovah, our wonderful Creator. However, though the Lord is all powerful and can do anything, there is another side to His nature, one that’s just and righteous, and requires justice to be done.
He couldn’t deny Himself, so though He LOVED us ever so much and wanted to save us from eternal death and damnation, it would not have been right to just forgive us without any payment for our sins. And the Good Book, His eternal Word, says: ‘For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Rom. 3:23) It also stipulates without any hesitation or distinction: ‘For the wages of sin is death;’ (Rom. 6:23a) The Good Book also says: ‘And almost all things are by the law purged (cleansed) with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission (forgiveness).’
And right there is the roadblock. Something or somebody had to die to pay for sin. Now earlier on in the Old Testament, the Lord allowed the Israelites to kill animals in temporary atonement for their sins. Moses wrote in Leviticus on the Lord’s behalf: ‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.’ (Lev. 17:11) That’s why there was so much killing of animals and sacrificing and sprinkling of blood in the olden days; atonement called for blood. That’s also why the Israelites were not allowed to eat blood. (Lev. 17:10-12)
But we also know that from the beginning, when Adam and Eve sinned, and the Lord threw them out of the Garden of Eden, though He placed a curse on them, He also promised that by Eve’s seed mankind would one day be eventually redeemed. (Gen. 3:14-24) In that bit of scripture (vs. 21) the Lord also made more durable clothing for Adam and Eve by clothing them with ‘coats of skins,’ as opposed to the fig leaves that they had originally used to hide their nakedness.
And as the scholars explain: ‘This is how Yahweh provides clothing for Adam and Eve after their feeble attempt to cover their nakedness and shame. It is His way of demonstrating that He acknowledges their act of faith in verse 20. The word for “skins” presupposes the death of an animal and therefore the idea of blood sacrifice is clearly implied.’
And having said all of that, I guess I now have to quote verse 20 so you might get a better understanding of the topic. (smile) ‘And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; (life or living) because she was the mother of all living.’ The scholars say: ‘Eve comes from the verb ‘to live.’ Here is Adam’s act of faith, looking to the future with hope. This word sounds like the word used in this verse, living. Adam seems not only to believe that God spoke the truth, but also to have faith in the salvation God had promised in verses 15-16.’ Please read them for yourself. (smile)
And life moved on through the flood and Noah, (Gen. 6-7) then the City and Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:1-9) and finally to Abraham, whom God promised to make a great nation of and from whose seed a Messiah, a Saviour would eventually come. (Gen. 12:1-3) And all through the ensuing years, in fact centuries, the Lord, through the prophets kept promising the Israelites, His Chosen People, Abraham’s main descendants the coming of a Messiah to save them from their sins. The only problem there was that Israel thought the Messiah would be a warrior king, coming to release them finally from all their days of slavery and impotence.
That’s partially why when Jesus came, in the Lord’s much belated time, saying He was the Promised Messiah, but speaking peace and LOVE, so many doubted Him. That brings us finally to the real reason for Good Friday. I guess the Lord finally got tired of all the blood sacrifices and decided it was time to put on the grand show; so we have Jesus being born supposedly at Christmas time, growing up as the carpenter’s son, then ministering, doing miracles, healing and teaching and showing the people what their great God was like in person. As he said so often, if you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father.
But then His rhetoric and deeds were too revolutionary for the rulers of Rome and Israel, so they hatched a plot to get rid of Him. But little did they know that that was His express plan for coming to earth as a man; to die and be a once and for all blood sacrifice for man’s sins. That’s why He specifically said: ‘Therefore doth my Father LOVE me, because I lay down my life. That I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.’ (John 10:17-18)
Yes friends, Jesus death on the cross was the next step in God’s plan to provide a real and serious but fairly easy option for us to be reconciled to Him and be redeemed. Remember no real atonement was possible but though the shedding of blood, and it still isn’t, except that Christ with His sacrificial death on the cross paid for ALL our sins once and forever. The father placed them ALL on His shoulder that extremely rough but nonetheless blessed day. That’s why we can afford to call it Good Friday.
And don’t think that it wasn’t rather rough on the Father to turn away from His wonderful One Son. It was pure hell for Him. And I guess especially so when Jesus cried out on the cross: ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt. 27:46). Yeh friends, that must surely have broken the Father’s heart, because it was the very first and only time that He and His precious Son had been on opposite sides. But He had to do it, if He wanted to save mankind from their deadly sins.
His ultimate plan of atonement and forgiveness, because of His righteousness and justice, called for a sinless soul, and Jesus was the only other sinless soul in existence, that’s why He was forced to sacrifice Him. And strangely, whenever I think about the Father sacrificing Jesus for us, an old song always comes to mind. It was made famous by BL&D, Byron Lee and the Dragonaires back in the late sixties, ‘Only a fool breaks his own heart.’ I always picture small, but powerful Keith Lynn singing that soulful ballad and consider How Jesus’ death must have broken the Father’s heart.
And the sad part is that His heart is still breaking because two thousand years later we’re still reluctant to accept His magnanimous offer of salvation and redemption and forgiveness and eternal life through the sacrificial death of His wonderful and selfless Son Jesus Christ on this Good Friday, and His glorious resurrection on Easter Sunday, a couple days hence. Please friends, let’s remember that without Good Friday, this rough and heart breaking day, there’d be no rejoicing and glorifying on Resurrection Day; Easter Sunday, and wisely make the most of the time we have left on this earth! Much LOVE!
…the wages of sin is death…but the gift of God…is eternal life…through Jesus Christ our Lord… (Rom. 6:23)
24 Oct 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adversity, as long as he sought the Lord, as unto the Lord, be afflicted, be lost, be ye strong therefore, Christians, Cleanse your hands, compassionate heart, courage, created the sun, creativity, curse, do it heartily, doubleminded, draw night to God, dwelling in us, God made him to prosper, grace, greed, Hades, he is a rewarder, he sought God, hoard selfishly, humble yourselves before the Lord, if ye forsake him, if ye seek him, in the days of Zechariah, joyful, lack of strife, let not your hands be weak, material wealth, mercy, mourn, negative emotions, negative word, peaceful, pouring down sunshine, prosper, purify your hearts, righteous, self-control, selfishness, shall be rewarded, share generously, submit yourselves to God, the bright light of Jesus, the evil one, the Lord is with you, the mire of sinfulness, the Spirit of God, the strait and narrow path, the visions of God, them that diligently seek him, Thursday Blessings, understanding, whatsoever ye do, wisdom, your work
2 Chronicles 26:5. And he (Uzziah) sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions (fear) of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.
So today looks like another rainy and cloudy day, but I guess that’s what fall weather is all about. But who knows, with the way things are going these days, by lunchtime it could be pouring down sunshine! (smile) Yeh, the weather patterns are so unpredictable these days that I feel sorry for the weather forecasters. But regardless of if the physical sun is shining or not, we need to remember that we have the One who created the sun dwelling inside of us, and therefore there should always be a bright light, the bright light of Jesus, shining in our souls and spirits.
Glory to God for that eternal sunshine! That sunshine that keeps us joyful and fresh, and peaceful and righteous and leads us along the strait and narrow path that Almighty God has ordained for us to follow! Give Him much thanks for His unceasing goodness to us, the disobedient children of men. Without His amazing grace and mercy we’d surely be lost in the mire of sinfulness, headed straight for Hades and its ruler, the evil one. And I’ve just encountered an interesting scripture in the Old Testament that is still oh so relevant to our modern times. It deals with the sixteen year old Uzziah succeeding his father Amaziah as king of Judah. It says: ‘And he (Uzziah) sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions (fear) of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.’
What a wonderful scripture for us meditate on and consider this wet and cloudy morning my people, because it is still a happening fact in our time. When you seek God sincerely and constantly, He causes you to prosper. And prosper doesn’t necessarily mean material wealth, but also peace and joy in your life and your surroundings, and the lack of strife and other negative emotions and situations. But before we move on, here are a couple of notices from the scholars. The first is that Uzziah is called Azariah in 2 Kings 14:21; 15:1-7. And the second is that the Zechariah named above is not the same prophet who wrote the prophecy of Zechariah.
This brings us to another instance where the same basic ideas were floated to a Judean king. Listen to this warning from the prophet Azariah. ‘And the spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded: And he went out to meet (before) Asa, (the king), and said unto him, hear ye me Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; the Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.’ (2 Chr.15:2) Yeh friends, that warning still applies to us today. And I like what Azariah said after reminding them that Israel had been in a rough state for a long time, without a prophet, disobedient to God, and thus suffering much adversity. However he advised: ‘Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.’ (2 Chr.15:7)
Yeh friends, it still works even to this day! Remember Bruh Paul’s words to the Colossians: ‘And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance (salvation): for ye serve the Lord Christ.’ (Col.3:23-24) It’s like the author of Hebrews said: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God); for he that cometh to God must believe that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb.11:6) That’s sort of the reverse side of the coin; you can’t come to God sincerely unless you believe that He will reward your diligent seeking of Him. Oh I just went outside to check on a problem and it’s already sunny out there. Yuh see, just like we said earlier on! (smile) Glory to God!
Now here are James’ words on the subject. ‘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. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded. Be afflicted (lament), and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness (gloom). Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-10) Oh my people, in these evil times, times of so much selfishness and greed, many of us, even Christians, need to humble ourselves before Almighty God, so that He can lift us up.
Yes, it’s a fact; if we don’t humble ourselves before Him, there will be no lifting up! And once we do that, He will bless us so abundantly, that we won’t know what to do with the blessings. Listen to some of them. We call them our Thursday Blessings. They need to be spoken out loud for them to take effect, so please declare them with me in loud and sincere voices. ‘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 everyday! Amen!’
And that’s gospel truth friends! But one important reminder: those blessings are for us to generously share with others, as the Lord has generously shared them with us, not for us to selfishly hoard. Much LOVE!
…you can only find God…if you diligently look for Him…
04 Oct 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Kinsman-Redeemer, a resurrected body, a spirit being, aplomb, at the latter day on the earth, be acceptable, be like him, be of good cheer, bless the name of Jesus Christ, calamity, confidence, cooped up, degradation, for Jesus' sake, Friday chant, furthering your kingdom, generous help, God's deliverance, he shall stand, humiliated Job, i have overcome the world, if God be for us, in my flesh, in thy sight, Job, justified, keep a good attitude, LOVE, loving-kindness, my redeemer, my Redeemer liveth, my strength, Old Testament belief in resurrection, paid for our sincs, pleading for pity, poise, reconciling us, recorded for posterity, righteous, sacrificial death, sanctified, see him, self-confidence, shall see God, share the sentiments, sons of God, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the Holy Spirit, the meditation of my heart, the name above every name, the pure in heart, the words of my mouth, the workingman's song, tribulation, unwavering stablility, week of work, weekends, who can be against us
Job 19:25. For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter (last) day upon the earth.
Well how shall we put it this morning eh? It’s not raining…the roads seem fairly dry…and the sun seems to be valiantly fighting to push out above the eastern horizon…but in my area it’s still somewhat cloudy and overcast, which means any number can play! But after two days of steady rain we do deserve a short break from all that heavenly blessing. (smile)
Nonetheless with the omnipotent Lord God in our corner, we are well able to handle anything that comes against us. As the Good Book so wisely and truthfully says: ‘If God be for us, who can be against us eh? (Rom.8:31) Not a single, solitary soul my faithful brethren! So with that most important bit of information in mind, let’s move on this Friday morning to hear what the ordinary workingman has to say for himself.
And as always, he puts it plainly. ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday and the weekend is on the horizon. Hallelujah! But rain, rain, rain, please go away to Spain – or wherever you come from nuh…give us a break…and come back some other time when we badly need you! As they say, too much of anything is good for nothing!
And…Chuh man! Though it’s been fairly warm, these past few days has just been too much rain, which meant I couldn’t go outside and do anything, and even worse, it kept the children in the house and underfoot all the bloody time!
Let’s hope though that this stoppage is for real, and we’ll get a rain free weekend, because after being cooped up in work and the house whole week, I want to get outside for my free time and do things with my buddies, and the children also need to get out too, else they’ll soon drive their mother bonkers. Thank you Lord for Fridays and weekends, and please, keep it warm, but make this weekend rain free!’
I’m sure that many of us believers also share the sentiments of the ordinary workingman, but we know that we have to keep a good attitude, for Jesus’ sake, re anything that comes against us. So it could rain everlasting, or be dry, warm and sunny, we still need to handle it all with a certain aplomb; that’s self-confidence, coolness, poise, and unwavering stability. (smile) Yeh, it’s not easy to not react like the world does, but that’s why we have the Holy Spirit of Christ dwelling in us – to raise us up to His level of strength and obedience. Glory be mih people!
Now let’s turn to our weekend song, our Friday Chant, which isn’t as worldly as the workingman’s, but it does suit our needs admirably. Let’s chant: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’
Ah mih people, I know it’s somewhat frustrating to always be on the lookout for the enemy, but that’s what we signed up for when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. He didn’t have it easy, and neither shall we. He promised tribulation in the world, but that we should also be of good cheer, because He has overcome the world. (John 16:33) That’s not easy to do either, but if we sincerely believe, we will be able to do it, with His help.
Then we can calmly, steadfastly and truthfully declare like Job did, in spite of his overwhelming calamity: ‘For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter (last) day upon the earth.’ And all God’s children gave a loud shout of thanks and praise: ‘Bless His Holy Name! Bless the name of Jesus Christ! That name that’s above every other name in the universe!’
Yeh friends, we need to do that, because that’s exactly what Jesus promised; to be with us to the very end, to include us in His latter day kingdom, to rule and reign with Him! What could be better eh? AbsolutelyNOTHING! And listen to how Job continues with absolute certainty in God’s deliverance and LOVING-kindness: ‘And though, after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me (how my heart yearns). (Job 19:26-27)
And to boost that vision of Job, listen to John from his first epistle. ‘Beloved, now are we the sons (children) of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.’ (1 John 3:2) So we can be assured that when Jesus returns, in whatever form, we shall see Him and be like Him. All praise and glory to God my people! Jesus also promised that the pure in heart shall see God. (Matt.5:8) So it’s not a matter of if, but when?
Now here is a paraphrased version of the scholars’ explanation of Job’s speech and problems.‘19:23-27. Although God has humiliated Job, and his friends and relatives have abandoned him, so he’s reduced to pleading for pity, still, from the very depths of degradation he expresses the confidence that if his case could only be recorded for posterity, future generations would judge him favourably.’ And it has been recorded, and we have judged him favourably.
‘Furthermore, he knows confidently that he has a Redeemer, (Heb. go’el) One who will champion his cause and vindicate him. The Redeemer is more than an arbiter (9:33) or a witness (16:19) but a Kinsman-Redeemer who will avenge him. Clearly Job viewed God Himself as the Redeemer, and the Hebrew word is in fact used often of God (Ps.19:14; Is.41:14)
In my flesh (vs.26) speaks of a resurrected body . Though it may also be translated “apart from my flesh,” as a spirit being, the emphasis of the original means “from the standpoint of my flesh,” in my resurrected body. Here then is clear evidence of the Old Testament belief in the resurrection of the human body.’
Ah friends, everyday we learn something new – at least we’re supposed to. (smile) And all who have been saved know one thing for certain sure: that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has redeemed us, paid for our sins through His sacrificial death on the cross at Calvary, thus gloriously reconciling us to the Lord God Almighty, and we are now His justified, sanctified and righteous children! Glory Hallelujah! Much LOVE!
…let the words of my mouth…and the meditation of my heart…be acceptable in thy sight…O Lord…my strength…and my redeemer… (Ps.19:14)
P.S. Sorry it’s somewhat long and late, but I got up late, then I had several important e-mails to answer before I could get started. Hope it’s informative, and you like it. Much LOVE!
25 Apr 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a name above all names, a no no, a pardoning judge, a stickler for justice, abundance, appearance, as a man, became obedient, believe in Christ, best way to live, by one man's disobedience, courage, creativity, curse, disobedient creation, displeasing the Father, Dr. Charles Stanley, Easter celebrations, empathy, eternal life, every knee must bow, faithful obedience, found in fashion, frailties, God of Numerous Chances, God's Word, gracious, he humbled himself, lack of obedience, leave all the consequences to Him, LOVE, many made righteous, many made sinners, merciful, negative word, obedience of one, obey God, once and for all time, our benefit, painful death, prosper, rebellious, righteous, sacrificed his son, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, selfishly hoard, share the blessings, sinless blood, so much to gain, so much to lose, success, take up the baton, talent, tests, the death of the cross, the Good Book, Thursday Blessings, to pay for our sins, Triune God, unto death, weaknesses, wisdom
Philippians 2:8. And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Well a blessed Thursday to you my faithful Scrip-Bit brethren! I do hope that the day has and or will bring you substantive joy and peace as you walk the strait and narrow path that our Lord and Saviour Jesus desires of you. Oh, we all know that this earthly life is not an easy one to hoe, but with Jesus on our side, right beside us all the time as He sincerely promised, we do have a better chance than the unbelievers to live a life blessed with joy and peace.
But it just won’t fall into our laps, as some of us seem to think. We need to get up and do our part in this partnership, this everlasting covenant with Almighty God. If we do our part, He will certainly do His, but if we don’t, He won’t. It as simple as that my people!
And what’s our part you ask? Again, it’s pretty simple: believe in His Son Jesus Christ and walk in faithful obedience to His Word! Granted, it’s much harder than it sounds, but then again the Lord has promised to help us in any area in which we are deficient or lacking. We just have to come to Him in sincere prayer and ask for his help.
And He’s also promised not to give us more than we can handle. He’s God, and merciful, gracious and forgiving, plus He knows all our frailties and weaknesses, so why will He give us more than we can handle eh? No reason whatsoever! Oh, He will test us occasionally to see if we really believe the stuff we talk. And I can personally tell you about that, because some days before I’m even finished writing the Bit, I’m bombarded with tests about what I’ve written.
But then again, if we fail, He always gives us more chances to come back and take them. That’s why He’s known as the God of Numerous Chances! And that’s all to our benefit! Praise His holy name my people! For though He’s righteous, a stickler for justice, He’s also a pardoning judge. Because He created us, and thus knows what we’re all about, He has great empathy and LOVE for us.
And He proved it by the celebrations we just had this past Easter weekend, where He sacrificed His Son for us, to pay for our sins once and for all time. There could be no greater LOVE than that! The Creator of the universe, and all therein, sacrificing His sinless Son to appease the need for sinless blood to cleanse the sins of His disobedient, rebellious creation. He LOVED and cared for us so much that He went to such drastic lengths to provide a means of redemption for us.
How wonderful He is my brethren! There is NONE other like Him in the world! All the others are mere pretenders, jokers and fools! So since He’s provided ALL that we need to live a godly and righteous life, and come to salvation through His resurrected Son, then technically speaking, the problem(s) we face nowadays stem mainly from our lack of obedience to His Word. And if you claim that you don’t know His Word, then that’s still disobedience, because He’s admonished us many times to read, study and meditate on it.
And since we’re talking about obedience, I believe it’s only right to mention two of the most profound statements on the subject in the Good Book, both not surprisingly made by Bruh Paul. The first one is found in his missive to the church at Rome: ‘For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.’ (Rom.5:19)
Yeh friends, we all fell into sin by Adam’s disobedience. Although, come to think of it, I don’t know why Adam get’s blamed for the dastardly deed nuh, when it’s Eve who supposedly first took a bite of the apple, and Adam foolishly followed? But be that as it may, our forefathers weighed us down with sin by their disobedience, and it was only with the coming of Jesus Christ that we were granted a way to get out from under that deathly and damning sin.
And as Bruh Paul says to the church at Philippi: ‘And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’
Oh friends, do you think Jesus wanted to die, and even more, such a murderous, unfair and painful death! Obviously not! But He knew that the Father wanted to save us more than anything else, and that He was the ONLY ONE who had the parts to accomplish the Father’s plan. So He obediently went along, even to that disturbing and horrible death on the cross because displeasing the Father was a no no in His mind.
And all I’m trying to point out here, by saying so much (smile) is that if Jesus, God’s Son was obedient to the point of giving His life for us, we, mere mortals, mere puny and flimsy creations of God, should also be very obedient to God’s Word because we have so much to gain and so much to lose. Please remember that ALL the Father and the Son did, was purely for OUR benefit not theirs.
And Jesus has already been exalted for His sacrifice with a name above all names and to whom each knee must eventually bow, and sits comfortably at the right hand of the Father, so we are the ones who now need to take up the baton and lead a righteous and obedient life, if we want to enjoy salvation and eternal life with our Triune God. Sermon done! (smile)
Now for those of us who are sincerely attempting to do as Jesus asks, let’s go home declaring (right ho!) our Thursday Blessings, those wonderful aspects of life that He’s showered down on us to help us do the job.
So altogether now: ‘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 everyday! Amen!’
And the corollary to all that is that we must now go out and share them with others, not selfishly hoard them for ourselves, because that’s why we were given so much! Much LOVE!
…the best way to live…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him… (Uncle Charles – Charles Stanley)
01 Dec 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, a clean heart, a dreamer, aches and pains, achievement for ourselves, Anselm, aspire to inspire, basic logic, by their fruits, change the world, choose the way, community, corrupt tree, dead men's bones, defiles a man, discouraged, don't need help, friend, fruits, God is great, good fruit, gospel truth, great dream, hypoctires, iniquity, injustice, lethargic, listless, Mosaic Law, no man is an island, opportunity, our sufficency is of God, outward behaviour, passion, patience, reach for the stars, righteous, rocket science, strength, strong enough, sufficient of ourselves, taste and see, tender mercies, the gift of life, The Lord is good, the Pharisees, the race is not for the swift, the sure of foot, tombs, unwashed hands, use our lives, white washed sepulchres, ye shall know them
Matthew 7:20. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Aye friends, the ole fella is somewhat listless and lethargic this Saturday morning yes! And the aches and pains not helping the situation either nuh. But yuh know what, we not giving in to the feelings today. The aches and pains might slow us down some, but we not stopping. Remember the race is not for the swift but for the sure of foot, and yuh better believe when I plant my big feet down they stay down! (smile)
Yeh, it’s just one of those days; the weather doesn’t look good, the body doesn’t feel good, but GOD IS GREAT! That’s something we can always count on, for He has said so in the promises of His Word, and His Word does not lie! Give Him some thanks and praise my people!
And since it’s Saturday, let’s look at some of the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this week in his noble attempt to aspire us to a better tomorrow. And this one jumps right out at me today: ‘You are never strong enough that you don’t need help.’ Wow! That’s gospel truth! For none of us can do it all ourselves. As they say, no man is an island. The Lord made us to fellowship with each other and to help each other, not to be single and all sufficient in our selves.
And on that point, hear what the Good Book says: ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves: but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor.3:5) Now that says it all!
And this next quote also points directly to God: ‘Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.’ You do have all of that, but only if God is sincerely in your efforts!
Now listen to this one: ‘It is possible to become discouraged about the injustice we see everywhere. But God did not promise us that the world would be humane and just. He gives us the gift of life and allows us to choose the way we will use our limited time on earth. It is an awesome opportunity.’
Yes friends, it is an awesome opportunity we’ve been given to live for Jesus on this earth. And to use that opportunity properly, we need to remember these two scriptures. In the immortal words of Bruh David: ‘O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.’ (Ps.34:8) And also: ‘The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.’ (Ps.145:9)
It’s all about our heavenly Father my people! And this quote exemplifies that: ‘We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community… Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.’ That goes right back to the first quote, we can’t be successful on our own, for success means taking others on that journey with us, both individually and communally! That’s how the Lord designed it!
And this last quote covers them all: ‘When we are really honest with ourselves we must admit our lives are all that really belong to us. So it is how we use our lives that determines the kind of people we are.’ And today I want to focus on that last line; how we live our lives determines the kind of people we are.
Yeh friends, we can live our lives like the Pharisees did, outwardly showy and hypocritical, or like Jesus recommended, honest and truly considerate of others. For as He says: ‘Wherefore by their fruit ye shall know them.’ Yes friends, by our deeds we shall be known. And hear some deep insights of Jesus on the subject of how men live their lives.
First off, He states very clearly: ‘A good tree cannot bring forth evil (bad) fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.’ (Matt.7:18) And that’s not rocket science, just plain, basic logic. Then Jesus lays it out in plain terms: ‘Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.’ (Matt.15:11)
Oh friends, I hope we understand that. We can’t bear good fruit unless what is in us and what comes out of us is good! What’s in our hearts determines the kind of people we’ll be!
Hear Jesus again: ‘Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out (eliminated) into the draught (body waste)? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.’ (Matt.15:17-20)
Yeh friends, that whole argument began when the Pharisees complained that the disciples were eating with unwashed hands, which they considered a big thing. But Jesus, as usual set them right. And in Matthew 23, (please read it) He really lambastes the Pharisees, who looked real good on the outside but were dirty as hell on the inside!
And we’ll end with this description: ‘Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited sepulchres (white washed tombs), which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (lawlessness).’ (Matt.23:27-28)
And the scholars offer this explanation: ’23:27-33. Whited sepulchres: Since contact with a dead body rendered a person unclean according to the Mosaic Law, graves were customarily painted white to make them conspicuous and give the opportunity of avoiding contact with them.’
Oh friends, please let us live lives that will not cause those unpleasant comparisons to be said of us nuh. Instead let us be good and uncorrupted trees, so that we can bear good fruit in Jesus’ name and make a productive difference in the lives of those around us. Much LOVE!
…whatsoever is in our heart…will undoubtedly manifest itself in our outward behaviour…that’s why we need a clean heart to live for Jesus…
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