15 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a few tears fell, A Friend Observed, a future and a hope, a strong will, abundance, accepting Christ as Lord and Saviour, affirmations, confessions, creativity, curse, eternal separation from Almighty God, experience the same problems, faith, favour, for our ears only, give thanks for seeing another day, go and pray unto me, God will whisper secrets to you, God's plans are always the best, good friends, good health, groping and intense struggles, home to heaven, I know the thoughts that I have toward you, I will hearken unto you, in general our lives are pretty similar, in the name of Jesus, inner life and journey, Jesus Christ, listen -really listen, LOVE, memories encircled the room, negative word, One Year Book of Bible promises, planet earth, record of life, Ruth Harms Calkin, search for me with all your heart, seek me and find me, spiritual encounters, sweet little nothings, talent, the rising sun, the terrible place, thoughts of peace and not of evil, Thursday Blessings, to give you an expected end, truth, went home to be with Christ, what a beautiful day, where Satan holds saway, ye shall call upon me
Jeremiah 29:11. For I know the thoughts that I have toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).
What a beautiful day…what a beautiful Thursday! Yes friends, we’ve been blessed to experience another of God’s beautiful days on his wonderful planet Earth! Wow! But sadly, many didn’t open their eyes this morning to the rising sun, and we hope and pray that they went home to be with Christ, and not to that terrible place where Satan holds sway.
And though our present circumstances might not be all peaches and cream, it still behooves us to give thanks for seeing another glorious day, and also make sure that if we don’t open our eyes tomorrow, we’ll be going home to heaven and not to hell. And we can only ensure that by accepting Christ as Lord and Saviour and living the way He desires His followers to live, like the salt of the earth and the light of the world! For remember, the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul is eternal separation from Almighty God, which is what will happen if we end up with Satan and his evil cronies in the fires of eternal damnation! End of Sermon! (smile)
Now, today, I want us look at an interesting writing from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, titled, ‘A Friendship Observed.’ And I’m not sure if I’ve ever shared it before, as it doesn’t look familiar to me, but previously shared or not, it’s still worthwhile sharing today. (smile)
So please read with me: ‘After my father’s death, I sat in his quiet office sorting through years of sermons and journals. A few tears fell on the pages. My task was very personal. Hundreds of memories encircled the room. I was amazed, yet pleased, when I began to compare my journals with my father’s. Our groping and intense struggles, our affirmations and confessions were so often interlaced. It would never have occurred to us to share our journals while Dad was alive. Diaries, letters, journals, and even phone calls were private.
Today I reflect upon my own record of life – page after page of spiritual encounters. Anguish, questions, purging, joy, discipline, insights, ecstasy, faith – God’s whispered secrets. Suddenly the early beginning became very much alive: A little girl, seven or eight, hearing her father say, “If you’ll listen – really listen – God will whisper secrets to you!” My father had said something very beautiful and strange. How did he know that God would whisper secrets to me? But as I sorted through my father’s careful recounting of his inner life and journey, it suddenly became very clear: He, too, had heard God’s secrets!’
Yes my people, if we listen carefully, we will hear God whisper secrets to us, because that’s His style. Throughout our lives, He always has something specific to say to those who LOVE and live for Him. Sweet little nothings that no one else can, or need to hear, because it’s only for our ears. And as children we don’t always know what our parents are going, or went through, especially the tough times, because they try to keep them from us, not wanting to burden us with more than we already have. And it’s not until their passing that we finally discover some hidden truths about their lives.
I gained personal experience in that area some years ago after my mother Molly went to be with the Lord, and I began going through some of her papers. I discovered certain tough things that she had experienced, but never shared with me, although we were quite open with each other, simply because she did not want me to worry. And believe me, knowing those things made me understand a whole lot of other things that I previously did not understand, and made me appreciate her even more, although I was also somewhat annoyed with her for not sharing them with me at the time.
But the truth is that all of us, parents and children, go through strange and difficult times, but oftentimes we all encounter some of the same problems and solutions, we just don’t share them, so we don’t realize how similar our lives are in general. Let’s hope that when my children go through the oodles of paperwork that I’ve accumulated over the years, they will be pleasantly surprised to find some insights in my life that will correspond to theirs, and allow a tear to fall in my memory. (smile)
Anyway, the Bible verses for our writing today, which come from the prophet Jeremiah, are some that we know right well and quote pretty often, but who knows whether or not we action them. ‘For I know the thoughts that I have toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). Then ye shall call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:11-13)
Oh my people, that’s a most important scripture in our lives! The Lord has a plan for each of us, one to give us hope and a good future, but we have to go to Him individually and find our His special plan for our life. And it must be a sincere seeking, through prayer, and with all our heart! That’s the only way we will ever discover His plan for our individual life. And I pray this Thursday morning, that those of us who don’t know God’s plan for their life, will get themselves together and seriously and sincerely seek Him to find it. That’s because His plans for us are always the best, and if we don’t discover them in a timely fashion, then we’ll simply live a second rate life.
Now let’s declare our Thursday Blessings so we can activate the underserved blessings that the Lord has so 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!’
Now, it’s our duty to use those blessings for the benefit of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…on the outside…our lives might seem different…but on the inside…they’re usually the same…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great King above all Gods, at they right hand are pleasures evermore, Bible, Caribana, come before his presence with thanksgiving, cultural festivities', deepen my breath, divine presence, end of the summer, even unto the end of the world, faith, found grace in thy sight, god, God's presence permeating our souls, hibernate, I know thee by name, I love them that love me, in thy presence is fullness of joy, increase my awareness of you, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lo I am with you always, LOVE, my flesh shall rest in hope, my heart is glad, prayer, relax my muscles, search for me with all your heart, seek his face evermore, seek the Lord and his strength, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, shew me the path of life, slwo my thoughts, the last weekend in July, the Lord is a great God, those that seek me early will find me, thou goest with us, truth, where have all the flowers gone, wisdom, ye shall seek me and find me, your peace and love are present
Proverbs 8:17. I LOVE them that LOVE me; and those that seek me early (diligently) shall find me.
Oh friends, can you believe that this is already the last weekend in July? Didn’t we just celebrate Canada Day on the first day of the month? How can we be seeing the end so soon eh? Next week we’ll be talking about August… and you know what that means – the end of summer! Brother! The days are running away from us, and in a li’l while, we’ll be sadly asking, where have all the flowers gone, as the cold weather steps in and the flora and fauna hibernate for another winter.
Thankfully though, all of that’s in the future. We’ve still got time to enjoy the lazy, hazy days of summer. But we have to be quick about it. And there are lots of summer festivities still to come, like Caribana, the EX; that big Canadian Fair at the Exhibition grounds, and every weekend there’s some cultural group celebrating their old homeland with food, drink and other cultural activities. So although the summer’s moving along fast, it’s still far from over.
But before we get out there and enjoy it all, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with sincere, heartfelt emotions. 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 we can now feel God’s awesome presence permeating our souls and spirits even more than before, because that’s the kind of prayer the Lord just LOVES to answer. You can’t ask for anything dearer to His heart, than more of His presence in your life. And there are numerous scriptures that advise us to do just that. So let’s look at some of those scriptures about seeking God, about seeking His face.
And this verse from Jeremiah is probably the best one to start with, where the Lord says through the prophet: ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:13) That says it all my brethren! To find God, to come into His holy presence, we must seek Him with all of our heart. Nothing less will do. But that’s why many of us seek God and can’t find Him; we don’t do it sincerely, or with all of our hearts, but for selfish, lustful purposes. Obviously He won’t show up under such circumstances.
Then Psalm 105 tells us in no uncertain terms: ‘Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.’ (Ps. 105:4) Yes friends, we’re to continually seek God’s face, seek His presence continually, every day, all day! And we see it in action when Moses prays for the Lord’s presence.
‘And Moses said unto the Lord, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight, and consider that this nation is thy people. And he (the Lord) said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
And he (Moses) said unto him (the Lord), If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.’ (Ex. 33:12-17)
Oh my fellow believers, you see how important the Lord’s presence was in the eyes of Moses. If He wasn’t with him and the Israelite people, he didn’t want to go any further, because the Lord’s presence showed that they were safe, separated and protected from other people. It’s the same with us today. If we don’t have God’s presence in our lives, we stand a greater chance of being hurt or destroyed, physically, spiritually or emotionally. And we’ll never feel truly safe while journeying though this strife-filled and evil world.
Meanwhile, in Psalm 16 – God Preserves His People, Bruh David writes: ‘I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: my reins (heart) also instruct me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (the abode of the dead); neither wilt thou suffer (allow) thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.’ (Ps. 16:7-11)
Yes friends, as this commentary explains: Bruh David is speaking of ‘the divine presence as the place that is most desired, that gives “fullness of joy” (verse 11). From beginning to end Psalm 16 testifies to a life that finds its ultimate rest in God’s protective presence.’ You cannot find any fault whatsoever with that statement, because it’s the gospel truth! Then Psalm 95 wisely advises: ‘Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto him with psalms (songs). For the Lord is a great God, and great King above all gods.’ (Ps. 95:2-3) No disputing that either!
And no scriptures will ever be complete without a word of wisdom from Cousin Sol. On this particular subject, he conclusively states: ‘I LOVE them that LOVE me; and those that seek me early (diligently) shall find me.’ (Prov. 8:17) Now that’s simply more gospel truth! And there are no better verses to end with than these two from Jesus. The first is the greatest advice going: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) If we’re wise, we’ll do exactly that. And this last one just ramps up our level of assurance in God: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b)
Now there’s no better reassurance that that my fellow believers! Jesus promised to be with us right down to the very end, and since we know that He keeps all His promise, we can go home today, unafraid, totally reassured, rejoicing in His awesome holy presence. Much LOVE!
…if you’re not in God’s presence…then you’re not enjoying the fullness of life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a future and a hope, a great family, a positive outlook on life, according to his riches in glory, Bible, but of power love and a sound mind, called according to His purpose, christianity, curse, divine protection, encouraging scriptures, even unto the end of the world, faith, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, fulfillment, god, God-given plans, good friends, good health, holy spirit, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I know the thoughts I think toward you, I will hearken unto you, Jesus, Jesus Christ, laziness, lo I am with you always, LOVE, my God will supply all your needs, negative word, prayer, procrastination, read and study the Word, search for me with all your heart, set your heart and soul to seek the Lord, supplication, thanksgiving, thoughts of peace and not of evil, Thursday Blessings, to give you and expected end, to them that love God, we know that all things work together for good, wisdom, ye shall seek me and find me
Jeremiah 29:13. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Well, it’s Thursday, the penultimate day of our workweek, and tomorrow we get to celebrate the big day of Friday! I must say that this week has gone by awfully fast… and I’m yet to do any of the things I planned to do. Ah Lord eh! Between the devil and my own laziness and procrastination we’ve had a lazy and unfulfilling time. (smile) But dem’s the breaks! And I have no one else to blame but myself.
Now, it’s not that I haven’t done anything at all, but not the supposed important things I wanted to do. And that’s just how life and the enemy work together in concert to delay or trip up our best laid plans. That means we have to be strong and steadfast in the Lord and, if necessary, bully our way through the enemy’s lines and get our God-given plans fulfilled. And it’s not like we don’t have the wherewithal to do it. No! We most definitely do!
Starting with the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit, plus all the wonderful and encouraging scriptures found in the God’s Word. Scriptures like: ‘Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) That’s Jesus’ faithful promise. Then Bruh Paul tells us, ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) Then he says; ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28)
And what about this wonderful promise that Bruh Paul offers in his letter to the Philippians? ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6) Then you have this awesome scripture of godly strength: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil 4:13) And what about this marvellous promise of God’s provision? ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19)
Yes friends, that’s wonderful news! God will not stop working in us until Jesus returns. That means we don’t have to fear anything, but we do need to keep up our personal intimacy with Him, through prayer, supplication and thanksgiving, while fellowshipping with other believers, to encourage and build up each other so that we can do the good works that God desires of us. That’s why Jesus told the parable to the end that men ought always to pray and faint (lose heart). (Luke 18:1)
For prayer is the immediate method of communication between God and man, the method devised by the heavenly Father for us to share our thoughts and desires with Him. Therefore, when we are tempted to lose faith and give up, that’s the very time we have to be strong and steadfast in prayer! No wonder the Lord said through the prophet Jeremiah: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you (listen to you) And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:11-13)
Ah mih people, if there’s one thing Christians ought not to be lacking in is encouragement, for the Lord’s Word, the Bible, is filled with so many encouraging scriptures to keep us alive and kicking in Christ’s employ. The problem though is that we don’t read and study the scriptures enough, consequently we don’t have those warm and faithful words of encouragement stored in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls. Remember, we cannot be encouraged unless encouragement and reassurance lies within us. And the only way to get it there is by putting it there through reading, studying and memorizing the useful scriptures, so when the time comes, they are right at hand to put them into action.
Now, if we do as we ought, then we don’t have to fear laziness and procrastination, for as the scriptures expound: ‘And God is able to make all grace abound toward you: that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.’ (2 Cor. 9:8) There you go my fellow saints, if we stand strong and steadfast to do the Lord’s will, we will never want for anything. His bountiful grace will supply all we need. And that’s why Bruh David could make this amazing but oh so true statement: ‘The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) That says it all friends. Now we only have to believe it and put it into action. (smile)
So, let’s get to declaring (yesss!!!) our Thursday Blessings, which have been so generously bestowed on us, by the Father, to do His earthly work. And to activate them let’s declare them loud and strong. ‘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 said that, we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings in the support of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…now set your heart and soul to seek the Lord… (1 Chr. 22:19a)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
14 Jan 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: bring all things to your remembrance, comfort ye my people, confidence for the upcoming week, faith, fellowship, gospel truth, He gave me wealth untold, he may abide with you for ever, He shall give you another Comforter, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, He's only a prayer away, holy spirit, I am the light of the world, I asked the Lord, I asked the Lord to walk with me, I count my blessings every day, I did not ask for riches, I will not leave you comfortless, I will pray the Father, if ye love me keep my commandments, inclement weather, Jesus Christ, Jimmy Duncan, Johnny Lange, lift your cares away, LOVE, raising our passion for Christ, sacrificial praises, salvation, search for me with all your heart, the Holy Ghost shall teach you all things, the power to uplift hearts, the tender mercy of our God, to give light to them that sit in darkness, when darkness was all I knew, wisdom, ye shall seek me and find me
John 14:16. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter (Helper), that he may abide with you for ever.
Oh, come one, come all to the Lord’s house on this Sunday, His special day, where there will be worship, praise, exaltation, fellowship, and a whole lot of other good vibes! Please don’t allow the inclement weather to prevent you from enjoying all that good stuff, for when you leave, you’ll be totally refreshed, rejuvenated and filled with the Holy Spirit, so you can step out into the world with the utmost confidence in the upcoming work week. And all God’s people said a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’
Why? Because they know that’s the gospel truth! It’s exactly what happens when you visit the Lord’s sanctuary on His day. And we’ll start it all of with some worship, singing this favourite song, not quite an oldie, since it was only written around the middle of the last century, but certainly a goldie, written by prolific songwriters, Jimmy Duncan and Johnny Lange, respectively writers of hit songs ‘My Special Angel,’ and ‘Mule Train.’ No, the young ones won’t know those two songs, but they were big hits two generations ago, and still have the power to uplift hearts and move dancing feet.
But the Duncan and Lange song we’re going to sing today is simply but rather aptly titled, ‘I asked the Lord.’ So, without further ado, let’s offer up sacrificial praises to heaven in a mid-tempo, sincere and grateful version of the wonderful song. By the way, I added the last two verse from a rendition by one Linus Wee, because I thought they rounded out the song rather nicely. Now, singing: ‘I asked the Lord to comfort me When things weren’t going my way; He said to me “I will comfort you And lift your cares away.”
I asked the Lord to walk with me, When darkness was all that I knew; He said to me, “Never be afraid, for I will see you through.” I did not ask for riches, He gave me wealth untold- The moon, the stars, the sun, the sky, And He gave me eyes to behold. I thank the Lord for everything, And I count my blessings each day; He came to me when I needed Him – I only had to pray: He’ll come to you if you’ll ask Him to – He’s only a prayer away. I asked the Lord to lead the way, When each step was getting so rough, He said to me “put your trust in me, and I’ll direct your path.”
I asked the Lord to come inside And take all my struggles away. He said to me, “Cast your cares on me, and live each day by day.” I did not ask for riches, He gave me wealth untold- The moon, the stars, the sun, the sky, And He gave me eyes to behold. I thank the Lord for everything, And I count my blessings each day; He came to me when I needed Him – I only had to pray: He’ll come to you if you’ll ask Him to – For He’s only a prayer away. Yes… He’ll come to you if you’ll ask Him to – For He’s only a prayer away.’
And that’s a certainty my people! Our great God is only a prayer away, so we don’t have to go far to look for Him. For as he says through the prophet Jeremiah: ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13) So friends, communicating with our heavenly Father is simple, but it does take some effort and sincerity on our part. And having unintentionally begun at the end, (smile) let’s now go to the beginning of the song and check out some scripture references.
And right there in the opening verse we can find some potent scripture to back it up: ‘I asked the Lord to comfort me, When things weren’t going my way;…’ We’re talking about Jesus’ promise of a Comforter. He advises the disciples: ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter (Helper), that he may abide with you for ever. Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you.’ (John 14:15-18)
Yes friends, our Saviour is indeed wonderful, promising not to leave us comfortless, but to send someone like Him, the Holy Spirit, which the world didn’t know, but the disciples did, because He was already with them in their daily lives. However, after Jesus ascended to heaven, the Holy Spirit would then come and dwell in them, and also in every other believer. And that miraculous event happened at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended on the believers sitting in the upper room, with cloven (divided) tongues like of fire, and had them speaking in different languages. (Acts 2:1-14)
Jesus also told the disciples: ‘These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.’ (John 14:25-26) Yuh see mih bredrin, how important the Holy Spirit is in our lives. He not only comforts us, but also leads and guides and reminds us of all that Jesus taught.
And the second verse says: ‘I asked the Lord to walk with me, When darkness was all that I knew;’ And obviously the Lord promised to do so, as Jesus faithfully proclaimed: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) Then we have these great verses from the second most popular prayer, Psalm 23, where Bruh David confidently asserts: ‘He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:3-4)
Oh my fellow believers, when we’re in the company of our God, there’s no need to fear anything, for the Good Shepherd always has us under His watchful eyes. Then we have these words from Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist: ‘Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring (dawn, Messiah) from on high hath visited us. To give light to them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.’ (Luke 1:78-79)
But yuh know what my people, there are so many wonderful scriptures I want to share regarding that song, but there’s just not enough time nor space today, so we’ll just have to continue it tomorrow. In the meanwhile, let’s just continue raising our passion for Christ, and do our best to live a Christ-like life, so that others will see Him through us and want to accept Him as their Lord and Saviour too! Much LOVE!
…comfort ye, comfort ye my people…saith your God… (Is. 40:1)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
11 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a doting grandfather, a future and a hope, a just and righteous God, evil and ungodly times, faith, I know the thoughts I think toward you, I may know you all the more, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, knowledge of Jehovah God, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lift up Christ's name, light of the world, like a thief in the night, look for God in the right places, LOVE, material wealth, obedience, our bounden duty, quiet my soul, refuse to seek God, reverence, salt of the earth, search for me with all your heart, slow my thoughts, suffer the consequences, the great divide, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end, truth, up the ante, Veteran's Day, ye shall seek me and find me, your unceasing nearness
Jeremiah 29:13. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
And it’s cloudy and windy on this lazy-day Saturday November 11th , 2023, as we celebrate Veteran’s Day, honouring the many brave souls who fell in the wars of the last century. Not many of them are still alive today, and if they are, they are not doing so well medically, financially or emotionally because down through the years their services had not been properly appreciated nor rewarded.
And every year we drag out the few remaining veterans before the cenotaphs and other markers of those great wars, and make big speeches and promises, but nothing much still ever happens to improve their situations. But the Lord is in His high heaven and is closely watching down on the affairs of men, and we know that He has a heart for the poor, the marginalized and the downtrodden. So we’ll leave their affairs in His capable hands.
Now, let’s say our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with all sincerity of heart. 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 do we ever need to know and be more aware of our great God in these evil and ungodly times, if we hope to come through them as unscathed as possible! Yes friends, in times like these, only a strong attachment to and knowledge of Jehovah God will enable us to overcome all the evil stuff that’s coming against us in droves. The big problem though is that we need to seek the Lord, not the Lord seek us. We desperately need Him, He doesn’t need us. He LOVES us a whole lot, but that doesn’t mean He’ll just roll over and satisfy our every need, like a doting grandfather. Not at all.
The Lord God Jehovah is a just and righteous God, thus He must act justly and righteously and allowing us to do whatever we want without repercussions is not acting justly and righteously. Thus, He demands that we come to Him, in obedience and reverence, and if we don’t, then we’ll suffer the consequences. It’s as simple as that. And furthermore, it’s so easy to find the Lord if we truly desire to find Him, for He’s always around, not in some far off heavenly place, the way so many of us falsely think.
And these words from the prophet Jeremiah say it all. ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) Now that’s what the Lord has in store for us, but it does not happen automatically. We also have a part to play in this covenant relationship.
And here’s our part: ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken (listen) unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13) There it is in black and white friends, written thousands of years ago but still the definitive way to find Jehovah God: search for Him with all your heart!
Unfortunately, not enough of us are doing that, either individually or as Christ’s body, the church, and thus we have this great divide between our heavenly Father and ourselves. And we are the ones who are suffering, but we’ve become so stubborn, ignorant and hardhearted that we refuse to seek Him, even though we are been eaten up by the evil doers like the big fishes eat up the small ones. But yet we listen to the lies and the deceits of Satan and run down the material wealth of the world, instead of seeking the righteousness of God’s kingdom. And his evil majesty is laughing as it were, all the way to the bank, because of our foolish and unwise behaviour.
When are we going to wake up and do what’s right my people? Every day it gets later, with less time left to make the necessary changes. And remember Jesus could come at any time, and once He comes, most likely like a thief in the night, it’s all over. So please, let’s do what we’re supposed to do nuh. We call ourselves Christians, believers in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, members of His august body, the church, that means there are things we need to do to keep it all afloat and successful. And we know what we need to do. So please, please, I plead with us, let’s do it nuh!
Let’s lift up Christ’s name on high like we promised to do when we first believed. Let’s be the true salt of the earth and the light of the world as He desires of us. Let’s show the world that we’re truly His disciples by the LOVE we show to each other and to the rest of the world. That’s our bounden duty and what Jesus expects of us. Come on my fellow saints, let’s pull up our socks and do better nuh. We all know that there’s more in us than we’re showing, so for Jesus’ sake, let’s up the ante! We desperately need to, if we’re going to turn things around! Much LOVE!
…you’ll find God…if you look for Him in the right places…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
29 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: an undying love, because he hath known my name, call upon his name, Christ conquered hell death and the grave, Christ crucified on Good Friday, faith, give thanks unto the Lord, God rejoices in our praise and worship, God's desire to be reconciled to us, hope, LOVE, Love the Lord thy God, make known his deeds among the people, paying lip service, rises triumphantly on Easter Sunday, search for me with all your heart, seek his face evermore, seek the Lord and his strength, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, set him on high, shew him my salvation, sin raised its ugly head, the greatest is love, the judgements of his mouth, the winter blahs, turning away from God, upcoming spring and Easter seasons, Wednesday Wail, with all thy heart, with all thy heart mind and soul, with long life will I satisfy him
Psalm 105:4. Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.
So another day has opened bright and sunshiny in the spring vein, with temps above the freezing mark, though there’s a bit of an edge to the March winds on this last Wednesday in the month. But we’ll take it as we catch our second wind for this work week, and say the Lord be praised for the upcoming spring and Easter seasons, where we see so much renewal, rebirth and resurrection in our lives, both physically and spiritually.
That’s the joy that this time of year provides; the supposed dead flora, that’s really only been hibernating during the winter months, bursts out in beautiful, new, green life, while our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, having been crucified on Good Friday, rises triumphantly on Easter Sunday to prove that He’s conquered hell, death and the grave. Glory be my fellow believers! We couldn’t ask for a better situation and time than that to come out of the winter blahs. (smile)
That’s why these marvellous words of Psalm 105 should always be in our memories and quick to reach the tips of our tongues. ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works. glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgements of his mouth. O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen. he is the Lord our God: his judgements are in all the earth.’ (Ps. 105:1-7)
Yes friends, the Lord God Jehovah is indeed our God and is indeed worthy of our praise and honour! There’s no doubt about that, after all the things He’s done for mankind! That’s why we ought to give Him much thanks and call on Him all the time, while spreading the good news of His wonderful works, in particular the gospel of Jesus all around the world. And singing psalms and other holy songs to Him is a no brainer, because He rejoices in our worship and praise. That’s one of the reasons why he created us in the first place, so we could have a good relationship and we could praise and worship Him.
But unfortunately, sin raised its ugly head and caused a severing of that relationship until Jesus came and died in our place so that it could be restored. And that was the work of God; His desire to be reconciled to us. We had nothing to do with it. So that’s another reason why we should be ever so thankful to the Lord, worship Him with an undying LOVE, and let others know of His wonderful deeds towards the underserving children of men. And I LOVE this verse that says: ‘Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.’ (Ps. 105:4)
Sadly however, that’s not something a lot of us are currently doing. Many people instead are turning away from God, and those of us who remain and claim to believe are only paying lip service, not truly searching and seeking for God, otherwise our lives would not be as miserable and disastrous as so many of them are. Please note these words that the Lord, through the prophet Jeremiah, conveyed to the Israelites during their captivity in Babylon.
‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you and expected end (a future and a hope). Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me. and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:11-13)
Yuh see that mih people! Even though the Lord allowed them to be carried into captivity for their disobedience, He still had their welfare at heart, and encouraged them to seek Him with all their hearts, that’s sincerely. And it’s the same thing He’s saying to us today. Call on me, seek me sincerely, and I will answer you. Many of us though are not calling on the Lord God Jehovah, and for those of us who are, our prayers are not sincere, they don’t come from the bottom of our hearts, but are mostly lip service. As James says: ‘Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.’ (James 4:3)
But please, let’s remember these words of Jesus that sets everything in the right perspective. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) That my fellow saints is the definitive word of the gospel: seek God and His righteousness above all else! And if you’re not doing that, your life will be more miserable and disastrous than it ought to be. That’s because when you seek God sincerely, then He overwhelms you with blessings of all different varieties; physical, emotional and spiritual.
As they say, then you don’t have to chase the blessings, they chase you. Wow! What can be better than that eh, blessings running you down? Nothing! But we have to do like Jesus said, seek the Lord first, and then everything will fall in to place. Let’s not forget what Jesus also said was the first and great commandment: ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:37-40)
Yes mih bredrin, it’s all based on the power of LOVE; of sincere LOVE! That’s why the psalmist could confidently say in Psalm 91: ‘Because he hath set his LOVE upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honour him. With long life (length of days) will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.’ (Ps. 91:14-16)
Oh friends, that’s how the Lord treats us when we sincerely seek Him and do our best to live according to His holy will. And for those of us who are currently trying to do just that, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world 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 having said all of that, it now behooves us to keep on seeking His heavenly kingdom and doing the things that warms the cockles of His heart! Much LOVE!
…now there are these three…hope, faith and LOVE…but the greatest of them is LOVE…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
14 Nov 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: as your problems overflow, be careful for nothing, concluding in Jesus' name, confession of sins, Da Flame, departed into a solitary place and prayed, every trial mountain and sea, feeling like an outcast, God answers prayer, God is the answer, He sees every tear drop and wipes them for me, he sees every weakness, he spake a parable unto them, I get down on my knees, I say Saviour help me please, in everything by prayer and supplication, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, let your requests be made known unto God, LOVE, making reconciliation with others, men ought always to pray and not lose heart, prayer is talking to God, prayer without ceasing, rebuilds our faith, refreshes our souls and spirits, right motives, rising up a great while before day, search for me with all your heart, teach you the good and right way, the basis of the successful Christian life, the Lord's Day, the Lord's prayer, the peace of God which passeth all understading, with thanksgiving
Luke 18:1. And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).
Well, well mih bredrin, can you believe it’s Sunday already? The last seven days have indeed passed quickly, but it’s all to the good, because we get another chance to gather on the Lord’s Day to praise, worship and give Him thanks, while He refreshes our souls and spirits, rebuilds our faith, and strengthens us to go back out and face the evil, ungodly world in the upcoming week. All praise and honour be to His holy name my people, for He richly deserves it!
So let’s get the show on the road with our opening song, one most appropriately titled ‘God Answers Prayer,’ and sung by the Washington born young lady of Jamaican heritage, who originally went by the name of Lady Flame, but is now known as Da Flame. And as always, in scintillating, harmonious, heartfelt, soulful voice let’s raise our sacrificial praise to high heaven.
‘Oh, If you’re ever feeling down and like you have nowhere to go. If you’re feeling like an outcast as your problems overflow, just remember there is someone, and all it takes is for you to know, is that God is the answer, and God answers prayer. (Chorus: He sees every weakness, every trial, every mountain and sea, and He sees every tear drop, and He wipes them for me. I get down on my knees, and I say Saviour help me please. Because one thing is for certain, is my God answers prayer)
You may be broken and feel battered, but your strength will surely come, in the midst of all your heartache. Your battles are already won. Just remember in the hard times, don’t give up, don’t say you’re done, because God is the answer, and God answers prayer. (He sees every weakness, every trial, every mountain and sea, and He sees every tear drop, and He wipes them for me. I get down on my knees, and I say Saviour help me please. Because one thing is for certain, is my God answers prayer.
Oh, He sees every weakness, every trial, every mountain and sea, and He sees every tear drop, and He wipes them for me. So let’s get down on our knees, and say, Saviour, help us please. Because one thing is for certain…our God answers prayer. Yes, let’s get down on our knees, and say, Saviour, help us please. Because one thing is for certain…our God answers prayer.’ And of that we are very sure my faithful brethren! Our great and good God answers prayer all the time, otherwise so many of us wouldn’t still be believers.
And all God’s people said a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’ Now, if we are wise, we will do exactly as the song says, take all our problems, needs and wants to God in prayer. Hopefully, He will answer most of those that fall within His will and plan for our lives, but we will never know until we try. And there are so many scriptures that extol the power of prayer that I don’t know which ones to choose. So, let’s turn to the Lord in prayer and ask Him which ones He favours today. (smile)
And the first one He directed me came from His wonderful Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The Good Book tells us: ‘And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) And that’s something Jesus did daily. Although He was the Son of God, He did not do anything without first consulting the Father. He still needed the Father’s help and guidance down here on earth. Jesus began His day with prayer. The scriptures record it thus. ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35)
So let me ask us this nuh mih people, if the Son of God made prayer an important part of His life, who are we, a sinful creation to do otherwise eh? Nothing but a bunch of proud, arrogant and foolish men! Jesus Himself preached in the Sermon on the Mount: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7:7-8)
And the scholars wisely inform us that ‘Prayer includes asking and getting answers from God. But it is more than just asking; it is confession, adoration, thanksgiving, and fellowship with God. By its nature, prayer is talking with God. It is the basis of the successful Christian life, and is so important that not praying is considered a sin (1 Sam. 12:23). When we pray, we should follow the model prayer Jesus gave His disciples and address it to our heavenly Father – beginning with adoration, including thanksgiving and confession of sins, making reconciliation with others, praying for our needs and the needs of others, and concluding in Jesus’ name.’
Yes friends, that’s how we ought to pray. And the model prayer referred to above is obviously what we now call the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ found in Matt. 6:9-15) And the part about ending in Jesus’ name comes from John 14:13-14, where He told 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.’ That means acting as Jesus’ agent or ambassador, doing stuff to uplift His name and church, not merely for our selfish worldly desires.
And by the way, here’s that verse from Samuel which the scholars claim that not praying is sin. In asking Israel to serve God, Samuel said to them: ‘Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way.’ (1 Sam. 12:23) And the scholars explain: ‘12:23. Despite Israel’s sin, Samuel LOVED Israel and Saul and pledged his continued help, especially in praying for them and teaching them the Lord’s standards.’ So friends, you see that not praying is not a good thing. (smile)
Now let’s wrap up with a couple of popular scriptures on prayer that we all know but don’t practice enough. Jeremiah said on the Lord’s behalf: ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and you shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13) Now that’s a very important condition of prayer friends, seeking the Lord with all our heart, sincerely calling upon Him. For remember He checks our hearts before He makes any response to see if our motives are right.
And we’ll end with this popular and all-inclusive scripture from Bruh Paul’s epistle to the church at Philippi. ‘Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7) And that’s my prayer for all of this Sunday morning my faithful brethren. Much LOVE!
…pray…without ceasing… (1 Thess. 5:17)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
21 Oct 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, all things work together for good, anxiety, appealing to love in power, background, believe, believing, blessed, bounden duty, bring them to Jesus, buckle down, buoyed, calamity, Calvary, Christian, comfort, comforted, Corville Peters, eternal source of love, ever-faithful God, ever-LOVING God, everlasting guidance, evil, evil world, expected end, faith, faithfulness of our wonderful God, fear, foreground, forgiveness, friendliness, fulfilment, further God's glorious kingdom, God cares for us, God intereceding, God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, God's mysterious moving, gospel truth, guidance, guided, have life more abundantly, healed, help, holy, holy spirit, hurting, hurts my heart, indisputable, Jamaican origin, Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, joy, kindness, life haapens to even the best of us, Live at the Cross, living our lives to the full, LOVE, mercy, oh what a joy, omnipotent deity, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, peace, ponder, prayer, prayer is love in need, purpose, put our best foot forward, renew their lapsed committment, sacrificing His life, Scrip-Bit, search for me with all your heart, sinless, smile, stand strong and steadfast, sustenance, the affairs of my life, the called, the elect, the One and Only Living God, the strength, the thoughts that I think towards you, to them called according to His purpose, to them that love God, Top o' the morn, trust, try my best to live for Him, undeniable, watched, when you pray to me, wisdom, worry, you shall find me, you shall seek me
Romans 8:28. And we know that all things work together for Good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.
Well Friends, family, neighbours and strangers, top o’ this fine autumn Tuesday morn to all of you! And the question this morning is; are we living our lives to the full, is their sufficient joy and peace in our lives?
And if not, why not? Because that is one of the reasons our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ gave for coming to earth and sacrificing His holy and sinless life on our behalf; that we might have life, enjoy it more abundantly, without fear and worry and anxiety. (John 10:10)
And if we aren’t doing that, then something is seriously wrong somewhere in our lives. We need to investigate it and turn it around, sooner rather than later, so that we can get the full benefit of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross at Calvary.
And speaking of the cross, I heard a great line on the t.v. programme ‘At the Cross Live,’ last night that deals with prayer. And it says: ‘Prayer is LOVE in need, appealing to LOVE in power!’
Now isn’t that a wonderful definition? It certainly is! We, the folks of earthly LOVE, in need of sustenance and fulfillment down here, are appealing, are crying out to the eternal source of LOVE, our omnipotent Deity!
That brings me to a recent interesting happening in my life. Well every week I tape some religious programmes and watch them at my leisure. A couple months ago though, I suddenly saw this programme ‘At the Cross Live’ showing up as being recorded on my PVR.
Now I’d never even heard of the programme before, and so I queried myself as to what it was and how it came to be recorded? All of my immediate family members denied doing it, but Sunday after Sunday it showed up as being recorded. One day I finally decided to check it out…
And oh what a joy it’s been my people! It’s a late night, early Sunday morning Christian based talk show, or rather help line that comes on on one of the Christian t.v. channels. I don’t even know which one. (smile) A gentleman of Jamaican origin named Corville Peters hosts it, for two and a half hours from 1 to 3:30 a.m.
And Friends, what really grabs me about the programme is the sad state of some of the people who call in asking for help through prayer and guidance. Oh my fellow believers, there are innumerable numbers of our fellow man out there in this troubled world who are hurting in a terrible way!
Sometimes it just hearts my heart to hear the low, joyless, frustrated, painful lives they’re leading. And I must say that Corville does an excellent job of trying to comfort them and either bring them to Jesus for the first time, or renew their lapsed commitment to Him.
My point here people, is that if it wasn’t me, or any one of my family members who set the programme to record every Sunday morning – only for the first hour though – then it had to be the hand of our heavenly Father interceding in the affairs of my life, leading me to a programme that He desires me to watch!
That’s the only explanation I can come up with Friends. So how can I not believe eh, and with believing, try my best to live for Him? It just doesn’t make sense any other way.
So my fellow believers, I ask us all today, to please have faith, please stand strong and steadfast in the strength and LOVE and faithfulness of our wonderful God, because He does care for us, and is constantly moving in our lives in ways we might not understand, or even see.
But be assured that we are being closely watched, guided, blessed, comforted and healed by the ONE and ONLY LIVING GOD, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
And I know that those sort of seemingly unexplainable situations don’t only occur in my life, but in the lives of ALL believers! All of us have undergone moments of thought and ‘ponderation’ – I just like the word because it conveys a higher level of pondering (smile) – when certain unexplainable happenings happen in our lives.
That’s God, my brethren, our heavenly Father, moving in our lives in His usual mysterious manner, to put into effect His just as usual mysterious purpose, so that He can successfully work out the plan, the good plan, the good thoughts that He has towards us, as verified in Jeremiah 29:11 and Romans 8:28.
Oh Friends, I might as well quote those scriptures and use one as our Bit, since I don’t have one as yet, and I’ve just been talking off the top of my head, (smile) allowing the Holy Spirit to guide me.
Oh my people, that’s the beauty of writing this Scrip-Bit! Most days I don’t know where the Lord wants to lead me, but when the time comes for writing, He ALWAYS guides me to something or some place, though not always without some effort on my part! That’s why I can sincerely talk about faith, trust and hope in His everlasting guidance.
Anyway, enough of my prattling, here are the scripture passages, beginning with Jeremiah’s great proclamation and promise on behalf of our ever-faithful, ever-LOVING God.
‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken (listen) unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (Jer.29:11-13)
What wonderful promises my brethren! Promises on which we can stand steadfast and strong!
Now listen to Bruh Paul, as he corroborates Jeremiah’s promises to the early church at Rome. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom.28:8)
Yes Friends, that’s indisputable, undeniable, gospel truth!
Now here is an interesting explanation of that verse from the scholars. ‘8:28. To them that LOVE God is the human perspective. God is working all things together for good, but those who LOVE God are best able to appreciate that fact because they LOVE Him no matter what (cf. Job 13:15). To them who are the called is the divine perspective. Scripture often refers to believers as “the called” or “the elect.”
And yes my brethren, we are ‘the called, ‘the elect!’ So let’s go out into the unfriendly, evil world today, knowing that fact, being buoyed and encouraged by it, and thus putting our best foot forward, by showing friendliness, kindness, LOVE, joy, peace, mercy and forgiveness, to further God’s great and glorious kingdom!
That’s not only true wisdom, but also our bounden duty. So let’s buckle down and do it nuh! Much LOVE!
…if we sit and ponder for a moment…we’ll certainly see many instances of God moving in our lives…both in the background and foreground…
P.S. It’s late…and long… and I think certainly worthwhile… but life happens to even the best of us. (smile) Much LOVE!
12 Sep 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool's wisdom, a future and a hope, accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour, advice, all the right places, anxiety, ask and it shall be given to you, ask for help, ask god for help, believers, blessings, bread, calamity, come up over our problems, confidence, deflate like a balloon, evil, faith, faithfully, fellowship, fervent prayer, fish, frenzy, frequent prayer, fret, Friday chant, friends, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, Glory Halleujah, God's plan for our lives, hello there mih lovelies, hope, hot air, if any of you lack wisdom, in Jesus' name, indisputable truth, Jesus, knock and it shall be opened, LOVE, nature of the human animal, no excuse for failure, not an easy task, peace, perseverance, political outlook, poor economic situation, prayer, pressure, problems, promise of Almighty God, refreshed in soul body and mind, rejuvenate ourselves, relaxation, renewed, sanctified, search for me with all your heart, seek and you shall find, serpent, serve and worship God sincerely, spiritual success, standing steadfast and strong for Jesus, stone, strain, stress, stressful and anxious society, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, Thank God the weekend is here, thanks for getting me through another week of work, the Lord of the universe, the weekend, things of the world, thoughts of peace, troubled times, trust, truth, wisdom, without reproach, worry, zenith
James 1:5. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him.
Well hello there mih lovelies! The day we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived… it’s Friday!
And I hear all sorts of ‘Glory Hallelujahs; TGIF! Thank God is Friday! Don’t know what I’d do if I had to work another day nuh! Thank God the weekend is finally here and I can get some rest!’
Ah Friends, it’s certainly amusing, and somewhat instructive, how we suddenly deflate like a balloon come Friday. All the hot air, stress, strain and anxiety seem to just suddenly dwindle at the thought of a couple days off.
But I guess that’s the nature of the human animal in conjunction with the stressful and anxious society in which we now live. Confidence also seems to be at an all time low, with people worried about jobs, families and their livelihoods in general, due to the poor economic and political outlook today.
But my people please remember that as believers, we’ve been sanctified, made a people apart, where we don’t have to fret and worry because Jesus, the Lord of the universe is looking out for us. So let’s show our great faith and trust in Him by standing steadfast and strong nuh, despite the frenzy that’s surrounding us.
And to help us do that, let’s chant our Friday Chant with feeling, so that we’ll be enabled to come up over our problems this weekend. All together now: ‘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.’
Yeh mih breddren, in these crazy and troubled times we need to rejuvenate ourselves frequently so that we can handle the enormous pressure that is coming at us each and every day.
It’s definitely not an easy task, but as I said above, as believers, we have Jesus, the Lord of the universe leading and guiding our every step, and when problems arise we ought to have the confidence to go to him in prayer and ask for help.
As our Bit rightly and wisely tells us: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him.’
That’s indisputable truth, my Friends! That’s the beauty of being seriously involved with Jesus, making Him your Lord and Saviour, of surrendering your very life to Him and letting Him put in place the wonderful plan He has for your life.
Remember what He says, the promise He makes in Jeremiah: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). (Jer.29:11)
Yes my people, our wonderful God only has wonderful thoughts and plans towards us! Why else would He shower us with new mercies and blessings everyday eh? But having said that, it is now our responsibility to live up to our promise, to serve and worship Him faithfully, so that we can acquire all that He has in store for us.
Our Bit instructs us to ask of God, who gives generously to all without reproach. And that’s wonderful advice my Friends. Jesus also instructed us to do the same thing when He lived here on earth with us.
‘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. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?’ (Matt.7:7-11)
Oh mih people, mih people, how can we refute or ignore such wisdom eh? We’d be very foolish to do so! Unfortunately however, a lot of us still do that foolishness, lured by the glimmer and glamour of the things of the world. But as we keep saying my brethren, that’s a fool’s wisdom!
Now check out this info from the scholars: ‘7:7-10. The three imperatives ask, seek, and knock are in the present tense of the original language, suggesting both perseverance and frequent prayer.
Fervent and continual prayer is to be made on behalf of those for whom we are concerned. God promises to answer all genuine prayer (v.8). Everything we need for spiritual success has been promised to us. God leaves us no excuse for failure.’
What more can I say eh Friends? Not a whole lot, because we have already been given everything we need to succeed in this world, we just have reach out with faith and prayer and take hold of it.
And we’ll close with this poignant promise of Almighty God, through Jeremiah, on the topic of coming to Him in sincere prayer. ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer.29:12-13)
Oh Friends, it doesn’t get any better than that! So today, let’s take that promise of our most faithful God to heart and diligently seek Him, truly search for Him with all our hearts, so that we may be comforted, consoled, lead and guided successfully in all our endeavours. Now that’s indeed wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…the only way to truly find God…is to keep looking for Him…in all the right places…
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