04 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a demonstration of God's power, a sign of God's miraculous provision, according to his riches in glory, after all these things do the Gentiles seek, all these things shall be added unto you, amidst all the anxiety, an understanding heart, an ungodly world, be responsible, believers, by Christ Jesus, by the example your faithful believers set, Christ died for us to have, christianity, Christians, climate change, confusion, crying out for your help, discern between good and bad, discontent, dissatisfaction, divine aid, do not worry, embrace your love and compassion, enjoy the abundant life, faith, fall outs, fervently pray, figments of our imaginations, Friday chant, God's unwavering support, guide us through, holy spirit, I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep and are known of mine, improve our witness for Christ, in the big desert of an ungodly world, in the face of hardship, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus Christ, Jesus is our caretaker, led you forty years in the wilderness, long life, LOVE, make Jesus our light and life, manna form heaven, mercy, mirages, my God shall supply all your needs, oasis in the desert, our sinful world, our won oasis, problems are escalating, put God first He will put you first, restoring faith in you, return backsliders to your fold, revere the Lord, right down here on earth, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, show trust towards our Triune Godhead, smell it sweet and strong, Solomon's humility, stay safe, stroms, take no thought, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the arduous journey, the BIBLE, the error of their ways, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, the throne of grace, the turbulent desert, the weekend, the wisest and richest man ever, these ungodly times, this chaotic world, thy shoe is not waxen old, to judge thy people, truth, unexpected storms, wake up and smell the coffee, wealth, what clothes shall we wear, what shall we drink, what shall we eat, wherewithal shall we be clothed, wisdom, wise guidance, your clothes are not waxen old, your heavenly Father knows you need all these things
John 10:14. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of them.
And then it was Friday, and the climate change games continue. Yesterday the temperature was in the high teens, but with a big wind, today there’s not much wind, but although it’s sunny, the temp has dropped back into single digits, with a promise of them falling even further. So, who knows what to expect? But for sure, it doesn’t stop the loud shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ from rising up to heaven.
Apparently, nothing stops that as the weekend is our own li’l oasis in the big desert of an ungodly world. And thankfully, we have Jesus, our omnipotent Lord and Saviour, our ever-LOVING Shepherd to guide us through the turbulent desert called our world, filled with all sorts of storms, fall outs, figments of our imaginations and mirages. That’s why this scripture is ever so important. Jesus declares in no uncertain terms: ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of them.’ (John 10:14)
Yes friends, that scripture should constantly be at the forefront of our minds, reminding us that Jesus is our caretaker, or as Bruh David so nicely puts it in psalm 23; ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) Oh my brethren, when we make Jesus our light and life, then He takes care of us and all of our needs. As Bruh Paul so confidently says in Philippians: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19)
And if you don’t believe that God can do that, then you need to remember how He fed the Israelites in the wilderness with manna for forty long years, while He said through Moses: ‘And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot.’ (Deut. 29:5) So you see, our God can indeed look after us.
And this commentary breaks down that verse thus, calling it ‘A Miraculous Preservation: The passage emphasizes that despite the arduous journey, the Israelites’ clothes and sandals remained intact, which is presented as a sign of God’s miraculous provision and care.’ And per it’s Significance: ‘This event is often interpreted as a demonstration of God’s power and unwavering support for his people, even in the face of hardship.’ That should certainly lessen our fears and assure us of the provision that God can provide.
But there’s one important proviso in that assurance my fellow believers. And Jesus in His teachings on worry from the Sermon on the Mount, put’s it like this: ‘Therefore take no thought (do not worry), saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:31-33)
Yes, as we said earlier, our Triune Godhead must continually be at the forefront of our thinking if we expect to enjoy the miraculous and abundant life that Jeus died for us to have, not waiting till we get to heaven, but starting right down here on earth. And we see from Biblical History how that can be miraculously portrayed in a believer’s life by the wonderful story of Cousin Sol’s humility and acknowledgement of Almighty God. It began when he became king after Bruh David, and the Lord in a dream, asked him what he wanted.
But instead of asking for wealth, long life, or the life of his enemies, he said: ‘And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or to come in. And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great people.’ (1 Kin. 3:7-9)
Tell me nuh, how many of us would have asked for that simple but very important attribute eh? Not too many! Most of us would have asked for wealth, long life and all the many baubles and bangles that the world continually jingles in our faces. But Cousin Sol’s unusual request thrilled the Lord so much, that He not only gave him the wisdom and understanding he asked for, but also made him the wisest and richest man ever! (1 Kin. 3:10-14)
Oh my people, that shows what’s possible when we sincerely revere the Lord and do our best to observe His law. Unfortunately though, in this current world, that isn’t happening as much as it ought to, but we can surely seek help to improve by going to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant. So, altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.
Oh, heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And our prayer says it all; if we need divine aid, then we desperately need to improve our witness for Christ. It’s as simple as that friends. So, let’s get to doing that nuh…if we genuinely want divine help in this chaotic world! Much LOVE!
…put God first…and He will also put you first…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to his riches in glory, after all these things do the Gentiles seek, and all these things shall be added unto you, and the body than raiment, are you not much better than they, behold the fowls of the air, birds chirping, can add one cubit unto his stature, cast into the oven tomorrow, challenges, clothes, consider the lilies of the field, do not worry about your life, endure to the end, even Solomon in all his glory, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, giving thanks for life and love, God created male and female humans, God made man in his own image, God will take care of the material, halfway home, hands on the plough, here today gone tomorrow, holy spirit, hypothetical problems, if God so clothes the grass, in joyful unison, in the image of God, is not life more than meat, Jesus Christ, let them have dominion, LOVE, mercy, my God shall supply all your needs, neither do they spin, nor gather into barns, not turning back, O ye of little faith, over all the earth, problems, raiment, return God's love, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, so glad to be alive, spring's in the air, stick with Jesus to the end, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, take no thought for your life, take therefore no thought for tomorrow, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the gospel truth, the morrow shall take thought for itself, they sow not neither do they reap, they toil not, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, was not arrayed like one of these, Wednesday Wail, what you shall drink, what you shall eat, what you shall put on, when our priority is spiritual, where God guides He provides, which of you by taking thought, why worry about clothing, wisdom, worry improves nothing, yet your heavenly Father feeds them, your heavenly Father knows you need all these things
Matthew 6:27. Which of you by taking thought (worrying) can add one cubit unto his stature (height)?
Who says our God isn’t good eh? Well for the third day in a row, my area is bright and sunshiny and fairly warm, and the computer says that temps are going to rise. Wow! It seems that spring is just around the corner, because birds are also chirping in joyful unison, giving thanks to their Creator for life and love!
And as Jesus so rightly admonishes and encourages: ‘Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for (do not worry about) your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat (food), and the body than raiment (clothing)? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they.’ (Matt. 6:25-26)
That’s for sure, because we are the ONLY creation made in God’s own image. The Bible tells us that in the Creation story: ‘And God said, Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing. So God made man in his own image, in the image of God created him; male and female created he them.’ (Gen. 1:26-27)
Yuh see friends, God created us in His own image, that’s a spiritual image, because God is a Spirit, without a body, and Jesus only took on a human body when He came to earth to reveal the Father more fully to us. And please note, that God not only made us in His own image, but also gave us dominion over all the earth. That means we’re supposed to rule the earth in His name. So we can see what Jesus is saying in the scriptures at the beginning is absolutely true; we’re worth much more than the birds of the air.
Then He continues with His teachings on worry, by saying: ‘Which of you by taking thought (worrying) can add one cubit unto his stature (height)? And why take ye thought for raiment (why do you worry about clothing)? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed (clothed) like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe(s) the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith.’ (Matt. 6:27-30)
And yuh know what friends, we really can’t find anything wrong with Jesus’ argument. For if the Lord looks after the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, dressing them even more beautifully than Cousin Sol, the richest and wisest man ever, it’s logical that He will look after us, His greatest creation in even better manner. But we’ve got to believe it, before we see it come to pass.
So Jesus continues: ‘Therefore take no thought (do not worry), saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.’ (Matt. 6:31-32) Yes, my fellow believers, our heavenly Father knows we need food and clothing just like His other living creations, but we don’t need to kill ourselves worrying about them.
Why? Jesus gives us the answer in spades: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) That’s the marvellous answer right there my people! If you put God first place in your life, then He will provide for all your needs. And Bruh Paul reiterated Jesus’ words to the Philippians when he wrote: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) So, if the Son of God and His most learned and zealous apostle say it’s so, then it’s obviously so. (smile)
Consequently, Jesus ends this message of seeking God first, then depending on Him for all of our needs, with these wise and reassuring words. ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow (do not worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34) Ah mih people, it’s all of what our Lord and Saviour said, so it must be true, because He has no cause to lie.
And we all know deep down that worry improves nothing, only makes things worse. So, though we must make some basic plans for the future, we need to concentrate more on the individual day that’s in front of us, for everyday has its own problems and challenges, which we need to handle responsibly, without worrying about the hypothetical troubles that could arise in the future.
And having received God’s saving grace, then we must continue to seek it all of our lives, because the spiritual side of life is in the long run more important than the material side, for when the body dies, the spirit lives on. The problem though, is where will our spirit live on, in eternal life with Christ, or in eternal death with Satan? And as the scholars say: ‘When our priority is spiritual, God will take care of the material, for where God guides, He provides.’ And that’s the gospel truth!
So let’s go home now declaring (chuhhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead, straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Now hear this: it’s also been promised that if we endure to the end with Jesus, then the future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So please, let’s be wise and stick with Jesus right to the very end nuh! Looking forward to seeing you there! Much LOVE!
…God created us in LOVE…and will provide for all of our needs…if we sincerely return His LOVE…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: added joy, all these things shall be added unto you, choose life, christianity, Christians, cleanse your hands ye sinners, communion with god, crowns thee with lovingkindness, deepen my breath, delight thyself in the Lord, draw nigh to God, enjoy the comforts of home, faith, for your unceasing nearness, forget not all his benefits, forgives thine iniquities, give thee the desires of thine heart, God so loved the world, God will abundantly pardon, he gave his only begotten son, heals your diseases, holy spirit, humble yourselves in the sight of God, I call heaven and earth, I may know you all the more, I praise you, I will hearken unto you, if from thence, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, Lord I want to be with you now, LOVE, mercy, my neck of the woods, out frolicking, pray unto me, purify your hearts, quiet my soul, receive our love in return, redeems thy life from destruction, relax my muscles, resist the devil, return unto the Lord, salvation, satisfies thy mouth with good things, search for me with all your heart, seek me and find me, seek the Lord thy God, seek the Lord while he may be found, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, set before you life and death, should not perish but have everlasting life, shower us with love, slow my thoughts, stay inside, submit yourselves to God, tender mercies, thank you for this tenderness, that you and your seed may live, the BIBLE, the breaks you get, the choices you make, the quality of life, then shall ye call upon me, thou shalt find him, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, to witness against you, trust in the Lord and do good, truth, under the mighty hand of god, whosoever believes in him, wisdom, with all sincerity and truth, you can't be contianed, your peace and love are present
Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 March 2025 Deuteronomy 4:29.
Deuteronomy 4:29. ‘But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him, with all thy heart and with all thy soul.’
And it’s another sunshiny, clear, dry day in my neck of the woods, although some snow fell during the midnight hours. But that’s all gone now. So, we can be out and about frolicking on this lazy-day Saturday, or simply stay inside, and enjoy the comforts of home, with the added joy of knowing that it’s beautiful outside. (smile) And to ramp up our joy even further, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth.
As one strong 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 there’s nothing more pleasant or desirous than having God’s peace and presence increased in our souls! And it’s assured when we pray sincere prayers like those, because our God LOVES nothing more than to hear us asking Him to come deeper and more plentiful into our lives, spirits and souls. For that’s why He made us; to have good and strong communion with us; to shower His LOVE on us, and receive our LOVE in return.
Now that’s why there are so many scriptures in the Lord’s Word about seeking Him. So, let’s check out a few today nuh, starting with this one from Jeremiah that we all know. ‘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 search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13) It could not be any clearer or more straightforward than that my fellow believers!
And, earlier on, Moses told the Israelites the very same thing when cautioning them about repentance of sin. ‘But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him, with all thy heart and with all thy soul.’ (Deut. 4:29) Then Isaiah, in his reminder that God abundantly pardons, tells his people: ‘Seek the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Is. 55: 6-7)
Oh my people, that is exactly what our evil and ungodly world desperately needs RIGHT NOW! A return to God and acceptance of all the good things He has to offer. As Bruh David so sincerely and truly puts it in Psalm 103: ‘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 LOVINGKINDNESS and tender mercies. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:2-5)
Wow mih bredrin! Who wouldn’t want all those wonderful benefits eh? Well, they are readily available by simply turning to the Lord God in repentance and becoming the new man that requires, with the awesome help of His Holy Spirit. And if you’re wanting more scripture about getting good things from God, listen to these two nuh. The first from Isaiah, from that scripture on God’s continual strength and unsearchable understanding: ‘But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:31)
We all know it, but do we practice it? Now that’s another quandary, or difficult position in which we find ourselves; there’s something that we want, but apparently are not willing to do what it takes to get it. The same goes for this scripture from Psalm 37, titled Trust in the Lord. Bruh David writes: ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass.’ (Ps. 37:3-5)
And that’s only a few of the things we can do to get the desires of our heart from God! So who’s to blame if we don’t get them eh? No one else but us! But let’s get back to some more modern scriptures that blatantly tell us to seek the Lord. Here’s this one from James, where he admonishes us: ‘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 double minded….Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-8, 10)
And Peter echoes the same sentiments: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 6-7) And we spoke about that early on when we said that God created us to LOVE us, and be LOVED in return. That’s because He cares the whole world about us. Why else would He send His Son to earth to die for our sins eh? The basic reason was LOVE for his sinful, disobedient creation, as Jesus so eloquently puts it. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16)
That’s as good as it gets my fellow saints, and why Jesus therefore strongly advised us; ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) The long and short of the story then is we have all the information and tools before us, it’s our choice how we choose to use them. But please, please hear this last admonition from the scriptures; where Moses tells the Israelites as they are preparing to enter the Promised Land. ‘I call heaven and earth to record (witness) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19)
I offer this same admonition to us today my people. Why? ‘Because the quality of your life isn’t determined as much by the breaks that you get, as its determined by the choices that you make.’ Much LOVE!
…one can only find God….when one seeks Him diligently and sincerely…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a light unto my path, a one-way street, a two-way street, all these things shall be added unto you, Ash Wednesday, ask and it shall be given to you, choose to do right, dieting, doing our part, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fasting, giving up stuff, God-fearing life, halfway home, hands on the plough, help me love your every wish, His Part - My Part, holy spirit, I expect your help dear Lord, it is written, Jesus Christ, knock and it shall be opened, let not any iniquity have dominion over me, like white on rice, live by God's dictates, LOVE, make your word my guide, making music unto the Lord, mercy, more than we can ask or imagine, not turning back, obedience brings God's blessings, One Year Book of Bible promises, order my steps in thy word, reassure me, refresh and revive me, riotous living, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, seek and ye shall find, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, sinful excesses, stay steadfast, stop me wanting any plan but yours, thank God, that your promises are mine, the abundant life, the bacchanal finish, the breath of life, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Lenten season, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to a glorious future with Jesus, to depend upon you increasingly, to obey you, to revere and honour you, trust, trust you totally, truth, unmoved by any circumstance, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, work in me that steadfast trust, you're not going to start with me, your will to be my will
Psalm 119:133. Order (direct) my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity (sin) have dominion (rule over) over me.
And finally, all the bacchanal done now! After all the riotous living and excesses of Carnival, everybody suddenly get pious and godly this Ash Wednesday morning! (smile) Who not dieting and fasting, giving up something to make them feel good for the Lenten season. It’s a good thing that I don’t do much, so I don’t have anything to give up. If I give up anything, then I won’t be doing anything at all. I don’t need to fast either, because I do that every day with the hours I eat between meals.
And dieting…no way Jose! I need to put back on some pounds after the lot I recently lost from my illness. What I believe I need to do is to get back to doing some of the things I haven’t been doing, like writing something besides the Bit, and making some music unto the Lord. Anyway, we all have our own peculiarities and eccentricities in dealing with Lent, and who’s to say who’s right from wrong eh? Certainly not me! (smile)
Now today, we’re going to look at an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. As always, I’m not sure if I’ve ever shared this one, but since they are all so interesting and appropriate to our needs, they can all be shared several times. (smile) This poem is titled ‘His Part – My Part.’
So please read with me: ‘Lord You want me to trust You so totally That I am unmoved by any circumstance: Then work in me that steadfast trust. You want me to choose to do right: Then turn me from wanting any plan but Yours. You want me to revere and honour You: Then refresh and revive me. You want me to obey You uninterruptedly: Then make Your Word my guide. You want me to depend upon You increasingly: Then reassure me that Your promises are mine. You want Your will to be my will: Then help me to LOVE Your every wish. – – – – – I expect Your help dear Lord For You’ve never broken a single promise And you’re not going to start with me.’
Oh my people, we’ve got that ever so right! The Lord’s NEVER broken a single promise, and He’s not going to begin with us if we stick to Him steadfastly and closely like white on rice, and bring to His attention all the promises He’s made us. Let Him know, as Jesus said to Satan: ‘It is written.’ Written in His faithful Word. But please, let’s remember the title of the poem ‘His Part – My Part.’ The Lord is quite capable of doing His part, but are we capable of doing our part, and if so, are we willing to do it?
That’s the million-dollar question! We want the Lord to do all sorts of things for us, and we’re quite right, because Jesus also told us to: ‘Ask, and it shall be giving you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.’ (Matt. 7:7) So asking and seeking and knocking of God is not wrong, but we must also be manifesting, demonstrating some basic trust, faith, LOVE and obedience in His direction. Otherwise, it would just be a one-way street; coming from God alone, and not a two-way street like it ought to be.
Yes friends, we can ask for all that we need within God’s will, and He will meet those needs as Jesus promised. if we place Him first in our everyday lives. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) There we have it, another promise of God which we can make Him keep, if we seek Him and His kingdom above everything else.
And the Bible promise for our poem today comes from none other than the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119. This verse says, quite appropriately: ‘Order (direct) my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity (sin) have dominion (rule over) over me.’ (Ps. 119: 133) Now that’s a nice, overall, all containing request. It gets right to the heart of the matter; being guided by the Lord’s Word, so that no sin can overcome us.
And how do we do that? By allowing this other verse from Psalm 119 to be uppermost in our lives. ‘Thy word is a light unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) Yes my faithful brethren, the Lord’s Word was given to us to be our Guidebook for earthly living, and if we sincerely study it and put it into action in our lives, we will live the abundant life that Christ died for us to have. Not that we won’t have problems, but we’ll be able to handle those problems in a calm and peaceful manner, just like Jesus did when He lived here on earth.
And that’s the beauty of making Jesus our Lord and Saviour; He enables us to live a good, strong and solid, God-fearing life despite the trials and tribulations we will face. No One else, or no other organization, even if they promise it, can truly do it! Only Jesus Christ! And having said that, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Jesus Christ.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Now, there’s one more promise that you might not know of; it’s said that if you endure with Jesus right to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. Wow! So please, let’s stay steadfast with the programme nuh, so that we can meet and enjoy that more than glorious future at the very end! Much LOVE!
…if we truly want to be God’s people…then we truly have to live by His dictates…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a successful Christian life, according to his divine power, according to his riches in glory, add to your faith virtue, agape, all these things shall be added unto you, barren, Bible, blind, bondage, brotherly kindness, brotherly LOVE, called us to glory and virtue, calmness that flows from God, christianity, Christians, cleansed from old sins, deepen my breath, divine power, eating from the devil's hand, endurance, enjoy being lazy, fall from salvation, forgotten, frustrations of the work week, give them their in due season food, given to us all things, given to us through knowing God, giving all diligence, God gives us everything to make our lives complete, God takes care of our physical needs, God-likeness, godliness, good advice, grace and peace be multiplied unto you, great and precious promises, grow in our spiritual walk, having escaped the corruption in the world through lust, holy spirit, increase my awareness of you, information, know you all the more, knowledge, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, living a godly life, living the godly life, look expectantly to you, LOVE, mercy, my God shall supply all your needs, openest thine hand, opportunities, partakers of the divine nature, pateince, peace, perseverance, purged from old sins, quiet my soul, relationships, relax my muscles, right motives, salvation, satisfies the desire, satisfieth the desire of every living thing, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, self-control, shortsighted, sincerity, slow my thoughts, spiritual maturity, spiritual truth, temperance, tenderness, thank you for this tenderness, that pertain to life and godliness, the attributes of godliness, the knowledge of god, the Unsearchable greatness of God, to knowledge temperance, to virtue knowledge, troubled souls, truth, unfruitful in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, useless, virtue, volitional love, what a wonderful God we serve, wisdom, you can't be contained, your love surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present, your unceasing nearness
2 Peter 1:3a. According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness,
And our lazy-day Saturday has opened damp and cloudy, the worst way to begin a day. (smile) For a change though, we have temps above freezing, causing the snow to melt and give off that damp, get into your bones kind of weather. The computer is even promising light rain and snow later. But if you don’t have to go out that won’t trouble you in the least, you can simply stay inside and enjoy being lazy. Oh what a wonderful feeling, after all the rushing around and numerous frustrations of the work week! (smile)
Now, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer 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 if the Lord saw the right motives in our hearts, then we’ll soon be experiencing that warm, glowing peace and calmness emanating from Him into our troubled souls, through His Holy Spirit that indwells us. Ah friends, what a wonderful God we serve! One who gives us everything to make our lives complete. We just need to work it out in our individual lives.
The apostle Peter puts it thus in his second epistle: ‘Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through (in) the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to (by) glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.’ (2 Pet. 1:2-4)
Now that’s indeed a mouthful, but what does it mean? These commentaries explain: ‘By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.’ And the second says: ‘This Scripture reveals that all we need for our life, God has already given us. We are prepared for anything. All the opportunities, information, relationships have already been given to us through knowing Him.’
And breaking it down even further: ‘He takes care of our physical needs. God promises to provide what we need (Philippians 4:19, Matthew 6:31-32). He created the universe and gives food to every living thing — including you and me. The same God who provides food for the animals will not allow us to go without (Psalm 145:15-16, Luke 12:24-26).’
Now that just shows what an excellent, LOVING and compassionate God we serve! He’s given us everything to live a godly life and has also promised to provide for all our physical needs, if we put Him first in our lives. Jesus said it loud and clear: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) Meanwhile in his epistle to the Philippians, Bruh Paul also stated quite categorically: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19)
So it’s simple; if we faithfully obey God, then He will provide for our physical needs, though not necessarily our wants, which are oftentimes very different to our needs. As Bruh David writes in Psalm 145 – The Unsearchable Greatness of God. ‘The eyes of all wait upon thee (look expectantly to you); and thou givest them their meat (food) in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.’ (Ps. 145:15-16) And that’s the way it ought to be with an omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent God who LOVES all of His wonderful creations!
Then turning back to Peter, He continues by giving us some good advice on living the godly life. He says: ‘And beside this (but also for this very reason), giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance (self-control); and to temperance patience (perseverance); and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity (LOVE).’ (2 Pet. 1: 5-7)
Oh my people, that’s not an easy row to hoe, but hoe it we must if we are to attain spiritual growth and meet a level of maturity where we can handle the devil and all his evil doings with a confident nature. That’s the basic purpose for giving us all those things after we are born again and receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We desperately need to grow in our overall faith, in particular areas like virtue or moral excellence, knowledge or spiritual truth, self-control, patience or endurance, godliness or God-likeness, brotherly kindness or brotherly LOVE, and agape or volitional LOVE, that’s doing it of our own accord.
And if we don’t try to grow in our spiritual walk, then the devil will still have us eating from his hand in dark bondage, for we can only withstand him with the powers of God that have been planted in us. So like with all seeds, we need to water and nurture those attributes so that godliness grows in us.
As Peter says: ‘For if these things be in you (are yours), and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren (useless) nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off (is shortsighted), and hath forgotten that he was purged (cleansed) from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall (stumble).’ (2 Pet. 1:8-10)
Yes friends, although we will not fall from salvation if we don’t do those things, we most certainly will not live a successful Christian life. And all I can do is plead with us to seriously ponder on all the good advice we’ve received this lazy-day Saturday, and then try to implement what we need into our lives. And the damp, cloudy weather provides a most excellent time to do so! (smile) Much LOVE!
… like children grow in to more knowledgeable adults…so must believers grow in spiritual maturity and godliness…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: after all these things do the Gentiles seek, anxious care is the direct opposite of faith, bring us to the truth of God's faithfulness, build our faith in God, can add one cubit unto his stature, challenges, deprivation, deprive oneself, doing our best, don't worry about tomorrow, even Solomon in all his glory, faith, gather in barns, God knows you need these things, God's most precious creation, holy spirit, hurry, I am the beloved of god, if God so clothes the grass which today is, in god's eyes, inner mental stability, Jesus Christ, leaving the rest to God, life is more than meat, live in perpetual insecurity, LOVE, mercy, neither do they reap, neither do they spin, O ye of little faith, outward physical provisions, personal experience, placing it all in God's faithful hands, put God Number One, salvation, seek first the things of heaven, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, Sermon on the Mount, shall he not much more clothe you, share His love with my neighbours, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, take no thought for your life, take therefore no thought for tomorrow, the best earthly life, the body is more than clothing, the fowls of the air, the lilies of the field, the morrow shall take thought for itself, the spirit of man, the spiritual blessings of God, they sow not, they toil not, thrown into the dustbin of time, to be forgotten forever, to be responsibly handled, to set one's heart on material possessions, tomorrow is cast into the oven, troubles, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, was not arrayed like one of these, what people say about me, which of you by taking thought, who can add one cubit unto his height by worrying, why worry about clothing, wisdom, worry, worry about the lack of material possessions, you can't serve God and mammon, your heavenly Father feeds them
Matthew 6:34a. Take therefore no thought for the morrow (don’t worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.
Oh friends, thankfully we’ve lived to see Tuesday, while Monday, with all its frustrations has been thrown into the dustbin of time to be forever forgotten. That’s why we need to find a balance between taking each day seriously and not taking it too seriously. And possibly the best advice on that subject comes from Jesus Himself, when, in the Sermon on the Mount, he taught us thus:
‘Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for (don’t worry about) your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat (food), and the body than raiment (clothing)?’ (Matt. 6:25) What an awesome statement that is my brethren! It encompasses so much. Prior to this Jesus spoke about trying to serve God and mammon. (Matt. 6:24)
That therefore explains the scholars’ opening remarks. ‘Jesus now deals with the equally dangerous tendency of those who have few possessions: worry! Take no thought means “Do not be anxious.” Meaning to be so disturbed about material needs that we distrust God and are distracted from faithfully doing His will. Anxious care is the direct opposite of faith. Therefore, even the poor are not to worry needlessly about what they should eat, drink, or wear.
The question Is not the life more than meat, and the body more than clothing? indicates that inner mental stability must come from the spirit of a man and not from outward physical provisions. To set one’s heart on material possessions or to worry about the lack of them is to live in perpetual insecurity and to deprive oneself of the spiritual blessings of God.’
Oh my people, that’s a lot to take in, and also much easier said than done when we’re going through serious deprivation. However, it’s in those times when we can build out faith in God, by doing what we can, then leaving the rest to Him, placing it all in His faithful and generous hands. And I can tell you from personal experience that that’s not very easy to do when you have no idea how your going to make both ends meet. But, if we’re true believers in Christ Jesus, that’s exactly when we have to take a leap of faith and trust in Him, surrender our all to Him.
And that kind of faith doesn’t grow overnight; it takes trusting Him on several occasions and seeing Him come through on each one, before your faith will start to grow. And each time you lay your trust in God, it becomes easier to believe and have faith that He will faithfully do what He’s promised. Yes friends, that’s how faith grows. Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to grow it; only personal experience can bring us to the truth of God’s faithfulness and trust.
And I like how Jesus illustrates His point in that verse by using the things of nature around Him. ‘Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather in barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought (by worrying) can add one cubit unto his stature (height)? And why take ye thought for raiment (worry about clothing)?
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed (clothed) like one of these. Wherefore if God so clothe (clothes) the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?’ (Matt. 6:26-30)
And truthfully friends, we can’t argue with any of Jesus’ statements, for the birds of the air, the lilies of the field and the grass of the earth are all fed and made beautiful by the Lord God Almighty. And if those less important things are so well looked after, why wouldn’t our heavenly father look after His most precious creation eh? No reason whatsoever!
That’s why Jesus exhorts us: ‘Therefore take no thought (do not worry), saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:31-33)
Yes my people, that’s the right way to go. Having pledged allegiance to God, we must continue seeking His kingdom and His righteousness above everything else. If we put God as Number ONE in our lives, we will be blessed with all that we need. Please note, not necessarily what we want, but what we need, for our needs and wants are not always the same, neither do they always match up with God’s will for our lives. (smile)
And to end the subject of worry, Jesus leaves us with this tidbit of advice. ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow (don’t worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble ) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34) And the scholars tell us; “This means that each day has its own troubles and challenges to be responsibly handled, without worrying about hypothetical problems that could arise tomorrow.’
Yes my fellow saints, living for Christ is not a cakewalk, but if we take what He says seriously and put it into practice, we will live a life that’s incomparable, and one that shines bright like the sun at noonday! We will be blessed with the abundant life that Christ died for us to have! God will faithfully keep His part of the bargain, if we keep ours. Now let’s concentrate on keeping ours by declaring (chuh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that pledge, it’s now our duty to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…for the best earthly life…seek first the things of heaven…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all that call upon him in truth, at thy right hand, be content with what you have, call upon him while he is near, faith, found grace in thy sight, God faithfully keeps all His promises, have mercy upon him, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I will give thee rest, I will hearken unto you, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee, in thy presence is fullness of joy, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let the wicked forsake his way, lo I am with you always, LOVE, mercy, my presence shall go with thee, our God will abundantly pardon, pleasures for evermore, pray into me, quiet my soul, relax my musclesslow my thoughts, return unto the Lord, search for me with all your heart, seek me and find me, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, seek ye the Lord while he may be found, seeking God's presence, seeking intimacy with God, show me now thy way, show me the path of life, slow my thoguhts, thank you for this tenderness, that I may know thee, The Lord is nigh unto all that call upon him, the purpose of life, the unrighteous man his thoughts, truth, warms the cockles of God's heart, wisdom, your peace and love are present
Psalm 145:18. The Lord is nigh (near) unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
Oh, how wonderful it is to wake up to a nice sunshiny and warm lazy-day Saturday! Just the thought of not having to get up early and rush off to work is oh so comforting. And being able to simply loll around in bed or on the couch or wherever you choose, just makes it all the nicer. And I did enjoy some of that lazy-day Saturday bliss, but unfortunately, for some of us the bliss cannot last all day, as we have God’s work to do. So here we are writing the Bit. (smile) And our first activity is to offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with all sincerity and truth. Please pray with me:
‘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 by the time we’ve finished the prayer, we can feel our spirits lightened and calmed through God’s awesome presence, because that is one prayer the Lord always rushes to answer. There is nothing that warms the cockles of His heart more than us sincerely seeking His presence and greater intimacy with Him. And doing that is so important, that the Bible contains many scriptures which encourage us to seek the Lord’s presence.
So let’s look at a few of them today nuh, starting with this wonderful wake up call from Isaiah, where he advises his people Israel thus: ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Is. 55:6-7)
Now friends, that’s exactly what so many of us in this ungodly and sinful world need to do; return to God, seek Him sincerely so that He can pardon us, and make our lives so much better than they currently are. Meanwhile in Psalm 16 – God Preserves His People, Bruh David poignantly writes: ‘Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.’ (Ps. 16:11)
And there’s no denying that my fellow believers! In God’s awesome presence there’s abundant joy, and that joy rises up, simply because we know that He will take care of us. As the author of Hebrews so assuredly tells us: ‘Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he (God) hath said I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Heb. 13:5) And we know that our faithful God keeps all His promises. So there’s no need to worry when we’re in His presence.
There’s also this interesting prayer from Moses for God’s presence to go with him and the children of Israel on their journey to the Promised Land. He offered up to God: ‘Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show 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 (God) said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he (Moses) said unto Him (God), If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.’ (Ex. 33:13-15)
Oh friends, yuh see how important God’s presence was to Moses, that if He wasn’t going to be with them along the way, he’d prefer to stay right where he was. And that’s exactly how important God’s presence ought to be in each believer’s life! If He’s not with us, then we’re not moving from where ever we are!
Then there are these encouraging words from the sons of Korah in Psalm 46: God is our Refuge and Strength. ‘Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.’ (Ps. 46:10-11) And until we truly believe that my brethren, we will never be able to fully enter into the Lord’s presence, we will always feel as though we’re on the outside looking in at a joyful scene.
And we all know these words of assurance from Jeremiah to the Israelites re their captivity in Babylon. After seventy years the Lord would cause them to return to their homeland ‘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 (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:11-13)
That’s it friends, our God only has good thoughts toward us, but we have to seek Him sincerely and be obedient to His will, if we desire to get into the fullness of His presence. And that is totally borne out by these words of Bruh David from Psalm 145 – God’s Unsearchable Greatness. ‘The Lord is nigh (near) unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of them that fear (reverence) him: he will also hear their cry, and will save them.’ (Ps. 145:18-19)
Oh my fellow saints, it could not be more explicit than that…except possibly with these words of Jesus. ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things (that you need) shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) That’s another faithful promise. But we’ll close with this marvellous and soul strengthening promise from Jesus at the end of the Great Commission. He left the disciples, and consequently all future believers, with these simple but oh so true words: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b)
Now if that doesn’t hit you right in the heart, then I don’t know what will! But it’s ever so important that we believe that Jesus is always with is, through the Holy Spirit, and is doing His best to lead us along the straight and narrow way that ends in eternal life at His side. Much LOVE!
… if we’re not in God’s presence…then we’re missing the whole purpose of life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a difficult lesson to learn, a limited salary, a shining challenge, adds growing serenity to our guided lives, advesity, all these things shall be added unto you, babes in Christ, Bible, carnal, celebrate our faith, Christian journey, christianity, diminished the value of friendship, divisions, endure right to the end, envying, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, faith in God's loving-kindness, fed you with milk, fighting the good fight of faith, financial loss, full of wonder, get our second wind, God must be our top priority, grow in spiritual maturity, had more to live on, hands on the plough, have as much to live for, human dignity, hurting people, I'm glad to be alive, incorruptible wealth, increasingly aware, Jesus Christ, joy, LOVE, mature, more vital than our fondest possessions, need to be taught again, not turning back, of full age, One Year Book of Bible promises, only in adversity do we grow, overcome tough times by turning to God, peace, Ruth Harms Calkin, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, sheer delight, short on finances, solid, solid food, spiritual realities, stable, strife, thak God, the Challenge, the first principles of God's sayings, the real values of our lives remain, to a glorious future with Jesus, to trust and exalt our limitless God, trained to discern both good and evil, trust God come what may, truth, unshifting, unskillful in the word of righteousness, walk as men, Wednesday Wail, what shall we drink, what shall we eat, what we are, who we are in Christ, wisdom, wonderful to be alive, you ought to be teachers
Matthew 6:33. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
And is it ever wonderful to be alive on another new day on God’s glorious earth; one filled with all His new mercies and compassions! Wow! You can’t ever beat that feeling friends, especially when it’s a bright and sunshiny Wednesday in the middle of the work week, where we get our second wind to keep on fighting the good fight of faith! Glory to God!
And by the way, your Wednesday Bit will be somewhat late now, since we’ve started back having a small prayer group meeting on Wednesday mornings. It’s nothing big or spectacular, just discussing a few topics of personal interest, reading some scripture, praying for people in need of divine aid, and having communion. And, to me, sometimes you get more out of the small, personal groups than in the large non-personal gatherings. But that’s neither here nor there, the important thing is that we gather to worship God and celebrate our faith.
However, having said all of that, here’s an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, that many of us will find amazingly appropriate to our personal situations. It’s simply titled ‘The Challenge.’ And by the way, I don’t know if I’ve ever shared this one before, but if I have, too bad, because they all are worth sharing again and again! (smile)
So please read with me: ‘It may be true, dear God That my husband and I had more to live on A year ago than we have today But it is equally true That we have just as much to live for. The real values of our lives remain Solid, stable, unshifting. Our financial loss has in no way Diminished the value of a single friendship. We have lost nothing of human dignity
And we are discovering spiritual realities Full of wonder and sheer delight. Our faith in Your LOVING-kindness Adds growing serenity to our guided lives. You are making us increasingly aware That what we are is vastly more vital Than our fondest possessions. Above all, you are teaching us That a limited salary is our shining challenge To trust and exalt our limitless God.’
Oh my people, isn’t that the gospel truth! It certainly is! When we lose some of our purchasing power or earthly possessions, that’s the time the Lord usually steps in and tries to teach us the overwhelmingly important lesson that money and material possessions don’t dictate who we are, but instead it’s who we are in Christ Jesus that dictates our importance. And believe me, that’s a difficult lesson to learn, especially when you are short on finances, for then you are worried about how you’re going to pay the rent or the mortgage, buy food, pay the numerous bills we have in this modern society and keep your children properly dressed to go to school.
It is indeed a challenge to handle both that and the need for God at the same time. I can tell you that from personal experience. But it’s all a matter of faith; of making up your mind to trust God come what may. And ofttimes that’s God’s challenge to us, to see if we truly believe, and for us to grow in spiritual maturity, because it’s only in adversity that we really grow. When life’s good, there’s nothing to worry about, and therefore no need to grow. But if we intend to be true believers in Christ, then we do have to grow, we just can’t stay like Bruh Paul told the Corinthians, only drinking milk, because then our faith stays small and weak.
As he writes: ‘And I brethren, could not speak unto you as spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat (solid food): for hitherto (until now) ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions (dissensions), are ye not carnal (fleshly), and walk as men (according to man).’ (1 Cor. 3:1-3)
And that’s exactly what’s happening to many supposed believers today; we’re not growing in our faith because we have the things of the world, the fleshly and carnal things too deeply engrained in our consciousness. Yes friends, while on our Christian journey, like babies grow and eat solid food, we too need to reach the stage where we eat solid food, meat and spuds; get deeper into the word, understand it more fully and them live it more explicitly.
It’s like the author of Hebrews also writes on the subject. ‘For when for the time (though by this time) ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles (sayings) of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat (solid food). For every one that useth (partakes of) milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat (solid food) belongeth to them that are of full age (mature), even those by reason of use (practice) have their senses exercised (trained) to discern both good and evil. (Heb. 5:12-14)
That says it all my fellow believers, too many of us are still babies drinking milk, not knowing the word and living it out in practice, that’s why our world is in such an ungodly, evil and disastrous state! But to grow in spiritual awareness means taking risks, and trusting God, especially in the tough times. That’s why our Bible Promise for today’s poem are these encouraging words of faith from Jesus.
‘Therefore take no thought (do not worry), saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:31-33)
Now that’s the crux of the matter right there my brethren! Are we willing to trust God to deliver our needs as He promises, or are we going to continue killing ourselves to acquire the corruptible and stealable wealth of the world. It doesn’t mean not working diligently and excellently, but not letting the things of the world be our priority. As a true believer God must be our top priority, and that’s what He is usually trying to teach us when we undergo challenges. Let’s hope we learn before it’s too late.
Now let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus! As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And, if we endure with Jesus right to the end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So, hoping to see you there, so that we can enjoy it together! Much LOVE!
…hurting people overcome tough times…when they turn to God…make Him their Number One Priority…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: a lively hope, according to his riches in glory, after all these things do the Gentiles seek, all these things shall be added unto you, an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, Bible, blessing and cursing, born again, choose life, christianity, do not worry, dwhat you shall drink, eternal life, eternal separation from Almighty God, faith, god, have life more abundantly, hurry, I am the door of the sheep, I am the good shepherd, in god's eyes, it's foolish to reject christ, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, my God shall supply all your needs, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, set before you life and death, share His love with my neighbours, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, take no thought, take no thought for the morrow, the beloved of God, the good shepherd gives his life for his sheep, the gospel of christ, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, the morrow shall take thought for itself, the parable of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar, trial and tribulation, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, what you shall eat, what you shall wear, wisdom, worry, your heavenly Father knows you need all these things
Deuteronomy 30:19. I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.
So it’s Tuesday, a new day, one filled with lots of new mercies and compassions from our wonderful God, but possibly also much trial and tribulation. However, as Jesus so rightly advised in the Sermon on the Mount re the subject of worry: ‘Therefore take no thought (do not worry), saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow (therefore do not worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil trouble thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34)
Yes friends, it doesn’t make sense worrying about tomorrow, for who knows what tomorrow may bring…some of us might not even be alive on the morrow…possibly given up the ghost because we were so worried about what could happen. (smile) The fact is that each new day brings a new batch of problems that gives us enough cause for concern, no need to add what might happen in the day(s) to come. And anyway, as Jesus says, if we keep God first place in our lives, then all our basic needs will be taken care of.
And Bruh Paul also reiterates that promise to the Philippians: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) And He will, if you truly believe! And if you want more assurance of God’s faithful promise, then listen to this marvellously reassuring statement from Bruh David in Psalm 23, the most well known and beloved psalm. He simply states with heartfelt certainty: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) Or in other words, if I make the Lord my shepherd, I will not lack anything I truly need.
And what greater promise can one desire than that eh? For the natural nature of a shepherd is to provide for all the wants and needs of his sheep. And Jesus made it absolutely clear of His role, when He made these declarations: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep… I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.’ (John 10:7-11, 14)
Oh my people, what more can we ask of Jesus eh? Nothing really! He came seeking His lost sheep, died for them on the cross of Calvary, so that they could have a better and more abundant life, starting right down here on earth, then morphing into eternal life with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit! That’s the greatest thing that’s ever been done for mankind! And all we have to do to get that gift of salvation and eternal life is believe on Jesus; that He is the Son of God, and He died to repay our sin debt in full.
What’s so hard to believe in that, especially for the rewards that are held in store for us? As Peter puts it: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed at the last time.’ (1 Pet. 1:3-5)
How magnificent is that eh? Through Jesus’s resurrection from the dead, we have new hope, are born again, receive salvation because of our faith in Christ, and are assured of incorruptible and undefiled treasure awaiting us in heaven! Oh my people, what does Satan promise for doing his evil deeds and engaging in some lustful short-lived pleasures eh? Nothing but death and damnation, eternal separation from Almighty God, the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul! And I keep harping on the eternal separation from God, because it is indeed the worst thing that can ever happen to us!
And if you still don’t believe me, then listen to this story as told by Jesus, of the rich man and the beggar. While alive here on earth, the rich man enjoyed the pleasures of the world on his wealth, while the poor man, a beggar called Lazarus, sat at his gate and begged for scraps from his table, while the dogs came and licked his sores. However, when the beggar died, he was carried by angels into the bosom of Abraham, or heaven, to enjoy the messianic feast. But when the rich man died, he descended into hell, where the fires continuously burned hot and tortuous.
And in his torment, he looked up to heaven and saw the beggar ensconced in Abraham’s bosom and begged Abraham to send the beggar to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool his tongue. But Abraham reminded him that in life he received the good things while Lazarus received evil stuff. Now things were turned around, and Lazarus was receiving the good things while he was being tormented in hell. And besides, there was a great gulf, chasm between heaven and hell which no one could cross over.
Then the hell bound soul pleaded with Abraham to send Lazarus to his family still alive on earth to warn them of the torment in hell. But Abraham replied that his family had the words of Moses and the prophets to listen to, and if that could not persuade them to live right, then neither could one who rose from the dead.’ (Luke 16:19-31)
Ah mih people, it can indeed be a rough life, but if we come to belief in Christ and hold on tightly to Him through all the tough times, we will eventually be well rewarded, not necessarily here on earth, but most certainly in heaven. So what’s it to be eh? A life of worry and illicit pleasures that ends in eternal separation, or one of righteous living that ends in eternal life? The answer rests in the heart of each individual, and no one can answer it but you.
But as Moses said to the Israelites: ‘I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19) It could not get any clearer than that my brethren. So let’s go home now declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all the world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that declaration, we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…once you have heard the gospel of Christ…you would be foolish to reject it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a peace that passes all understanding, a personal journey with God, a true christian life, abide in his love, above that ye are able, anointing, as the day follows the night, be able to endure it, be of good courage, blessed assurance, called thee by name, duty bound, even as I have kept my Father's commandments, faith, fear not, getting through to the other side with God, God is faithful, God will come to our rescue, God's never late, grace, he shall strengthen thine heart, hope, hurry, I am the beloved of god, I have redeemed thee, I will be with thee, if ye keep my commandments, in god's eyes, in the face of adversity, Jesus Christ, lay not up treasures on earth, lay up treasures in heaven, LOVE, lustful eyes, make a way to escape, many are the afflictions of the righteous, marinating in our hearts, moth and rust doth corrupt, necessary ingredients, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee, no temptation has overtaken you, nothing is impossible with God, obedience, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, share His love with my neighbours, such as is common to man, suffer you to be tempted, the Holy One of Israel, the Lord delivereth him out of them all, the sinless blood of Christ, the transformative power of faith, the way the cookie crumbles, they shall not overflow thee, thieves break through and steal, thou art mine, thou shalt not be burned, through the rivers, to our detriment, troublesome Monday, trust, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wait on the Lord, walk the talk, walkest through the fire, when thou passest through the waters, where your treasure is there will be your heart also, wisdom, worry, ye shall abide in my love
Isaiah 43:2a. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee;
And so, without any due notice or welcoming applause, we come to Tuesday, which follows Monday, just like the day follows the night and vice versa! (smile) But most likely, we’ve breathed a huge sigh of relief that we’ve gotten through troublesome Monday, and fallen into much easier Tuesday. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles. But the wonderful thing about it all, is that we believers have Jesus to backstop all our doubts and fears, so even when circumstances don’t look so good, we don’t need to worry, but call up scriptures like this one from the wise words of Bruh David: ‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.’ (Ps. 34:19)
And with those words of blessed assurance steeping, marinating in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, we can then stand strong in faith with a good attitude, and do what Bruh David so wisely advises: ‘Wait (patiently in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (patiently in faith), I say on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14) That’s marvellous advice friends, although it’s not always easy to put into action, because oftentimes we feel as though our world is just being torn apart and there’s no time to wait, an instant remedy is required. But please have no fear, for in good time, His time, our amazing and faithful God will come to our rescue.
As Bruh Paul says to the church at Corinth: ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13) Yes friends, our great God will either make a way for us to escape the tough circumstances, or give us the strength, the grace, the anointing to go through it with a calm peace that passes all understanding.
And, one more very important thing: He won’t be late. No! God’s NEVER late! And I can testify to that, because so often in my own life, when I’ve thought that all was lost, I’ve seen Him show up just at the right time. Sometimes He waits until the very last moment to show up, because He’s testing our faith, to see if we will actually walk the talk that we’ve been spewing out to others. And why would He not rescue us, or at least give us the strength to go through our problems after He’s made promises like this one.
‘But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon (scorch) thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee (in thy place). (Is. 43:1-3)
Yes friends, that’s all the gospel truth, for the Lord our God has certainly redeemed us, bought us with a price, the sinless blood of Christ, which means we are indeed His! And we’ve seen examples of His people passing through the waters on dry ground through the Red Sea to escape the army of Egypt, (Ex. 14:19-31) and the rivers, where they passed through the River Jordan and it did not overflow them. (Josh. 3) And we all know the famous story of the three young Hebrew men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who refused to bow to the idol made by the king of Babylon and were thrown into the furnace, heated seven times hotter than normal, yet they came out alive, not even smelling of smoke. (Dan. 3)
Wow! What a powerful and faithful God we serve my brethren! Remember, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH HIM! But He seeks faith and trust in those who claim to believe, and consequently tests us by allowing unfortunate stuff to happen to us, like passing through the waters. And what does passing through the waters really mean? Listen to these two commentaries on the subject. The first one says: ‘Isaiah 43:2 is a verse that calls for a personal journey with God, where trust in His divine promise leads us to discover our own strength and resilience. In essence, the heartfelt message of Isaiah 43:2 is about the transformative power of faith in the face of adversity.’ No doubt about that!
And the second tells us re Isaiah 43:3-5. ‘Another thought about “when you pass through the waters”: this phrase implies getting through to the other side with God. Whether it ends with resolving a problem here or taking us home to heaven, God will be with those who LOVE Him and whom He LOVES.’ And you can bet your bottom dollar on that my people! God will ALWAYS be with those He LOVES, and those who LOVE Him! As Jesus said to the disciples: ‘If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my LOVE; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his LOVE!’ John 15:10)
Yuh see friends, it’s all about obedience and doing the will of God! You cannot expect God to bless you while you are constantly ignoring Him and doing the will of Satan. And yuh know, that’s all the Lord really desires of us, obedience. But we allow the bright and shiny baubles and bangles of the world to dazzle our lustful eyes and thus turn away from God, all to our certain detriment. That’s a fool’s wisdom my people! For even if you acquire all of the world’s wealth, you cannot carry one iota of it with you when you die, regardless of if you make your bed in heaven or in hell.
For as Jesus so wisely advises: ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth doth corrupt (ruin) and rust, where thieves break through and steal: But lay up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:19:21) More gospel truth and wise advice my fellow believers. Instead Jesus gives this wise and heartfelt advice as to what we should do. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
Now, Jesus doesn’t have cause to lie, like Satan does, so it’s wise and sensible to believe Him. And for those of us who have been wise and sensible, and have believed Jesus, (smile) let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that declaration, (yesss!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…trust, faith, hope, obedience and LOVE…all necessary ingredients for a true Christian life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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