11 Jan 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, common sense, curse, eternal life, faith, fear hath torment, forgiveness, God is LOVE, he who loveth God love his brother also, holy spirit, Jesus Christ, LOVE, LOVE is of God, love made perfect, Love makes the world go round, made perfect in love, material wealth, negative word, no man hath seen God, perfect love casteth out fear, reconciliation, sacrificed His sinless life, self-control, self-discipline, spread the good news of Christ's gospel, the light of the world, the propitiation for our sins, the salt of the earth, the year of the Love Revolution, Thursday Blessings, wisdom
1 John 4:21. And this commandment have we from him (Jesus), That he who LOVETH God LOVE his brother also.
Ah friends, I can’t believe that it’s already Thursday, and the eleventh day of this new month and year. But it does seem as though time intends to go just as quickly this year as it did in 2023, and we just have to be ready to go along with it as speedily as it does, else we’re going to miss out on a whole lot of important things, times and places. (smile) That means we need to get our acts together as soon as possible; quit all laziness and procrastination, while sincerely petitioning the Lord for wisdom and discernment to know His holy will, and the strength to action it in His perfect timing.
Remember, this is the year of the LOVE Revolution, where we Christians turn things around in a big way; where we truly become the light of the world and the salt of the earth, give up all the foolish dreams of material wealth and power and concentrate on spreading the good news gospel of Christ, who sacrificed His sinless life so that we could have forgiveness, reconciliation and eternal life with Him and the Father! Wow! What a titanic year this 2024 will be in the annals of Christianity! It will be like the awesome beginning of the church on Pentecost Day where the amazing power of the Holy Ghost was displayed and people flocked to become believers in Christ!
Yes, my fellow believers, that’s the kind of heroic year our Lord and Savour expects from us. And there really shouldn’t be any need for Jesus to expect big things from us this year nuh, because common sense alone ought to tell us that if we don’t make a big splash this year, then our world will most likely explode or implode with all the anger, hatred, violence and evildoing that’s currently cycloning in it! So, it’s also in our best interest to ramp up our efforts and make the LOVE Revolution a reality. For you know where true LOVE exists, hatred and violence and all the other negative attributes of the enemy cannot take root.
And as I was just considering where to go from here, I opened the Good Library, and lo and behold it opened on John’s first epistle where he admonishes us to LOVE one another. And I said ‘Yes!’ that’s perfect, because we cannot conduct a LOVE Revolution without having LOVE for ourselves and each other! However when I read it, I found it too long and worthwhile to paraphrase and cut up, so I decided we should simply read the whole thing. (smile) So please read with me.
‘Beloved, let us LOVE one another; for LOVE is of God; and every one that LOVETH is born of God, and knoweth God. He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE, In this was manifested the LOVE of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him. Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that he LOVED us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so LOVED us, we ought also to LOVE one another.’ (1 John 4:7-11)
Now friends, there is no refuting that solid logic! God LOVED us first and sent Christ to save us, so the expectation that we would LOVE Him in return, and also LOVE our fellow man, is very reasonable. Then John continues with his logical reasoning. ‘No man hath seen God at any time. If we LOVE one another, God dwelleth in us, and his LOVE is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.’ (1 John 4:12-13) And what a wonderful gift is the power of the Holy Spirit, which leads and guides us in the will of God! Second only to the gift of Jesus himself!
John then testifies: ‘And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.’ (1 John 4:14) Oh my people, John wasn’t talking from hearsay, but from what he had actually seen and experienced. He had actually walked with Christ, the Son of God on this earth. That gives him good reason to expound on the subject. ‘Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the LOVE that God hath to us: God is LOVE; and he that dwelleth in LOVE dwelleth (abides) in God, and God in him. Herein is our LOVE made perfect (is LOVE made perfect among us), that we may have the boldness in the day of judgement: because as he is, so are we in this world.’ (1 John 4:15-17)
Yes friends, LOVE is the greatest attribute there is, and therefore it ought to be a dominant characteristic of believer’s hearts. Then, if God dwells in us, and we in Him, we ought to have total assurance of our positive position, and not fear the upcoming day of judgement. That’s why John could therefore continue: ‘There is no fear in LOVE; but perfect LOVE casteth out fear: because fear hath (involves) torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in LOVE.’ (1 John 4:18)
Now here are some explanations from the scholars on that rather important verse. They say: re ‘fear hath torment: Abject fear of God is based on the dread of punishment. But God’s LOVE for us renders such dread obsolete. Fear is still a part of the Christian walk in the sense of profound reverence, the unwillingness to violate God’s trust in us. Believers need not fear eternal rejection as a result of God’s judgement (John 5:24), but this does not mean a Christian’s approach to God is to be casual and flippant.’ Of course not! But we don’t have to fear what happens in the end times.
John then reasons: ‘We LOVE him, because he first LOVED us. If a man say, I LOVE God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that LOVETH not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he LOVE God whom he hath not seen?’ (1 John 4:19-20) Now that’s a very good question my brethren! And if we follow John’s logic, then there are many liars among the believers. For many of us claim to LOVE God, but don’t have the time of day for our fellow believers, couldn’t give a hoot about them. Now that’s not the LOVE of God.
That’s why John ends with this verse. ‘And this commandment have we from him (Jesus), That he who LOVETH God LOVE his brother also.’ (1 John 4:21) That’s just how it ought to be my fellow saints. And if it isn’t, then we need to go to the Father and ask for help to fix it. Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Thursday Blessings, so that we can activate those undeserved blessings 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!’
And since we’ve activated those blessings, it’s now our duty to go out and use them to help others come to Christ! Much LOVE!
…LOVE is what makes the world go round…from God to us…and from us to our fellow man…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
08 Sep 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a hard day's work, a heinous crime, a salacious invitation, a Sunday afternoon stroll, brought in a Hebrew to mock us, complain and remain, dead tired, deceitful measures, doing the Lord's will, foolish pride, Friday chant, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, heralding beautiful autmn, his wrath was kindled, how then can I do this great wickedness, indelibly tarnished, judgemental society, leaves losing their green colour, lie with me, loyalty, obedience, omnipotent hrlp, praise and raise, prospering under God's favour, put him in prison, return backsliders to your fold, self-discipline, sin against God, sinful world can wake up, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the error of their ways, the evil one puts a hand in the situation, unexpected storms, ungodly times, wake up and and smell the coffee, what lengths Satan often drives us to
Genesis 39:9b. how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God.
And without fail, the exclamation ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! has gone up around the world. But though the day is somewhat bright and shiny, there’s a threatening cloud cover hovering in the background. And the recent heatwave seems to be over, with a return to more normal temps for this time of year.
However, in keeping with the cooler weather, some trees are already beginning to lose the green colour in their leaves, heralding the beautiful, colourful season of autumn, but also a precursor to the cold, dreaded time call winter. (smile) But that’s the way God planned it for these northern climes, and if you don’t like it, then you are free to move somewhere else, where there’s sunshine and hot temps all the year round.
Yes mih bredrin, in this crazy world of ours, we’re always complaining about something, mostly about what we don’t have and believe we deserve to have. But life doesn’t revolve around complaining, but around praise to Almighty God! As the saying goes: ‘Complain and remain; praise and raise!’ And until we start doing much more of the latter, our circumstances will remain the same.
But enough philosophizing, let’s get to the dramatic and most interesting and intriguing story of Bruh Joseph. Yesterday we left him in his master Potiphar’s house prospering under the favour of God. But just as bad things must end sometime, I guess all good things must also end sometime, especially when the evil one inserts a hand into the circumstances. And this he did in Bruh Joseph’s case.
The Bible tells us: ‘And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her (longing) eyes upon Joseph, and she said, Lie with me. But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in this house (he knows not what is in this house except through me), and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand. There is none greater in this house than I, neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God.’ (Gen. 39:7-9)
Wow! What self-discipline and loyalty to refuse such a salacious invitation! And please notice what Bruh Joseph called the proposition, not only ‘great wickedness’ but more importantly, ‘a sin against God.’ That shows exactly where his mind and spirit were steadfastly focused. But yuh know when Satan gets the bit in his mouth, he relentlessly keeps pulling at it, and thus Potiphar’s wife kept bugging Bruh Joseph to sleep with her.
But he kept refusing, until the Bible tells us: ‘And it came to pass, about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business (work); and there was none of the men of the house there within. And she caught him by his garment (coat), saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment (coat) in her hand, and fled, and got him out.’ (Gen. 39:11-12)
Ah friends, what lengths Satan often drives us to eh! The woman refused to give up her goal of having Bruh Joseph lie with her, possibly because her pride was hurt at his constant refusal, and she was even willing to assault him to have her way. As the scholars put it: ‘Her first approach involved flattery (vs. 7), then the drawn-out enticing (vs. 10), and finally the ambush (vs.12).’ And as they say, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. And it’s often the gospel truth too, like it was in this case.
We read in the Word: ‘And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment (coat) in her hand, and was fled forth (outside), That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock (laugh at) us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice: And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment (coat) with me, and fled, and got him out. And she laid up his garment (coat) by her, until his Lord came home.’(Gen 39:11-16)
Ah Lord eh, the evil games Satan has us play over foolish pride! And as the scholars note, that was the second time Bruh Joseph’s coat was used in deceit about him. Remember how his brothers used his coat of many colours dipped in goat’s blood and torn up, to prove to his father that he was dead. ((cf. 37:31-33). And obviously, when poor Potiphar came home dead tired from a hard day at work, his deceitful wife spun him the same tale.
‘And it came to pass when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me, that his wrath was kindled. And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.’ (Gen. 39: 19-20)
And who says being a true believer is easy eh! But what else could Potiphar do, except believe his wife. Doubting her would have created even more strife and deceit in the household. But it’s been said, that deep down Potiphar, knowing Bruh Joseph’s loyalty to him and to his God, did not believe Bruh Joseph would commit such a heinous crime. And that’s possibly why he did not have Bruh Joseph put to death asap, as he most certainly was able to do.
But unfortunately, we see the same deceitful measures being applied on a very large scale today, and whether they are all true is another story. However, it’s having unfortunate consequences for the men, because once the allegations are made, without any questions asked, they are adjudged guilty by our judgemental society. And even if the allegations are later proven to be totally untrue, the men’s reputations and futures are nonetheless indelibly tarnished.
But that’s another story for another place and time. Now let’s go the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, to seek mercy and grace in our desperate time of need. 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!’
Now let’s remember that divine help calls for obedience and sincerely doing the Lord’s will. Much LOVE!
…living sincerely for Christ…is very seldom…a Sunday afternoon stroll in the park…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
06 Apr 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: curse, deny me thrice before the cock crows twice, divine protection, do this in remembrance of me, Eucharist, He said drink ye all of it, Holy Communion, If I your Lord and Master have washed your feet, Jesus set certain parameters in our faith, Jesus took the cup of wine, Jesus washed the disciples' feet, Maundy Thursday, negative word, promotion, receive clear direction for my life, self-discipline, selflessness of Christ, shed for many for the remission of sins, take eat this is my body, the Angel of Death, the cup of blessing, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Jewish Passover, the lamb's blood on the lintel of the door, the Last Supper, the perfect example of humility, the sacrificial Lamb, this is my blood of the new testament, Thursday Blessings, ye also to wash one another's feet
Matthew 26:28. For this is my blood of the new testament (covenant), which is shed for many for the remission (forgiveness) of sins.
And then it was Thursday; Maundy Thursday. And we wish you all a Happy Maundy Thursday! It might not have been such a happy day in Jesus’ life, neither in ours right now, as we contemplate the next few days of tragic happenings, but it was indeed a special one, where He set certain parameters in our faith, and left us several examples to follow. Maundy Thursday was the day in Jesus’ life when, as we say, everything came to bump, meaning that He had finally reached the stage when there’s no turning back.
On that Thursday, certain things happened that reminds us of the passionate moments of Jesus’ life. And we are invited to remember and celebrate these four events: the Last Supper, the Washing of the Apostle’s Feet by Jesus, Christ’s agony and prayer in Gethsemane, and the arrest of Jesus. At the Last Supper, He offered Himself as the sacrificial Lamb, with such humility and selflessness that makes Him the perfect example of those attributes.
Now this was a time of the celebration of the Passover Feast in Jerusalem, one of the most sacred days in the Jewish Calendar, reminding them of that time during their slavery in Egypt, when the Angel of Death passed over Egypt and killed every first born son, but spared the Jews, because of the lamb’s blood on the lintel of their doors. (Ex. 12)
On that night Jesus sat with His twelve disciples celebrating. ‘And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord is it I? And He answered and said, he that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had never been born. Then Judas which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He (Jesus) said unto him, Thou hast said (it).’ (Matt. 26:21-24)
Oh my people, can you imagine the consternation, the doubt and grief engendered by Jesus’ comment that one of His closest supplicants would betray Him. And the scholars explain: ‘Jesus’ reply to Judas Thou hast said means “yes.” He that dippeth reveals the personal and intimate nature of the betrayal.’ But that was only the first of several eye-opening occasions on that fateful evening.
After that, the Good Book tells: ‘And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat, this is my body. And he took the cup (of wine), and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it (drink from it all of you). For this is my blood of the new testament (covenant), which is shed for many for the remission (forgiveness) of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.’ (Matt. 26:26-29)
Right there we have it friends, the celebration of what we call ‘The Eucharist, or Holy Communion,’ as a memorial of the death and resurrection of Jesus, in response to his words at the final meal he shared with his disciples, ‘Do this in remembrance of me.’ (Luke 22:19 ) Thus, when we receive communion, we remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us, and we grow in LOVE for one another as Jesus commanded us.
And what do the scholars say about Jesus’ actions at the Last Supper. As per ‘Jesus took bread: The head of the Jewish household was accustomed to doing this during the Passover feast. Jesus gave a completely new significance to the action.’ Then, as per ‘This is my body: During the Passover feast the Jewish householder took bread in his hand and said, This is the bread of affliction which our fathers ate in the land of Egypt,’ meaning, of course, that one represented the other. By His words the Lord changed the whole significance and emphasis of the feast from looking back to the typical redemption from Egypt to faith in the redemption from sin accomplished by His death.
The bread and wine were only outward symbols of our Lord’s death. Nothing in the gospels indicates that these were to be viewed as a means of grace, sacraments, or that they were physically necessary for one’s salvation.’ Meanwhile, as per ‘The cup: Three cups were passed around by the Jewish householder during the Passover meal; the third, which is probably the one referred to here, being known as “the cup of blessing.”
And ‘My blood of the new testament taken from the Greek Septuagint version of Exodus 24:8, with allusions to Jeremiah 31:31 and Zechariah 9:11. The covenant in Exodus 24: 8 was sealed with blood. Now, as per ‘Shed for many the remission of sins: Here is a clear statement that the death of Jesus was necessary to enable God to forgive sins. It, in fact, made it right or morally justified for Him to do so.’
Ah friends, so much happened on that penultimate day of Jesus’ life that we don’t have time nor space to recount it all in detail. But we do know that after supper Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, (John 13:2-17) which was another eye-opener for the disciples; their Master doing a slave’s job. And when Peter refused, Jesus simply told him: ‘If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.’ (John 2:8) It was a powerful example as Jesus told them. ‘If I then, your Lord and Master (Teacher), have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.’ (John 2:14) That’s a picture of the humility and selflessness we were talking about earlier.
Then Jesus told them about their being offended by the things that were going to happen to Him, but Peter as usual refused to accept Christ’s words, claiming he would never be offended or leave Jesus. At which point, Jesus told Peter about his denying Him thrice before the cock crowed twice. (Matt. 26:31-35) Then they went into the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus, with heavy heart and sorrowful soul prayed for a reprieve from His Father, but none was forthcoming. (Matt. 26:36-46)
Finally, Jesus was betrayed by Judas and arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, and all the disciples fled the scene. (Matt. 26:47-57) Then while Jesus was being questioned by the high priest Caiaphas, Peter denied knowing him three times before the cock crowed twice, and the Lord just looked at him, with an ‘I told you so’ look. And Peter went outside and wept bitterly. (Matt. 26:69-75) Yes my fellow saints, Maundy Thursday was indeed a busy and important day for our Lord and Saviour. But you’ll notice that though His soul was burdened, He nonetheless stepped up to the plate and batted the most wonderful innings ever played!
Now that is a most worthy example for us to follow, especially since we’ve been generously granted what we call our Thursday Blessings, of which we’re not worthy, but have been bestowed them to help us do Christ’s work here on earth. So, let’s declare (yesss!!!) them so that they can be activated. Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
Now it’s time for us to go out and do the work that we’ve been so generously blessed to do! Much LOVE!
…though also God…in His humanity…Jesus was indeed…a man amongst men…a class act…no doubt about it…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
30 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be always prepared, brought down to hell, cast thee to the ground, compassionate heart, courage, creativity, curse, foolish pride caused the fall of Satan, from one extreme to the next, guidance for earthly living, hellfire and damnation, I am the Lord that is my name, LOVE, my glory will I not give to another, negative word, neither my praise to graven images, one truth from the Bible, opposing the will and work of God, prosper, resist the devil by submitting to God, self-discipline, share our blessings generously, son of the morning, success, the dungeons of Hades, the first temptation, the inspired word of God, their just desert, thine heart wast lifted up, Thursday Blessings, wearing the full armour of God, weathering the strains of time, worth more than all the wisdom of man
Isaiah 42:8. I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
Ah mih people, the current weather situation in our world is nothing if not interesting. Take for example, yesterday in my area. It opened bright and sunshiny…that is until the early afternoon, when it began to rain. Then in the midst of the rain, big flakes of wet snow began coming down in showers. Then that stopped, and in the early evening hours the sun came back out bright and sunshiny, the ground was fairly dry with only a bit of snow left there. So, in a few hours we went from one extreme to the next, and then back again! What a life!
Unfortunately, that’s how life seems to be trending nowadays. You can’t take anything for granted any longer. What was once fairly stable is now unstable, and that includes people, as well institutions and as things like the weather. The only thing that seems to be weathering the strains of time is the Word of God. And so it should, although many of us are either trying to change it to our own benefit, or remove it completely from our lives.
But there’s a reason why the Word of God found in the Bible has stood the test of time and will continue doing so. That’s because it is the inerrant, true and godly inspired word of our Creator, filled with His wisdom and guidance for earthly living. And if it is godly direction, then it should last till the end of time, ringing with wisdom for each new generation. You know it’s the most maligned book in the universe, but every year it’s also the best-selling tome. And what’s a tome?
The dictionary gives the definition of a tome as a large, scholarly book. And yuh better believe there’s no larger and more scholarly book than the Bible, or Good Library. Yes, it’s so scholarly, that it’s a library in itself, containing numerous books within it. (smile) And as we said recently, one truth from the Good Library is worth more than all the wisdom of man. Wow! And man does have a lot of wisdom, that’s just to tell you the wisdom to be found in God’s Word.
And since the Lord Himself has said through the prophet Isaiah that His thoughts and ways are ever so much higher than man’s, (Is. 55:8-9) it’s only logical to expect His wisdom to outshine that of His finite and frail creation. And that’s why it’s so illogical and foolish for us to try and live life without God, and even more foolish to try to remove Him completely from our society. That just will never happen, as He said quite clearly also through the prophet Isaiah. ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’ (Is. 42:8)
Now what’s in that clear and simple sentence that we don’t understand eh? The Lord will NEVER allow a finicky, finite creation of His to unseat Him from His throne of power. So why do we still insist on trying to do it eh? Haven’t we learned from the example of Satan, the once mighty archangel Lucifer, who dared to try and usurp the power of God? And what happened to him eh? He and all of his foolish followers were summarily kicked out of heaven to make their sorry way in the dungeons of Hades, with hellfire and damnation, as their just desert!
And it’s the very same thing that caused Satan to fall that’s causing us to suffer the wrath of God; that’s foolish pride! And if you don’t believe me, then let’s check out the story as told by the prophets. Ezekiel says of Lucifer, the Morning Star. ‘Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; (cherubim: angelic being of the highest order that guard the Lord) and I have set thee so thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
Thou was perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee… Thine heart was lifted up (became proud) because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness (splendour): I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.’ (Ezek. 28:14-15, 17) That’s the same thing that’s happening to us today my fellow believers; because of our great advances in all areas of life, we have become too proud of our achievements, forgetting that it’s with the Lord’s power and help that we have made those advances.
Meanwhile, Isaiah says of Satan: ‘How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer (Morning Star), son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend unto heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides (farthest sides) of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides (the lowest depths) of the pit.’ (Is. 14:12-15)
Yes friends, Satan was a mighty angel until He got too proud and desired to overthrow God. Yuh hear all the ‘I will’s’ He proclaimed. But he never attained any of them. Instead, he was kicked out of heaven with his followers and thus became the originator and chief perpetrator of sin. And I like how the scholars describe His modus operandi. ‘Satan’s subtle nature is reflected in the first temptation (Gen. 3:1) (where he deceived Eve), and in his titles “angel of light,” (2. Cor. 11:24) and “him that deceiveth the whole world.” (Rev. 12:9) His present day activities include opposing the will and work of God, counterfeiting the work of God, and destroying all that is good.
A Christian can overcome Satan when he remembers four basic principles: First, though Jesus is greater than the Devil (1 John 4:4), a Christian must still have a healthy respect for the Enemy; even the archangel Michael did not confront Satan except in the name of the Lord (Jude 9). Second, a wise Christian will evaluate his life and avoid those situations where he is most likely to be tempted (1 Thess. 5:22). Third, he should resist the Devil by submitting to God (James 4:7-10). Finally, the Christian should always be prepared by wearing the whole armour of God (Eph. 6:13-17)’
No my fellow saints, we can’t go wrong if we follow those four basic principles. And thus, having a li’l better knowledge of Satan and his evil self, let’s go home now declaring (chuh!!!) our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. As one strong 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!’
So, with all those marvellous blessings in our possession, it’s time for us to go out and use and share them just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…Satan’s been defeated twice by Jesus…in whom then will you trust…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
20 Oct 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all tongues confess, an everlasting covenant, both thou and thy seed shall live, buy wine and milk without money, choose life, comapssionate heart, come unto me all ye that labour, come ye buy and eat, come ye to the waters, curse, every one that thirsteth, God commendeth his own love toward us, God's free gift of salvation, great invitation, I am meek and lowly in heart, I have set before you life and death, I will give you rest, King of Kings, let your soul delight itself in fatness, Lord of Lords, my yoke is easy and my burden light, negative word, prince of peace, seek ye the Lord while he may be found, self-control, self-discipline, storms of life, take my yoke upon you, that Jesus Christ is Lord, the deceiver of God's people, the name above every other name, the wages of sin is death, this is the day the Lord has made, Thursday Blessings, to the glory of God the Father, to whom all knees must bow, we will rejoice and be glad in it, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, you reap what you sow
Isaiah 55:6. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.
And the week’s moving along as programmed. Thursday has opened cloudy and windy in my neck of the woods, but it’s still a wonderful day to be alive! It just means being prepared for the weather when we go out; dress for it and be careful walking or driving. However, for true believers in Jesus Christ, every day we open our eyes is a marvellous day, despite the weather, and one we should all greet by declaring (yesss!!!) these awesome words of the psalmist. ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24)
Yes friends, we ought to be grateful for each day we awaken and don’t see our names listed in the obits, (smile) even when the mighty storms of life, both literally and figuratively are pounding upon us, and we don’t know what to do. But that’s okay too, because we know someone who knows what to do, how to handle both the literal and figurative storms, His name is Jesus Christ; the Saviour of this sinful world, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Prince of Peace, the High Priest in the heavens, the Mighty Advocate for those who believe in Him and sincerely surrender their souls to Him; the name that’s above every other name, the one to whom ALL knees must bow and confess that he is Lord to the glory of God the Father!
Wow! What a powerful and influential person to know! And unlike most powerful and influential persons down here on earth, Jesus Christ doesn’t play favourites, or turn away anybody who desires to come to Him, regardless of their troubles, physical or spiritual status. In fact, He welcomes ALL and sundry through His Great Invitation. But before we get to that new invitation (smile) listen to this other Great Invitation that our Lord God Jehovah offered His people Israel through the prophet Isaiah, long before Jesus offered His.
Isaiah gracefully declared (awright!!!) on the Lord’s behalf: ‘Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness (abundance). Incline your ear and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David… Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.’ (Is. 55:1-3, 6)
Oh my people, yuh see how our great God was generous from the outset? As the scholars tell us, ‘God’s free gift of salvation is offered to ALL who will receive it. Those who are hungry and thirsty may come and drink without money (freely). He promises an everlasting covenant to the Gentiles (vs. 5) like the one He established with Israel. His invitation to ALL men is clearly stated by the appeal, Seek ye the Lord and call ye upon him.’
Yes my fellow believers, from the very beginning God has been pleading with us to come to Him for succour and nourishment for our souls. But sadly, we have been forestalling Him with excuses, lies and deceptions cast upon us by our enemy Satan, the devourer and deceiver of God’s people. However, as we can see God didn’t give up on us – He NEVER does – and with a heart full of LOVE, sent His Son Jesus Christ to earth to save us, by paying for our sins with His sinless blood that was shed on the cross of Calvary.
So I don’t know how we can ever say that God doesn’t care for us. And Bruh Paul declares it (yesss!!!) thus in his missive to the church at Rome. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrates) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Please note my people, that the Lord didn’t wait for us to change our evil ways and come to Him, He came to us first, with salvation, through His glorious Son Jesus Christ.
And Jesus, in His turn, also offered us another Great Invitation, where He pleads with mankind: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) I don’t know how else Jesus could plead with us to come to Him nuh. And He did it all through His earthly ministry, but stubborn, unwise, mankind still refuses to believe Him and seek His comfort, peace and salvation that can be found in no one else in God’s great world.
But that li’l matter of free will keeps cropping up and we keep using it to fulfill our own selfish desires for the things of the world, leaving our souls totally open to be ravaged, plundered and then cast off into the fires of hell by the enemy. That’s certainly not wisdom, especially in a time like this when the whole world is in a negative uproar, one filled with strife, poverty, sickness, natural disasters and inequality of enormous proportions.
Oh, but we have free will, so we can do what we want. And what we want right now is to drive God out of our society. Hn! What a laugh! We are even more foolish than we seem, if we believe that God will ever allow Himself to be driven out of His own creation! But as Moses told the children of Israel a long time ago ‘I call heaven and earth to record (as witnesses) 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)
And just for your information my brethren, that declaration (oh yeah!!!) still stands to this day. So it’s up to you to choose spiritual life or death with your free will. But for those of us who have chosen life, the Lord has bestowed upon us a number of tools to do His awesome work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare them (wow! – that’s 5 times straight) so that they can be activated in our lives.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And now it’s our bounden duty to go out and put those tools to work in Christ’s name. Much LOVE!
…you reap what you sow…you can’t sow sin and expect to reap eternal life…for the wages of sin is death…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ
22 Aug 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a chokehold on our world, a light unto my path, all these things will be added unto you, avowed purpose, behind the eight ball, bodily exercise profiteth little, forgive us and heal our land, godliness is profitable unto all things, humble servants, I may behold wondrous things out of thy law, in a dither on Mondays, is not life more than meat, Jehovah Rapha, like chickens with our heads cut off, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, negative situations, open thou mine eyes, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, self-control, self-discipline, steadfast in prayer, strong faith in Christ, take no thought for your life, the body more than raiment, the God who heals, the promise of life that now is, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, too many divisions amongst believers, wise guidance and direction
Psalm 119:18. Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
Monday has come around the bend once again my people, like it’s been doing for eons, and will continue doing until Jesus comes back and changes things…that is if He sees fit to change the arrangement of the days of the week. (smile) And if He doesn’t, then we’ll simply be enjoying Mondays till the end of His kingdom…or maybe all through eternity, who knows. That means the sooner we get used to Mondays and preparing properly for a new work week, the sooner any anxiety Monday causes us will disappear.
Yes, if we know what to expect, then we ought to be prepared for it. And we know that Monday will come around every seven days, so why are so many of us always in a dither on a Monday morning eh? Because we lack self-discipline and self-control. Monday should be a piece of cake, just like any other day…or rather, Monday should be our best prepared day, since we have the whole weekend to prepare for it. But hard-headed and prideful human beings that we are, we stubbornly refuse to make suitable plans for the opening day of the work week, and thus end up rushing around on Monday mornings like chickens with our heads cut off.
And I know some of you will refute what I’m saying by quoting Jesus, when He said to the people: ‘Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for 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 more than raiment (clothes)? (Matt. 6:25) Then He went on to discourse how the Father looks after Mother Nature; the birds and the bees etc. and we are more important than they are, so He will look after us too. (Matt. 6:26-32)
But what we forget to quote is verse 33, which says: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.’ And to do that, we need to not only truly believe in Christ Jesus, but to have considerable self-control and self-discipline in our efforts in His name! Jesus was one of the most disciplined and controlled persons who ever lived. He had to be, else His whole ministry and purpose for coming to earth would have fallen apart.
Don’t think for one moment that He wanted to endure all the suffering He endured and be crucified on that horrible wooden cross, but that was His avowed purpose, and He faced up to it like a man. And if we are to be His true disciples, then we also need to have strong self-control and self-discipline and face up to our purpose mano-a- mano. (smile) No organization or individual can ever grow properly without those two things. And have you noticed how the enemy and his evil cronies are very focused and disciplined? Just look around and you will see it.
Unfortunately, our Christian organizations and people don’t seem to be as well focused and disciplined, otherwise we would not be as far behind the eight ball as we currently are, and the evil doers would not have such a chokehold on our world. Oh my people, both physical and spiritual discipline are necessary if we are to be victorious in Christ’s mission, but spiritual discipline is the more important element. As Bruh Paul told Timothy. ‘For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.’ (1 Tim. 4:8)
Yes friends, physical discipline offers some help down here on earth, but the spiritual kind is useful both here on earth as well as in the life to come. So please, I’m pleading with us to get serious about spiritual discipline, for without it, we’re completely lost. And how do we get it? By constantly meditating on God’s Word, being steadfast in prayer and fellowship with other believers. As the Good Book says: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) But we first have to get into the word and then stay in the word!
Unfortunately though, that’s where too many of us supposed believers are falling down, we don’t stay in the word, we’re somewhat wishy-washy when it comes consistent Bible reading and studying. And until we improve that consistency, things will never get better. Now here’s a good verse to pray at the beginning of our prayer time. Ask the Father to ‘Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. I am a stranger in the earth; hide not thy commandments from me.’ (Ps. 119:18-19) Our wonderful God will never refuse such a request, and He will reveal truths to us as we read and meditate on His word.
Oh my people, it’s all about keeping God first place in our lives, being serious about it and being willing to build the discipline and self-control it needs to make Christ come to life in a dark, evil and ungodly world. And there are enough believers in this world, that if we get really serious about fighting for Jesus, we can take back our world from the enemy. But we must operate as a strong, confident, purposeful body, and with the number of divisions and dissension amongst believers right now, that seems like an impossible task.
But please remember that ALL things are possible with our God, and if He sees us making the effort, He will add whatever is necessary for us to succeed. But it all depends on us. So, let’s begin with first things first nuh, (smile) that’s prayer. As one voice, let’s take our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to the throne of grace. ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Now friends, if we expect to see positive results to our prayer, it’s up to us to keep our promises and turn from our evil ways. It’s as simple as that. Much LOVE!
…don’t expect the Lord to heal and save us…if we’re not sincere…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
16 Jun 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, action calls us to pay the price, being confident of this very thing, cast thy bread upon the waters, curse, do our bounden duty, give a portion to seven and also to eight, he shall direct thy paths, he that observeth the wind shall not sow, he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap, he which hath begun a good work, in the evening withhold not thy hand, in the morning sow thy seed, lean not unto thine own understanding, LOVE, man cannot comprehend God's works, negative word, no rhyme nor reason, please say yes the first time, self-control, self-discipline, talk is cheap, the vagaries of the weather, thou knowest not the works of God, thou shalt find it after many days, Thursday Blessings, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, what evil shall be upon the earth, when god calls, will perform it until the day of Jesus
Ecclesiastes 11:1. Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.
So then, we come to Thursday, the penultimate workday before our glorious weekend, which has opened fairly sunny, despite the few spoiler clouds hanging around. (smile) And surprisingly, yesterday did turn out to be a good, sunshiny and warm day, despite the early morning darkness, with not a drop of precipitation. But one cannot be bothered by the eccentricities and vagaries of the weather these days, else it would drive you crazy, since there seems to be no rhyme nor reason to its recent behaviour.
And now that we have dealt with the oddities and idiosyncrasies of the weather, it’s time to deal with ours… And do we ever have many, so much so that the Lord shakes His head every morning we arise, wondering what foolishness, disobedience or sin we’re going to engage in that day. (smile) And that’s why these verses of scripture from Cousin Sol operating as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes are ever so important to us. Please read with me these opening verses of chapter 11, subtitled, ‘Charity enjoined.’
‘Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. He that observeth the wind shall not sow: and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit (wind), nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper (which shall succeed), either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.’ (Eccl. 11:1-6)
Ah friends, what true words of wisdom! Cousin Sol was indeed a wise man, at least in his early years. (smile) And what does all of that mean eh? Let’s listen to the scholars explain it. ‘11:1-6. These verses contain a series of sayings about the uncertainty of human industry, and are held together by the fourfold occurrence of the expression thou knowest not. Although man cannot comprehend God’s work, nor predict success, he needs to be involved in life’s activities and trust God for the results.’
And that’s the living truth my brethren! We don’t know what will happen in any particular day or time in God’s universe because He’s placed it all under His own control, but it is indeed essential for us to take a constructive and productive part in life’s activities and then leave the rest to God, trust Him, believe in His utmost faithfulness, since He’s promised to work it all out for our good. That brings us to these other marvellous and wise words of Cousin Sol, this time from Proverbs. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6)
Now that should be simple common sense if we believe that God is our Maker and Controller. However, too many of us talk that sentiment but don’t truly believe it, or act like we do. We still try to fashion our lives after our own plans and not after God’s, which is paramount to foolishness and disobedience. And right here the Holy Spirit just led me to consider my own life; what it was before the Lord took a stronghold on me, and what it would have been like if I hadn’t listened to him way back then.
And I don’t even want to think about what it might have been like. Oh, I was doing materially okay, but something was missing in my soul. I was searching for something that I just couldn’t seem to find. Then the Lord called me to write this Scrip-Bit and I laughed because I definitely didn’t have the knowledge or wherewithal to write about scriptural matters. But He persisted, and I eventually gave in. Please note though, that whenever the Lord comes calling, for your own sanity, please say yes, the first time, because He’s not going to stop and will make life miserable until you agree to do His bidding.
And as I’ve often said, when I began writing the Bit it was often a scripture verse or two, but through the Lord’s faithfulness and my discipline, some fifteen years later I’m now writing too much. (smile) Yes friends, one thing I can surely vouch for is the Lord’s faithfulness; He helps you, sticks by you and gives you the necessary tools to do whatever He’s asked you to do. But again, you have to trust in Him, surrender your life completely to Him. And no, it won’t be easy, because He tests you along the way.
And I’m chuckling here, because many a day I’ve written stuff in the Bit, and before I had even finished, I was tested on what I had written (smile). And don’t worry, the Lord knows that we won’t pass all the tests, some we’ll have to take over and over. (smile) But once He sees the sincerity in our hearts and attitudes, He will help us. No doubt about that, because He desires us to grow and become as close as possible in attitude and behaviour to his first-born Jesus Christ. And I can guarantee that this promise that Bruh Paul wrote to the Philippians is ever so true. ‘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.’ (Phill. 1:6)
Yes, my fellow saints, once we’re alive and living for Christ, the Lord will continue growing us until the day He takes us home, or Jesus returns, whichever comes first. And one of the ways He does that is by bestowing us with many undeserved blessings so that we can do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So, let’s declare and activate them right now nuh.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection!
I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
Now, it’s our bounden duty to go out and walk worthy of those undeserved blessings, by sharing them as generously with others, as the Lord has shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…talk is cheap…but action calls us to pay the price…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
13 Jan 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a part of our Christian walk, abundance, alive and kicking, be of good cheer, challenges our faith, Christ is ever-faithful to those who trust Him, contemplate life with christ, courage, creativity, curse, favour, from Him cometh my salvation, fulfillment, God - our first line of defense, God is a refuge for us, God speed, God's promised to bring us safely through, good helath, gospel truth, great family, he is my defense (strong tower), he only is my rock, helps us to grow, i have overcome the world, I shall not be greatly moved (shaken), in me ye might find peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, LOVE, negative word, pour out your heart before God, self-control, self-discipline, supernatural wisdom, talent, the li'l things in life, the little things in life, Thursday Blessings, truly my soul waiteth upon God, trust in him at all times, words of wisdom
Psalm 62:8. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.
Hallelujah my Scrip-Bits family! We are alive and kicking for one more day! The Lord has blessed us with His awesome breath of life so we can do His wonderful will for at least one more day! Now isn’t that just marvellous? It certainly is! For there’s nothing like waking up to a brand new day, be it cloudy and cold, like in my area, or sunny and warm, like in the tropics.
It’s so good to wake up and contemplate life; life with Christ, and wonder what interesting things He has in store for us that day, for with Him, each day brings something unknown that challenges our faith and helps us to grow. And is He ever faithful to those who put their trust in Him. And I’m talking from personal experience here, not hear say. And just one example.
Remember yesterday I had to go into Toronto for a medical check-up. Well I caught the bus, because I don’t drive into Toronto anymore, as it’s too annoying and frustrating. So I got on the top floor of this new double-decker bus, one with seatbelts to boot, (smile) and checked out the dark, gloomy sights from ahigh up. Got into the city in about thirty five, relaxed, non-frustrating minutes. Oh by the way, every few minutes a gush of warm air would blow over me and keep me nice and toasty. (smile)
But the problem began on exiting the bus at the terminal, for the terminal is crazy, that’s the only word for it. It stretches in all directions and if you don’t know where you are going, the Lord help you. And yuh better believe He definitely helped me yesterday, because when I got into the concourse and began muttering about which direction to take, a kindly, middle aged black gentleman offered his assistance, saying that he was going my way and I could walk with him.
And was it ever a walk…Brother! It seemed like it would never end. And it’s a good thing I had put on my walking shoes. But eventually, after about ten minutes of walking, we reached where I wanted to go. Then to my surprise, after bidding me God speed, this Ghanian gentleman, Paul, said he had to go back inside, because his exit lay in another direction. Now if that wasn’t God’s doing then I don’t know what it was nuh, because he strayed from his direction to guide me to where I wanted to go. God bless you Paul.
And yuh see friends, those are the li’l things in this life, actually miracles, that we often don’t acknowledge, because as far as we are concerned miracles are big events. But not so in our God’s sight. He does hundreds of small ones in our lives everyday, and if we would only look out for them, our lives would improve so much; be much more joyful, faithful and trusting. And to make things even better, I was in and out of the hospital in about fifty minutes, with a clean bill of health, well as clean as it could be under the given circumstances, and thank the Lord I did not have to walk back to the bus terminal, but with a much shorter walk, I was able to take the train home!
So, although the day was grim-looking and grey, and although I did not want to go, and although there were a couple of disconcerting moments, the Lord, as He’s promised, took me safely there and back. Yes friends, He doesn’t promise that there will be no problems, but that He will bring us safely through them all. Please write these most reassuring words of Jesus indelibly in our hearts and minds, so that we can automatically recall them in times of need. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulations: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
Now that’s the gospel truth friends, but it’s not always easy to do in this evil and ungodly world. However, the more often we do it, the better we get at it. And when people appear out of the blue to help you, like happened with me yesterday, it reinforces your trust and faith in Christ. But we have to pay attention to the little, seemingly insignificant things that happen in our lives, for they are all a part of our Christian walk.
That’s why Bruh David could confidently declare in Psalm 62: ‘Truly my soul waiteth (waits silently) upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock , and my salvation; he is my defense (strong tower); I shall not be greatly moved (shaken).’ (Ps. 62:1-2) Yes my people, when we have the Lord God Almighty as our first line of defense, though the enemy comes against us in great numbers and some fear assaults us, we will not be terrified, because we know the awesome strength, power and faithfulness of our wonderful God!
And that’s why Bruh David repeats himself later in the psalm, but with an added warning and wise advice: ‘In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps. 62: 6-8) Now those are what you call words of wisdom!
And for those of us who trust in God, and pour out our hearts to Him, while sincerely endeavouring to do His holy will, He showers us with rich and undeserved blessings so that we can further His name and glory. We call them our Thursday Blessings. And since a blessing is not a blessing unless it’s declared out loud, let’s declare our Thursday Blessings out loud, so that they can take a rich and enlightening effect in our lives.
Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And in these troubled times, do we ever need to get out and share those wonderful blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…the little things in life…are just as important as the big ones…sometimes even more important…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
16 Dec 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: bounden duty, choose life, Christ died for us, clam up, curse, discipleship demands sacrifice, divine protection, fear of rejection, five times received I forty stripes save one, free from the bondage of sin, God commendeth his own love toward us, God so loved the world, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, if he shall gain the whole world, in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, jump and shout for joy, kicked out of town, let him deny himself, living for Christ, lose his own soul, LOVE, love of the Father, negative word, our hearts were in chains to sin, praise the name of Jesus to the high heavens, self-control, self-discipline, shaming, spring like temps, stricken dumb, take up his cross and follow me, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the amazing love story of Christ, the joy of Christ's birth, the power of God unto salvation, the ultimate sacrifice of life, Thursday Blessings, what is a man profited, what shall a man give in exchange for his soul, while we were yet sinners
Romans 1:16a. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:
It’s a cloudy and somewhat windy Thursday morning in my neighbourhood, but we have spring like temps, something like 13 degrees Celsius, and it’s expected to go higher, although there’s a weather advisory also in effect. But however you cut it, we can’t really complain about that kind of temperature in the middle of December in the northern climes. And with the Christmas season in full swing, the joy of Christ’s birth has thankfully lifted the spirits of many who were hitherto somewhat under the weather.
And the amazing LOVE story of Christ will do that every time my people! Because that’s what He came to earth to share, the indisputable, unconditional, irreplaceable LOVE of the Father. A LOVE so strong and wonderful that the Good Book describes it thus: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 8:5)
Imagine that nuh mih bredrin…our heavenly Father sacrificed His one and only Son for us while we were still in bondage to the tyranny of sin! What sort of Father does that eh? Only one that’s very concerned about the people He created. As Jesus Himself summarily declared: ‘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) What an amazing situation for our finite, puny minds to contemplate eh?
Yes friends, while our hearts were still in chains to sin, the Father offered up His sinless Son for us. Now shouldn’t that make us so grateful that we just want to jump and shout for joy, to tell everybody, and praise the name of Jesus to the high heavens? It ought to, if we are truly grateful and free from the bondage of sin. That’s why Bruh Paul positively proclaimed to the church at Rome: ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.’ (Rom. 1:16)
Unfortunately though, many of Christ’s supposed followers are ashamed of sharing His gospel with those around them because it will put them in a bad light with those whose opinions they tend to value more than Christ’s. And sharing Christ’s gospel can get you ostracized as Bruh Paul found out by often being beaten, jailed and kicked out of town, as he explains in these excerpts from 2 Cor. 11:23-27.
‘…in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save (minus) one… In weariness and painfulness (toil), in watchings (sleeplessness) often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.’ (2 Cor. 11:23-27) And yuh better believe that it is still possible for the sharing of the gospel in some societies today to cause serious problems, problems like Bruh Paul’s, thankfully though, not in our society.
But as one commentator, John Piper, puts it in his article on the subject on the desiringgod.org website: ‘The gospel does two things: It brings out shaming behavior in those who will not believe it. And it gives freedom from shame to those who do believe it.’ Yes my people, when we fully believe Christ’s gospel it gives us the power and strength to resist all shame and possible consequences. And that’s partly why our world is going through the current throes of calamity; we supposed believers were, and still are not truly convinced of the power of the gospel and we fear displeasing men more than we fear displeasing God, our Creator and Controller.
Now that doesn’t speak well of us, especially when Jesus said it quite plainly. ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt. 10:28) That’s Almighty God my brethren! But sadly, too many of us supposed Christians only talk a good talk about Christ with our Christian friends and family, but out there amongst the heathen, too often we clam up as though we are stricken dumb for fear of rejection and shaming.
Christ wasn’t ashamed to be crucified naked on the cross of Calvary for us, but we want His salvation without suffering any sacrificial moments. It doesn’t work like that friends. Please remember these words of Jesus to the disciples: ‘If any man will come after (follow) me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? ’ (Matt. 16:24-26)
Now that’s a very good question my fellow saints? What are we prepared to give up to save our souls eh? Jesus said if we want to be His followers, we must die to ourselves, to our will, and let His will take priority in our lives, even to the giving up of our mortal lives. And no, it’s not easy to do, or even to contemplate, because ‘discipleship demands sacrifice.’ However, the rewards of doing it His way are more plentiful and beneficial than embracing the only other option available, that of getting in league with the evil enemy, who only has the rewards of death, damnation and eternal separation from Almighty God to offer.
And, in keeping with His generosity, the Lord has given us freedom of choice to make our own decision. So please, please, let’s take His advice as set out by Moses to the children of Israel so long ago. ‘I call heaven and earth to record (announce) 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) Yes friends, that’s the best advice in this whole wide world – to choose Jesus, who offers blessings and abundant life!
And for those of us who have chosen Him and are sincerely trying to do His will, He’s given us numerous blessings that enable us to perform His earthly desires. We call them our Thursday Blessings and we delight in declaring (chuh!!!) them every Thursday. So, in loud and confident voice, let’s do just that nuh: ‘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 bounden duty to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as Christ shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…living for Christ…the ultimate sacrifice of life…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
26 Aug 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, all ye that hope in the Lord, be of good courage, be thou my strong rock, bow down thine ear to me, curse, deliver me in thy righteousness, deliver me speedily, despising the shame, end the pity party, endured the cross, faith, favour, fight the good fight, for a house of defense to save me, for the joy that was set before him, for thy name's sake lead and guide me, good friends, guaranteed to win the war, He died in our place, he shall strengthen your heart, heartfelt desire, I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy, In thee O Lord do I put my trust, is set down at the right hand of the throne of God, Jesus is our example, King of Kings, let me never be ashamed, looking unto Jesus, Lord of Lords, LOVE, negative word, O love the Lord all ye his saints, oh how great is thy goodness, our carnal mind, our flesh isn't helping matters, plentifully rewardeth the proud doer, propser, sad droopy look, sel-contorl, self-discipline, set my feet in a large room, share the blessings, shut me up into the hand of the enemy, so that we could have a good life, succeed, the author and finisher of our faith, the Lord preserveth the faithful, the purposes of God's Word, the sands of time, them that fear thee, thou hast known my soul in adversities, Thursday Blessings, we have Jesus, win the victory, with Christ in us and we in Him
Psalm 31:23. O LOVE the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth (fully repays) the proud doer.
Come now mih bredrin, why that sad, droopy look this bright and sunny Thursday morning eh? Oh, I know that it’s not always easy to put on a bright and smiley face when things aren’t going right, but we have to make the effort, and at least not allow those sad times to last too long. Remember we have Jesus, who died in our place so that we could have a good life and do all that we need to do through His amazing strength. And yes, the evil world is fighting a strong fight against us, and our carnal mind, our flesh isn’t helping matters either.
But again, let’s not forget that we have Jesus, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings in our corner, and with Him beside us we can fight every enemy and win the victory! All praise and glory to His Holy name my brethren! Life isn’t easy, but with Christ in us, and we in Him, we are well prepared, have all we need to fight the good fight. And though we might lose a few battles here and there, we are guaranteed to win the war with Jesus, our esteemed Leader in our camp!
So now it’s time to end the pity party and return to the safe, secure and happy pavilion of our great and wonderful God by reminding ourselves of why we first believed and continue believing. Let’s do that by declaring (yeah!!!) these marvellous words of Bruh David from Psalm 31.
‘In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust (I take refuge); let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock (rock of refuge), for a house of defense (fortress) to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me. Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily (secretly) for me: for thou art my strength. Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.’ (Ps. 31:1-5)
Ah friends, remember when you said similar words to the God of your forefathers and accepted His Son Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour? Well nothing has really changed, just a li’l trial and tribulation occurring along our pilgrim’s journey to heaven. And remember again, that with Jesus dwelling in us, through His awesome Holy Spirit, we can deal with anything that comes against us.
Yuh know, even Jesus had it rough. On His human side, He too was tempted, rejected, betrayed, and suffered loads of inhumane treatment on our behalf, but He didn’t turn away His face from Calvary. And so too, we ought not to turn away from doing His work. Like Him, we too need to rest sometimes, but the idea of stopping or giving up should never occur to us, because He is our example, and He didn’t give up even when it came to giving His sinless life so unselfishly for us.
Thus, the least we can do is put up with a li’l suffering on His behalf. We need to follow in His footsteps, as the scriptures advise. ‘Looking unto Jesus, the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Heb.12:2)
Oh mih people, what a mighty example our Lord and Saviour set us! For the joy of our salvation and the rewards He would receive from the Father, He willingly accepted the sufferation of the cross. Likewise, for the rewards of heaven that we have been promised, we ought to stand strong and bear whatever burdens we need to bear down here. So let’s not look at the course, but at the finish line, that’s heaven, as Jesus did, and we’ll not notice the trials and tribulations along the way as much. Remember, Jesus has already blazed the trail, cleared the path to heaven, so we don’t need to do anymore clearing, just follow in the footsteps He left in the sands of time.
Therefore, we can say like Bruh David did: ‘I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities (troubles). And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy (given me over to the enemy): thou hast set my feet in a large room (a wide place).’ (Ps. 31:7-8)
Yes, my fellow saints, in these evil and turbulent times, life will not be sweet and easy, and we will have to put out a lot of effort to keep things under control, but with the Lord God Jehovah occupying a special place in our lives, being Number ONE to us, we don’t have to worry about accomplishing our earthly tasks.
Hear Bruh David tell it again nuh: ‘Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear (reverence) thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret (place) of thy presence from the pride (plots) of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion (shelter) from the strife of tongues…. O LOVE the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth (fully repays) the proud doer.’ (Ps. 31:19-20, 23)
Oh friends, I hope all of that has reminded us of what we signed up for with Jesus, and all the promises we have to enjoy at the end of the road. It certainly brightened my outlook, because I was one of those with the sad, droopy looks before I began writing this Bit. But that’s one of the purposes of God’s Word; to brighten our outlook when times get rough. So let’s never forget when times look dim, we need to get into the Word and reenergize ourselves.
And how can we ever forget the many blessings that the Lord has bestowed on us to do His earthly work eh? So, let’s spell out in loud and sincere voice, what we call our Thursday Blessings. Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having declared all that, we now have to go out and share those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! That’s His heartfelt desire! Much LOVE!
…be of good courage…and he shall strengthen your heart…all ye that hope in the Lord… (Ps. 31:24)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
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