14 Sep 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new commandment I give unto you, a personal relationship with Christ, anger, bitterness, by this shall all men know, Christ's body of followers, full of dead men's bones., full of hypocrisy and iniquity, given you an example, His rewards are outstanding, His yoke is easy to bear, hurry, I am the beloved of god, if ye have love one to another, in god's eyes, lack of togetherness, LOVE, love one another as I have loved you, negative emotion of hate, not what I do, not what people say about me, petty differences, sad state of affairs, share His love with the world, strife, that ye are my disciples, the best of all worlds, the goodness and mercy of Jesus, the love of God perfected, treasure Christ as Lord and Saviour, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, walk even as he walked, whited sepulchres, woe unto you Pharisees, worry
John 13:35. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.
So mih bredrin, a warm and wonderful Tuesday to all you who treasure Christ Jesus as Lord and Saviour! May His light and LOVE shine through us today, as we go about doing His awesome earthly work, encouraging others to come to Him and enjoy the amazing benefits of being in His blessed organization, His church, and also having a most splendiferous personal relationship with Him!
What could be better than that eh mih people; belonging to Christ’s body of followers, but also having a personal friendship with him? Absolutely nothing! Yes friends, in Jesus we have the best of ALL worlds! Never forget that! So let’s stop selling both Jesus and us short by thinking and consequently acting like He is not enough, for He surely is…and much more too!
Ah friends the ole fella’s just getting excited, as I usually do when I talk about the goodness and mercy of Jesus, because I’ve experienced so much of it during my long life, even when I didn’t know what it was. Yes, in hindsight, I can now see and realize that it was indeed the goodness and mercy of God that kept me going through some serious situations before I fully gave my life to Him.
And since I’ve done that…Brother! I’ve seen so much of His undeserved grace and mercy, that I can’t even count or remember half of them! That’s why I can confidently tell you that Jesus is an awesome friend and Saviour. His work is demanding, but His yoke is light and easy to bear, while His rewards are outstanding! Glory be my faithful brethren!
And all Jesus really desires of us is to show that most worthy and amazing attribute of LOVE in our everyday lives. When you break it down it looks like this: to LOVE the Father, LOVE Him, and LOVE ourselves and each other. Now that should not be as hard to do as we make it seem, since it’s basically showing kindness and goodness to those we meet. But unfortunately, it seems that the opposite and very negative emotion of hate, found in things like anger, bitterness, resentment, strife and unkindness, are much easier for us to propagate, since it’s that negative stuff that’s now holding our world hostage.
How sad it is my people, that goodness and mercy can’t seem to outweigh hate and its evil companions. And it’s only when we receive Jesus and hold on tightly to Him and what He stands for that we can ever hope to defeat the enemy and His wicked ways. That’s why Jesus said to the disciples: ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35)
Yes, my fellow saints, that’s the big difference between the followers of Christ and the non-followers; the followers are supposed to have LOVE for each other in words and deeds, not just meaningless talk, nor as He blasted the Pharisees. ‘Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited sepulchres (whitewashed tombs), which indeed appear beautiful outside, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (lawlessness).’ (Matt. 23:27-28)
And sadly, that’s how too many of us supposed believers and followers of Jesus behave nowadays. That’s basically why the unbelievers don’t pay more attention to us, because we don’t truly walk our talk, that LOVE for each other is most definitely not shown in our daily dealings. Just think about all the divisions in the church of Christ nuh, with umpteen religions, sects, denominations etc., which only breed petty differences, resentment, anger and the whole host of negative emotions amongst supposed Christians.
How can that sad state of affairs draw others to Jesus eh? The enemy is more together, more as one, than we believers are. No wonder they are in the ascendance right now, while we believers are running a far second place because of our many differences and lack of togetherness.
And in his own way, John repeated Jesus’ invocation to the disciples in his first epistle. ‘And hereby we do know that we know him (Jesus), if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the LOVE of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.’ (1 John 2:3-6)
Yes friends, as the scholars so rightly inform us: ‘The test of knowing God’s LOVE is keeping His Word… While no one can or need duplicate Jesus’ atoning (earthly) ministry, His disciples are called to imitate His devotion to God and compassion for others. See John 13:15; 1 Peter 2:21.’ Those are indisputable facts, but unfortunately, our devotion to God and compassion for others is sadly lacking in these terrible times. And I believe it’s my bounden duty to highlight those two passages the scholars referred to above there.
Listen to Jesus after He had washed the disciples’ feet. ‘If I then, your Lord and Master (Teacher), have washed your feet; ye ought also to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.’ (John 13:14-15) It couldn’t get any clearer than that friends! Jesus is the example we ought to follow. Granted, we can’t do all that He did, but we surely can have much more reverence and devotion to the Father and show more simple compassion for each other.
And Peter tells it to us thus: ‘For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow in his steps.’ (1 Pet. 2:21) Don’t know what else to say nuh. So, for those of us who sincerely try to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, let’s go home declaring (yeah!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, telling the whole world who and whose we are; to whom we truly belong.
Altogether now: ‘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 the world. Amen!’
Now, it’s our duty to go out into the world and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with the many who don’t know it! Much LOVE!
…it’s time for Christians…to play a strong and true game of…follow the Leader…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
05 Aug 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a dearth of God's revelatory work, christianity, curse, died an undistinguished death, divine protection, eternal damnation, God-given desire to face challenges, he that keepeth the law; happy is he, Israel's apostasy, lack of inspiration, like chickens with our heads cut off, LOVE, mankind is doomed, morality, natural disasters, negative social media, negative word, pen-ultimate day of the workweek, perpetuating, prosper and succeed, restoration of a godly vision, Revelation, self-control, self-defeating, self-discipline, share generously, shun work, sick time, sincere reverence toward God, sit on their laurels, strife, the joy of Christ in us, the people perish, the word of the Lord was precious (rare), Thursday Blessings, where there is no prophetic vision
Proverbs 29:18. Where there is no vision, (prophetic vision or revelation), the people perish (cast off restraint): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Then came Thursday, the pen-ultimate day of the workweek…and the frowns were being lessened, because everyone knew that tomorrow would be the big day of Friday, the end of their work week woes! Now, it’s interesting to note how we shun and bad talk work in our society, when it’s work, both mental and physical, that has provided us with all the good things and amenities that we currently enjoy.
If a society doesn’t keep working and producing, it dies. That’s the simple but indisputable truth! Look at all the great societies that have passed through this world, all have worked hard and been very productive in the beginning, but once they reached a certain level of wealth, where many could afford to sit on their laurels and do nothing, they eventually died, for lack of inspiration and innovation.
And looking back through the pages of history, you would also note that those societies that had God as their main inspiration prospered immensely, but as soon as they got too big, prideful and full of their own importance and relegated God to the background, they also died an undistinguished death. I think those facts prove that the two most important things in a society, if it is to flourish, are God and the desire to work diligently and excellently.
Now we don’t have to overdo any of them, because overdoing stuff is just as bad as underdoing. And remember, God instructed us to have at least one day off in each week to rest, just like He rested after creating the universe. However, without that God-given desire to face challenges and come up over them, no society will ever last for long. That’s why Cousin Sol told us that: ‘Where there is no vision, (prophetic vision or revelation), the people perish (cast off restraint): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ (Prov. 29:18)
Basically, what that means is that a society without God, or a God-given morality or revelation, will become totally immoral and run into all kinds of trouble. It’s the prophetic revelation of God, through His Word and the prophets who declare it that keeps a society on an even keel, that leads to prosperity and divine blessing. And that’s why our society today is so directionless; God is lacking. People are not involved or challenged enough in its betterment.
Look at our attitudes at work and towards work, the main way most of us gain a living. We’re apathetic, just going through the motions, putting in time till pay day… that’s if and when we show up for work. Sick time is currently one of the biggest detractors from productivity. But does anybody care? Not really, because it’s just a job, a botheration, to many of us. And we have a very good example of that kind of attitude and behaviour way back when, in the time of Samuel.
The Good Book tells us about how the Lord called Samuel to minister to his people. ‘And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious (rare) in those days; there was no open vision.’ (1 Sam. 3:1) Yuh see that friends? When Samuel came along the word of the Lord was rare in Israel; there was no prophetic revelation, God was not uppermost in their thoughts and hearts, so the people suffered, ran around like chickens with their heads cut off, like we are now doing.
And the scholars offer this explanation of that time. ‘3:1. The severity if Israel’s apostasy (turning away from God) (cf. Judg. 21:25) caused a dearth (a scarcity or lack) of God’s revelatory work. The condition was perpetuating and self-defeating (cf. Prov. 29:18). By God’s grace, the prophetic institution would receive renewed impetus and standardization in the person and work of Samuel (cf. 3:21; 19:20).’ And that’s exactly what we are seeing today; a lack of God’s revealing word, but to make matters even worse, we are not following what little is being revealed to us.
And when you check out that above reference to Judges, this is what you get. ‘In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.’ (Jud. 21:25) And that’s what we’re also facing right now friends. Everybody is doing more or less as they please. There’s no such thing as a basic truth again, for everyone’s making up their own truth. Hn! And the disastrous spread of a negative social media isn’t helping the problem any. For as the scholars mention, such a condition is both ‘perpetuating and self-defeating.’ It feeds off its negative self. So, left alone, it can never improve, but can certainly get worse.
We need to wake up and realize that the inordinate or large amounts of strife, enmity, anger, sickness, poverty, economic failure, greed, jealousy and natural disasters that are presently consuming our world is a direct result of an ungodly attitude towards each other, and lack of sincere reverence towards God. And unfortunately, it can only be overcome through the restoration of a godly vision; the reinstatement of Jehovah God and His awesome Word as our number one priority.
Fellow saints of Christ, we desperately need to boost our level of faith and evangelizing, so that we make a difference in our communities and consequently our world. The world desperately needs what we have; that’s Christianity, or rather Christ in us. We need to show how Christ changes lives, improves them and sets them on the right path to salvation and eternal life. And we have been given numerous tools by our heavenly Father to accomplish that task, so please let’s put them to use nuh.
We’re talking about our Thursday Blessings, which we now need to declare if we want them to take effect, for a blessing is not a blessing until it’s declared. So altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having said that, it’s our duty to now go out and share or use those blessings just as generously with others, as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…without God in his life…mankind is doomed to eternal damnation…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
27 Jul 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a thousand years in thy sight, abnormal weather patterns, and be glad all our days, are but as yesterday when it is past, as a watch in the night, disobedient, don't have to hurry, don't have to worry, gain a heart of wisdom, glorious heights of evolution, godless lifestyle, I am the beloved of god, in god's eyes, intimacy with god, LOVE, natural disasters, new mercies and compassions, no one can take that from me, not what I do, not what I have, not what people say about me, O satisfy us early with mercy, our dwelling place, place of refuge, plagued by sickness, poverty, prideful, rulers of our own destiny, share His love with the world, sinful human pride, smelling our aram, strife, teach us to number our days, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the greatest thing since sliced bread, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, we may apply our hearts unto wisdom, we may rejoice, worship idols
Psalm 90:12. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (gain a heart of wisdom).
More new mercies and compassions from heaven on this new morning friends! Wow! Who else blesses His people with such wonderful gifts each and every day eh? No One but the mighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! So why do so many of us obstinately refuse to praise and worship Him eh? Just stupid, sinful human pride yes! We think because we’ve reached such glorious heights of evolution that we are the rulers of our own destiny…
Hn! What a joke! And if we’re so great, why can’t we avoid things like death and taxes eh? (smile) Because we are not the greatest thing since sliced bread. Yeh, I know that we are supposed to be the smartest and most wonderful creation in the universe. But we certainly don’t show our wisdom when we deliberately turn away from our Creator, the One and Only Living God Jehovah and worship all sorts of idols and dead things that can do absolutely nothing for us.
And though the Jewish people way back in time might have been dense and obstinate, when life got rough and tough with them because of their disobedience, they immediately turned back to the God of their forefathers and were once more gently and LOVINGLY ensconced in the arms of their Creator. But not this generation of humanity!
Because of the medical and technological strides we’ve made, we simply think that we are so great, we don’t need anybody else, especially some God far away in someplace called heaven. So this pandemic that’s been riding roughshod over our world for over a year now, and shows no signs of really going away anytime soon, hasn’t even made us think about returning to the fold of God. Instead, many of us are still touting the disgraceful and foolish idea of ridding our society of God period!
That’s why Moses in his only psalm, Psalm 90, and thus the oldest one in the Psalter, wrote these marvellous words of truth and wisdom. ‘Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place (place of refuge) in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.’ ( Ps. 90:1-2) Yes friends, those statements must have great truth in them because no other human being had as much intimacy with God as Moses did. So he should know a thing or two about God.
And thus, he continues: ‘Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return ye children of men.’ (Ps. 90:3) And that’s exactly what our heavenly Father is pleading with us to do right now in these sick and oh so turbulent times my people! Our magnificent and magnanimous God desperately wants us to come back to his fold, so that He can heal both us and our land. But instead of listening to and obeying Him, we are becoming more stubborn, arrogant, prideful, disobedient and stupid with each passing day!
Listen to how Moses explains it nuh. ‘For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up. In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth. For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled (terrified).’ (Ps. 90:4-7)
Yes my brethren, we ought to be terrified at God’s wrath, but obviously we are not, if we’re still being totally sinful, disobedient and ungodly! And any sensible creation would realize that something is dreadfully wrong with its way of life if at one and the same time its world is being plagued by sickness and poverty, strife and all kinds of natural disasters, even to the point of abnormal weather patterns. But no, mankind, the supposed greatest creation ever, doesn’t seem to think anything’s seriously wrong with his immoral, sinful and godless lifestyle. It’s not a factor in the troubled times he’s now experiencing.
But hear Moses again nuh: ‘Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance. For all our days are passed away in thy wrath; we spend our years as a tale that is told (a mere sigh). The days of our years are three score years and ten (our lives are seventy years long); and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength (boast only) labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off and we fly away. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? Even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.’ (Ps. 90:8-11)
Friends, please, let’s wake up and realize that our God is not a joke or a plaything. He’s been in existence long before we were, and will still be there long after we aren’t! Remember a thousand years to Him is only like a night watch, three hours, and consequently our lives are like a vapour that floats away after a li’l time. It’s ‘like a blade of grass that sprouts, fades, withers, and dies in a day.’ So why do we insist on being so arrogant, stubborn, prideful and disobedient eh, when we have no proper grounds to do so?
As the old people would say ‘we just smelling our aram.’ Meaning we think more highly of ourselves than we ought to, we believe ourselves to be wiser and more powerful than we really are. And these words of Moses, written so far back in the past, are surprisingly still of immense importance today. He writes: ‘So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (gain a heart of wisdom). Return, O Lord, how long? And let it repent thee concerning (have compassion on) thy servants. O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.’ (Ps. 90:12-14)
Yeh precious people, the indisputable truth is that our world will only get better if we turn back to our God in repentance and obedience. For regardless of what or how we think, in the long run, we are definitely not masters of our own fate! And the sooner we wake up and realize that li’l fact, the better off we’ll all be. Now, for those of us who already recognize it (smile), let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know who and whose we are.
In strong 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 the world. Amen!’
And the upshoot of that, is we must now go out and share that awesome LOVE and amazing friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him! Much LOVE!
…it’s so wonderful living and working for Jesus…but not always easy… (smile)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
03 May 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: cliques, gladness of heart, I am the vine ye are the branches, idolatry, Jehovah Rapha, joy, LOVE, nine virtues, not that we are sufficient of ourselves, our sufficiency is of God, peace, repentance, sacrificial giving of oneself, shall not inherit the kingdom of God, strife, the fruit of the spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, the God who heals, the lusts of the flesh, to think anything as of ourselves, We can do all things through Christ, witchcraft, without me ye can do nothing
2 Corinthians 3:5. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.
Another merry-go-round Monday friends! It’s amazing how quickly the days are passing by although we are immersed in so much conflict and sickness. And it’s so sad that many of us don’t know whether we are coming or going, with our lives all confused and topsy-turvy, with no plausible ending currently in sight. But as positive and serious believers in Christ Jesus, we are expected to hold on tightly to Him and ride out the storm with His lead and guidance. Remember His teaching re the vine and the branches?
‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:4-5) That’s putting it very clearly and straightforward friends! Without Christ, our abilities are very limited. But with Him, we can do all things, because He strengthens us. Glory be!
And Bruh Paul corroborates Christ’s statement when he says to the church at Corinth: ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor. 3:5) Now that’s exactly why we need to hold on to Christ and His faithful promises, especially in times of indecision and crisis like we’re now experiencing. And we know that many of our problems stem from our own mistakes, by our terrible inhumanity and critical lack of compassion for our fellow man, as we allowed the evil and negative aspects of the world, the lusts of the flesh, as it were, to take control of our society.
We’re talking about the same things that Bruh Paul so long ago advised the Galatians against. ‘Adultery, fornication, uncleanness (sexual impurity), lasciviousness (sexual excess), Idolatry, witchcraft (sorcery), hatred, variance (contentions), emulations (jealousies), wrath, strife (selfish ambitions), seditions (dissensions), heresies (organized divisions or cliques), Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings (excessive eating and carousing) and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.’ (Gal. 5:19-21)
So, basically, most of our problems stem from those things being too prevalent in our modern-day world. We lack what Bruh Paul calls the fruit of the Spirit. And here’s how he explains it to the Galatians. ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness (kindness), goodness, faith (faithfulness), Meekness, temperance (self-control): against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts (it’s passions).’ (Gal. 5:22-24)
And the scholars offer this basic explanation. ‘5:19-23. By contrasting the works of the flesh (vs. 19-21) with the fruit of the Spirit (vs. 22-23), the believer can know whether he is walking by the Spirit or being controlled by the flesh.’ And there’s no doubt that too many human beings are currently walking in the lusts of the flesh and not in the fruit of the Spirit, thus the ghastly and grievous situation that now exists in our world.
Now, here’s another important scholarly explanation, I think I ought to mention. ‘5:22. The word fruit is significant for three reasons. (1) It means the result, product, outcome, or effect produced by the Spirit in the believer’s life. (2) Unlike “the gifts of the Spirit” (plural), only some of which are given to a Christian, each believer is to have ALL nine virtues composing “the fruit of the Spirit” (singular) (3) As fruit on a tree takes time to grow and mature, so the Spirit does not cultivate these virtues in the believer’s life overnight.’ That’s an important distinction we need to note between the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ and the ‘gifts of the Spirit,’ One is singular and the other is plural.
And just for good measure, (smile) I’ll throw in some more scholarly explanations, this time in a little more detail, re the fruit of the Spirit. ‘LOVE is willing, sacrificial giving of oneself for the benefit of another without thought of return. Joy is gladness of heart. Peace is tranquility of mind, freeing one from worry and fear. Long-suffering is patience with others, the opposite of a short temper, a disposition quietly bearing injury. Gentleness is kindness. Goodness is generosity. Faith here is dependability. Meekness is gentleness, that is, courtesy and consideration of one’s relations with others. Temperance is self-control, that is, the ability to harness and control one’s passions and lusts.’
So now, we can’t say we didn’t know what the fruit of the Spirit is, (smile) which brings us to these closing words of Bruh Paul on the subject. ‘If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.’ (Gal. 5:25) That means, since we are supposed to live by the Spirit as believers, let us really follow the leadings and promptings of the Spirit in our lives.
Finally, let’s go home pleading in prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, for God’s mercy and grace on our current untenable situation. As one voice: ‘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!’
And the obvious corollary to that is for us to now go out and seriously and sincerely live by the Spirit, if we want to see substantial change in our world. Much LOVE!
…only by sticking close to Christ…like white on rice…can we crucify…the inherent lusts of the flesh…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
29 Mar 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new commandment I give unto you, as I have loved you, by this shall all men know, Christ's incarnate birth, for brethren to dwell in unity, God mad us for community, Holy Week, how good it is, I am the way the truth and the life, if ye have love one to another, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus crucifixion on Good Friday, Jesus resurrection on Easter Sunday, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, natural disasters, negative situations, no man comes to the Father but by me, pandemic, strife, the body of Christ, the faithful promise of Christ, the God who heals, through Christ who strengthens me, we can do all things, ye are my disciples
John 13:35. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.
Well, it’s another day, the one we call Monday; in another new work week, with many of the same problems we had yesterday! But the big difference is that today, there is hope that things will improve in one, many, or all areas of our lives, because we have the faithful promise of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour who laid down His sinless life on our behalf. And with that going for us, there’s nothing that can truly depress or disappoint us, because we can do all things, through Christ who strengthens us!
Please let that be our motto for today friends, as life and whatever else comes against us. And even when we are weak, and feel like we can’t make it any further, let us not allow the enemy to dissuade us from banking on Jesus, from putting all our hopes and dreams on Him, because He cares for us! And as He so rightfully says: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6) So, if we want to get to the Father in heaven, it means we have to go through Jesus. Simple as that!
And now, we are also into what we call Holy Week; that ends with Jesus’ crucifixion on Good Friday and His triumphant resurrection on Easter Sunday! Glory be my people! That’s two thirds of what our Christian faith is based on; the other third being Jesus’ incarnate birth at what we call Christmas. And if all of that isn’t a very strong platform to stand on, then I really don’t know what else is nuh!
So please, let’s not give up, or get weary as we encounter difficulties on our earthly journey, for Jesus encountered many on His earthly journey too, that’s why He can now empathize with us in ours. And He didn’t give up, but overcame His problems with the help of His heavenly Father. And in like manner, He has promised to help us overcome ours, if we place our sincere faith and trust in Him. Listen to His promise: ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.’ (John 14:1)
Yes friends, it’s all about sincerity of heart; believing what we say, and then putting it into practice. If we sincerely believe in Jesus, then we can’t go around preaching one thing, then practicing something else, like the religious people of His time, the Pharisees did, and like so many of us are still won’t to do in these very troubled times. And that’s why so many people have no respect for Christians; our hypocrisy turns them off. So here are some scriptures that ought to clear up that problem. And they are all the words of Jesus.
‘No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one , and LOVE the other, or else he will hold to (be loyal to) the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (earthly riches).’ (Matt. 6:24) And that’s not rocket science, just simple logic. Yet too many of us try to sit astride the fence and serve both God and the evil that earthly riches tend to lead us to.
Now hear this bombshell Jesus dropped on the disciples, as He was explaining how things were going to unfold. ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35) He could not have said it any clearer than that my brethren.
And do we follow that commandment? Not on your life! The body of Christ, the church, has just as much animosity, dissension and division as the world around it. And yuh know what? If even the Christians alone obeyed Christ’s commandment to LOVE each other, our world would not be in the total mess it’s in! Because the unbelievers would see how good it is for brethren to dwell in LOVE and inity (unity).
And the sad part is that although we are all suffering from the same problems, the pandemic, the many kinds of strife and natural disasters, you would think those common denominators would bring us together. But no, they are creating more turmoil and more animosity, with each trying to outdo the other to solve their own problems, instead of working together to solve them all. Please remember, that two together are stronger than one, and all of us together are better than each on his own.
So what does all of that tell us eh friends? That we desperately need to turn down the rhetoric, lessen the noise and the strife and begin working together if we want to come up over our problems. And there is ONLY one right way to begin changing, and that’s with prayer. So let’s go to the ONLY One who answers prayer and confess our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the many natural disasters that now seem more prevalent than ever.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have 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, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, 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!’
It’s now up to us to do what we’ve promised, so God can see our sincerity and positively answer our prayer. Much LOVE!
…when are we going to learn…that God made us for community…not disunity…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
22 Feb 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a never-ending cycle, a workable solution, adhere to it, being of one accord, finger pointing, forgive us, fulfill ye my joy, grace, hatred, having the same love, heal our land, irresponsible behaviour, is as good as all of us together, Jehovah Rapha, let this mind be in you, LOVE, made a mockery, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, none of us alone, of everything we hold sacred, of one mind, passing the buck, resentment, sincere repentance, standing in faith, strife, The Day of Pentecost, the Good Book, there be no divisions among you, vainglory, which was also in Christ Jesus, ye all speak the same thing, ye be likeminded
Philippians 2:2. Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same LOVE, being of one accord, of one mind.
And the weekly work dance begins again – for the comparative few that still have jobs. Yes, it is a never-ending cycle, which some of us have learned to handle in what was once considered normal times. But unfortunately, this pandemic, with its lingering and deadly sickness, and all the strife, hatred and resentment that’s currently floating around in our society has a made a mockery of almost everything that we held sacred.
So where do we go from here eh? Who knows? For there is no consolidated plan that most people agree with, but various bits and pieces of contentious solutions which means that no real progress can, or will be made sooner rather than later. Yes friends, until most of us agree on a workable solution and adhere to it, the virus and its many variants will continue to thrive in our society.
It must be a solution that’s agreeable to ALL levels of government and a fair amount of the population. We can’t be fighting over the efficacy of the vaccines, whether we have enough, or who is getting them first, or the amount of testing we’re doing, and whether there should be partial, total, or no lockdowns at all.
And that united front is what’s missing from our current situation. Too much passing the buck, finger pointing and irresponsible behaviour…not to mention the great amount of information and disinformation that’s out there, all claiming to be the gospel truth. As one old song so rightly claimed: ‘Too much, too much confusion!’ And another declared (steups!): ‘It’s just a ball of confusion!’ That’s exactly what our world is like right now friends.
And it seems like the future might just get worse because we’re heading in the wrong direction; trending in a negative, instead of a positive movement. We desperately need to turn that around asap – or preferably RIGHT NOW! But turn it around, we must, if we expect to be victors over our current circumstances. And how do we do that you ask? As always, I believe the best place to turn to for truth and guidance is the Good Book. So let’s look at some of the scriptures that deal with coming together nuh.
And the first one occurs after Jesus’ ascension. It says that afterwards the disciples returned to Jerusalem, to an upper room. (Acts 1:12-13) ‘These all continued with one accord (purpose or mind) in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.’ (Acts 1:14)
Yes friends, at that time it was essential that Jesus’ followers were all on the same page, else they would have been easily disrupted, torn apart. And the same thing applies to us today, both as believers and ordinary citizens, for not much can be accomplished when brethren are not working together.
And the next scripture states: ‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord (purpose or mind) in one place.’ (Acts 2:1) There again we have that divine phrase ‘one accord.’ And it’s of the utmost importance if victory is to be achieved by any group. They claim it is used 30 times in the Bible—once in the Old Testament, 29 times in the New, and 25 of those references are in the Book of Acts alone. That alone should tell us of its importance.
Then we come to this scripture from Bruh Paul to the contentious Corinthians. ‘Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing (have a uniform testimony), and that there be no divisions (dissensions or schisms) among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement.’ (1 Cor. 1:10) That scripture speaks for itself friends.
And so does this one from Bruh Paul’s epistle to the Philippians. ‘If there be therefore any consolation (encouragement) in Christ, if any comfort of LOVE (consolation), if any fellowship of the Spirit, any bowels (affection) and mercies (sympathy), Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same LOVE, being of one accord, of one mind.
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory (selfish ambition or deceit); but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves (regard your fellow Christians as more important than yourself). Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others (be as concerned for the needs and problems of others as for yourselves). Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 2:1-5)
Oh my people, today we also need to concentrate on harmonious living, just like Jesus did, considering others as important as ourselves. Like Jesus said, ‘LOVE your neighbour as yourself.’ And that’s the ONLY way we will ever conquer the demons that are currently plaguing and terrorizing us. And the ONLY One who can bring us together in such manner is our One, True and Living God! So let’s go to Him in prayer right now nuh, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, asking Him to do just that, so we can conquer our evil enemies in this evil world and bring glory to His Holy name.
Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the many natural disasters that now seem more prevalent than ever.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have 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, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, 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 we have to make the necessary adjustments to our own attitudes, namely sincere repentance, obedience and like mindedness, or one accord, (smile) if we want to see positive results from heaven. Much LOVE!
…none of us alone…is as good as…ALL of us together…
23 Dec 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adversity, anger, another blessed day, bow before him, celebrate the incarnate birth of Christ, disunity, fights tooth and nail, from the words of my roaring, halfway home, hands fixed securely on the plough, hate, he is governor among the nations, I'm not turning back, is democracy dead, lockdown on Boxing day, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my god why hast thou forsaken me, none can keep alive his soul, our fathers trusted in thee, resentment, Satan believes in God, sense of division, sense of sanity, shall eat and worship, so far from helping me, strife, sufferation, thank God, the breath of life, the kingdom is the Lord's, the LOVE of God, the meek shall eat and be satisfied, the spying war, they that be fat upon the earth, they that go down to the dust, thou didst deliver them, to a glorious future with Jesus, to draw breath in god's great universe, to love that is the answer, trusting in the Lord God of our forefathers, Wednesday Wail, your heart shall live for ever
Psalm 22:28. For the kingdom is the Lord’s: and he is the governor among the nations.
So then it was Wednesday – another blessed day for us to draw breath in God’s great universe and give much thanks for the pleasure, just two days before the wonderful day of Christmas, when we celebrate the awesome, incarnate birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And in general, that’s wonderful, but our world, instead of getting better, seems to be getting worse. Like they have discovered some new variant of the Covid-19 virus in Britain, that’s going to cause further problems.
Meanwhile, some foreign government has hacked into the computers of numerous government and security institutions in the U.S. of A, thus further opening the spying war. And still in the U.S. A, the what you call it of a President, on his shameful way out, hasn’t said a word about that, but has pardoned some 20 crooks, several of whom were his associates, and is hemming and hawing to sign a bill giving millions of starving and suffering Americans some money to ease their ‘sufferation.’ Is democracy dead or what? If it ever was alive?
And then back here in good ole Ontario, our government has decided to go with a bigger lockdown on Boxing Day, while our Covid-19 numbers remain over two thousand every day. Hn! Now that’s food for thought! Why wait till then eh? That’s what the medical people are asking. But can you imagine the hullabaloo if we were locked down earlier this week, just before Christmas?
I wouldn’t want to be in the Premier’s shoes cause he would be getting it from both sides simultaneously; the merchants who wouldn’t be allowed to make a quick Christmas penny, and the citizens who wouldn’t be allowed to finish their Christmas shopping, as difficult as it already is. So the Premier took the easiest of the three routes possible; it’s much easier to handle the medical personnel than the citizenry and the merchants. (smile) At least that’s my rational for the whole business.
Ah mih people, what’s happening in our world eh? Is there no sense of sanity, of togetherness, of coming together? Is there only a sense of division, disunity, hate, anger and strife amongst us? Our world has never been a real peaceful and unified place, but I don’t know if it’s ever been this divided, disjointed and adversarial before, with everybody up in arms about something or the other. Nobody seems satisfied with their lot, be it their fault or not, with all the chickens finally coming home to roost! (smile)
And this Christmas season is certainly not going to be a merry and jolly one for way too many people because of all the adversity and resentment that’s hovering over and between us. And what’s the answer to it all you ask? Well the only solution I can offer is that we cry out and turn back to the God of our forefathers, like Bruh David did in Psalm 22 – A cry of anguish and a song of praise. Nothing else seems to be working, so what have we got to lose eh? Nothing really. And we have a whole lot to gain, because the Lord has faithfully promised to heal our land and forgive us if we stop being disobedient and return to His fold.
Friends, it’s time for us to sincerely cry out: ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring (groaning)’ (Ps. 22:1) Now that’s a good start my brethren, but the truth of the matter is not that God is far from us, but we have drifted away from Him. He’s as near to us, as He always is, it’s just that we don’t pay Him much attention or call on Him often enough.
Here’s how Bruh David puts it a few verses later nuh. ‘Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded (ashamed).’ (Ps. 22: 4-5) Now doesn’t that tell us something my fellow saints in Christ? It ought to. It ought to tell us that trusting in the Lord God of our forefathers is the sensible thing to do, because when they trusted and cried out to Him, He delivered them, and they were not ashamed or confounded like we currently are!
But no, too many of us feel that we have reached this pinnacle of evolution, enlightenment, or whatever you choose to call it, on and in our own strength. And that’s the biggest falsehood we can ever propagate! Why? Because Bruh David firmly and truly proclaims otherwise: ‘For the kingdom is the Lord’s: and he is the governor among the nations.’ (Ps. 22:28) Now friends, that’s the indisputable truth, and until mankind learns to believe and accept that li’l matter of fact, we’ll certainly be in for a rough ride.
And Bruh David gives good reason for His proclamation. ‘The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord that seek him: your heart shall live forever. All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee… All they that be fat (prosper) upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust (death) shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul (keep himself alive).’ (Ps. 22:26-27;29)
That says it all friends; we are not the masters of our own lives, it’s all in the hands of Almighty God, our Maker and Provider and Protector! None of us can extend our lives beyond the time that He has set, and the very breath we breathe is His, so why are we being so foolish, obstinately refusing to come to and follow Him eh?
And as somebody said, even Satan believes in God and all that He supports. Why do you think the evil one fights tooth and nail to keep the earth in such turmoil eh? Friends, no one knows better than the ex-archangel Lucifer the might and power and goodness and mercy and LOVE of God! So if, evil as he is, he can acknowledge it, why can’t we eh?
Oh my people, the only way our world will ever get better is if we unite under the banner of Christ; fight the good fight of the LOVE Revolution, and steadfastly resist the evil doings of the demonic devil! Now for those of us who are sincerely trying to do that, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus!
Altogether now. ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And let’s remember that if we endure to the end, that the future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. Much LOVE!
…to LOVE…to LOVE…and yet to LOVE…that is the answer…
29 Nov 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a gospel music standard, beautiful words of reassurance, call and answer, change our attitudes, confusion, Coronavirus lockdown, discontent, Edwin Hawkins singers, get with the programme, give God the glory, have it more abundantly, he taught me how to watch, hellfire and damnation, I am come that they might have life, I am the good shepherd, I give unto them eternal life, I know them, lift our heads, living a joyless ungodly life, muddy the waters, my sheep hear my voice, no man can pluck them out of my hand, Oh Happy Day, paid the Father's steep price, Philip Doddridge, Remind us of God's goodness, running rampant in our world, soulful and scintillating, strife, the best gift ever, the good shepherd gives his life for his sheep, the happiest day ever, the joy of the Lord is your strength, The Lord's sanctuary is desolate, the Lord's Day, they shall never perish, to cleanse and save us from, to live rejoicing every day, to watch and fight and pray, upheaval, when Jesus washed my sins away
John 10:11. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Oh friends, the Lord’s Day has rolled around once again, but sadly, this time His house, His sanctuary is desolate because of the Coronavirus lockdown. Thankfully though, that doesn’t mean He can’t bless us and make His face to shine upon us, because we’ll still be gathering to sing and praise and worship Him, though through virtual means, through the wonders of technology.
And because of all the strife, confusion, upheaval and discontent that’s currently running rampant in our world, I decided that we needed a real thankful and joyful song to open our worship today, something to lift our spirits and remind us of our God’s goodness and LOVING-kindness. And I’m sure you’ll all agree that there could not be a better song than this one to do it. I’m talking about ‘Oh Happy Day!’
Yes mih people, up on point today is that 1967 gospel music arrangement by the Edwin Hawkins Singers of the 18thcentury hymn written by clergyman Philip Doddridge, which in the intervening years has certainly become a gospel music standard. Just check out YouTube and you’ll see the many different versions. And today we’re really going to get into it, giving it the full gospel treatment, with lots of hand clapping, the music rich and soulful and scintillating, with the tambourines jangling and the call and answer response right up front, for that’s what really lends the song its verve and chutzpah. (smile)
So altogether now, in full voice, letting heaven know that we’re serious and sincere: ‘Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) Oh, when He washed (When Jesus washed) When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) He washed my sins away (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) (Repeat)
He taught me how (He taught me how) To watch and fight and pray Watch and pray And live rejoicing every day Every day Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) Oh, when He washed (When Jesus washed) When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) He washed my sins away (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day)
He taught me how (He taught me how) To watch and fight and pray Watch and pray And live rejoicing every day (Good God) Every day Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) Oh, it’s a happy day (Oh, happy day) Oh, Lord (Oh, happy day) Mmm, good God (Oh, happy day) Oh yeah (Oh, happy day) Mmm, oh (Oh, happy day).’
Yes mih bredrin, that was an awesome version! Heaven had no doubt that we were sincere! And this time, Jesus couldn’t just sit smiling shyly by the Father’s side…how could He when all heaven was dancing, singing and clapping too eh…including the Father? Jesus had to get up and do a li’l two step to acknowledge the praise and worship. And believe me precious people, Jesus deserves all of that adoration and reverence for the willing sacrifice; crucifixion on the old rugged cross at Calvary, that He made on our behalf!
Wow! What a day it truly was when He washed our sins away, when He paid the Father’s steep price to cleanse and save us from hellfire and damnation! It was indeed the happiest day that mankind had ever experienced, and the best gift ever given to us after the Lord breathed His breath of life into our forefather Adam’s nostrils! As Jesus so rightly said of Himself: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) And that’s exactly what He did; gave His life for us on the cross, so that we could be reconciled to the Father and live…live forever! Glory be people!
How amazing and sacrificial is that eh! And hear Him later on nuh: ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck (snatch) them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck (snatch) them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.’ (John 10:27-30) Mama Mia! What beautiful words of reassurance?
And the scholars express it thus: ‘10:27-29. Never perish: These verses declare the assurance that all believers will be utterly safe from any creature that might wish to destroy them.’ Can any other faith sincerely promise that? Absolutely not! And what’s so great about Jesus is not that He just washed our sins away, but He also taught us to how to watch and fight and pray! Glory Hallelujah! What a giant He is!
And to add to all that, He taught us how to live rejoicing every day too! So why wouldn’t we proud of Him eh? And revere and adore and worship Him; as well as call Him Lord and Saviour? No reason whatsoever to do otherwise my fellow saints in Christ!
But unfortunately I have to muddy the waters here, cause not all of His followers walk the talk that they talk. Too many of us don’t watch and fight and pray, nor live rejoicing every day, although our sins have been washed away and we’ve been guaranteed eternal life. Now isn’t that a crying shame, because it just makes Jesus’ sacrifice of no account if we keep on living that joyless, ungodly life. Remember what He also said: ‘I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) That means we’re supposed to enjoy our earthly lives if we’re true believers, not live downtrodden and dismal existences.
Oh my people, heaven begins here on earth if you’re a follower of Jesus, and we ought to be the happiest and most joyful group of people on the planet because of all that He’s done and promised to do in the future. So let’s get with the programme nuh, let’s change our attitudes, lift our heads and give God the glory through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for that’s why He sacrificed His sinless life! Much LOVE!
…if you’re a true believer…then you ought to be joyful…for the joy of the Lord is your strength…
26 Nov 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cakewalk for either side, a foolish man, a house divided cannot stand, a living stone, a wise man, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ, build a solid edifice in our lives, built his house on the sand, built his house upon a rock, built on solid foundation, chosen of God and precious, Christ is the Master Builder, Christian reaction, Covid-19 pandemic, curse, disallowed of men, division between Cain and Abel, election shenanigans, faith, favour, for other foundation can no man lay, founded on a rock, generously share our blessings, great was the fall of it, half free, half slave, Happy Thanksgiving U. S of A, he that believeth on him, how can Satan cast out Satan, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, if a kingdom be divided against itself, it fell not, magnificent and magnanimous God, mask less, negative word, offer up spiritual sacrifices, physically distanced, President Abraham Lincoln, prosper and succeed, put to shame, resentment, self-control, self-discipline, shall not be confounded, strife, strong foundation that's jesus, than that is laid, that kingdom cannot stand, the people perish, the potential to fall apart again, Thursday Blessings, where there is no prophetic vision, wide division
Mark 3:25. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
Well a Happy Thanksgiving to our Southern neighbours in the U.S. of A! It’s their biggest holiday, but shackled by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Presidential election shenanigans that are still going on, who knows what kind of Thanksgiving Day it will be.
Unfortunately, there will be much strife and resentment just about visiting family and having big gatherings, mask less and not physically distanced, which means the virus will be even more prevalent in the next couple of weeks. And if you add the wide division in the election proceedings and results, it doesn’t make for a real thankful day at all. But we wish them all the best anyway.
But I want to warn them, and us too, of two simple but ever so important factors from the mouth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who knew what He was talking about. The first is when the Pharisees accused Him of casting out demons in Satan’s name, He calmly informed them: ‘How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.’ (Mark 3:23-26)
And that’s the gospel truth friends! But we didn’t even need Jesus to tell us that, it’s been so obvious from day one of mankind’s sojourn on the face of this earth. Look at the division between Cain and Abel and between so many of God’s people down through the ages. And surprisingly, the battling factions in the U.S. are fairly equally divided, so there is plenty strength on either side. So it won’t be a cakewalk for either side.
That brings to mind the statement supposedly attributed to President Abraham Lincoln on the subject, at the time of the Civil War: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” I believe the government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved — I do not expect the house to fall — but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other.’ Now those were strong words, and the Union did survive in the technically free form, but right now it is so divided that it certainly has the potential to fall apart again.
And the second point we need to remember is the foundation on which we build our lives and societies is also ever so important in their sustainability, whether they will last or go under in short order. And there’s no better word on this than that of Jesus. ‘Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon a (the) rock.
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a (the) rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.’ (Matt. 7:24-27)
Oh my people, when we’re building anything at all, the most important part is always the foundation, because that’s what everything else sits on. So if our lives or our societies are not built on solid foundations, the most solid being Jesus, how can they hope to last eh? Look at the number of buildings that collapse simply because the foundations are not solid enough to uphold them. Thus Bruh Paul proclaimed to the church at Corinth: ‘For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor. 3:11)
Oh friends, any other foundation will just be consumed by fire eventually! That’s why Peter further explained that Christ is the living stone upon which all lives ought to be built. ‘To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed (rejected) indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also as lively (living) stones, are (being) built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect (chosen), precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded (put to shame). Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed (rejected), the same is made the head of the corner (chief cornerstone). And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient (being disobedient to the word): whereunto also they were appointed.’ (1 Pet. 2:4-8)
Yeh friends, Peter was there quoting the prophecy from Isaiah 28:16, the promise of a sure foundation, a chief cornerstone to anchor His people. And that turned out to be none other than His glorious Son Jesus Christ, chosen and precious to Him, but rejected and unacceptable to His people Israel. Oh my people, Christ is in the amazing and wonderful process of building a spiritual house in all His believers, and He is a Master Builder, so why won’t we allow Him to build that strong, solid edifice in our lives eh?
We’re behaving like the foolish man who built his house on the sand and the elements toppled it without a moment’s notice. But Jesus is the Rock, the solid foundation on which to build our lives, a foundation that will not be washed away or burnt away but will endure forever! Anyway, enough preaching for today. (smile) Let’s go home giving plenty thanks for all the Blessings that have been bestowed on us this cloudy, rainy Thursday morning nuh, by our magnificent and magnanimous Maker.
All together now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And as always, the Christian reaction to that declaration (awright!) should be to get on with sharing those wonderful blessings with others less fortunate, the same way the Lord generously shared them with us!Much LOVE!
…where there is no prophetic vision…the people perish…
05 Nov 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bubbling cauldron of hate, a compassionate heart, according to the dictates of man, age old tool, agree on a path of life, all Christians profess to believe in, anger, are true and righteous altogether, badly divided, blessed with success, bully boy style, by them is thy servant warned, curse, dictator-like behaviour, divide and conquer, divine duty, divine protection, for where envying and strife is, good leadership, happy are those who keep God's law, he'a all around, if love ruled the world, ignore a lot of it, in keeping of them is great reward, lack of class, legal suits, LOVE, making wise the simple, more to be desired than gold, negative actions of an evil heart, negative word, not to selfishly hoard, obnoxious behaviour, prophetic vision, prosper, rejoicing the heart, resnetment, Revelation, share generously, strife, strife-filled, succeed, sweeter also than honey, the BIBLE, the book, the commandment of the Lord is pure, the enemy is intrusive, the judgements of the Lord, the people perish, the people shall be scattered abroad, the statutes of the Lord are right, there is confusion and every evil work, Thursday Blessings, to resist the onslaught of the enemy, trying to create havoc, walk as men, what a wonderful world, when prophecy shall fail, where self-seeking exists, where there is no visioin, ye are yet carnal
James 3:16. For where envying and strife is (where self-seeking exists), there is confusion and every evil work.
Well the craziness down south is still going on; no official winner just yet, but a whole lot of claims and counterclaims and legal suits. Only in the U.S. of A, you say. That’s for sure! And what’s totally mind boggling is that despite the incumbent President’s rather poor showing over the last four years, his obnoxious behaviour, his lack of class, his bully boy style and having done nothing for the poor of his country, but plenty for the rich, half of the country, many of them the poor ones he cast aside, still apparently voted for him. How unbelievable!
One would never have thought that he had a real chance after all his callow, unpresidential and dictator-like behaviour. But that just goes to show the mentality and sad state of the nation and how badly divided and strife-filled it is. That reminds us of this ever-true statement from James: ‘For where envying and strife is (where self-seeking exists), there is confusion and every evil work.’ (James 3:16) And that’s no lie my brethren! We all know it, for we have seen it in our friendships, our families and it has recently taken over the whole globe, just more in some countries than others.
Yes friends, the whole world is now a boiling, bubbling cauldron of hate, resentment, envy, strife, anger and all the negative actions of an evil heart and nature. Our world is certainly not a very godly place in these disturbing and rather frustrating times. As Bruh Paul said to the Corinthians in his first missive when he heard that they were feuding amongst themselves. ‘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 the dictates of man.)’ (1 Cor. 3:3)
Oh my people, there’s no doubt that right now we are surely and rather sadly walking after the dictates of mankind more than of God, and that’s a very unfortunate and disastrous thing for any family, society or nation. As Cousin Sol so clearly points out in Proverbs: ‘Where there is no vision (prophetic vision or revelation), the people perish (cast off restraint): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ (Prov. 29:18)
Now the scholars explain that verse thus: ‘29:18. Vision refers to the divine revelation received by the prophet. Morality is based on adherence to God’s revealed will.’ And over the years people have used this verse conveniently to mean all sorts of things, but basically what it’s saying is that without good leadership and a godly, fairly unified purpose in a nation, that society will eventually crumble and fall. Everyone won’t always agree on a path of life, but most of them have to, if the society is to grow and prosper.
And just for our enlightenment, here are a few of the interesting translations from the 29 different translations of the Bible, I recently came across. Never knew there were so many translations of the Good Book. (smile) But here’s an interesting aside, why someone could so rightly answer a question on church building this way: ‘The answer to your question is simple. And it involves a look at the BIBLE. You know, that book that all Christians profess to believe in, yet seemingly ignore a lot of what is in it.’
I just could not help including that quote friends, because it’s oh so true. (smile) Too many of us, supposed believers talk about the Good Book, but hardly ever open it. In too many homes it sits gathering dust in a prominent position, where all can see it. But the truth is, we ignore it to our own detriment, not the Lord’s, because He knows what’s in there, since He caused it to be written. (smile)
Anyhow here are those translations. ‘Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.’ ‘When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful.’ ‘Without revelation people run wild, but one who follows divine instruction will be happy.’ ‘A nation without God’s guidance is a nation without order. Happy are those who keep God’s law!’
‘In the multitude of the evil ones a people is breached and he that keeps the law is blessed.’ ‘There shall be no interpreter to a sinful nation: but he that observes the law is blessed.’ ‘Without a Vision is a people made naked, And whoso is keeping the law, O his happiness!’ ‘When prophecy shall fail, the people shall be scattered abroad: but he that keepeth the law is blessed.’
Ah mih people, the enemy is using that age old, but rather powerful and successful tool called ‘divide and conquer.’ And it’s certainly working in these perilous and uncertain times. We though, the saints of Christ, have the divine duty to resist the onslaught of the enemy, and where possible recapture the unity and godliness of our church and society. It’s up to us friends, the bride of Christ, the church, to start making amends to the ungodly and strife-filled behaviour that’s currently paralyzing our society. If we don’t do it, who’s going to do it eh? Certainly not the enemy and his evil demons who benefit greatly from it!
That’s why these words of Bruh David from Psalm 18 – The creation and covenants of God – are so true and mightily important even to this day. ‘The law of the Lord is perfect, converting (restoring) the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear (reverence) of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the (drippage of the) honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.’ (Ps. 19:7-11)
That says it all my people. Without the law of God as our guide and stronghold, we will eventually perish. So now, for those who have accepted our role as godly uniters and not evil disrupters, let’s go home proclaiming (Hn, hn! Couldn’t spell that right either) our Thursday Blessings. As one strong voice now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And the natural consequence of all those blessings is not to selfishly hoard them, but for us to share them with others as generously as the Lord has shared them with us.Much LOVE!
…if LOVE…instead of hate…ruled the world…what a wonderful world it would be…
P.S. And the enemy is so intrusive, he just made me lose twenty minutes trying to find out why my computer stopped writing. It was all in the batteries of the keyboard. Steups! So be careful, he’s all around, trying to create havoc in our lives, anyway possible. Much LOVE!
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