16 Jan 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new creation, a compassionate heart, a concentrated form of dust, a gift of God, a masterpiece, a purpose to accomplish, be obedient to the Lord's will, blameless, brain or spirit candy, constant upheaval, created in Christ Jesus, creation, curse, encouraging words, eye candy, faith, favour, for good works, forgiven, God hath before ordained, God's workmanship, healed and whole in Jesus, hoard selfishly, holy, in the name of Jesus, lest any man should boast, more than a conqueror, negative word, not of works, physical birth, propserity, puny and finite brain, redeemed, share generously, spiritual renewal, strengthen your faith, success, the Holy Spirit, the human body, the scoop, Thursday Blessings, too big for his britches, we are his workmanship, we should walk in them, what a blessing
Ephesians 2:10. For we are his workmanship (creation), created in Christ Jesus unto (for) good works, which God hath before ordained (prepared) that we should walk in them.
Ah mih people, another alive day in God’s great universe! Wow! What a blessing! That means there’s a purpose for us to accomplish, otherwise the Lord would not have allowed us to see the light of day. So what say we buckle down and seek out that purpose eh, or if we know it, buckle down and do it, be obedient to the Lord’s will, because that’s all He ever asks of us; simple obedience and trust. And right now I want to share an anomaly with you, one of which I’m not overly proud, (smile) and I think it’s a symptom of the busyness of our lives. Good excuse!
And the scoop is that the walls of my office and the door are littered with pictures and articles and handwritten stuff supposedly placed there so when I come into it, I can see them and be encouraged and energized. Hn! But the truth is that I come into the office every day I’m at home, but very seldom, no…don’t ever seem to see them. I just walk in and out, spend time writing the Bit and doing other paperwork, and don’t notice any of the supposed encouraging words and pictures. Now why is that eh?
I really don’t know nuh. Have I just become so accustomed to them as eye candy rather than brain or spirit candy? (smile) And some of the stuff is big and colourful, especially what’s on the door, but I still pass by them every day, sometimes several times, and they still don’t register on my brain cells. This morning though, as I was going back up the stairs to make some caffeine, I was sombrely presented with that realization, most likely by the Lord, because He desired me to share some stuff about Him and us that’s on one of the posters on the door.
Now I put that up there some time ago, but I don’t think I’ve ever read it, since I put it up. What a crying shame! And though it’s stuff we all ought to know, it’s also stuff that we have to keep hearing about and keep remembering because it mightily affects our faith walk with God. So here’s what the poster says, the info God wanted me to share this Thursday morning in mid January of the upheaval year of 2020. (smile)
It says: ‘When God created you…HE CREATED A MASTERPIECE! God created something truly special when He created you. Here are just a few things God says about you: You are holy and blameless, redeemed and forgiven. (Eph. 1:4, 7) You are God’s workmanship. (Eph. 2:10) You are more than a conqueror. (Rom. 8:37) You are healed and whole in Jesus. (Is. 53:5. 1 Pet. 2:24) You are greatly LOVED by God. (John 3:16. Eph. 2:4) You are a brand new creation, alive and made new in Christ Jesus. (2 Cor. 5:17) Your strength, your joy, your provision, your confidence and boldness…it is all found in HIM!’
Yes my people, all that we are stems directly from Almighty God! Please check out those scriptures for yourselves so that they can energize you and strengthen your faith. And when you sit down and analyze it seriously, the human body is a masterpiece! Just look at how all the different parts interlock together. They all have different functions but are synced are primed down to the nth degree. No man made piece of machinery is as perfectly primed and synced as the human body, God’s greatest creation!
And when you add all the other things on top of that; things like the LOVE of God, the saving grace of Jesus, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and faithful promises like salvation and eternal life…Chuh! A Christian must be the masterpiece of the world! The sad fact is that most of us don’t seem to think so. But then too, we ought not to let that most salient fact go to our heads and boast about it, or be exceptionally proud and prideful because of it. (smile)
That’s why Bruh Paul stops us in our tracks from the very get go: ‘For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: for it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship (creation), created in Christ Jesus unto (for) good works, which God hath before ordained (prepared) that we should walk in them.’ (Eph. 2:8-10)
Yeh friends, it’s all God’s handiwork; from our physical birth to our spiritual renewal to the good works we do; it was all a part of God’s plan, because He knew the boastful type of being He was going to make. (smile) But that doesn’t stop us from being boastful and full of ourselves! Why yuh think the world is in the sad and sorry state it’s now experiencing eh? Because mankind has gotten too big for his britches and figures that he runs and controls the universe and all the innovations and otherwise come from his wonderful, puny and finite brain.
He has forgotten that He’s merely dust in a concentrated form, and that to that dust he must eventually return. Neither does he stop to think that he has no control whatsoever over the length of his days on this God-given earth, and that the breath of life he so arrogantly breathes come directly from the Lord God Himself. And friends, until we come to the true and real realization that we are not our own, but God’s, and we ought to bow to His wishes and desires, then our lives will be in a state of constant upheaval.
Now for those of us who sincerely believe and sincerely try to do His will, let’s go home declaring (yeah!) our Thursday Blessings, so generously bestowed on us by our heavenly Father so that we can do the good works He ordained for us. All together now in loud voice and sincere hearts. ‘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 one more thing to remember; Jesus desires us to share those blessings with others, just as generously as He shares them with us. Much LOVE!
…blessings are meant to be generously shared…not selfishly hoarded…
09 Jan 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: bestow generously, coincidence, compassionate heart, consumed in, curse, Ecclesiastes, enjoy life, every work into judgement, faith, faithfulness, favour, fear God, fulfillment, futility, gift of grace, God shall bring, hoard for ourselves, Jesus Christ, keep his commandments, luck, negative word, our Lord and Saviour, positive outlook, Praise the Lord, prosperity, receive a reward, research project, riding shotgun, sovereignty, success, the conclusion, the fire, the judgement day fire, the only wise foundation to build on, the Preacher, the same yesterday today and forever, the storm, the whole duty of man, the whole matter, through the flood, Thursday Blessings, unchanging nature of God, vanity, white flakes, with a vengeance, working diligently for Jesus
Ecclesiastes 12:13. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Well who says that this life isn’t interesting eh? When I got up about half an hour ago, it only seemed to be a cold, dreary looking kind of day in my neck of the woods. However, on going back upstairs just now to make a cup of caffeine, I happened to look outside again, and boy was our friend, those beautiful looking white flakes ever coming down out there! Yeh! With a vengeance too! Just goes to show how quickly things and times can change – except for ONE all-important fact; the unchangeability, the unchanging nature of our great God, Jehovah! The steadfast and everlasting sameness of His sovereignty and faithfulness!
And all of God’s children gave out with a loud and grateful shout of ‘Praise the Lord! Bless His holy name! Praise Him for being the same yesterday, today and forever! Praise Him for being ever-faithful and constantly watching over us like a good shepherd does over his flock! We thank You Lord for giving us this day, and know that despite the difficulties we may face, you are always right there beside us, riding shotgun, through the flood, through the fire and through the storm, ably leading and guiding us! We give you thanks and praise in the most holy and revered name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Ah friends, our God is indeed a great and very interesting deity. It wasn’t my plan to get into that prayer above, but I guess He wanted to hear some sacrifice of praise from us this morning, so He led me there. (smile) And if that’s the case, then I had better do the other thing He seems to want me to do. What’s that you ask? Well yesterday when I opened the Good Book, it opened at this particular scripture, but I ignored it and looked elsewhere for our Bit. However, today, it’s opened at the very same scripture!
Now would you call that coincidence…or luck…or some such worldly thing? Well it just might be, but I’m not taking the chance to ignore it for another day. I’m going to behave as if it’s a sign from the Almighty, that He wants us to delve into this particular Bit of scripture on this particular, cold and snowy day! Call me cowardly if you want. (smile) So here s that particular Bit of scripture…and it’s a powerful one too! Hold on to your hats and your horses, as Cousin Sol, writing as the Preacher -Ecclesiastes, gives us the benefit of his extensive research.
‘Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.’ Yes friends and fellow believers, that is the wisest and most sensible course of action we can ever take in this life. And how did Cousin Sol come to that awesome and auspicious conclusion? Because with his time, money and wisdom, he had embarked on a thorough research project of seeking work, pleasure and all the other vices known to man and had found them to be all less than fulfilling. In his own words, it was all, nothing but vanity; futility.
And what made him conclude thus? I suppose this certain fact he discovered: ‘For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.’ (Eccl.12:14) And that’s something most of us either don’t know, or forget or just casually ignore. But please listen to these immortal words of Bruh Paul to the Corinthians, re Jesus Christ being the only wise foundation to build on.
‘Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble (straw); Every man’s work shall be made manifest (become evident): for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try (test) every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide (endures) which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by (through) fire.’ (1 Cor. 3:11-15) Oh my people, those are words of mighty importance to our lives.
Listen to the scholars explain them. ‘3”13. The day is the day of the judgement seat of Christ (cf. 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:10). Fire is figurative for judgement, more specifically, the absolutely righteous judgement of God. Fire is used here to denote, not enlightening power, but consuming power. Of the six types of material mentioned, three are combustible and three are incombustible. See also Deut.4:24; Malachi 3:2; 2 Thess. 1:8; Heb. 12:29.’ That means our work for Christ has to be solid, not cheap and frivolous, built on gold, silver, or precious stones, not hay, wood and straw, which will be quickly consumed in the judgement day fire.
‘3:14. Reward (lit. “wages,” cf. 3:8). Of course, even the “wages” mentioned here are entirely a gift of grace (cf. 1 Cor.9:17; 2 John 8; Rev. 11:18).’ Yeh friends, we can get many rewards in this life and the next, but ALL are based on the grace of God, not on our efforts. ‘3:14. Saved: Such a one does not suffer the loss of his salvation, but the loss of reward. The stress in this entire passage is not on a person’s relationship to Christ, but on service to Christ.’ Hope those explanations bring a greater understanding to Bruh Paul’s words. But it’s also important for us to check out the scriptures listed in the explanations of the scholars. You will be surprised how they can enlighten you on a particular topic.
So having said all of that, we come back to Cousin Sol, who from all he’s seen and experienced, reasons thus: ‘Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely (fitting) for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun (in which he toils) all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.’ (Eccl. 5:18). Ah my fellow believers, as the scholars explain: ‘5:18-20. Enjoyment is a gift of God, and man should be motivated by the brevity of his own life to experience it.’
No wonder Jesus said that He came so that we could have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10) And He’s certainly given us the tools to do so; our Thursday Blessings. So let’s invoke them now in loud voice and sincere hearts 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 everyday! Amen!’
And the same way those blessings were so generously bestowed on us, the same way we have to generously bestow them on others, not selfishly hoard them for ourselves. Much LOVE!
…working diligently for Jesus…doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy life…
12 Dec 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a city set on a hill, a positive outlook, B.S. baffles brains, before men, cannot be hid, compassionate heart, curse, every knee shall bow, every tongue swear, exemplary, favour, full of compromises, genrously share, gentleness, glorify your father in heaven, god lives in a home, God's in the house, good friends, good health, gospel truth, have the light of life, hide the light of Jesus, I am the light of the world, I have sworn by myself, in righteousness, Jesus shining in our lives, kindness, laughter, let your light so shine, light a candle, lights for Christ, like the morning sun, magnanimous god, negative owrd, never a secret, problems mixed with prayer, prosperselfishly hoard, put it under a bushel, raison d'etre, Ruth Harms Calkin, Scrip-Bit friends and family, self-control, set free in the darkness, shall not walk in darkness, shining bright and beautiful, sincere effort, success, take an oath, the Great First, the One Year Book of Bible Promises, the word is gone out, they may see your good works, this ungodly world, Thursday Blessings, wishy-washy, Ye are the light of the world, You cannot be hid
Matthew 5:14. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
Well hello there my beautiful Scrip-Bit friends and family! Oh… you’re shining bright and beautiful like the morning sun outside my window! Now that’s the way our Lord and Saviour likes to see His people blooming and blossoming in this evil world! Yes, I know you’re thinking that B.S, does indeed baffle brains, but why couldn’t what I’ve just said all be true eh? That’s exactly how followers of Christ ought to be! And a lot of us are…just not enough!
But we won’t belabour the point, I’ll just share this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, which shows exactly how believers are when Christ is in the house. And it’s titled, quite appropriately, ‘You Cannot Be Hid.’
Please pray with me: ‘Lord, I’ve discovered it’s never a secret When You live in a home For You simply cannot be hid. The neighbours soon know You are there Even strangers learn of Your presence. When You are the Great First in a home There is a radiance that speaks of joy There is gentleness, kindness Laughter and LOVE. There is a commotion mixed with contentment There are problems mixed with prayer. Lord, Your own Word says it so vividly: “It was known that He was in the house.”
Oh Mama Mia people! That says it all so wonderfully! When Jesus is truly in the yard, it must show! If it doesn’t, then He’s not there! And this Christmas season when we celebrate Christ’s birth, let’s make sure that others can clearly see Him in our homes and lives nuh, because that’s the biggest advertising and selling point we could ever have: the light of Jesus shining in our lives. And Jesus Himself said it in the promise for our poem: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.’
Wow! What a gospel truth, from the very mouth of our Lord and Saviour! That means, as true believers our lives ought to be exemplary, not wishy-washy and full of compromises. Oh don’t worry, Jesus knows that we’re not perfect, and never will be, but what He desires is the sincere effort on our part. As He further enables and reassures us by these reassuring words. ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) What more assurance can we ask for or need eh friends?
Please let’s not be like the Pharisees disputing His authority because He witnessed to Himself. Who else could He witness to or by eh, when he was God, the Creator, the Highest of all beings? As the Lord said so emphatically in Isaiah concerning salvation. ‘Look (turn) unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return. That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue swear (take an oath). (Is. 45:22-23) Yes my fellow believers, the Lord could not be more emphatic than that re His sovereignty and overall position in the cosmos!
So since we are His disciples, His ambassadors in this ungodly and wicked world, our lives ought also to be bright and shining like His was. For, as He continues in Matthew after our Bit: ‘Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.’ (Matt. 5:15) More gospel truth that friends! We don’t light lights then hide the light, so why are we trying to hide the light of Jesus that dwells in us and wants to be set free in the darkness of this world eh?
No, we have to do like He says: ‘Let your light shine so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:16) Now that’s our very raison d’etre, our very purpose for being alive my brethren; to glorify God! That’s why He created us; so that we could worship and glorify Him, praise His holy Name and live just for Him alone!
But getting back to the heart of the matter, this Christmas season when we’re celebrating Christ’s birthday with lots of lights, please, please, let not the lights be only on the trees and ornaments and buildings, but even more importantly, sincerely shining from our hearts, radiating in our faces and blossoming forth in our LOVING actions! As I said earlier on, the sincere light that shines in our lives is the best testimony we can ever give for Christ!
Now let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!) our Thursday Blessings which our ever magnanimous God has showered down on us so we can do His work, be bright, shining lights in a dark world. Altogether in full 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 everyday! Amen!’
And it pays to remember that those blessings are for us to generously share, like the Lord generously shared them with us, not to selfishly hoard for ourselves. Much LOVE!
…as lights for Christ…we can choose no better time to shine…and shine brightly too…than at Christmas…
05 Dec 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great family, a modicum of circumspection, a no-brainer, according to the word, ascension, barren, be it unto me, became flesh, behold the handmaid of the Lord, Christ's forerunner, come upon thee, comeuppance, compassionate heart, curse, Elisabeth, faith, faith-inducing, faith-showing scripture, favour, Gabriel's spiel, good health, Holy Ghost, how shall this be, I am a virgin, I know not a man, incarnate, Jeeves, John the Baltist, LOVE, Mary said to the angel, negative word, not hoard, overshadow thee, prosper, Repent y, resurrection, sacrificial death, seeing, self-control, share, snow on the ground, success, supernatural conception, surrender, the devil's associate, the kingdom of God is at hand, the Son of God, Thursday's Blessings, time longer than twine, trust
Luke 1:34. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man (I am a virgin)?
Oh friends, there’s nothing more annoying, frustrating and depressing than waking up excitedly to greet the new day only to find a fresh coat of snow on the ground! Chuh! And it only gets more annoying, frustrating and depressing when you look out and see the small, weightless, white flakes still falling effortlessly to God’s great earth! I’m chuckling here, but you know that once the white stuff flies, lives will undoubtedly become more serious and dangerous, because it looks good when it just covers the land, but it can certainly be the devil’s associate when you have to venture out in it.
It’s a good thing we have Jesus yes, that awesome shepherd, who leads and guides His flock with masterful precision…! Give Him some thanks and praise people, for He’s certainly deserving of it! And isn’t it strange, but certainly wonderful, how in the northern climes when the snow flies, that’s when we celebrate the birth of Jesus? Glory be mih brethren! The ole fella’s getting excited…so yuh better hold me back! I need to do like Jeeves says, have a modicum of circumspection…
Nah, I don’t think so. When you’re excited about Jesus, you just have to let it flow! (smile) So we going to do just that by continuing where we left off yesterday, talking about Jesus’ miraculous virgin birth, His supernatural conception in His mother Mary’s womb, the wonderful incarnation where He, Jesus, God, became flesh (incarnate) to come and dwell amongst sinful man, to personally experience our hardships and then gloriously deliver us from them through His sacrificial death on Calvary’s cross, His triumphant resurrection on that wonderful Easter morn, and then His ascension back to heaven to be our friend and advocate at the Father’s right hand!
How could it get any better than that eh mih people? No way Jose! We now have another, newer and much better option than his satanic majesty. That’s why it’s so mind-boggling when people refuse to believe in Jesus, and even go so far as to blaspheme His holy name and try to kick Him out of our society! Steups! What stupidity! Anyway, they will get their comeuppance in due time, because as the ole people say; time longer than twine, and when the good Lord ready, in His time, He will make all wrong things right.
Now yuh see, all yuh get me so excited that I’ve gotten away from what we suppose to be talking about! (smile) And that’s the momentous occasion when the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her about her favoured condition with God and the virgin birth she would have. And having listened to Gabriel’s spiel with, no doubt, bated breath, Mary finally found her voice. ‘Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man (I am a virgin)?’ Oh what a most plausible question, back in those times that is. Today we do that all the time through artificial insemination.
‘And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest (Most High) shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (one) which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.’ (Luke 1:35-36) And so it should be, because the sperm that inseminated Mary was of God the Father, and we characterize children by their fathers, so it’s a no brainer that Jesus should be considered the Son of God. (smile)
As the scholars explain: ‘1:35. By a process we cannot explain, Mary will find herself with child through no human agency. Conceived by God, Jesus would be of sinless nature, though no less human due to that fact.’ Wow! Both God and man at the same time! How marvellous! That means He could appreciate our trials and tribulations because He also suffered them, though He did not sin! Isn’t our God wonderful and ever so imaginative and far sighted? That’s why his thoughts and ways are higher than ours.
And to prove my point, listen to this bit of news that Gabriel shared with Mary to boost her spirit. ‘And behold, thy cousin (relative) Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ (Luke 1:35-37) Yuh see how our great God moves in mysterious ways? Elisabeth had been barren for all of her life, but like Sara and Hannah, in her old age she was blessed with one of God’s special people, John the Baptist; Christ’s forerunner; the one lighting His way, crying out from the wilderness: ‘Repent ye: for the kingdom of God is at hand.’ (Matt. 3:2)
Yeh friends, our God doesn’t leave anything to chance. He knew that when Mary heard of Elisabeth’s pregnancy, her spirit would be boosted. And in my humble opinion, there’s no more touching, heartfelt and faith-showing scripture than Mary’s answer to the mind-blowing info she’d just received. ‘And Mary said, behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.’ (Luke 1:38)
Mama Mia! What faith and trust and surrender in such a young woman! Even today we’d have serious problems with such a situation. But can you imagine the negative connotations that held for her in a small Jewish town; betrothed, but unmarried and with child, and supposedly not her betrothed’s child either? But she didn’t whinge and whine; just said, so be it. I do hope that Mary’s story will speak to us today and raise our level of faith, because it’s such a faith inducing epic.
Now let’s go home declaring (yeah!) our Thursday Blessings which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us who live and breathe to do His holy Will. As one, in strong voice, believing as we speak: ‘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!’
Now don’t forget, we’re not to hoard those God-given blessings, but to share them generously with others! Much LOVE!
…what a wonderful world this would be…if our faith was as big as Mary’s…
28 Nov 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: as in the revocation, bow down, Caleb, celebrating, come before His presence, compassionate heart, curse, drinking, drunk or sober, eating, forty years in the wilderness, give thanks, Granny's warning, harden not your heart, he is our god, his hands formed the dry land, his possession, if ye will hear his voice, in everything, in his hand, Joshua, kneel before the Lord, let us worship, make a joyful noise, making melody in your hearts, mind yuh business, Moses, negative word, not to hoard, our Caretaker, our Maker, positive outlook on life, psalms, rebellion, saw my work, share generously, shout joyfully, songs, spiritual songs, success, sufferation, testing, thanksgiving, the day of temptation, the deep places of the earth, the Holy Spirit, the Lord is a great God, the people of his pasture, the Promised Land, the sea is his, the sheep of his hand, the strength of the hills, the will of God, Thursday's Blessings, today, trial, U.S.A Thanksgiving Day, under his care, warnings of snow ice and rain, weather not cooperating, with psalms, with thanksgiving, your fathers tempted me
Psalm 95:2. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto him with psalms (songs).
Let me open this dry but windy Thursday morning with sincere Thanksgiving wishes for our Scrip-Bit friends and family in the U.S. of A! Yes, today is their Thanksgiving Holiday, one of their biggest and most celebrated days! And so it should be, for a land that the Lord has blessed so plentifully, although now He’s definitely withdrawing some of that blessing because of their abundant and willful sinfulness. But it’s never a bad idea to give thanks, even when we don’t have a lot to give thanks for.
Unfortunately though, the weather is not cooperating with the idea of Thanksgiving, for much of the nation is under severe warnings of snow, ice and rain, and many flights have already been cancelled and roads made impassable. So please be careful all of you who have to travel any distance to celebrate the occasion. And for those of you who have already hunkered down, please remember Granny’s warning; ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business!’ And this is the ‘rightest’ time for that warning, because it’s the day all Americans celebrate, and there’s more eating and drinking and general partying than at any other holiday.
So please don’t allow Beelzebub to get any deeper into your souls than he already is. If possible, use this occasion to try and flush him out. (smile) And what better time is there to get into some thanksgiving scripture than on the day of Thanksgiving eh? (smile) So let’s begin with these most appropriate words of Psalm 95, as the psalmist takes us through words of praise to our great God. ‘O Come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto him with psalms (songs). For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.’ (Ps. 95:1-3)
And is that ever so true my people! Our God is the greatest of all supposed gods. In fact, He is the ONE and ONLY true God there is! And how do we know that? Listen to the psalmist again: ‘In his hand (his possession) are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills (the heights) is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.’ (Ps. 95:4-5) Wow mih breddren! Our God must be the greatest if He did all of that! Consequently, it is only natural for us to do as the psalmist continues: ‘O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand (under his care).’ (Ps.95:6-7a)
And right there we have our very reason for being, our reason for thanksgiving precious people of God! The One and Only true God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is our Maker and Caretaker, so for that very reason, it is of the utmost importance that we offer up praise and thanksgiving and glorify His holy name! And a further consequence of all that is as the psalmist so wisely advises: ‘Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart, as in the revocation (rebellion), and as in the day of temptation (trial, testing) in the wilderness: when your fathers tempted (tried) me, and saw my work.’ (Ps. 95:7a-9)
Yes friends, if the Lord should call to us today, please don’t harden our hearts and rebel like the Israelites did way back when, and thus experienced forty long years of ‘sufferation,’ of wandering aimlessly in the wilderness. Our God is indeed a most LOVING and compassionate Deity, but by the same token, He doesn’t take kindly to the rebellion of those whom He blesses abundantly. As a result of that foolish rebellion by the Israelites, only two people, Joshua and Caleb, of all who left bondage in Egypt, ever entered the Promised Land. Not even Moses laid foot thereon, but Lord was nice enough to show it to him from a hill on the other side. (smile)
So this current widespread attitude we now have of trying to get rid of God from our society is pure and total foolishness…no stupidity! And here is the perfect scripture to address that stupidity, this thanksgiving day. Hear Bruh Paul to the Ephesians: ‘Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of God is. And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph. 5:17-21)
Oh my people, there couldn’t be wiser advice for us this Thanksgiving Day of 2019! So let’s take it nuh, and recognize the will of God for our lives, go easy on the imbibing, and fill our souls and bodies with the Holy Spirit and not alcohol, simultaneously making melody in our hearts to the Father through Christ Jesus, as we follow the ‘royal law,’ LOVING our neighbours as ourselves.’
Mama Yo! Is there ever rejoicing in heaven when we give thanks! And no, I haven’t forgotten our Thursday Blessings, (smile) with which the Lord has so generously blessed us. So let’s declare them right now, in strong voice and sincere belief: ‘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!’
However my people, please don’t forget those wonderful blessings were not giving for us to hoard, but to share just as generously with the unfortunate ones around us. Much LOVE!
…in everything…GIVE THANKS…for this is the will of God…in Christ Jesus…concerning you… (1 Thess. 5:18)
12 Sep 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a paid up member, adore, allotted time, blessings, Calvary, Christ's Church, commandments, compassionate heart, curse, diverse country, eternal life, exalt, glorious sunshine, God of our salvation, great family, greetings, he is good, heat fuh so, heaven, hell, his mercy endureth for ever, hoard slefishly, Jesus is the answer, LOVE, memories, negative word, now, O Give thanks unto the Lord, old and grey, options off the table, positive outlook, reminder, resting, salvation, save us, share generously, sinless life, South Africa, success, surrender, the old ruged cross, Thursday Blessings, time to accept Jesus, trust, vigour, vim, well rested, wisdom, worship, zeppo
1 Chronicles 16:34. O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Well hello there my wonderful Scrip-Bit friends and family! Greetings and much LOVE to you from South Africa, this rich, beautiful, diverse country! Oh, I haven’t seen a lot of it as yet, but I like what I’ve seen so far. And I guess where I’m staying is one of the more developed and built up areas, so it obviously looks good. But whatever happens, or doesn’t happen, (smile) I am determined to enjoy my short stay here and make a chockful of memories to remember when I sit in my rocking chair sometime down the road, when I’m too old and grey to make more memories like that.
Oh how I LOVE those kinds of Bruh Paulian sentences, convoluted, but full of info, stuff like what Bruh Paul writes. (smile) And there isn’t a whole lot to tell today, because I spent most of it resting. I’ve finally taken the zeppo I got the other day to heart: ‘You might be feeling pretty good, but you’re not a hundred percent, so please take your time, and get sufficient rest, if you want to make it to your allotted time!’ And brother do I ever want to make it! I don’t want to shortchange myself at all, at all!
Anyhow, after a late rising to glorious sunshine, determined by a late going to bed, (smile) the duchess and I had some breakfast, late obviously, then we went out to the front of our building and Glory be… the sunshine wasn’t only bright, but nice and warm too. The duchess obviously took pictures of the surrounding area, the nice fountain and beautiful blue flowers and palm trees growing in the front of the building, then we came back inside and just rested. At least I rested, the duchess and her young daughter went out to do the mall thing, while I stayed in…and rested!
And now that I’m well rested, full of vim and vigour, I’m ready to do the town tonight! Mama Yo! And believe you me, our God does LOVE getting His thanks and praise yes, because earlier on, when I opened the Good Book, my eyes fell first on this wonderful, powerful and wise scripture, memorable words of thanksgiving from Bruh David to his people: ‘O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory (triumph) in thy praise.’ (1 Chr.16:34-35)
And my faithful brethren, do we ever need saving and protection from the heathen, especially in these evil and ungodly times! And the ONLY person who can give us that protection and safety is Almighty God, through His saving grace, found in the adoration and surrender to His Son, our most wonderful Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Yes friends, JESUS IS THE ANSWER! The answer to each and every question that we might have!
Who else could have answers like Him eh? When He selflessly sacrificed His sinless life on that old rugged cross at Calvary, He sent the message to all creation that He was the MAN! The MAN for all time, the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the King of all Kings, for ever and ever! And if you didn’t like it, or believe it, then that was your problem. He wants you to come to Him to receive rest and protection, salvation and eternal life, but if you choose not to, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe!
Sadly, what you think or believe is not going to change the fact, that Christ is El Numero Uno, Number One, and what He says goes! That’s why I’m pleading to all of us today, to get in agreement with Jesus, for He’s the One who butters our bread, gives us health and long life, the opportunity to get wealth and success, and most importantly, salvation and eternal life. None of the other supposed and false gods offer the wonderful life that Christ has in store for those who LOVE Him and obediently and sincerely follow His commandments!
The problem here is with timing my people; if we don’t accept Christ as soon as possible, that means right away, today, we’re liable to lose out on that saving grace that leads to salvation and eternal life, because once you breathe your last earthly breath, you no longer have that option. Plus the fact that Christ promised to come back to earth someday, no one but the Father knows when, but if Jesus come back and you’re not among His fold, a paid up member of His church, then you’re s.o.l! (smile)
Yes my people, whenever Jesus returns, all options are also taken off the table, then all that’s left available is hellfire and damnation in Hades with the evil crone Satan! And believe me, you won’t like down there nuh, because it’ll just be heat fuh so! So let’s get smart today nuh and place our everlasting trust in Jesus because there’s no better option than Him! And even if you think there might not be a heaven or a hell, still be smart and hedge your bet nuh, just in case those two places do really exist.
Now for those of who already believe, let’s go home sincerely declaring (right ho!) our Thursday Blessings, that wonderful and generous package of blessings that the Lord has bestowed on all those who LOVE, worship, adore and exalt Him! As one, in 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 every day! Amen!’
And because of our sinful nature, just a gentle reminder: (smile) those blessings have not been given for us to hoard selfishly, but to share generously with others. So let’s go out and do just that today nuh, and bring a smile to Jesus face and warm the cockles of His heart. Much LOVE!
…the time to accept Jesus is…NOW…
05 Sep 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all our own doing, backsliding, bless the Lord, bring me to nothing, chastisement, commit thy works, compassionate heart, correct mw, counting on our own strength, curse, depart from evil, doing Christ's work, favour, fear the Lord, generously shared, good health, He gives thee power, hoarded, is not in himself, Israelites, it is not in man that walketh, Jeremiah, justice, lean not, negative word, not in thine anger, peace, praying, prosper, prosperity, self-control, self-discipline, selfish purposes, sinful, strength to thy bones, strife, success, the answer of the tongue, the Lord thy God, the Lord weighs the hearts, the plans of the heart, the way of man, Thursday Blessings, to direct his steps, to get wealth, trust in the Lord, ungodly behaviour, unto the Lord, unto thine own understanding, war, with judgement, worship of idols
Jeremiah 10:23. O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
Well friends, we’re seeing another brand new day! Bless the Lord, oh my soul! Yes, obviously the number of our days have not yet been accounted for, so there is good reason to give our great and most generous God much thanks and praise for lengthening our glorious days on planet Earth!
I don’t know about you nuh mih people, but the ole fella sure isn’t ready to give up this earthly life as yet. Though it can be rough and tough, it’s the only one I know, (smile) and I still have plenty work to do for the Lord. In fact I haven’t done anything really worth talking about as yet, which means the best days of my life are still out there before me. Glory be!
And before you go thinking that I’m boasting or counting on my own efforts to bring that glorious future to pass, hear me say and acknowledge, like Jeremiah: ‘O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.’
And I wish that the whole world, this evil and ungodly society in which we now live would come to that realization, sooner, rather than later, so that our wonderful world can find some peace and much less war and strife. Instead of counting on our own strength, we ought to be praying like Jeremiah: ‘O Lord, correct me, but with judgement (justice); not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.’ (Jer.10:24)
And believe me my brethren, if the Lord really pours forth His anger on us, as He has the right to, in view of our abominable, sinful and ungodly behaviour, we will be brought to nothing! The scholars tell us:‘10:24 –25. Jeremiah surrenders to God’s program of judgement but asks that the necessary chastisement not be carried out severely (cf. 46:28; Hab.3:2).’
And so should we be praying too my friends, because our God is just as angry with us these days, as He was back in Jeremiah’s time, with the Israelites backsliding and disgusting worship of idols. It’s hard to see how Israel could have fallen so completely to idolatry in the light of all the Lord had done for them.
But we are doing the same thing. In light of our prosperity and advancement, we now believe that it’s all our doing and are pushing God aside and leaning on, and in our own strength and thus worshipping the idols of material wealth and power. But please remember Moses’ warning to the Israelites way back when.
‘But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee the power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.’ (Deut.8:18) And that most salient fact has not changed, not even one iota my brethren! It’s still the Lord God Almighty who gives us life and the power to get wealth!
So how can we move away from Him and expect to prosper for any real length of time eh? That’s pure folly, utterly lacking in wisdom, the wisdom we like to pride ourselves so much on! It’s now time therefore to listen to some of the wise words of Cousin Sol, beginning with these most applicable ones: ‘Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.’ (Prov.16:18)
It’s a fact of life that we all know, yet for some foolish reason believe that it will happen to everybody else, but not to us. That’s a fool’s wisdom friends! And hear Cousin Sol again. ‘The preparations (plans) of the heart in (belong to) man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes: but the Lord weigheth the spirits…A man’s heart deviseth (plans) his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.’ (Prov.16:1-2,10)
And the scholars explain those verses thus: ‘16:1. The Lord is sovereign, even over a man’s thoughts and words.’ ‘16:2. The Lord is the great discerner of motives.’ ‘16:10. The Lord is sovereign over man’s scheming and planning.’ And it’s not like we don’t know all of that, but we’re just stubborn, hardheaded and hardhearted, just like the Israelites were. But yet we expect to have a different ending than they did! Steups!
Ah friends, that’s just more ‘foolish folly’! Remember, we can’t sow sin and ungodliness and expect to reap righteousness and justice! What we need to be doing instead, is as Cousin Sol wisely states. ‘Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.’ (Prov.16:3)
And furthermore: ‘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 straight or smooth) thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body) and marrow (strength) to thy bones.’ (Prov.3:5-7)
Oh my people, after accepting Christ as our Lord and Saviour, those are possibly the wisest words in the Good Book! So please let’s actively live them nuh, not just talk them! They will cause us to be blessed with true health and strength! And talking about being blessed, its’ time for us to go home declaring (ah Lord eh!) the amazing Thursday Blessings that our magnanimous God has given us to work with here on earth.
As one voice, in sincerity and true sense of purpose: ‘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 just a reminder that those awesome blessings are to be generously shared in doing Christ’s work, not selfishly hoarded for our own selfish purposes! (smile) Much LOVE!
…it’s amazing…but totally foolish…how the created…can think…they’re greater than their Creator…
15 Aug 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a recharge of wsidom, accountability, Anglican Diocese of Toronto, bear anything that comes against us, believest thou this, calls men to, compassionate heart, comprehended it not, crapaud smoke yuh pipe, curse, darkness, deliverance through Christ, distractions, divine protection, doubts, eternal life, evil darkness, evil world, false choices, generously sharing blessings, gospel truth, guided, have the light of life, he that followeth me, hoarding of blessings, I am the light of the world, I am the way the truth and the life, in him was life, in judgement, Jesus' revelation of God, light, light excelleth darkness, light riseth up in darkness, living in darkness, living in light, negative word, no man cometh to the Father, not stumble, prosper, saints in Christ, salvation, see light, self-control, self-discipline, shall not walk in darkness, shineth in darkness, straight path, success, the godly, the grace, the light of men, the meek, the Preacher, the resurrection and the life, the spirit of wisdom, Thursday Blessings, uncertainties, wisdom excelleth folly
John 1:5. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended (apprehended) it not.
And then it was Thursday… Wow! The week almost finish already! In one way that’s good because it means that the weekend and rest from work will soon be here. But on the other hand, the quicker August finishes, the quicker summer and the holiday season will also be over, and it seems like it’s just begun!
Yes mih people, we can’t have it all our way, but through our strong and sincere faith in our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we can bear anything that comes against us; yes, we’re able to handle any circumstance that comes our way, be it storm or calm! And when I asked the Lord what He wants me to write about today, He led me to this little card on my desk from the Anglican Diocese of Toronto that has a prayer printed on either side.
I shared one sometime ago, which began with ‘Sustain us, O Lord, with Your Holy Spirit.’ Now here’s the next one. Please pray with me: ‘O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgement. And light riseth up in the darkness for the godly. Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what thou wouldest have us to do, that the spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices, and that in thy light we may see light, and in thy straight path may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!’
Yes my fellow saints in Christ, every day, with our many doubts and fears, we need a recharge of wisdom and grace to save us from making wrong choices in this dark and evil world in which we’re currently living! And it’s only through Christ, our Guiding Light that we can ever hope to counter that evil darkness with light and find the safe and straight path so that we won’t stumble and fall.
And in these days of numerous colourful and addictive distractions, that’s often a hard task. But as John so wisely and truthfully tells us: ‘In him (Jesus) was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended (apprehended) it not.’ (John 1:4-5)
Yes friends, darkness cannot comprehend or apprehend or be superior to light under any circumstance at all! For as Cousin Sol, as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes tells us, during his search for man’s purpose on earth he eventually saw the futility of it all. ‘Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.’ (Ecl.2:13) And that’s the gospel truth!
Now here’s a note from the scholars. ‘1:4-5. Life…light: See also 8:12; 9:5; 11:25; 14:6. In John’s writings, life represents salvation and deliverance through Christ, and light denotes Jesus’ revelation of God which calls men to accountability.’
And friends I’m chuckling here because I had intended to take the rest of the Bit in an entirely different direction, but after checking out those verses that the scholars mentioned I realized that there was only one way to go, and that’s sharing those verses because they are all Jesus’ words, as pertains to Him being the LIGHT in our Darkness.
So here goes. Jesus said it out loud and clear: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) He made this immortal statement to the Pharisees who obviously doubted Him because they said He was witnessing to Himself. But Jesus knew who He was and didn’t need the approval of the Pharisees who were darkness personified, as He told them later on in the chapter.
Then hear Him as He healed a blind man: ‘I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ (John 9:4-5) And yuh know what my people? Now that Jesus no longer walks this earth as a human being, it means that WE are now the light of the world, as He said in Matt.5:14. Let’s remember that, and shine forth accordingly nuh!
Now hear the Lord to Martha after He tarried in coming to Lazarus’ sick bed and so he eventually died. ‘Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?’ (John 11:25-26)
Oh friends, Jesus Christ is also asking that explosive and monumental question of us this morning? Do we believe that He’s the Giver of Life? Now that’s something we have to very seriously ask ourselves. And hopefully the answer will be a resounding YES! Because if it isn’t, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe! And the scholars tell us: ‘11:25. I am the resurrection is one of Jesus’ greatest “I am” statements, signifying His power to give eternal life.’
Now listen to this other immortal statement to Doubting Thomas, when he queried Jesus about the way to go. ‘Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6) Oh mih people, mih people, if you don’t believe that then there’s no light in you, only darkness!
That means there’s no hope of salvation! For as the scholars note: ‘14:6. Jesus does not tell them about the way, nor does He show them the way. He does not even guide them along the way. He says He is the WAY!’ And so He is my faithful brethren! Please, please believe it, because your very existence through eternity depends on it!
And now, having seen the LIGHT, (smile) let’s go home declaring our Thursday Blessings, that that very same LIGHT has so generously bestowed on us to enable us to do His earthly work. In strong voice and sincere belief: ‘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 if you were sincere, then let’s go out and share those wonderful blessings with others, as Jesus so greatly desires. Much LOVE!
…hoarding of blessings…means you’re living in darkness…generously sharing blessings…means you’re living in the LIGHT…
08 Aug 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lamb without blemish, a satisfying future, abide with God, Adam sold us to Satan, aimless conduct, alive and kicking, be holy and righteous, be not ye servants of men, before the foundation of the world, bought with a price, compassionate heart, constant communication with God, curse, feed the chuch of God, foreordained, glorify God in your body, God being first in our lives, gold, Golgotha's hill, in your spirit, Jesus bought us back, motivation, negative word, overseers, precious blood of Christ, prioritize your life, profound significance, prosper, purchased by, self-control, self-discipline, sense of purpose, serve Christ unselfishly, silver, spoon feed, stay away from sin, steadfast purpose, succeed, success, the believer's purpose, the blood of God's only son, the hoy sinless blood of Christ, the temple of the Holy Ghost, Thursday's Blessings, vain conversation, which are God's, with corruptible things, ye were not redeemed
1 Corinthians 6:20. For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Aye mih people, as you can see, we have been blessed with another golden opportunity to spend another day alive and kicking on God’s great earth! Bless His holy name! But please note we’ve not been supremely blessed just to sit on our fannies and have a lazy ole time, but our Creator has a definite plan of action for each and every one of our lives.
Therefore we are compelled to be up and about His business and not just sashaying along the road of the good life, but making proper use of the short time He has granted us on this earth. So, since the Lord has a plan and a purpose for each life he creates, that means we have to be people with a strong sense of purpose. And what’s that you ask?
Here is a brief definition: ‘Sense of Purpose (or meaning) is the motivation that drives you toward a satisfying future. It also helps you to get the most from the things you do and achieve – large and small – right now. Sense of Purpose helps you to prioritize your life.’
Yes friends, that’s what ALL believers need to have; motivation in and through Christ Jesus so that we can fulfill His awesome plan for our lives, thus giving us a satisfying future right here on earth then in heaven above! Nothing this evil, ungodly world has to offer is better than that friends!
So we have to get up each and every day with that steadfast purpose of God having first place in our lives. Remember we don’t belong to ourselves any longer, cause we’ve been bought, purchased by the holy, sinless blood of Jesus, a rather expensive purchase too.
As Bruh Paul proclaims to the church at Corinth: ‘What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.’ (1 Cor.6:19-20)
Yes my people, just like Adam sold us to Satan and sin became our nature, in like fashion Jesus bought us back with His precious blood spilled on the cross of Calvary, therefore we now belong to Him and ought to act accordingly. When we were Satan’s, we sinned. But now that we are Christ’s we ought to stay away from sin, be holy and righteous through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit placed there to lead and guide us along the straight and narrow path.
And the scholars offer these explanations on those two verses. ‘6:19. Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost: Not only is the local church a temple of the Holy Spirit (cf.3:16), but the individual believer’s body itself also is a temple of the Holy Spirit.’
‘6:20. Bought with a price: The blessed fact that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit has two sides: one, that He is ours; the other, that we are His. (Glory be!) The believer was purchased on Golgotha’s hill. The price paid was the blood of God’s only Son (Acts 20:28). This has profound significance for the believer (cf.1 Tim.4:10; 1 Pet.2:9).’
And since I’m such a sweet and caring soul (smile) I’ll spoon-feed us with a couple of those scriptures the scholars mentioned because I know very few of us will look them up for ourselves. The first is: ‘Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile (destroys) the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.’ (1 Cor.3:16-17)
Here Bruh Paul is talking about the local church, not the individual believer, and possibly the destroyers are false believers, who will pay a fearful price for their destruction. And the next scripture is Bruh Paul’s warning to the Ephesian elders. ‘Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed (shepherd) the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.’ (Acts 20:28).
Now let’s see what Peter has to say on the subject. ‘Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed (purchased) with corruptible (perishable) things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation (aimless conduct) received by tradition from your fathers;
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest (revealed) in these last times for you. Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.’ (1 Pet.:18-21)
Yes friends, to satisfy God’s holiness and justice, Jesus paid the price for our sins with His precious blood. Therefore, let’s never forget that we now belong to Him and are required to do His bidding. As Bruh Paul reminds us one more time: ‘Ye are bought with a price; be not ye servants of men. Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.’ (1 Cor.7:23-24) To have long lasting peace and joy, one needs to stay in constant communication with Almighty God!
Now let’s go home declaring (yehhh!) our Thursday Blessings which Jesus in His wonderful generosity has granted us. 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 I’d certainly be amiss and negligent in my duty, if I don’t remind us that those blessings weren’t granted for us to selfishly hoard but to generously share with others. (smile) So let’s go out and do that nuh, so we can truly warm the cockles of Jesus’ aching heart. Mucho Amor!
…the believer’s purpose…to serve Christ unselfishly…in any area in which he’s called…
30 Jul 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and of the son of man, blessed be God, climb to a higher ledge, come into my life, do good works through me, dr robert h schuller, energetic, faith, Father of mercies, fatigues you, fearedevery day, forgettest the Lord thy maker, friend of Jesus, God-filled ideas, has all the bases covered, Hour of Power Devotional, hurry, I even I am he, Jesus Christ, laid the foundations of the earth, live within me O god, LOVE, love people through me, made like grass, negative thinking, of a mortal man, positive energy, replenishes you, resurrection of christ, salvation, self-perpetuating, serving Jesus, share His love, share Jesus' love and friendship, stored away in heaven incorruptible, strength, success, that comforteth you, that shall die, that thou should be afraid, the Father of Jesus, the fury of the oppressor, the power of God, the victory of christ, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, undefiled, untapped energy, vitality, who art thou, worry
Isaiah 51:12. I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a (mortal) man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass.
Welcome friends and neighbours to a wet and cloudy Tuesday morning, the penultimate day of July 2019! It might not seem like a beautiful day, but it is another day in the oh so small number of days in our life basket – like a breath of air compared to the life of the universe! So please let’s be determined to rejoice and enjoy it nuh, for that’s why the Lord gave it to us, and if we don’t, He will be heartbroken! (smile)
And since I know that sometimes the cloudy weather depletes our natural enthusiasm and energy, I’m here to day to help us build up both. Now Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) claims that ‘Enthusiasm begets energy. Success depends on positive energy that enables you to stick with it. Energy that is positive is energy fed by enthusiasm.
Enthusiasm produces such positive energy that even when you’re physically exhausted you can’t wait to wake up the next morning to climb to a higher ledge. Positive energy moves you forward. Enthusiasm lifts you higher. Success becomes self-perpetuating. Negative thinking fatigues you, but positive energy replenishes you!’
So let’s see if we can’t get some positive thinking in our spirits today nuh, so that we can replenish what the negativity has lost. And we’ll begin with this short prayer from Gramps Schuller’s Hour of Power Devotional. Please pray with me: ‘Jesus Christ, come into my life. Flush all negative thinking out of my mind. LOVE people through me.
I believe you are coming into me now in the form of God-filled ideas. I know I have enormous undiscovered, untapped energy within me. I feel young, I have energy, I am energetic. Thank you for this vitality and strength of mind and body. Live within me, O God, and do good works through me. Thank you again. Amen!’
And if you were sincere in that prayer, then friends, I can guarantee that you now feel much more positive and enthusiastic about your life and whatever difficult circumstances might be currently swirling around you! I certainly am more encouraged and enthusiastic! I just have to go and find a suitable Bit now to keep our engines running on positive energy. Soon come!
And it didn’t take me long to find this most interesting and encouraging scripture from the book of the prophet Isaiah, where he promises, in the Lord’s name, that the faithful, who are first called to courage, WILL be comforted. ‘I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a (mortal) man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass.
And forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready (when preparing) to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?’ (Is.51:12-13)
Wonderful questions those are my people! The fury of the oppressor has been stilled by the victory of Christ over him! Thus we have no need to be afraid of his satanic majesty. And even before that, both the psalmist and Isaiah had given us reason not to fear.
In his declaration of thanksgiving for the Lord’s salvation, the psalmist confidently proclaimed: ‘The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?’ (Ps.118:6) Not a lot friends. He can kill our bodies but not our souls. Only the Lord Jehovah can kill both, so we ought to be more concerned with His wishes.
And Isaiah, while talking about comfort through trust in the Lord, made it very clear when he cried, that: ‘All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness (loveliness) thereof is as the flower of the field. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit (breath) of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.’ (Is.40:6-8)
And that my brethren, we all know as gospel truth! The world shall pass away, but NEVER the word of our Mighty Jehovah God. Now let’s turn to the New Testament for a couple of scriptures of comfort and encouragement. First off, listen to Bruh Paul to the Corinthians:
‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of god.’ (2 Cor.1:3-4) What a brilliant strategy my people! Our God comforts us in our times of trouble, so that we can comfort others, in their troubled times!
And Peter adds his two cents worth: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again into a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.’ (1 Pet.1:3-5)
Yes friends, treasures and rewards, incorruptible and undefiled are stored up in heaven for those who believe and run the great race of faith through the salvation of Christ! Wow! What can be more encouraging and comforting that eh? Absolutely nothing! So please, let’s put all this fearful and negative thinking out of our minds, bodies and souls, and instead rejoice in the positive things that the Lord has done for us, and also has stored away in heaven for us. That’s the whole purpose of our faith!
Consequently, let’s go home now in excellent, positive spirits, as we declare (yeh!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know who and whose we are. All together in unison and harmony 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!’
Oh my precious peeps, with that positive spirit now flowing and flowering through our souls, let’s go out and share Jesus’ great LOVE and friendship, like He desires of us nuh! Much LOVE!
…when one sincerely serves Jesus…there’s noting to worry about…because He has all the bases covered…
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