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…
27 Jul 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a process, a timely word, a tumultuous humanity, a word fitly spoken, acknowledge him, Anselm, aspires to inspire us, cheering on, dangerous times, easily offended, empowered, encouragement, evil world, faith, focused in the right direction, for a better tomorrow, friend, get us offtrack, glorify your father in heaven, glory to God, God's viewpoint, gratitude, have an opinion, have life more abundantly, he shall direct thy paths, honour the Lord, how secure you are, in all thy ways, in line with, keep on learning, lean not, lessons to be learned, let your light shine, like apples of gold, like water off a duck's back, live life your way, marrow to thy bones, naysayers, never go out of style, not a status, pay faithful attention, pictures of silver, pleasing, precious, problems, roll off, saying good words, secure in Christ, see your good works, social media, success, such generosity, sufficency is of God, sufficent of ourselves, supreme opinion, thanks and praise, to live live to the fullest, trust in the Lord, unto thine own understanding, what it take to offend you, with all thine heart, with all thy substance, work towards success
Proverbs 3:5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Aye mih people, it’s a beautiful day in my neighbourhood! We’re alive…Glory to God! Yes, we’ve been granted another day on God’s great earth…Give Him thanks and praise for such generosity! And even better…the ole fella’s up early to write you encouraging words…and the icing on the cake is that my trusty desktop behaved perfectly this morning, no rebellion whatsoever.
Wow! Would the Lord ever be mighty thankful if we could be that obedient! My spelling seems to be somewhat atrocious this morning though, for I made about five mistakes in that last sentence. (smile) And make no doubt about it, the evil one and his cronies are also up and about early, for I just received a phone call purporting to be from my Credit Card Company, warning me that they had stopped some unauthorized payment on my card and I should call such and such a number.
I don’t know why I even answered the phone because I don’t usually answer numbers that I don’t know. But to be on the safe side, I did check out my Credit Card Company and they did not call me. Just goes to show we have to be on our p’s and q’s each moment of every day, because the master of deceit, falsehood and thievery is always on the lookout for a chance to creep into our souls and our business.
Anyway, with our Lord and Saviour constantly riding shotgun with us, there’s no need to worry! Give Him some more thanks and praise, exalt His mighty name! And since it’s Saturday, let’s look at what words of wisdom our friend Anselm had to offer this week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
Hear this one: ‘People will always have an opinion, but you have to live life the way you want to.’ And that’s no lie, especially in these crazy and dangerous times of social media. But you indeed have to live your life the way you see it, though in line with the way our heavenly Father wants us to live our earthly lives. That is the supreme opinion to which you ought to pay constant and faithful attention.
And then there’s this: ‘Success is a process that continues, not a status that you reach. If you are alive, there are lessons to be learned and things you can do.’ Ah mih people, in the first place success from the world’s viewpoint, is definitely not the same as God’s. But in both instances, we have to work towards that successful point, it doesn’t just happen, and once we’re alive, we are supposed to keep on learning, for that’s the whole purpose of being alive! (smile)
What’s the purpose of being alive and not learning anything eh? None whatsoever! It’s ever so important to keep on learning, both what the phony, evil world is really about, and what God’s righteousness calls for. And the next quote highlights that in spades: ‘Saying good words to people will never go out of style. The truth is everybody likes encouragement; everybody likes somebody cheering them on.’ Now that we can all attest to!
And it is the duty of Christians to cheer each other on, as well as non-believers! Cousin Sol says it thus: ‘A word fitly spoken (spoken at the right time) is like apples of gold in pictures (settings) of silver.’ (Prov.25:11) and the scholars explain: ’25:11. A timely and fitting word is precious and pleasing.’ And Jesus was all about encouragement, just read His words, and so should His followers be.
But unfortunately there’s way more discouraging words being spoken in this confused and strife-filled world than encouraging ones, and it is the Christian’s job, to get out there and shine, shine, shine, bring light and encouragement to a dark and tumultuous humanity! As Jesus so desperately desires of us: ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven’ (Matt.5:16)
And this next quote gives some indication of how we’re doing, re maturing faith. ‘A good sign of how secure you are, is what it takes to “offend” you. The more secure you are, the less offended you get.’ And that’s gospel truth! The more secure we are in Jesus, the more it takes to get us offended. And brother, are we ever easily offended these days!
But just look at Jesus’ example nuh. They said all kinds of rotten and blasphemous things about Him, but He went about His Father’s business nonetheless. He just let it all roll of like water off a duck’s back. He knew whom and whose He was, and His purpose here on earth, so He did not allow the naysayers to get Him off track with their evil words and deeds. And we’ll add this scripture here as a lagniappe. (smile) ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor. 3:5) Let’s remember that friends, it’s all about our dependence on God Almighty!
Now hear this last quote: ‘As you keep your mind and heart focused in the right direction, approaching each day with faith and gratitude, I believe you will be empowered to live life to the fullest and enjoy the abundant life He has promised you.’ Yes my faithful brethren, Christ did come that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10b) But the important thing, as our quote says, is to be focused in the right direction.
And what is the right direction, you ask? Well I believe that right direction is found in these wonderful and wise words of Cousin Sol. ‘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 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. Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov.3:5-10)
Oh my people, my people, no better direction can be found in all the world than those given there by Cousin Sol! Obviously the Lord inspired them, and if we’d just do those few but all-important things, our lives would be ever so wonderful! Not that we won’t have problems, because this world has natural problems coming out of its kazoo, but we’ll be able to prosper and stand strong in Christ despite them all. So please let’s take those words of Cousin Sol to heart this Saturday morning in July of 2019 nuh, so that our lives will manifest the Saviour to this lost and darkened world! Much LOVE!
…to the true believer…Jesus is our BE ALL…and our END ALL…our EVERYTHING…
25 Jul 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a fool, a madman, a rebellious people, a winter cycle, abandonment of religion, apsotasy, behind thee, blasphemers, boasters, cast out, cease from before us, covetous, Creator, curse, damnation, dangerous times, deceits, decides to freeze, desktop computer, disobedient to parents, divine protection, emissaries of peace, failed to make peace with God, faith, false accusers, favour, from such turn away, good health, haughty, hear the Law of the Lord, high-minded, hoard selfishly, in the last days, incontinent, into hell fire, jehovah god, listen to the voice, lovers of pleasure, lovers of their own sleves, lying children, man made before machines, negative word, not lovers of God, of our workweek, of the Holy Spirit, penultimate day, perilous times, promotion, prophesy not, prophetic words of Bruh Paul, proud, provider, religion without power, religious faith, repentance, right things, self-control, shall hear a word, share generously, smooth things, spean unto us, spiritual life, stubborn, succeeding generations to read, success, the Holy One of Israel, the truth of God's word, thine ears, this is the way, Thursday's Blessings, Timothy, true salvation, try to overthrow God, unholy, unthankful, walk ye in it, when ye trun to the right hand, when ye turn to the left
Isaiah 30:21: And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
Brother! At long last we’ve finally gotten here! Yeh friends, me and my stubborn desktop computer have been fighting for the past forty minutes to get it to boot up properly. I don’t know what’s wrong with it, but most days it boots up wonderfully, then on days like these, it just decides to freeze, as though it’s going through a winter cycle. (smile) But it doesn’t seem to realize that man was made before machines, and we’re usually the winners in any battles between the two.
And I was just as stubborn, I refused to give up and go and use my laptop upstairs, because I much prefer to write on my old, but trusty desktop – except when it starts to act up on me. So please accept the lateness of the Bit, it’s not all my fault. And now that I’ve made all my excuses, let’s get right on with the programme this wonderful Thursday morning, the penultimate day of our workweek!
And for your edification, I’ve had the required Bible verse for our Bit long ago. While the computer was acting up, I decided to open the Good Book and see what the Lord had to offer today. And lo and behold the Good Book opened unto this excellent verse: ‘And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.’
Yes my fellow believers, especially in these dangerous and distasteful times, we all need to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us, our lead and guide on Christ’s behalf. Our Bit is part of a passage in Isaiah that’s an appeal to the Lord for help. And do we ever need help in these troubled times my brethren; and not only natural help, but more so supernatural help from Almighty God. But just like the Israelites did back then, we seem to be refusing God’s help.
When Isaiah declared to them: ‘For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest (repentance and faith) shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift. One thousand shall flee at the rebuke (threat) of one; and the rebuke (threat) of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon (pole) upon the top of a mountain, and an ensign (a banner) on a hill.’ (Is.30:15-17)
And, unfortunately, we are doing the very same thing today; refusing the wonderful help of Almighty God, and thus our world and societies are full of anger, strife and warfare! Listen to what the Lord told Isaiah after the Israelites refused to hear about the futility of relying on Egypt for help. ‘For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, (have called her Rahab-hem-shebeth), Their strength is to sit still (Rahab sits still).
Now go, write it before them in a table (on a tablet), and note it in a book (on a scroll), that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever. That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: which say to the seers, see not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.’ (Is.30:7-11)
Ah mih people, what foolishness! Now hear these explanations of the scholars: ‘30:8-17. The prophet is commanded by God to write His message in a table (tablet) and a book (scroll). He is to write down God’s message for the time to come (or for succeeding generations to read). He is to note that the people of Judah are a rebellious people, who are telling the prophets See not…Prophesy not.
They have refused the truth and would rather hear smooth things and deceits. Their rebellion and reprobation are so deep that they want the prophets to cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us. While the nation was busy sending out emissaries of peace they had failed to make peace with God. Returning and rest refer to repentance and faith, which are necessary to true salvation.’
Oh my brethren, my brethren, we have fallen into the same trap: not wanting to hear the truth of God’s Word, but more desirous than ever of removing Him completely from our society. But that will NEVER happen! For the Lord God Jehovah is the creator and ruler of the universe, and if we try, like the foolish Lucifer, to overthrow Him, we will end up the same way; cast out into hell fire and damnation. We’re looking all about for help, except where true help is to be found, in Jehovah God!
And these prophetic words of Bruh Paul to Timothy re the coming apostasy (abandonment of religious faith and principles) describe our current world to a T. ‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be LOVERS of their own selves, covetous (money LOVERS), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.
Without natural affection, trucebreakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal), despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady (reckless), high-minded (haughty), LOVERS of pleasure, more than (rather than) LOVERS of God: Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.’ (2 Tim.3:1-5)
And that is exactly what’s happening in our world today friends! It’s a perfect description of our current society! And just like Bruh Paul commanded Timothy to stay away from these false teachers, who have ‘mere religion without power or spiritual life,’ we also have to stay away from them if we know what’s good for us. Anyhow, I know that none of us are involved in that foolishness (smile) so let’s go home declaring (right ho!) our Thursday Blessings out loud, so that the world can know what a mighty and generous God we serve and worship.
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!’
Now please remember that those heavenly blessings are not for us to hoard selfishly, but to go out and share them generously, just like the Lord shared them generously with us! Much LOVE!
…only a fool…or a madman…turns away from…or tries to overthrow… His Creator and Provider…
04 Jul 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to His will, answered prayer, assurance of salvation, assurance of the believer, be not ashamed of christ, believe on the name of the Son of God, Christ is in our hearts, Christ who strengthens us, clear direction, compassionate heart, confess before my Father, confess me before men, confidence in petition, curse, deny before my Father, deny me before men, difficult circumstances, drunk or sober mind your business, faith, favour, glory to the Lamb, Granny's warning, Happy 4th of July, he hears us, I can do all things, I have written unto you, in salvation, negative word, not based on feeling, principles of God's word, prosper, sealed by the Holy spirit, self-control, self-disicipline, share, sonny boy, success, that ye may know, the inner witness of the Holy Spirit, the keeping power of God, the less fortunate, the witness of the word of God, these things, Thursday Blessings, understanding of the Scriptures, until the day of salvation, we keep His commandments, we love the brethren, who was slain for us, ye have eternal life
1 John 5:13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY U.S. OF A!
Yes while we are working today, the U.S is celebrating their Independence Day! And those who can swing it might be able to make it a four-day weekend! Just think on that nuh! (smile) But I’ll tell our U.S friends and family members the same thing I told the Canadian section last Monday, when we celebrated our Independence Day; be careful, remember Granny’s warning: ‘Sonny Boy, drunk or sober, please mind your business,’ because if you don’t, the devil will mind it for you. That’s for certain sure. So please be aware while you’re celebrating.
Now earlier on in the week we talked about the secondary message in John’s first epistle; that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5) Today I want to delve into the primary message of the epistle: ‘These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.’
Ah mih people, what a blessed message! We have eternal life because we believe in Christ Jesus, the Son of God! Glory to the Lamb who was slain for us! The sad part is that not all of us are assured of the fact that we are saved and heading for heaven. And the scholars offer this exhaustive explanation about assurance that I think I should share.
‘5:13. The scriptures clearly teach that it is possible to know whether you are saved or unsaved. The assurance of the believer is not based on feeling, (though the Christian may “feel” saved), but on the principles of God’s Word. We can know we are saved because Christ is in our hearts (Col.1:27; 1 John 5:12), because of the witness of the Word of God (vs.10-11), because of answered prayer (John 14:14; 1 John 5:14-15), because of our understanding of the Scriptures (vs.20), because we keep His commandments (2 Cor.5:17; 1 John 5:18), because we LOVE the brethren (3:14), and because we have the inner witness of the Holy Spirit (Rom.8:16).
Illustration: Paul claimed to have this inner confidence and was fully persuaded concerning the keeping power of God in salvation (2 Tim.1:12). Application: Because of this assurance, the believer need not be ashamed of Christ, even when He finds himself in difficult circumstances (2 Tim.1:12). First Ref. Gen.15:13; Primary Ref. 1 John 5; cf. John 10:28).’
Oh my fellow believers that’s sure a lot of Scriptures to look up! But if we are in any doubt at all about our deliverance, about our saved state, then we should look them up. And even if we’re sure about it, we should still check them out, because in this evil day and age, we all need as much reassurance as we can get. And just for your info, I took a few minutes to look up those scriptures my brethren, and are they ever interesting and most reassuring! (smile)
I can’t share them all here, but check out these two that follow our Bit. ‘And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us; And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired (asked) of Him.’ (1 John 5:14-15) And the scholars tell us: ‘5:14-15. Assurance of salvation (vs.13) leads to confidence in petition. Effectual prayer is according to his will.’
Yeh friends, please remember that: we can ask for anything we want, but our prayers are most effective when they are in line with God’s will! And I want to share one more scripture here dealing with something that’s ever so pervasive in our Christian society today; that’s being ashamed of Christ, being afraid to acknowledge Him in public.
Ah friends too many of us today are in actual fact ashamed of Christ, but you can’t be saved and/or go to heaven if you refuse to acknowledge His presence in your life. Remember Jesus said it plainly: ‘Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt.10:32-33)
Yeh friends, you can’t be a Christian in secret, at least not in our free religious society. So please stop being ashamed of Christ! Stop letting the enemy make us afraid of possible negative consequences or otherwise. We keep saying that anything and everything is possible with God, and we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us…Well let’s show that in public nuh, let’s stop being wishy-washy and fearful!
Let’s say and do like Bruh Paul, who, in writing to Timothy admonished: ‘Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.’ (2 Tim.1:12)
Yes my people, Christ is indeed able to keep us assured until the judgement day! But we have to first believe it and then work at it! It doesn’t just happen by osmosis! So with that point made and our assurance of salvation being reassured, (smile) let’s go home declaring (yeh!) our Thursday Blessings; those wonderful promises that the Lord has showered down on us to enable us to do His work.
In strong voice and full belief 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!’
Oh how blessed we are my fellow saints in Christ! But please remember that those blessings are not for us to selfishly hoard, but to share with the less fortunate! Much LOVE!
…no need to worry…true believers are sealed by the Holy Spirit…until the day of Salvation…
27 Jun 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a candlestick, a compassionate heart, ability, absence of light, absolute truth, abundance, before men, Christian body, conspicously lacking, curse, darkness, diligent, does not hold back anything, down and out, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, evil doings, expects to win, extra effort, generously share, gives all he's got, glorify your father in heaven, go through the fire, good for nothing, hardworking, hid under a basket, hope, hypocrites, immorality, increase our faith, Jesus riding shotgun, lack, lack intelligence, lampstand, let your light so shien, lost our salty flaovur, LOVE, LOVE Jesus, move you to success, negative word, not obeying hsi commands, pursues excellence, scandals, see your good works, self-discipline, selfishly hoard, set on a hill, sitting on one's laurels, success, talent, talk a good talk, the church, the great power, the light of the world, the salt of the earth, Thursday Blessings, to be purified, trampled underfoot, under a bushel, untenable situation, walk the good walk
Matthew 5:13a;14a. Ye are the salt of the earth…Ye are the light of the world.
Well like another beautiful summer’s day is in the offing friends! Glory to our great God! How many is that eh…like four straight without any serious rain during the day! Mama Mia!
And with Jesus riding a sure shotgun with us, how can we not make assured and confident declarations (steups!) as these: ‘I am an overcomer through Christ!’ I am above and not beneath. The head and not the tail.’ (Deut.28:13) ‘I am more than a conqueror, through Christ who LOVES me!’ (Rom.8:37) ‘And the God of all grace, who has called me to His eternal glory in Christ, after I have suffered a little while, will Himself restore me and make me strong, firm and steadfast.’ (1 Pet.5:10)
Glory to God my brethren! And I can speak personally to that last acclamation because that’s exactly what our God is doing in my life right now, making me strong and steadfast after all the medical problems I’ve experienced over the last few years. Yes friends, our God won’t allow us to go through what He’s not prepared to bring us through.
But please remember, oftimes we need to go through the fire, not escape it, if, like silver and gold we need to be purified, and thus increase our worth and value with greater faith. And to help us believe that, here is this encouraging quote from Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, the pastor, positive thinker, and author of several books, amongst which is the memorable one, ‘The Power of Positive Thinking.’
Dr. Peale reputedly said: ‘Hope is the great power that can move you to success. Why? Because when a man expects to win, he does not hold anything back, but gives his project all that he’s got. Most people fail not because they lack ability, intelligence, or opportunity, but they fail because they don’t give it all they’ve got.’
Words of absolute truth my people, especially in this lazy, sitting on one’s laurels, expecting someone else to do it society in which we’re currently living! We’ve become so addicted to easy and cheap and right away, that putting out any extra effort is anathema, repellant, repugnant, to us, even when the extra effort will assure us of success.
But friends, if we’re living and working for Jesus, then we’re required to make that extra effort, to go that extra mile, because that’s what His economy is based on. In fact no economy whatsoever can succeed unless that extra effort becomes a basic part of it. Only when one is diligent and hardworking and pursues excellence, will one be successful!
No wonder our society is on its way down and out, because those elements are conspicuously lacking from it. But if we supposed believers actually behaved like real believers, and not like worldly people, you’d be surprised to see the difference in our world. But we only talk a good talk, and not walk the good walk we’re supposed to. That’s why the evil element of the world is now holding the upper hand.
Remember what Jesus declared and expected of us: ‘Ye are the salt of the earth…Ye are the light of the world.’ But somewhere along the way we have lost our salty flavour and have hidden our lights under a bushel? Why? Perhaps through fear of the enemy, or more likely the extra effort it takes to be bright and salty.
But look at what Jesus said about those situations nuh: ‘but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith (by what) shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ (Matt.5:13) And also: ‘A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lamp stand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.’ (Matt.5:14-15)
Oh my fellow believers, as a group, the church, the body of Christ, we have lost our salty flavour and our light is no longer shining forth into this evil world as brightly as it ought to, and thus we are being trodden underfoot by the rulers of darkness. Now that is a most untenable situation in the sight of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who admonished us to: ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt.5:16) And unless we obey that command, then the church, Christianity will be of very li’l or no use to mankind.
Hear this most interesting explanation from the scholars on all that nuh. ‘5:14-16. Ye are the light of the world describes the essential mission of the Christian to the world. He is the condition (salt) to meet the world’s needs and he has a mission (light) to the world. His light is to clearly shine forth into the darkness of human depravity. He is to set his light upon a candlestick, not hide it under a bushel, that is a basket. Darkness is the absence of light, and darkness alone cannot dispel the light, but the smallest light can dispel the greatest darkness.’
Oh friends, the Christian body, the church today is certainly not helping to reduce the world’s depravity, in fact it is contributing greatly to it, because we have become like the world, seeking the things of the world more than the things of God! Just look at the immorality, the scandals, the evil doings that are daily being uncovered in our churches eh! No wonder the unbelievers look at us and laugh and rightly shout out ‘Hypocrites!’
But to those of us who sincerely try to be salt and light, let’s go home today declaring (right ho!) our Thursday Blessings that the Lord has generously granted us to help us in our earthly work. As one, with sincere belief 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 unfortunately, I have to remind us every week, that those blessings were not granted to us to selfishly hoard, but to share with the less fortunate, as we spread our salty flavour and shine the light of Jesus throughout this dark world! Much LOVE!
…how can we say we LOVE Jesus…and are a part of His body…his church…when we ‘re not doing as He commands eh…
30 May 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a righteous man, and not faint, availeth much, be effective in ministry, beilieving, called by my name, careful of complaining, Christ-like doing, Christian walking, Confess your faults, consumed them, curse, displeased the Lord, divine protection, faith, faithful promise, family of faith, favour, forgive their sin, generosity, generous sharing, good family, good friends, heal their land, heartfelt prayer, his anger was kindled, humble themselves, I will hear from heaven, in Christ's name, James' theory, less fortunate, magnanimous god, men ought always to pray, mine ears attentive, mine eyes shall be open, mouthing words, negative word, not lose heart, pray always, pray everywhere, pray one for another, pray without ceasing, prayer, promotion, seek my face, selfish hoarding, spiritual man, success, the effectual fervent prayer, the fire of the Lord, Thursday Blessings, to one another, to work everything out for good, turn from their wicked ways, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, ye may be healed, ye shall receive it
James 5:16. Confess your faults (trespasses) one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual (effective) fervent prayer (supplication) of a righteous man availeth much.
Once more dear friends, once more unto the breach, for Christ’s sake, in His mighty name! Yes, the evil and ungodly walls of the world are just waiting to fall, to crumble to the ground, like those of Jericho did so long ago! They only need us, Christ’s saints to get going and walk our walk!
Note, for the first six days the priests blew their ram’s horns, but the people only marched, only walked, didn’t say anything. Then on the seventh day, they marched around it seven times, blew their trumps and shouted, and those massive, seemingly impregnable walls of Jericho just cane crumbling down!
Wow! It’s the same way the walls of our current world will come tumbling down if we do more Christian walking and Christ-like doing than the great amount of talking at which we’re so adept! (smile)
And the first order of the day is to offer up some sincere and heartfelt prayer for Alyssa, the daughter of one of our Scrip-Bit family members, who’s undergoing some serious surgery this morning, as we speak. Please, let’s pray that the Lord will strengthen her, both in body and spirit so that she can undergo the rigours of the surgery – and believe me, surgery is very rigorous, takes a lot out of you.
And that He will also guide the hands of the medical team doing the surgery, and finally bless the family with strength and faith so that they can accept His faithful promise to work everything out for good! In Christ’s name we pray! And all God’s children said a loud and grateful ‘AMEN!’
Yes mih people, prayer ought to be as important to our Christian family of faith, as breath is to our earthly lives. For just like our physical body dies if it doesn’t have a refreshed and renewed air flow, so too does our spiritual man suffer death without continual sincere and heartfelt prayer. That’s because it’s our all-important method of communicating with our heavenly Father who created us and so generously gave us His breath of life!
That’s why we’ve been instructed so often to pray. The Lord said it to Cousin Sol so long ago, when he dedicated the temple. ‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent (attentive) unto the prayer that is made in this place (the temple).’ (2 Chr.7:14-15)
And Jesus said it in even fewer words. ‘And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) Ah friends, that’s where prayer power comes in. When we’re likely to falter and give up, that’s when we need prayer most!
But then too, prayer isn’t just mouthing words. Listen to how Jesus puts it: ‘And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive it.’ (Matt.21:22) And please note the most important word in that sentence is ‘believing.’ For prayer without belief, without faith is useless! And Bruh Paul says we should pray ‘always.’ (Eph.6:18) We should also pray ‘without ceasing.’ (1 Thess.5:17) As well as pray ‘everywhere.’ (1 Tim.2:8)
Oh precious people of God, you can see how important prayer is in our lives. But another very important aspect of prayer is our praying for each other, not merely our selves. As James so eloquently tells us: ‘Confess your faults (trespasses) one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual (effective) fervent prayer (supplication) of a righteous man availeth much.’
And several times in his epistles, Bruh Paul asked the receivers of those messages to pray for him, that he would stand strong and steadfast in Christ’s name and be effective in his ministry. And somehow, I can’t seem to find any but this one right now (smile) ‘Brethren, pray for us.’ (1 Thess.5:25)
And James’ theory is proven oh so well by this bit of scripture from long, long ago. When the people of Israel complained about the lack of meat in the wilderness after coming out of slavery in Egypt, ‘it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled (aroused); and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts (outskirts) of the camp. And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the Lord, the fire was quenched (extinguished).’ (Num.11:1-2)
Yeh friends, we learn two important lessons from that scripture; be careful of our complaining, for the Lord doesn’t take well to too much complaining, especially when He believes He’s doing a good thing for us. And secondly, the prayer of a righteous person can indeed be very effective.
So with those two lessons burning through our souls, bodies and minds, let’s go home today declaring (yes!) our Thursday Blessings nuh. Blessings we haven’t earned, and don’t deserve, but which our great God, in His awesome generosity, has seen fit to bestow on us.
All together now, in sincere appreciation: ‘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!’
Yes mih breddren, yes! What a magnanimous God we serve and worship! Now let’s go out and share those awesome blessings with the less fortunate as Jesus Christ so greatly desires of us! Much LOVE!
…heavenly blessings are meant for generous sharing…not for selfish hoarding…
23 May 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: as Christ's church, be of good cheer, beloved of God, Christian life, compassionate heart, curse, death, disturb your equilibrium, famine, for the prize, for thy sake, forgetting those things behind, God's unmerited favour, God's valued gifts, grace, hell, Jesus conquered the world, killed all day long, let not your heart be troubled, life threatening storms, like sheep to the slaughter, literally calmed the strom, LOVE, mercy, more than conquerors, my peace I give unto you, nakedness, negative word, neither be afraid, not as the world gives, not to hoard, One Body, overcome the world, peace, Peace i leave with you, persecution, positive outlook, press toward the mark, prosper, punishment we deserve, reassuring scriptures, saints, seek first God's kingdom, separate us from the love of Christ, share generously, success, sword, take the bull by the horns, the evil one, the grave, the high calling of God, the winds and seas obey him, Thursday Blessings, tribulation
John 14:27. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
To all my Scrip-Bit friends and family, ‘beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ!’ Yes fellow saints in Christ, may God’s grace and peace be with us this day, as we go out to do His will.
And the scholars offer this interesting explanation of Bruh Paul’s favourite greeting. ‘1:7. Called to be saints: This tells how they got to be saints, namely by way of God’s call. (cf. Rom.8:30) Grace is the typical Greek greeting, whereas peace is the traditional Hebrew greeting.’
So canny man that he was, Bruh Paul put the two together to make his own. And believe you me friends, we need both the grace and peace of God, everyday we awaken to the cacophony and evil that’s currently going on in our world, if we’re to ever make a move forward! They are the only things that will keep us steady and steadfast and allow us to manoeuvre successfully in this world.
And what is grace you ask? It’s simply God’s unmerited favour! He gives us stuff that we don’t deserve; stuff to help us get through this life in His way, as we seek first His kingdom. Just like mercy is basically not receiving the punishment we truly deserve. Yeh, they are simple terms, but are they ever important and effective if we want to live a truly Christian life!
And peace…Oh friends, that’s the most wonderful of all God’s valued gifts. For when there is peace in your soul and spirit nothing moves you, nothing disturbs your equilibrium! Even in the most dangerous and life threatening storms you are calm and unmoveable because you have that wonderful peace of Jesus within you! Wow!
And what kind of peace are we talking about, what peace is that, that’s so powerful it can calm us even in the time of storm? Remember, He’s the man who literally calmed the storm! ‘Even the winds and the sea obey him!’ (Matt.8:23-27) Oh friends, there is ONLY one kind of peace that’s so powerful, and that is the peace we receive from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ when we sincerely believe in and follow Him!
And all His saints gratefully cried out: ‘Thank You Lord Jesus! Thank You for Your amazing peace so that we can handle this crazy, strife-filled, ungodly and evil world!’ And why is this peace so different from any other kind of peace? Because it comes from Jesus and it’s just different. Hear him tell it: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’
Hello there mih breddren! Jesus’ peace is nothing like what the world offers, because He’s conquered the world and all it’s evil, and like a mighty conqueror gives his citizens peace after the war, so does Jesus give His peace when you come to Him in humble sincerity. Hear these winning words of His later on. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 1:33)
Glory to God my people! Jesus, by His triumphant resurrection on Easter Sunday, has indeed defeated hell, death and the grave and taken away the keys from the evil one. Therefore in that immortal victory, all of His followers can find a substantial peace, a peace that’s not available to anyone else, or from anywhere else!
As Bruh Paul so appropriately declared (yeh!) to the Romans: ‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom.8:35-38)
Mama Yo! What powerful and reassuring scriptures my brethren! If we sincerely believe in Jesus then all the problems of the world will not separate us from His awesome, amazing and ever-so-wonderful LOVE! That’s the power that’s found in Him! And you see it in Bruh Paul’s own life. All the trials and tribulation he endured, didn’t turn him away from Christ! In fact it made him stronger!
As he said so powerfully in his missive to the church at Philippi: ‘Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.’ (Phil.3:13-14)
Yes friends, Bruh Paul wisely put his guilt from his earlier harassment of the church, as well as all his previous successes in building Christ’s church behind him, so that he could press on to the high calling of God, meaning there was still work to be done, and he could not afford to rest on his laurels.
Oh my people, the same thing applies to us today. Please, let’s put all our guilt and whatever else behind us and press forward to the high calling that God has in store for each and every one of us! It’s time we took the bull by the horns and just moved forward as one, as one body, as Christ’s strong and immovable church! Amen! (smile)
And with that stirring plea, let’s go home now declaring (yes!) our Thursday Blessings, outlining some of the grace that our God has so plentifully bestowed on us as believers in His only Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. In full voice, sincere hearts and strong 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!’
Glory be mih people! But please note the proviso in that bountiful display of grace: we are not to hoard it, but to share it generously with others, just like Christ shared it generously with us! Much LOVE!
…sailing in this life… with Jesus as your guide and pilot…NO storm can disturb your peace of mind…
18 May 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a certain sure belief, a dealer in hope, a leader, Achilles heels, affirmation, Anselm, believers in Jesus Christ, believing in jesus, colour commentary, condemn the world, delusion, discipline, don't find fault, eternal life, eternal living, exalt His name, faith, find the remedy, fleeting treasures, forgiveness, friend, God anointed Jesus, God so loved the world, good to be alive, goodness of jesus, great expectations, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, hope, how high you've climbed, Immanuel, Jesus Christ, justification, long weekend, Lord, making a positive difference, Master of Hope, mercy, name that's higher than any other, part of the problem, part of the solution, prince of peace, promises, Redeemer, sanctification, saviour, should not perish, success, the blame game, the greatest, the world might be saved, to whom all knees must bow, Triune God, Victoria Day, went about doing good, whosoever believeth in him, words have power
John 3:16. For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life!
Oh friends, how good it is to be alive on this Saturday morning in May, the Victoria Day long weekend! Brother, life might not always be great, but it sure is good to be living with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, our Leader, Redeemer, Prince of Peace, our Immanuel, and the many other things He means to us! Glory to His holy name! The Name that’s higher than any other name in the universe, and the one that all knees will eventually bow to!
Wow! That’s our Jesus! Give Him much praise and glory my people! Exalt His name in all the earth, as Bruh David so rightly says! Oh, I guess the ole fella is really feeling it this morning! (smile) But why not eh? Life might not be fair, but our wonderful God is Good! That’s all we can ask! And as the man said: ‘Don’t ever confuse life with God, cause they are two entirely different things!
Now let’s see if I can get my head around these quotes that our friend Anselm sent us this week, as he sincerely aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. (smile) It’s not always easy. And we’ll begin with this one: ‘Don’t find the fault, find the remedy.’
And oh, are we ever so good at finding fault in this modern day society. It’s known as the blame game, and we play it so well. But as the saying goes too, ‘If you’re not a part of the answer, then you’re a part of the problem!’ So let’s just remember that today nuh, and act accordingly.
And then there is this: ‘Affirmation without discipline is the beginning of delusion.’ I don’t know if it’s the beginning of delusion or not, but I do know that you will get nowhere in this earthly life without discipline…and plenty of it too. For everything you attempt to do down here on earth requires discipline to some degree or other.
So mouthing a lot of proactive words but not doing what it takes to put them into action, is a useless exercise. Remember friends, though our words have power, they don’t manifest themselves without some kind of action on our part!
Now hear this: ‘Success is not how high you have climbed, but how you make a positive difference to the world.’ And that is ever so true my fellow believers in Jesus Christ! The evil and ungodly world in which we dwell considers success as rising high in power, politics, wealth and other worldly things.
But in Jesus’ economy, those things are mostly colour commentary. What He considers important is what you’ve done to help your fellow man, how you’ve tried to pursue peace and LOVE in His name! That’s because all the things the world considers important are but fleeting treasures which you can’t take with you to eternal life!
But the peace, LOVE and goodness of Jesus go with you till eternity! So please, let’s stop trying to run down the things of the world nuh, because we’ll only kill ourselves in the process, then have to leave it all to others here to waste and fight over.
And then we have this interesting quote: ‘If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.’ Now there is a lot of truth in that. If you inspire others to rise above their current station in life, be it for good or evil, then you do have some leadership qualities.
Jesus just wants you to inspire others to do good and not evil, as the Good Book says of Him. ‘How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.’ (Acts 10:38) Oh my people, there is no better example in God’s great world for us to follow than that of Jesus!
And that brings us to our last quote which encapsulates all the others that have gone before. It seems like our friend Anselm was on a leadership kick this week. (smile) But this last one says: ‘A leader is a dealer in hope.’ And that’s no lie! Else why would you follow someone if they don’t give you hope in whatever area you’re choosing to follow them in eh? No reason whatsoever! You might as well just do it yourself!
The sad part though is that leaders are also human and thus have Achilles heels so they can sometimes fall apart or lead us astray. But friends the greatest Leader in this universe is our one and only Leader, Jesus Christ! Talk about being the Master of Hope! Hn! He has that name so cornered that it’s impossible to ever take it away from Him!
Just look at the things He’s done for us nuh! Coming down from His comfortable perch in heaven to die for a bunch of ungrateful sinners! Going to the cross with nary a whimper, like a lamb being led to innocent slaughter, suffering the ultimate in humiliation, shame and ‘sufferation,’ just because the Father asked him to.
So that we could have hope for a better tomorrow; a tomorrow not wrecked by sin, shame and eternal damnation, but one securely and sincerely rooted in peace, LOVE, mercy, grace, forgiveness, redemption, reconciliation, justification, sanctification, salvation and eternal life!
Wow! Which other Leader has ever promised that kind of stuff eh, much less given it like Jesus has? NONE!That’s why Jesus is the GREATEST: because He gives us the most HOPE of any Leader that this unfortunate world has ever known! Listen to these immortal words of His: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life!’
Now where else is it possible to find such HOPE like that eh friends? Nowhere else but in Jesus! And He didn’t end there either: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17)
Oh my people, don’t those fateful, faithful and true words just lift your spirits and give you a feeling of peace and HOPE, that you can’t find anywhere else in this world? It surely does for me! And what really is HOPE eh Friends? Merely a longing for something, preferably something good!
And the long and short of the story is that God promises, if we believe in His Son, have HOPE in Him, that feeling of great expectations, which lead to faith, a certain sure belief, and which grows ever stronger, as we see His awesome promises come true, that our lives will be filled with wonder and amazement, leading to days of beautiful, exhilarating, eternal living with our Triune God!
Now what can we long for that’s better than that eh, what better HOPE can there ever be? NONE whatsoever! Much LOVE!
…the beginning of true HOPE…begins with believing in Jesus…
16 May 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: an ambassador, assurance, breastplate of righteousness, chains, compassionate heart, corporate matter, curse, destiny, divine aid, eagerness, eternal glory, falling short, fiery darts, first person singular, flourish in our society, for all saints, galvanize us into action, God's Word, greedy motives, hope, in bodns, in christ's gospel, in the name of Jesus, in the Spirit, LOVE, men ought always to pray, negative word, never fulfilled, no giving up, not faint, not lose heart, of christ's heart, open my mouth boldly, prayer, praying always, preparation of peace, prosper, self-control, self-discipline, selfish, shield of faith, spiritual armour, spiritual combat, stressful, strife-filled times, success, supernatural wisdom, supplication, the flesh is weak, the gospel of christ, the helmet of salvation, the parable of the unjust judge, the spirit is willing, the Spirit of God, the Truth, the truth of God, Thursday Blessings, two edged sword, utterance, warm the cockles, watch and pray, watching, with all perseverance, with all prayer
Ephesians 6:18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
Oh yes, it’s bright and sunshiny and even warm too! Glory to God! Yeh friends, the day’s begun the way a day is supposed to begin; with the light of Jesus shining brightly in and through our lives! (smile) Oh, is it ever good to wake up to sunshine after all that watery precipitation.
And would you believe that yesterday afternoon with sunshine flowing, the rain still made its way down! But I guess that shower was just to wash away the remaining clouds, because after that the sun came out even brighter! Thanks be to God!
And I want to apologize for not giving us the whole story a couple of days ago when we dealt with the spiritual armour of God. Yuh know we’re fully protected once we have our loins girded with the truth of God, and the breastplate of righteousness is secured fast against our chests, and our feet are properly shod in the preparation of peace, the eagerness provided by the gospel of Christ.
Not to mention having that all important shield of faith to protect us from the fiery darts of the enemy, our heads protected by the helmet of salvation, the hope and assurance of eternal glory in God, while wielding that terrible two edged sword of the Spirit, God’s immortal, powerful and life changing Word!
Yes friends, it all looks good, but there is one necessary part, one thing is needed to get it all going, to galvanize us into action; and that’s prayer! Without prayer, our armour is not worth a whole lot. That’s why Bruh Paul warned after telling us all about the spiritual armour: ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’
Oh my people, prayer is always the most important item in any earthly situation! And the scholars’ explain that verse thus: ‘6:18. Praying is grammatically linked to ‘stand” in verse 14. Without prayer God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. Prayer is indispensable. Always means “on every occasion,” that is, when Satan attacks.
In the Spirit signifies that with the Spirit’s help such prayer for divine aid is to be made. Watching thereunto means “being vigilant in this very matter” of prayer. They are to pray not just for themselves but also for all saints; spiritual combat is both and individual and corporate matter.’
Oh my fellow believers that last part is especially important; we’re required not only to pray for ourselves but also for the rest of God’s church, all His saints, because we all need the Spirit of God to work productively in us, and prayer is the catalyst that gets it all going! And Bruh Paul made that abundantly clear when he continued after our Bit:
‘And (pray) for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery (the hidden truth) of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds (chains): that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.’ (Eph.6:19-20)
Yuh see friends, even though Bruh Paul was blessed with so much revelation from God, he still needed human prayer to help him do the job; speak boldly and openly about the truth in Christ’s gospel. Now tell me how much more do we, in these sad, stressful and strife-filled times need the prayer of our fellow believers eh? But sadly, because of the selfish, greedy and first person singular motives that currently flourish in our society, we don’t pray for our fellow believers as much as we ought to.
Too many of us supposed believers are focused only on our own selves, our own needs, wants and problems. But there is a lot of truth in the saying, that somebody out there is always suffering more than us, and need God’s help worse than we do! Let’s just remember that, especially we believers in this wealthy and prosperous, but ever so wasteful and selfish Western society! End of Sermon! (smile)
Oh, I forgot I wanted to add these two warnings of Jesus on the subject of prayer. First off: To His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane who should have been praying with Him, but instead fell asleep. ‘Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ (Matt.26:41) And isn’t that the awful truth!
The second warning is this: ‘And he spake a parable unto them (the disciples) to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) And the scholars give a nice, precise explanation of that verse. ’18:1. To faint means “to lose heart.” Precisely when tempted to give up, men ought to be strong in their resolve to pray.’ And that’s for certain sure friends, because there’s NO giving up in Jesus’ vocabulary!
And by the way, the parable mentioned above was about the woman seeking justice from the unjust judge. (Luke 18:2-8) And she only received it because she kept on badgering him, until in disgust, he finally relented. That’s how we ought to pray my fellow saints; always…and with confidence and humility!
Now let’s go home declaring (right ho!) those wonderful attributes bestowed on us believers in our Thursday Blessings. We’ve got to declare them for them to take effect. So as one sincere body of faith: ‘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 remember, those blessings are not granted for us to selfishly hoard, but to generously share with the less fortunate. So let’s go out and do just that nuh, and thus warm the cockles of Christ’s heart! Much LOVE!
…without sincere and constant prayer…a believer’s life is never fulfilled…thus falling short of his destiny…
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SCRIP-BITS 
Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 May 2019 John 3:16.
18 May 2019 Leave a comment
by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a certain sure belief, a dealer in hope, a leader, Achilles heels, affirmation, Anselm, believers in Jesus Christ, believing in jesus, colour commentary, condemn the world, delusion, discipline, don't find fault, eternal life, eternal living, exalt His name, faith, find the remedy, fleeting treasures, forgiveness, friend, God anointed Jesus, God so loved the world, good to be alive, goodness of jesus, great expectations, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, hope, how high you've climbed, Immanuel, Jesus Christ, justification, long weekend, Lord, making a positive difference, Master of Hope, mercy, name that's higher than any other, part of the problem, part of the solution, prince of peace, promises, Redeemer, sanctification, saviour, should not perish, success, the blame game, the greatest, the world might be saved, to whom all knees must bow, Triune God, Victoria Day, went about doing good, whosoever believeth in him, words have power
John 3:16. For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life!
Oh friends, how good it is to be alive on this Saturday morning in May, the Victoria Day long weekend! Brother, life might not always be great, but it sure is good to be living with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, our Leader, Redeemer, Prince of Peace, our Immanuel, and the many other things He means to us! Glory to His holy name! The Name that’s higher than any other name in the universe, and the one that all knees will eventually bow to!
Wow! That’s our Jesus! Give Him much praise and glory my people! Exalt His name in all the earth, as Bruh David so rightly says! Oh, I guess the ole fella is really feeling it this morning! (smile) But why not eh? Life might not be fair, but our wonderful God is Good! That’s all we can ask! And as the man said: ‘Don’t ever confuse life with God, cause they are two entirely different things!
Now let’s see if I can get my head around these quotes that our friend Anselm sent us this week, as he sincerely aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. (smile) It’s not always easy. And we’ll begin with this one: ‘Don’t find the fault, find the remedy.’
And oh, are we ever so good at finding fault in this modern day society. It’s known as the blame game, and we play it so well. But as the saying goes too, ‘If you’re not a part of the answer, then you’re a part of the problem!’ So let’s just remember that today nuh, and act accordingly.
And then there is this: ‘Affirmation without discipline is the beginning of delusion.’ I don’t know if it’s the beginning of delusion or not, but I do know that you will get nowhere in this earthly life without discipline…and plenty of it too. For everything you attempt to do down here on earth requires discipline to some degree or other.
So mouthing a lot of proactive words but not doing what it takes to put them into action, is a useless exercise. Remember friends, though our words have power, they don’t manifest themselves without some kind of action on our part!
Now hear this: ‘Success is not how high you have climbed, but how you make a positive difference to the world.’ And that is ever so true my fellow believers in Jesus Christ! The evil and ungodly world in which we dwell considers success as rising high in power, politics, wealth and other worldly things.
But in Jesus’ economy, those things are mostly colour commentary. What He considers important is what you’ve done to help your fellow man, how you’ve tried to pursue peace and LOVE in His name! That’s because all the things the world considers important are but fleeting treasures which you can’t take with you to eternal life!
But the peace, LOVE and goodness of Jesus go with you till eternity! So please, let’s stop trying to run down the things of the world nuh, because we’ll only kill ourselves in the process, then have to leave it all to others here to waste and fight over.
And then we have this interesting quote: ‘If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.’ Now there is a lot of truth in that. If you inspire others to rise above their current station in life, be it for good or evil, then you do have some leadership qualities.
Jesus just wants you to inspire others to do good and not evil, as the Good Book says of Him. ‘How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.’ (Acts 10:38) Oh my people, there is no better example in God’s great world for us to follow than that of Jesus!
And that brings us to our last quote which encapsulates all the others that have gone before. It seems like our friend Anselm was on a leadership kick this week. (smile) But this last one says: ‘A leader is a dealer in hope.’ And that’s no lie! Else why would you follow someone if they don’t give you hope in whatever area you’re choosing to follow them in eh? No reason whatsoever! You might as well just do it yourself!
The sad part though is that leaders are also human and thus have Achilles heels so they can sometimes fall apart or lead us astray. But friends the greatest Leader in this universe is our one and only Leader, Jesus Christ! Talk about being the Master of Hope! Hn! He has that name so cornered that it’s impossible to ever take it away from Him!
Just look at the things He’s done for us nuh! Coming down from His comfortable perch in heaven to die for a bunch of ungrateful sinners! Going to the cross with nary a whimper, like a lamb being led to innocent slaughter, suffering the ultimate in humiliation, shame and ‘sufferation,’ just because the Father asked him to.
So that we could have hope for a better tomorrow; a tomorrow not wrecked by sin, shame and eternal damnation, but one securely and sincerely rooted in peace, LOVE, mercy, grace, forgiveness, redemption, reconciliation, justification, sanctification, salvation and eternal life!
Wow! Which other Leader has ever promised that kind of stuff eh, much less given it like Jesus has? NONE!That’s why Jesus is the GREATEST: because He gives us the most HOPE of any Leader that this unfortunate world has ever known! Listen to these immortal words of His: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life!’
Now where else is it possible to find such HOPE like that eh friends? Nowhere else but in Jesus! And He didn’t end there either: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17)
Oh my people, don’t those fateful, faithful and true words just lift your spirits and give you a feeling of peace and HOPE, that you can’t find anywhere else in this world? It surely does for me! And what really is HOPE eh Friends? Merely a longing for something, preferably something good!
And the long and short of the story is that God promises, if we believe in His Son, have HOPE in Him, that feeling of great expectations, which lead to faith, a certain sure belief, and which grows ever stronger, as we see His awesome promises come true, that our lives will be filled with wonder and amazement, leading to days of beautiful, exhilarating, eternal living with our Triune God!
Now what can we long for that’s better than that eh, what better HOPE can there ever be? NONE whatsoever! Much LOVE!
…the beginning of true HOPE…begins with believing in Jesus…