12 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a friend of the world, a future and a hope, all things work together for good, be not dismayed, Bible, buckle down, calamity, called according to His purpose, Christ as the centrepiece of our lives, christianity, contentment, direct his wy, disaster, don't give up, don't lose faith, endure right to the end, established it upon the floods, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fear thou not for I am with thee, godliness brings responsibility, halfway home, hands on the plough, hang all the law and the prophets, he hath founded it upon the seas, holy spirit, I am thy God, I know the thoughts I think toward you, I will help thee, I will strengthen thee, if god be for us who can be against us, in complete control, Jesus Christ, LOVE, Love the Lord thy God, Love thy neighbour as thyself, make his way smooth, mercy, no one, not turning back, salvation, second wind, thank God, the abundant life, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the earth is the Lord's, the fulness thereof, the great commandment, the right hand of my righteousness, the righteousness of the perfect, the valley of the sahdow of death, the wicked shall fall by their own wickedness, the world and they that dwell therein, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to a glorious future with Jesus, to give you an expected end, to them that love God, truth, understanding, unrighteousness brings chaos, uphold thee, weather the tough times, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, with a good attitude, with all thy heart, with all thy mind, with all thy soul
Psalm 24:1. The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
Here we are friends, one day older, wiser, closer to death, but with also more wisdom and health as we live and enjoy the abundant life that Christ died for us to have! And yes, it’s actually Wednesday, our second wind day. What a way it’s come so quickly. But I’m sure we’ll notice that everything’s happening very quickly these days. Whether it’s actual fact, or merely our imagination, who knows, (smile) but it surely seems that way. But with Christ as the centrepiece of our lives, we don’t really need to worry about how quickly or slowly things are moving, because we know that He has complete control over everything!
And there are so may scriptures that pertain to that glorious fact, I think we should spend some time remembering a few of them, to help us with our earthly problems. And what better scripture to begin with, than this one from Psalm 24, where Bruh David writes in no uncertain terms: ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers).’ (Ps. 24:1-2) Now those two verses put everything right up front. The earth and all therein belong to the Lord because He created it. It could not get any clearer than that.
But then there’s this verse that I also like, because it offers certain encouragement from the Creator of the universe. The prophet Isaiah says on the Lord’s behalf. ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is. 41:10)
Wow mih bredrin! What wonderful encouragement from our God, the Creator of the universe and all therein! That means whatever happens the Lord will be with us to protect us. He won’t always lead us by the easy way, but will walk through even the ‘valley of the shadow of death’ with us. That’s how much He LOVES and cares for us.
Then there’s this everlasting promise from that mighty chapter of Scripture, Romans 8, where Bruh Paul confidently informs us: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) What another wonderful and encouraging scripture! Life will not always be easy, but for certain in the end the Lord will work everything out for the good of those who LOVE Him and obey His will.
And what about this other marvellously encouraging scripture from the prophet Jeremiah eh? ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope) …And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:11, 13) Yes friends, the Lord’s goodness is earmarked for us, but we also have to sincerely seek Him with all of our hearts. It doesn’t just fall down on us without any involvement from us.
It’s like Jesus said when asked what the great commandment was. ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:37-40) There you have it my people, the two basic commandments on which God’s law is based. And they both have to do with LOVE: LOVE for God, for ourselves and for our fellow man!
No wonder our current world is in such a chaotic and disastrous state; there’s no real LOVE, or very little in existence in it. It’s mostly the negative and sinful things of Satan that are currently ruling the roost. So what else can we expect eh? For godliness brings responsibility and contentment, but unrighteousness brings chaos and destruction. As Cousin Sol so wisely says in Proverbs 11: ‘The righteousness of the perfect (blameless) shall direct his way (make his way smooth or straight): but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.’ (Prov. 11:5)
And we’re certainly seeing that in all parts of our world, where the wicked are reigning destruction on themselves with their wicked and ungodly behaviour. But the houses of the righteous are indeed flourishing, according to God’s faithful promise. And we will continue to flourish if we don’t give up hope, or lose faith, but buckle down and weather the tough times with a good and faithful attitude and belief in Almighty God.
Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Now, we also need to know that if we endure right to the end with Christ, then that glorious future will be even brighter and more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, with all wisdom and understanding, let’s plan to meet there and enjoy it nuh! Much LOVE!
…if Almighty God…the Creator and Controller of the universe…is for us…then who can be against us eh… absolutely NO ONE…!
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house, apologies, Bible, Chrisitans, continue thy righteousness, drink of the river of thy pleasures, endure to the end, ever-faithful is God's name, expereince with God builds trust, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, filled with wonder, God cannot deny Himself, God is indeed faithful, God's faithfulness, halfway home, hands on the plough, holy spirit, how excellent is thy loving-kindness, I look forward with joy, I remember all that you've done, in thy light shall we see light, Jesus Christ, lift up my heart to you in trust, LOVE, mercy, not looking back, nothing is too hard for you, one of those days, praise your name, reacheth unto the clouds, remembering what God has done, salvation, so glad to be alive, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the children of men put their trust, the essence of faith, the essence of faithfulness, the fountain of life, think of your great faithfulness, thou preservest man and beast, thy faithfulness, thy judgements are a great ocean, thy righteousness is like the great mountains, to a glorious future with Jesus, to seeing your plans fulfilled, truth, under the shadow of thy wings, Wednesday Wail, when I don't understand an outcome, when things look impossible, wisdom, you come through in amazing ways, your are faithful, your ways never fail
Psalm 36:5. Thy mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS), O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
Oh my people, please accept my heartfelt apologies, but it was just one of those days, when everything that could happen, happened. I did not even get to go to my Wednesday morning prayer group because I wasn’t in such good shape, then I had a doctor’s appointment in the noonday, and that took longer than I expected. Then, with the running of a couple of necessary errands, I did not return home until late in the afternoon, and by then I needed to rest. So the Bit was put off until now!
I even toyed with not writing it, but did not want to miss any more days than I’ve already done in the last week or so. Therefore, this will be short and sweet. (smile) And today we’re going to have a short talk about God’s faithfulness. And if you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you will know that God is indeed faithful. And before we get into any scripture, let’s read this prayer from one of the prayer cards recently put out by the In Touch Ministry, so aptly titled ‘God’s Faithfulness.’
So, please pray with me: ‘I’m filled with wonder, God, when I think of Your great faithfulness. When things look impossible, You come through in amazing ways. Truly nothing is too hard for You. I remember all You’ve done in the past and praise Your name! When I don’t understand an outcome, I will lift up my heart to You in trust. You are faithful, and Your ways never fail. I look forward with joy to seeing Your plans fulfilled. Thank You for Your perfect works.’
And believe me friends I can certainly testify to the faithfulness of God, back in the past and also right now in the lengthy health problems that I’m going through. As the prayer says: ‘When things look impossible, You come through in amazing ways.’ And I saw that happen today. Something that should have taken weeks to happen will now happen in days, because of God’s faithfulness.
And the important thing that so many of us forget to do, is as the prayer says: ‘I remember all You’ve done in the past and praise Your name!’ Yes friends, that’s the essence of faith and faithfulness; remembering what God has done, and thus knowing that He can and will do it again. But too many of us don’t remember God’s faithfulness, that’ why our faith is oftentimes so small when it needs to be big.
Then there are these most important words that come from that faithfulness in God. ‘When I don’t understand an outcome, I will lift up my heart to you in trust. You are faithful, and your ways never fail.’ Now that’s where true faith comes in! You know God’s faithfulness and although you don’t understand what’s happening, you still put your heartfelt trust in Him, because you’ve seen Him come through for you many times before. And that’s one of the benefits of having a long personal relationship with God, your experience builds your trust.
And since we promised to be short and sweet, (smile – it is possible) let’s turn now to the scripture quoted on the card for the Lord’s faithfulness, a most amazing, positive and uplifting one. Please read with me, these faithful words of Bruh David from Psalm 36. ‘Thy mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS), O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains (lit. mountains of God); thy judgements are a great deep (ocean): O Lord, thou preservest man and beast.
How excellent (precious) is thy LOVING-KINDNESS, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness (fullness) of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. O continue thy LOVING-KINDNESS unto them that know thee: and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.’ (Ps. 36:5-10)
And you can bet your bottom dollar my fellow believers, that if you truly know God and His righteousness, then He will continue to be faithful to you right until the very end! Now let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus!
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure right to the very end with Christ, then it’s been promised that the future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So please, let’s plan to meet at the very end nuh, and enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…the Lord is faithful even when we’re not…for EVER-FAITHFUL is His name…and He cannot deny Himself…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a godly attitude, a way out, above that ye are able to bear, an egress, an enormous price to pay, an ungodly world, avert temptations, be of good cheer, Bible, blessings await those who endure, call on you for help, called unto the fellowship of his son, capitulation, challenges, christianity, Christians, common to man, conquered the forces of evil, delivered him up for us all, demonic followers, disobedience, draw us into his web, endure to the end, eternal death, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, frustrations, give me the wisdom and courage to take it, God is faithful, God will not suffer you to be tempted more than you can bear, grace, halfway home, hands on the plough, he that spared not his own Son, holy spirit, i have overcome the world, if god be for us who can be against us, in me ye might have peace, in that marvellous journey, in the world, In Touch, inviting them to join us, Jesus Christ, joys, looking for company, lose the best thing we've ever had, LOVE, loving me enough, made me firm against old temptations, mercy, my desire to be obedient, not looking back, not turning back, our wonderful position in Jesus, problems, recognize temptations, refuse us anything else, rejoice, salvation, Satan, separation from God, short-loved pleasure, show the way out, sinfulness of Satan, so glad to be alive, temptation, temptations are inevitable, thank God, thank you for victory, the breath of life, the propitiation for our sins, the pull of false pleasure, there hath no temptation taken you, to a glorious future with Jesus, to rescue me from every trap, truth, victory, what then shall say to these things, where I'm still tempted, wisdom, you shall have tribulation, your escape route
1 Corinthians 10:13 b. but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able;
Awright friends, Wednesday is up with its joys, problems, challenges and frustrations. But since this is the day we catch our second wind, then hopefully we’ll deal with all of them with a right and godly attitude. (smile) To help us do that, let’s offer up a prayer on a very appropriate subject: Temptation. Yes, we all know that’s our biggest problem in this world, and although we have all the tools to deal with it, the enemy doesn’t make it easy for us. This prayer comes from some prayer cards recently issued by the In Touch Organization, on useful topics that constantly affect our lives. And there’s certainly none bigger than Temptation!
So, let’s pray: ‘Father, where Your grace has made me firm against old temptations, thank You for victory. In areas where I’m still tempted, I call on You for help. Show me the way out, and give me the wisdom and courage to take it. Make my desire to be obedient greater than the pull of false pleasure. When I see Your escape route, I will rejoice, knowing blessings await those who endure. Thank You for LOVING me enough to rescue me from every trap. Amen!’
Oh friends, do we ever need God’s recuing from all the traps Satan and his demonic followers place in our paths! Especially, as the prayer says with ‘the pull of false pleasure.’ That’s Satan’s favourite way of drawing us in; placing what looks like pleasure before us, but a pleasure that’s often short-lived, and very often with an enormous price to pay for our disobedience. But thanks be to God that He’s promised to help us recognize and hopefully avert those temptations.
And here’s the most famous scripture on that topic, from the pen of Bruh Paul in his first missive to the Corinthians. ‘There hath no temptation taken (overcome) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13) Now that tells us that we all experience the same basic types of temptation, but we have a most faithful God who will not allow us to undergo a temptation bigger than we can handle, but even if it seems like He’s done so, He will always make a way for us to handle it.
And according to the scholars: ‘Make a way to escape (lit. “an egress” or “way out”): In early Greek usage, this term had the sense of a landing place for a ship. The idea is thus not that He will allow us to escape temptation, but that He will enable us to land intact on the other side.’ Now, that’s something a lot of us supposed believers need to come to terms with. Temptation is a must; it’s just part of the world order of things. Even Jesus was tempted before He officially began His ministry. (Luke 4:1-13)
And He subsequently warned us: ‘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 16:33) That means in this ungodly and evil world we will certainly have trials, troubles, tests, temptations and all kinds of trouble! However, as believers in Christ Jesus, who has already conquered the forces of evil, we can be of good cheer, or have a basic peace and faith that allows us to go forward with courage, facing whatever comes against with a good, strong and godly attitude.
Why? Because our God is faithful to His promises! Bruh Paul said it thus to the Corinthians: ‘God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellow ship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (1 Cor: 1:9) And I like this scripture that corroborates that one. ‘What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him freely give us all things?’ (Rom. 8:31-32)
Now those are indeed very good questions? If the omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent God is for us, who can harm us eh? Nobody! And if He’s already broken His own heart, done the most important thing ever by giving us His Son Jesus Christ as the propitiation for our sins, why would He refuse us anything else eh, for nothing can be more important than that?
Oh my fellow believers, if we would only use our brains and meditate on God’s Word, we’d certainly see how much He truly LOVES us and desires us to have a good life. He’s bent over backwards to show it, there’s no more He can do. The rest is all up to us; either to accept or reject His grace, mercy, favour, faithfulness and LOVE! Or to foolishly accept the short-term pleasures and sinfulness of Satan, who has no LOVE whatsoever for us, but is only looking for company to spend eternal death and separation from God with him. Let’s hope we’re not foolish enough to allow him to draw us into his web and lose the best thing we’ve ever had; that’s Jesus Christ.
Now, let’s go home declaring (chuhhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, and inviting them to join us in that marvellous journey! As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And it’s been promised that if we endure with Jesus right down to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So please, let’s plan on being there right at the very end nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future! See you there! Much LOVE!
…in an ungodly world…temptations are inevitable…but capitulation to them is not…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a God-fearing attitude, a modicum of peace and joy, actively seek out peace, as much as lieth in you, avoid temptation, be of good cheer, Bible, Blessed are the peacemakers, choose good over evil, choose peace over sin, Christ wants us to be characterized by peace, christianity, depart from evil and do good, disaster-filled world, divine pardon, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fall short of the grace of God, follow after things which make for peace, follow peace with all men, glad to be alive, greater intimacy with God, grow in spiritual maturity, halfway home, hands on the plough, hang all the law and prophets, holy spirit, i have overcome the world, I will repay, improve our faith walk, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jesus Christ, Jesus has defeated Satan, lest any man fail, let not your heart be troubled, live peaceably with all men, looking diligently, LOVE, Love the Lord thy God, Love thy neighbour as thyself, mercy, negative things, neither let it be afraid, New Year's resolution, not as the world giveth, not turning baack, on these two commandments, Peace i leave with you, peace won't come to you, pray that 2025 will bring, sacrifice, salvation, seek peace and pursue it, strife, thank God, the Beatitudes, the breath of life, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the children of God, the great commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, the world is groaning, thereby many be defiled, things to edify another, to a glorious future with Jesus, to chase after with intensity, tribulation, truth, vengeance is mine saith the Lord, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, with all thy heart soul and mind, without which no man shall see the Lord, work
Matthew 5:9. Blessed (happy) are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children (sons) of God.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
And a Happy New Year to all you beautiful people out there in Scrip-Bits land! Let’s hope that this new year has met you in good shape, physically, mentally and emotionally, and if it hasn’t, then it will improve things as quickly as possible. And we sincerely pray that this new year of 2025 will bring a modicum of peace and joy to our strife and disaster-filled world, because our poor world is desperately groaning with all the negative things that’s happening to it.
And now is the right time for us to remember that peace doesn’t come of its own accord, but we have to seek it. As Bruh David says in Psalm 34: ‘Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace and pursue it.’ (Ps. 34:14) Yes friends, we not only have to avoid temptation, to reject it from wherever it comes, while seeking peace and pursuing it. And what does that mean eh?
This commentary explains it as follows: ‘The verse conveys that peace is something that people must actively seek out, and that it is not something that will just happen. The phrase emphasizes the ongoing effort required to maintain peace. The Hebrew word radaf used in the verse means to chase or follow after with intensity. The verse also conveys that choosing good over evil, and peace over sin, is part of honoring God properly. It also suggests that making peace manifests a God-fearing attitude.’
And that’s exactly what we supposed followers of and believers in Christ Jesus need to do in a much greater fashion this new year! We most definitely need to raise our level of discipleship, with all diligence and efficiency, if we ever hope to make any worthwhile difference in this evil world. Remember the Bible tells us in several places that we have to diligently go after the peace, for it won’t come to us. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to Bruh Paul to the Romans: ‘Let us therefore follow after things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify (build up) another.’ (Rom. 14:19)
And Before that he admonished them thus: ‘If it be possible, as much as lieth in (depends on) you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.’ (Rom. 12:18-19) Oh my fellow believers there couldn’t be any stronger admonishment for going out of our way to live in peace!
And the author of Hebrews also had something to say on the subject of peace. ‘Follow (pursue) peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail (fall short) of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.’ (Heb. 12:14-15) Now those are indeed strong sentiments my brethren, but we need to take them to heart, for if we don’t, we’re liable to fall short of God’s grace and take many others with us. And we certainly don’t want to do that.
And if you don’t believe what those writers said, then check out these words of our Lord and Saviour nuh. And we’ll begin with begin with this commentary that asks: ‘What was Jesus main message about peace?’ And answers: ‘One of the central themes of the Sermon on the Mount is Christ’s expectation that His followers be characterized by peace—not violence or war. In the famous opening to this great sermon known as the Beatitudes, Jesus taught, “Blessed [happy] are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children (sons) of God” (Matthew 5:9).”
Yes friends, we cannot be true disciples of Christ until, and unless we are characterized by peace! And this other commentary takes it a little further: ‘Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9). We are to try for peace. Peace can be experienced only when we have received divine pardon – when we have been reconciled to God and when we have harmony within, with our fellow man and especially with God.’
And that’s the gospel truth! We can’t have peace until we have harmony with ourselves, with others and most of all with God. It’s as the two great commandments say: ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and prophets.’ (Matt. 22:37-40)
Oh my people, Jesus is all about peace and LOVE, but unfortunately, those are currently the least two attributes to be found in our topsy-turvy world. But we can turn it around this new year, provided we’re so inclined. However, it will take lots of work and sacrifice, with us totally increasing our salty flavour and the intensity of our light, while keeping these most encouraging words of Jesus on peace, front and centre in our minds.
The first statement says: ‘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.’ (John 14:27) Then there’s this other encouraging statement on peace. ‘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 16:33)
And if we believe truly believe that Jesus has overcome the world, defeated Satan, hell, death and the grave, then we will truly find peace in Him and His awesome promises. So please, let’s make this a year of peace and joy and LOVE, with our ONE New Year’s Resolution; that being to improve our faith walk with Jesus, thus grow in spiritual maturity and achieve greater intimacy with God! If we do those things, then everything else will fall into place.
Now let’s go home declaring (steupsss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure to the very end with Jesus, then it’s been promised that the future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! So, see you there! Much LOVE!
…if you have the peace of Jesus…then you are truly blessed…because His peace…surpasses all of man’s understanding…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a confused and chaotic world, a light unto my path, according to thy word, afflicted, an everlasting inheritance, an inheritance, Bible Christianity, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, God's faithfulness, guides our feet, halfway home, hands on the plough, Happy Holidays, holy spirit, I do not forget thy law, I erred not from thy precepts, I have taken as an heritage, inclined mine heart, Jesus Christ, keep thy righteous judgements, laid a snare for me, live the righteous life, LOVE, mercy, Merry Christmas, my life is continually in danger, my soul is continually in my hand, not turning back, perform it, praise his holy name, revive me, salvation, shows us the path to walk, strength to learn God's word, sworn it, teach me thy judgements, thank God, thansk and praise, the Bible is our guidebook for earthly living, the birth of Jesus Christ, the breath of life, the dampness seeps into your bones, the enemy, the help of Jesus, the reason for the holidays, the rejoicing of my heart, the wicked, thy testimonies, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to a glorious future with Jesus, to perform thy statutes always, to recover my energy, traps, truth, wisdom
Psalm 119:105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Oh my Scrip-Bit friends and families, I’m truly sorry that the Bit is so late, but as I do on most Wednesdays, I went out to my prayer group this morning, then had to run some errands afterwards. And believe me, running errands in this wet, drizzly, dark weather is no fun, especially for elderly people like me. (smile). And it’s not the cold that gets to you so much as the dampness in this kind of weather. It just seems to seep into your bones. However, with the awesome help of Jesus, I was victorious in running my errands. Praise His holy name! But by the time I got home I was tired and had to have a li’l nap, to recover my energy.
And do I have an interesting story. Earlier on, as I was exiting the grocery, a lady behind me greeted someone else with ‘Happy Holidays.’ I immediately turned around, and saw that her style of dressing showed that she was of another faith, but I still said; ‘It’s not Happy Holidays, but Merry Christmas.’ She replied that she didn’t celebrate Christmas, and that it was the holidays. And I said yes, but what was the reason for the holidays. Obviously she evaded the question, and by then we were outside in the drizzle and she said. ‘Have a pleasant day sir.’ And I replied, ‘You too my dear.’
Yuh see, people nowadays are something else. Because she didn’t celebrate Christmas, she could not acknowledge the reason for the holidays she enjoyed. But when their faith has a high holy day, they expect everyone to acknowledge it. Ah Lord eh! No wonder why our world is so confused and chaotic. And by the way, don’t say that I don’t practice what I preach, (smile) as I keep telling us to make sure that everyone knows that the reason for this supposed holiday season is the birth of Jesus Christ!
Now, as I was looking through the Good Library for something to talk about, I happened to browse through the Psalms, Psalm 119 in particular and was led to contemplate this section titled NUN. And though the opening verse is well known to us, the rest of it might not be. So let’s read and inwardly digest it. ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. I have sworn, and I will perform (confirm it), that I will keep thy righteous judgements. I am afflicted very much: quicken (revive) me, O Lord, according unto thy word.
Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, Lord, and teach me thy judgements. My soul (life) is continually in my hand (in danger): yet do I not forget thy law. The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred (strayed) not from thy precepts. Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage (an inheritance) for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart. I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes always, even unto the end.’ (Ps. 119:105-112)
Yes my fellow believers, those are words many of us should take to heart, because they are just as applicable today as they were back when the psalmist wrote them. For instance the first verse; the Lord’s word, His revelation in any form, still guides our feet and shows us the path we should tread. And many of us have sworn to keep His righteous judgements, or the decisions God has made as a judge in order to make earthly behaviour conform to His heavenly standard. And we do try to keep them as best we can.
And don’t talk about affliction! Today, so much of the world is badly afflicted and most of them don’t know what to do with themselves. But we Christians know what to do: that’s turn to Almighty God for His awesome help, His faithfulness in keeping His promises! And in so doing, we offer up sincere thanks and praise, asking for His strength to learn His word. For our lives are in continual danger in this ungodly and evil world, and we do our best not to forget His law; that’s what the Lord has taught us in His Word, what He requires of us.
Yes, although the enemy have laid traps of all kinds, all over the place for us, yet we still haven’t strayed from His righteousness. We’re continually trying to live the righteous life that He granted us through the sacrifice of His wonderful Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And His testimonies, the content of God’s Word, that He has testified of Himself and His will, have we taken as an everlasting inheritance, because they enrich and cause enjoyment to permeate out hearts, minds, bodies and souls.
Consequently, we have determined to accept (engrave on our hearts) and thus permanently keep His unchangeable regulations. So you see, the Lord’s Word is still our guide book for successful earthly living, and anyone who says or does otherwise, needs to have many prayers prayed on their behalf. (smile) Now, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Jesus Christ.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we stick with Jesus right to the very end, then it’s been promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! So hoping to see you there! Much LOVE!
..to live a successful earthly life…your guidebook MUST be the Bible…
04 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: an essential part of our walk with God, asking of you nothing, await all things from you, be of good courage, belief, Bible, both hope and wait quietly, christianity, diffing out, endure to the end, enjoy God's presence, even the youths shall faint and be weary, faith, first blast of winter weather, for the salvation of the Lord, God gives power to the faint, halfway home, hands on the plough, he shall strengthen thine heart, holy spirit, I had fainted, I'm glad to be alive, in God's time, in the depths of our being, it is good that a man, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, mount up with wings as eagles, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not looikng back, our desires and intentions wholly fixed on you, our prayer may tend to your glory, perseverance, Prayers Through the Ages Pamphlet, produce in our souls, right motives, run and not be weary, salvation, shall renew their strength, silence speaks louder than words, standing firm, teach our souls, Teach us O God, teach us to remain quiet, thank God, that deep and simple prayer, that silent language that says all things, the accomplishment of your will, the breath of life, the first thing to do is pray, the Lord is good to them that wait for him, to a glorious future with Jesus, to remain silent in your presence, to see the goodness of God in the land of the living, to the soul that seeks him, truth, under your action, unless I had believed, wait I say on the Lord, wait on God's answer, wait on the Lord, waith in faith, we may adore you, which says nothing and experiences everything, which specifies nothing and includes everything, wisdom
Psalm 27:14. Wait (wait in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say on the Lord.
At last we’re getting our first real blast of winter weather with a decent snow storm dropping it’s payload on us this morning. And it’s scheduled to go on for most of the day. However, thankfully, it’s not as bad as what the residents of some parts of cottage country endured this past weekend; something like around eighty cm. of snow overall. Now that is indeed a lot of snow, and they are still without power and still digging out from under the avalanche of snow. Hopefully, we will not get even half as much today, as we need to be broken back in gently to snow and its eccentric peculiarities; remembering how to drive and walk in it, as well to shovel it and dress properly for it. (smile)
It’s strange, but regardless of how often we experience winter and snow, the first snow fall always has us shaking our heads and wondering how best to handle it. And you know, as believers in Jesus Christ we’re thought that when in doubt, or when trouble arises, the first thing one should do is pray. So since this our first snowfall of the season, and we’re still a tad under the weather about it, let’s offer up this prayer from the Prayers Through the Ages Pamphlet recently put out by the Anglican Diocese of Toronto. This prayer is attributed to a lady by the name of Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941).
So please pray with me: ‘Teach us, O God, that silent language which says all things. Teach our souls to remain silent in Your presence; that we may adore You in the depths of our being, and await all things from You, while asking of You nothing but the accomplishment of Your will. Teach us to remain quiet under Your action and produce in our souls that deep and simple prayer which says nothing and experiences everything, which specifies nothing and includes everything. Do pray in us, that our prayer may even tend to Your glory, and our desires and intentions may not be fixed on ourselves, but wholly directed to You.’
Ah friends, I like that prayer because it says so much about us, about when we go to God in prayer, because it’s so often to ask and plead for something our flesh desires and very seldom to just enjoy His presence, sitting in silence and letting our souls and spirits interact with our heavenly Father, without expressing a desire for anything at all. Yes, sometimes we just need to sit in the Lord’s presence and enjoy silent communion with Him, as the prayer says; ‘produce in our souls that deep and simple prayer which says nothing and experiences everything, which specifies nothing and includes everything.’
As the old adage says, sometimes silence speaks louder than words. But don’t worry, the Lord knows what we need and what we want by looking at our heart, and if our motives are right and in accordance with His will, He will eventually grant them to us. But please note the important word in that sentence is ‘eventually.’ We seem to want everything right now, possibly yesterday, but the Lord doesn’t operate like that, He moves at His own pace, in His own time, and if we don’t learn how to wait on Him, then we’ll lose out on a whole lot of good blessings.
And there are many verses of scripture that advise and admonish us to wait on the Lord, because it is such and important feature of the Christian faith. And this commentary gives us a brief look at what it is. It asks ‘What does it mean to wait on the Lord? Then answers: ‘To some, that means spending time in prayer, seeking God. To others, it means standing firm on what God has already spoken to you. To wait on God’s answer, voice, or promise in prayer is an essential part of our walk with God.’
And is that ever so true! So let’s look at a few bible verses on the subject, beginning with this great one from Isaiah that we all know and quote but very seldom put into action. (smile) ‘He (God) giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:29-31)
It could not get any clearer than that my faithful brethren! But we’ve gotten so accustomed to the ways of the world, it’s busyness, impatience and wanting everything now for now, that we lose sight of what it takes to live for Christ, and thus get impatient, unnecessarily panicking, suffering doubts, fears and anxieties. Meanwhile, Bruh David says it thus in Psalm 27: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord, in the land of the living. Wait (wait in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27: 13-14)
Oh my people, Bruh David knew what he was talking about from hard experience. Remember he was anointed to be the next king of Israel as a teenager, but never received that promise until many years later, and in between those two occasions, he spent much of that time running for his life from the jealous king Saul who openly and unashamedly tried to kill Him. But Bruh David remained faithful and waited on God’s timing, even refusing to kill Saul when the opportunity presented itself. And eventually he did get all the Lord promised him.
The Lord seldom tells us when we’ll receive what He’s promised, but if we wait in faith, with patience and undergo whatever trials come our way while waiting, then He usually blesses us with even more than we’ve asked or He’s promised. And we only have time and space for one more scripture; this from another of God’s people who suffered greatly while doing God’s work, but never gave up hope in Him. Listen to the prophet Jeremiah from his Lamentations. ‘The Lord is good to them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:25-26)
Yes my fellow saints, that’s indeed godly wisdom. So let’s try to improve our waiting on God nuh, for it will only benefit us. Now let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure to the very end with Jesus, it’s been promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can either ask or imagine. So let’s plan to meet there nuh! Much LOVE!
…waiting successfully on God…demands a strong combination of…hope, faith, perseverance, belief and LOVE…that’s never easy to obtain…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, Bible, blessed is the man that walketh not in the way of the ungodly, Blessings on the Godly, brings forth fruit in season, call a spade a spade, cause some to fall, change it from the bottom up, chaos, christianity, day and night, deviated from God's law, do all that's written therein, do not travel on it, don't walk the path of the wicked, drink the wine of violence, eat the bread of wickedness, endure to the very end, evildoers will be destroyed, faith, fireworks, followers of Christ, from the top down, glad to be alive, go not in the way of evil men, halfway home, hands on the plough, have good success, his delight is in the law of the Lord, his leaf shall not wither, holy spirit, hurt God's heart, in his law doth he meditate, Jesus Christ, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, meditate therein day and night, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not turning back, robbed of their sleep, running rampant, salvation, set a good example, shall not depart out of thy mouth, sits not in the seat of the scornful, stands in the way of sinners, sure fire option, thank God, the breath of life, the kind of character, the Lord's chosen people, the One True God, the righteous will inherit the earth, this book of the law, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, turf God from our society, turned back to God, U.S Thanksgiving, unfortunate consequences, whatsoever he does shall prosper, wickedness, wisdom, woke up
Psalm 1:2. ‘But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.’
So it’s Wednesday, our mid-week second wind day. Let’s hope that we all catch that second wind, especially as one of, if not the biggest and busiest time of the year in the U.S, their Thanksgiving Celebrations are currently underway and will explode tomorrow with great fireworks, both literally and figuratively. (smile) And as I was just looking through the Palms for inspiration, I came upon Psalm 1 – Blessings on the Godly – and it struck me that it is a psalm that’s very appropriate to these wicked times, and it’s one we don’t pay sufficient attention to.
So let’s look at it today nuh. It reads: ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.’ (Ps. 1:1) Now what does that tell us in no uncertain terms eh? That the wicked, or those who hob nob with them will not be blessed.
And Cousin Sol reiterates that warning in Proverbs 4, titled ‘Instructions of a Father.’ when he writes: ‘Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it (do not travel on it), turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except (unless) they have done mischief (evil), and their sleep is taken away (they are robbed of their sleep), unless they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.’ (Prov. 4:14-17)
Yes friends, that’s the kind of character we develop when we choose to do evil, or follow the evil doer. And, unfortunately, it’s the predominant character of our current world. Wish that it were different, but we have to call a spade a spade, and wickedness is simply running rampant, in every level and every direction of our society. That must hurt God’s heart tremendously, because He’s had such high hopes for His most important creation. Here’s what the Lord expected from us, instead of the evil doing in which we’re currently engaged. ‘But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.’ (Ps. 1:2)
Oh my people, that’s the action that the wise and righteous man will pursue; pondering on the Lord’s word day and night. Why? ‘And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps. 1:3) Oh my faithful brethren, that’s what should be predominating in our world right now instead of the current wickedness.
And the sad part is that it’s not new advice but is as old as the scriptures, for it’s the exact same thing that the Lord told Joshua when He made him the leader of Isreal after the death of Moses. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall be constantly) in thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh, 1:8)
It couldn’t be any clearer than that my people! And the examples abound in the Bible re the children of Israel. When they obeyed the law of God, they were successful and prosperous, but when they didn’t, reverted into evildoing and worshipping other gods, they suffered terribly, through wars and captivity and whatever the Lord chose to bring upon them. They were the Lord’s chosen people, and if they, knowingly and stubbornly disobedient, did not set a good example, then they had to be chastised, for no other nations would want to come to the One True God under those circumstances.
And it’s a source of wonder to me, that every time the Israelites deviated from God’s law and suffered the unfortunate consequences, they soon woke up and turned back to Him, and He forgave them. However, this generation is certainly not that wise. Our world is in chaos, because amongst other things we’ve deviated from God’s law, to the point of wanting to turf Him from our society, and we have tried every man made way to conquer the strife and disaster, but nothing’s working. Instead, it’s getting worse.
The ONLY thing we have not yet tried is a return to Almighty God and His righteous and just ways. And it seems like we’re adamantly not going to choose the one sure fire option we have to dissolve all the chaos and destruction in our world. But as children of God, as followers of Christ, we cannot give up, we have to keep on keeping on, in His name, and do our best to at least reduce the strife and suffering in our little part of the world. It’s the most many of us can do, because we don’t have the power to change it from the top down, so we’ll have to use our power to change it from the bottom up.
And having said that, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know our wonderful position in Christ Jesus! As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure with Jesus right down to the very end, then it’s been promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! So hoping to see you there! Much LOVE!
…the evildoers will eventually be destroyed…while the righteous will inherit the earth…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a form of lust, a new commandment I give unto you, anger, as far as the east is from the west, as I have loved you, be obedient to His commandments, bless the LOrd o my soul, by this shall all men know that ye are my disiciples, challenges of the world, change our heart's direction, Christ is the answer, crowns thee with loving-kindness, debauchery, disciples, disobedience, endure to the end, faith, followers of Christ, forget not all his benefits, forgives all thine iniquities, from everlasting to everlasting, God remembers that we are dust, God understands our constitution, greed, halfway home, hands on the plough, hate, he knows our frame, heals all thy diseases, his righteousness, holy spirit, idol worship, if you love me, jealousy, Jesus Christ, judgement, keep his anger for ever, keep my commandments, LOVE, LOVE one another, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, negative things, not turning back, only fools follow Satan, redeems thy life from destruction, repent, righteousness., salvation, satisfies thy mouth with good things, tender mercies, thank God, the breath of life, the death of Christ, the importance of love, the Lord is merciful and gracious, the Lord pities them that fear him, the mercy of the Lord, this is the message ye heard from the beginning, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, unto children's children, wisdom
John 14:15. If you LOVE me, keep my commandments.
Then it was Wednesday; the middle day of our work week, where we endeavour to catch our second wind, and with a flourish, drive on towards the finish line on Friday! And I know that’s much easier said than done, but as disciples of Christ, we need to rise above the mundane challenges of the world, for that’s why we’re imbued with his Holy Spirit and all the other benefits we reap when we become a child of God and joint heir with Christ. And I believe we need a bit of reawakening and remembrance from the Word to encourage us; namely Bruh David’s words from Psalm 103 – Bless the Lord’s Holy Character.
So please pray with me: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103: 1-5)
Ah friends, those are words and sentiments we should never forget, but always have first place in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, for it’s through the Lord’s grace and mercy that we have all the good things and benefits we enjoy. And let’s remember those things don’t come for free; they have been bought with an enormous price, the death of Christ Jesus! So we cannot afford to take them for granted, but are expected, as followers of Christ to be obedient to His will and His commandments.
Remember His words: ‘If you LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) It’s as simple as that my fellow believers. If we truly LOVE Jesus, then we will keep His commandments. Unfortunately though, it seems that a lot of us don’t truly LOVE him, for we are not keeping His commandments, otherwise, our world would not be in the shambles and total chaos that it’s currently in. And the sad thing is that our world is lacking only one thing; that’s LOVE! And Jesus told us several times about the importance of LOVE in discipleship, as well as in life on a whole.
Listen up to these instances. ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35). Then later on He reiterates: ‘This is my commandment, That ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you.’ (John 15:12) And even after that, Jesus still tries to implant the immense value of LOVE into our puny, stubborn minds, when He again says: ‘These things I command you, that ye LOVE one another.’ (John 15:17)
And even John makes it plain in his fist epistle that LOVE should be first place in our hearts, when he writes: ‘For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning; that ye should LOVE one another.’ (1 John 3:11) But we are obviously not following Christ’s commandment because LOVE is the thing most lacking in our churches and our world as a whole. It’s so sad that the negative things like hate, anger, greed, jealousy, debauchery, etc. etc. are the ruling emotions in our world, with true LOVE running a pitiful last. And even when we do talk about LOVE, it’s merely a form of lust or expediency and not true brotherly LOVE.
Yet, despite al of our disobedience and idol worship, and putting God anywhere but first place in our lives, we still arrogantly expect to reap the many wonderful benefits His LOVE provides. And that’s bold facedness at its zenith! And I guess we should continue with these verses of Psalm 103, which make things a lot plainer.
‘The Lord executeth righteousness and judgement for all that are oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy ( lovingkindness). He will not always chide (strive): neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (lovingkindness) toward them that fear (reverence) him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear (reverence) him. For he knoweth our frame (understands our constitution); he remembereth that we are dust.’ (Ps. 103:6-14)
Oh friends, Bruh David is trying to show us the many benevolent attributes of our great God, as well as the greatness of His mercy by not punishing us according to our sins, but instead removing them as far as the east is from the west, and also the greatness of His compassion on un us, as a father pitieth his children.
Then he continues: ‘As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more (it is not remembered). But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear (reverence) him, and his righteousness unto children’s children; To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.’ (Ps. 103:15-18)
Yes my fellow saints, the Lord’s a wonderful God, but in the long run it’s to those who reverence Him and keep His commandments. We won’t be rewarded for our blatant disobedience and sinfulness, although we will be forgiven if we repent and change the direction of our hearts. So all the sinful nonsense we’re carrying on with in this world, will only bring us hellfire and damnation, and eventual separation from Almighty God. But for those of us who choose to do our best to follow Christ, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure right down to the end, then it’s been promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So, see you there! Much LOVE!
…only fools knowingly follow Satan…when it’s obvious…that Christ is the Answer…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new earth, a new heaven, as a bride adorned for her husband, be diligent, be their God, be ye glad, Bible, blameless, Christ's thousand year earthly rule, christianity, cold and heat, come as a thief in the night, day and night shall not cease, endure to the end, eyes straight ahead, faith, god, God shall wipe away all tears, God's great mercy, halfway home, hands on the plough, he that sat upon the throne, holy spirit, I make all things new, Jesus Christ, judgement day, LOVE, may be found of him in peace, new Jerusalme, no more crying, no more death, no more infant of days, no more pain, no more sorrow, not turning back, rejoice for ever, seedtime and harvest, sinful humanity, spiritual maturity, spiritual wisdom, summer and winter, thank God, the breath of God, the day of the Lord, the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the eternal habitation of the saved, the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, the former things are passed away, the heavens shall be dissolved, the heavens will pass away, the holy city, the Millenium, the new Jerusalem, the tabernacle of God, there was no more sea, these words are faithful and true, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, Wednesday Wail, while the earth remains, wisdom, with a great noise, without spot
Revelation 21:1. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
And the days move along swiftly without waiting on anyone or anything! Why? Because that’s the way God planned it. It’s His solemn promise as stated in His Word. After destroying the earth and it’s habitants, except Noah and His family by a flood, the Lord promised Noah that He would never destroy every living thing again. (Gen. 8:21) Then He concluded: ‘While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.’ (Gen. 8:22).
And this portion of an article on the subject from the bibleref.com website explains it thus. ‘From this point, throughout the planet’s history, the patterns of nature will remain as God has created them. The cycles will continue. Day will follow night. One season will follow another. The world will continue to function predictably according to God’s design. This is the grace of God upon all His creation.
It is important to notice that this promise begins with “while the earth remains.” God doesn’t guarantee that the planet in its current form will exist eternally. In fact, at some point in the future, God will re-make the heavens and the earth (Revelation 21:1). But while it does, those who live on earth will enjoy the goodness of the repetition of the days and seasons by God’s great mercy on sinful humanity.’
And for our Biblical enlightenment (smile) here’s what Peter says about the destruction of the planet. ‘But the day of the Lord (Judgement day, not the Rapture) will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation (conduct) and godliness.
Looking for and hasting (hastening) unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.’ (2 Pet. 3:10-14)
Oh my fellow believers, since all that stuff will take place eventually, it’s necessary for us to follow Peter’s warning to look beyond this present world, and live accordingly, or so that we can become a part of the new, righteous and peaceful world. Now, here’s what the first few verses of Revelation tells us about that New World.
It’s John speaking: ‘And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. and he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.’ (Rev. 21:1-5)
Yes my brethren, if we remain faithful believers in Christ Jesus, that’s the glorious time we have to look forward to, when the universe will be cleansed of all the effects of sin! Wow! What a time that will be! After the Millenium (Christ’s thousand year reign) upon the earth, which will be a time of righteousness and peace, and the Final Judgement, New Jerusalem will become the eternal habitation of the saved.
The first heaven and earth which was predicted by Isaiah will be destroyed. On God’s behalf, he wrote: ‘For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be heard no more in her, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no more thence an infant of days (live but a few days), nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.’ (Is. 65:17-20)
Oh friends, yuh see that the Lord promised us a good place from way back when, if we only believe. And why is that so difficult to do eh? Because we don’t have the spiritual wisdom and maturity to look to the future; we’re held captive here by the things of this fallen world, which as we have seen, will all be destroyed. So all the earthly things that we are killing ourselves now to obtain will not serve us one iota of good in the next life.
And nothing’s wrong with things, but they should not be our idols, they should not be placed above the worship and presence of God, as so many of us do. But no one can make you choose Christ and His righteousness over Satan and his evil doings, we each have to make that decision for ourselves. But please, we plead with us to choose Christ, for His is the best choice. Just look to the future and see where you prefer to be, in the New Jerusalem, or the Lake of Fire.
Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure right to the very end with Christ, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, see you there! Much LOVE!
…just imagine nuh…no more tears, pain or death…in the New Jerusalem…can’t wait to experience it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bastion of white male supremacy, a strangle hold, afraid of women, artificial intelligence, before it's too late, Bible, call a spade a spade, christianity, consequences to sin, contrary to popular opinion, corrupt, disappointment, divine revelation, endure to the end, every one of the is turned back, everyone did what was right in their own eyes, eyes fixed straight ahead, glad to be alive, halfway home, hands on the plough, holy spirit, incompetent, Jesus Christ, LOVE, macho men, mentally stronger, mercy, moral and spiritual decline, no king in Israel, no knowledge, no prophetic revelation, Not having the Holy Spirit's guidance, not knowing god, not turning back, people resist change, prophetic vision, rejecting godly wisdom, running wild, shoot the breeze, social media, take the bull by the horns, thank God, the breath of life, the children of men, the fool hath said in his heart, the glass ceiling, the old white boys club, the people perish, the reins of power, the word of the was rare, the workers of iniquity, there is a God, there is no god, there is none that doeth good, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, turned aside, vengeful, waiting in the wings, wannabe dictator, what they have to gain, what they have to give up, where there is no vision, white male supremacy, wisdom
Proverbs 29:18. Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Ah friends, the people have spoken! They have elected an old, inept, incompetent, corrupt, vengeful, white male wannabe dictator as the 47th President of the United States, thus assuring the continuation of the U.S. as a bastion of white, male supremacy! But isn‘t that what U.S. democracy is all about – life and liberty and justice for the white population? It’s ever been so, and it’s not going to change while the rich white folk are controlling the purse strings that lead to power. It’s time to stop pussy footing and call a spade a spade!
And isn’t it also interesting that Trump can only win against women candidates. The first time he defeated a white woman, and now a black woman, both of whom are younger, more intelligent and capable than him. In between he was beaten by another old white male. What does that say about the U.S eh? That they’re simply not interested in having a woman lead their government!
Now, that reminds me of something that I noticed when I first came to North America, fifty two years ago; that North American men are afraid of women. In the West Indies, men were not so much afraid of women, but knowing that they would take the bull by the horns and do whatever was necessary, they became lazy, preferring to sit around and drink and shoot the breeze, while the womenfolk did most of the work.
But to this day, in North America we still try to keep women tied to the home and children, and the lesser jobs, while the macho men go out and do the supposedly important work that they believe women cannot do. The trouble is that deep down they know that women are mentally and emotionally stronger than them, and can also do a better job, if given the chance. Just look at the mess males, especially white males have made of our world eh. But the proverbial glass ceiling still tries to throttle their rise to greatness, as the old, white boys club keeps a strangle hold on the reins of power.
And it’s strange that I got an interesting quote yesterday from a friend, which says: ‘The reason people resist change is that they focus on what they have to give up, instead of what they have to gain.’ And that’s very true, since change means forgetting some of the old, hopefully for a better new. But most of us are still afraid of change, especially when we don’t have a good idea of what’s ahead.
And we’ll close this section of our Bit, with these very appropriate words of some wise person. ‘The people get the government they deserve.’ And that’s the gospel truth! By the way, for all of us Canadians who are thumbing our noses at the U.S. for what we consider a terrible choice, please beware that there’s also much dissension in our land, and that there’s also a wannabe dictator quietly waiting in the wings to grab power, if we foolishly elect Him! Nuff said!
That brings us to an interesting and also appropriate bit of scripture for these chaotic times. Its these visionary words of Cousin Sol from Proverbs. ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ (Prov. 29:18) In other words my brethren, where there is no prophetic vision in the land, the people run amok, run wild and thus eventually suffer. Meanwhile the New Living Translation (NLT) puts it like this: “When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful.” The “lack of vision” is referring to not knowing God, to not having that guidance of the Holy Spirit.’
And this article on the subject from the bibleref.com website, further enlightens us. They say: ‘This verse emphasizes the extraordinary value of God’s Word. Before the Bible was complete, God revealed His will through prophets. They communicated God’s messages to the people. Solomon observes that the absence of divine revelation leads to moral and spiritual decline. Other lessons in the book of Proverbs point out the dangers which come with rejecting godly wisdom (Proverbs 3:1-2; 8:32-36)
Without divine revelation people follow the dictates of their sinful nature. Instead of society experiencing calm, society wallows in chaos. This happened in the era of the Judges. First Samuel 3:1 tells us, “And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.” Judges 21:25 reports that in the times of the judges, “There was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Invariably, when people do whatever they prefer, they do what is wrong according to the Lord’s will. Today, as in all times throughout history, the culture needs to know what is acceptable to God; the Bible supplies the information.’
But unfortunately, today, just like in the time of the Judges of Israel, there is no prophetic revelation, and therefore too many people are doing what they want; we’re just running wild, especially with the new technologies of Social Media and Artificial Intelligence. We no longer know what is truth from lies. No wonder the disastrous state of our world! And sadly, many people are also putting forth this foolish and unwise theory, as Bruh David writes in Psalms 14 and 53.
‘The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. Every one of them is gone back (turned aside): they are altogether become filthy (corrupt); there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God.’ (Ps. 53:1-4)
And that’s oh so true my brethren. Too many of us have not called on God, but rather on Satan, as we compromise and live the sinful life that the world promotes. But let’s remember, that THERE IS A GOD, a God, who is constantly looking down on us and sadly shaking His head in disappointment at our oh so sinful ways. Please, for the sake of our grandchildren and their children’s sake, let’s do something godly and worthwhile about it nuh, before it’s too late!
Now, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure right to the end with Jesus, then that future will be even more glorious than we ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…contrary to popular opinion…there is a GOD…and there are consequences to ALL sin…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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