02 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all that thou settest thine hand to, ask anything according to his will, avoids evil influences deeds and attitudes, be afraid of thee, be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, beautiful green flora, becoming more intimate with God is surely His will, blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, blessed shall be thy basket and thy store, blessed shalt thou be in the city, blessed shalt thou be in the field, blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out, brings forth his fruit in his season, called by the name of the Lord, captivity, christianity, Christians, climate change, come against thee one way, command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, constnat war, continual state of strife, day and night, deepen my breath, delights in God's Word, drought, establish thee and holy people, faith, flee before thee seven ways, foolish pride, frost advisory, God causes him to propsper, he hears us, his delight is in the law of the Lord, his leaf also shall not wither, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, if we know that he hears us, in all sincerity and truth, in his law doth he meditate, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, mercy, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, nor standeth in the way of sinners, only a matter of time, plagues, quiet my soul, realize the truth of the situation, relax my muscles, right motives, salvation, sinners shall not stand in the congregation of the righteous, slow my thoughts, suffer the Lord's wrath, thank you for this tenderness, the amazing peace and calm of God, the Beatitudes, the BIBLE, the blessed man is the righteous man, the blessedness of a man whose priority is the Lord, the flocks of thy sheep, the fruit of thy cattle, the fruit of thy ground, the increase of thy kine, the Lord controls the universe, the Lord knows the way of the righteous, the Lord shall cause thine enemies to be smitten, the ungodly are like chaff which the wind drives away, the ungodly are not so, the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, the way of the ungodly shall perish, this is the confidence that we have in Him, truth, walk in all his ways, we know we have the petitions we desire, whatsoever he doeth shall prosper, wilful disobedience, wisdom, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Psalm 1:1. 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.
And it’s a somewhat chilly and cloudy lazy-day Saturday on this second day of May 2026, but it’s a lazy-day Saturday nonetheless, and if you don’t have to go out, then the weather doesn’t really matter. (smile) And brother! Every day I keep seeing this frost advisory warning. What’s that about eh? Isn’t it supposed to be spring with the trees blossoming those loverly green leaves? Yes. And many of them have already done so. But I guess climate change might have something to say about that. (smile)
Anyway, we know that spring is here, and it’s only a matter of time before the whole northern clime is once again covered in beautiful green flora, because that’s the way the Lord designed it. And to help us chase away any doubts or worries we might have about anything, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, in all sincerity and truth.
As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And if our heart motives were right, then as John say in his first epistle: ‘And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us:’ (1 John 5:14) And asking to become more intimate with God is surely in the Lord’s will. Then, according to John: ‘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 5:15) So if we were sincere in our prayer then we know for sure that the amazing peace and calm of the Lord will soon be flowing through us on this lazy-day Saturday.
And what could be better than that eh? Only the further knowledge of being blessed when we are obedient to Him. And yesterday we stopped looking at scripture blessings at the end of the Beatitudes, but there are a couple more scriptures on ‘Blessedness’ that I would like to share. Beginning with Psalm 1, which testifies thus: ‘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. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 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. 1:1-4)
Yes friends, that’s the blessedness of a man whose priority is the Lord. And he could not put it any clearer than that. Or as the scholars say: ‘In essence, the psalm is teaching that the blessed or happy man is the righteous man. The happy man avoids evil influences, deeds, and attitudes (vs. 1); he delights in God’s Word (vs.2); therefore God causes him to prosper (vs.3).’ But as the psalm continues: ‘The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.’ (Ps. 1:4-6)
Yuh see that mih bredrin; ‘the ungodly is worth no more than chaff, (vs. 4) and his destiny is judgment (vs.5). And the Lord knows the difference between the two. As the scholars say: ‘The psalm forms an appropriate introduction to the Psalter (Book of Psalms) since it sets before the reader the three characters who will figure mostly in the psalms: the righteous, the ungodly, and God.’
And finally we come to the blessings that the Lord proposed to bestow on Israel, if they hearkened diligently to the voice of the Lord and obeyed all His commandments. Then He would set them high above all nations of the earth. All these blessings would come upon them and overtake them: ‘Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body (offspring), and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine (cattle), and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store (kneading bowl).
Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten (defeated) before thy face: they shall come against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself , as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in all his ways. And the people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee.’ (Deut. 28:3-10)
Oh my fellow believers that’s what the Lord promised to do for the Israelites if they obeyed His commandments and lived the way He desired. And the same applies to us today. If we live the way the Lord desires, He will bless us in all aspects of our lives. But what really amazes me is that all the talk about blessings, only takes fourteen verses, but then, those for the curses that follow if they become disobedient, run from verse fifteen to verse sixty-eight. That’s surely a lot of curses. All the blessings would disappear and they would suffer things like captivity, plagues, drought, be scattered to different places and be in constant war.
And just like the Israelites foolishly disobeyed the Lord and suffered all those negative things, likewise we are doing the same thing, thus the continual state of strife and hardship in our time. When will we wake up and realize that the Lord controls His universe, and does as He has said from time immemorial? Is it only when He completely destroys us for foolish pride and willful disobedience? I hope not, because if we continue the evil and ungodly way we’re going, that day won’t be far away. Much LOVE!
…how often must we suffer the Lord’s wrath…for being disobediently and ungodly…before we wake up and realize the truth of the situation…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a mercy that defies explanation, a personal attack of slander, a physical pursuing of the persecuted, a tough row to hoe, all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution, ambassadors of God, another week of work, back to the dark ages, blessed are the merciful, blessed are the peace makers, blessed are the pure in heart, blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, blessed are ye when men shall revile and persecute you, born again by the mercy of God, by the good example we your faithful believers set, called the children of God, christianity, Christians, conforming them to the image of Christ, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, desire to live in peace with all men, divine Love, faith, Father forgive them, fight for good working conditions, fighting tooth and nail, for my sake, for they know not what they do, for they shall see god..., Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship, God's omnipotent help, God's message to a troubled world, great is your reward in heaven, have the work of the Holy spirit in them, help us to be responsible, holiness, holy spirit, in direct contrast to the world, International Worker's Day, Jesus Christ, Jesus the ultmate example, lives transformed by the grace of God, LOVE, make inroads into the enemy's stronghold, May Day, mercy, New Birth, ones that are at peace with God, problems are escalating, rejoice and be exceeding glad, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, rest and relaxation, salvation, saving faith, say all manner of evil against you falsely, Sermon on the Mount, so persecuted they the prophets which were before you, spring festivals, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the Beatitudes, the BIBLE, the eternal destiny of all things, the process of sanctification, the qualities of a changed life, the sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, the throne of grace, the truly saved shall see God, theirs is the kingdom of heaven, they shall obtain mercy, to restrict our hard won privileges, trusting faith, truth, unregenerate men, wisdom, wise guidance, with your generous help
Matthew 5:12a. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven:
So we’ve finally come to Friday, and our Friday Mantra’s has been sent on high: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at last!’ But it’s also the first of May, with May Day celebrations around the world, as this overview tells us: ‘May Day, celebrated annually on May 1st, is a dual-purpose occasion marking ancient spring festivals and International Workers’ Day. It honors the fight for an eight-hour workday, originating from the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago, and is celebrated worldwide with marches, rallies, and traditional festivals celebrating the start of summer.’
Unfortunately, many of the young people don’t know of the enormous fight in the last couple of centuries to gain some decent labour relations. And though the current employers are fighting tooth and nail to restrict our hard won privileges, we cannot afford to let that happen, because if they had their greedy and exploitative way, we’d go right back to the dark ages. But thankfully some of us are still willing to get up and fight for good working conditions.
Anyway, since the Lord saw fit to bless us with life today, we need to keep our promise of checking out scriptures that talk about ‘blessed.’ And we ended yesterday right in the middle of the Beatitudes, a number of statements Jesus pre-fixed with the term ‘Blessed’ at the beginning of His Sermon on the Mount. So the next one is: ‘Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.’ (Matt. 5:7)
And the scholars tell us ‘Those who are merciful…shall obtain mercy has reference to those who have been born again by the mercy of God. Because divine LOVE has been extended to them, they have the work of the Holy Spirit in them producing a mercy that defies explanation by unregenerate men. Jesus Himself became the ultimate example of this when He cried from the cross, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
Then we have, ‘Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.’ (Matt. 5:8) And per the scholars, ‘Those who are truly saved shall see God. These are the pure in heart. Their lives have been transformed by the grace of God. They are not yet sinless, but their position before God has been changed. They have the New Birth, saving faith, and holiness. The process of sanctification is ever conforming them to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29), which image consists in “righteousness and true holiness” (Eph. 4:24).
Then there’s this Beatitude: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.’ (Matt. 5:9) Sadly in these strife-filled times there doesn’t seem to be any peacemakers or children of God around. But as the scholars explain, ‘The peacemakers are ones at peace with God, and desire to live in peace with all men (cf. Rom. 5:1). Their peace with Christ enables them to be ambassadors of God’s message to a troubled world. Hence they shall be called the children of God. Throughout the Beatitudes Jesus clearly underscores that only those who have the qualities of a changed life, herein described, are citizens of His kingdom.’
Then we come to this somewhat tough Beatitude. ‘Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. 5:10) And the scholars tell us, ‘As Jesus develops His message, He clearly teaches that such a life causes His people to be in direct contrast to the world in which they live. Therefore He reminds us, Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. The plural use of “ye” in verse 11 indicates that He foresaw this persecution touching all His followers. Notice 2 Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
Yes friends, that’s a tough row to hoe, but hoe it we must, if we’re to consider ourselves followers of Jesus Christ. And the blessedness get even tougher as we continue; (smile) ‘Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’ (Matt. 5:11-12) Ah mih bredrin, those are not easy sentiments to take in, but as followers of Christ they are true.
As per verse 11, the scholars say that ‘Again, Jesus warns that men shall revile you, and persecute you. This became true during His own ministry, in the lives of the apostles, and throughout the history of the church. The persecution spoke of here is twofold. First, it involves a physical pursuing of the persecuted, and second, a personal attack of slander against them.’ And Bruh Paul personified the persecution of the church when he was still called Saul.
Then per the next verse, the scholars inform us: ‘Rejoice is the command that grows out of the blessedness of the believer. The phrase Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, means even more, exult! Great is your reward in heaven focuses attention on the eternal destiny of all things. If God is as real as He claims, if the Bible is true, if heaven is to be gained, then no temporary earthly trouble or persecution can dispossess the child of God of joy in the prospect of the eternal glory that lies ahead.’
Wow! That’s much easier said than done! But that’s why the Lord has given us all the tools to do it. He knows that fighting His battle here on earth will be tough, but then He expects us to allow the eternal rewards to encourage and strengthen us. And these days we badly need help to keep the fight going, so let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, to receive divine help in these times of dire need.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And we Christians definitely need to wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong, if we are ever going to make inroads into the enemy’s stronghold. Much LOVE!
…truly living for Jesus is not easy…but the rewards are certainly worthwhile…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a complete satisfaction, a genreal designation of the dwelling place of the saved, a proof of spiritual rebirth, a strong will, abundance, acknolwedges their sin, be as a tree planted by the waters, behooves us to go out and share those blessings, being fortunate, blessed a certain characterisitic of someone who want to serve God, blessed are the meek, blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are they that mourn, blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, blessed is the man tha trusteth in the Lord, children of the Most High God Jehovah, christianity, Christians, clear direction for my life, come to know and love him like we do, comforted by the compassion of God, comforted in confession, courage, creativity, curse, delay the greenery of spring, divine grace, divine protection, experience a deep desire for personal rightousness, experience profound inner joy and spiritual well being, faith, favour, favoured by God, frost avisory warning, future possessors of earth, good freinds, good health, got a zeppo, gratitude for life's gifts, he filleth the hungry soul with goodness, he satisfieth the longing soul, her leaf shall be green, holy spirit, how prideful foolish and unwise nakind can be, humbled by the grace og God, hunger and thirst for what only God can give, if God spares life, independent of circumstances, inherit the kingdom of heaven, Jesus Christ, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, LOVE, mercy, mourn for human anguish, mourn for sin, negative word, neither shall cease from yielding fruit, promotion, salvation, shall not be careful in the year of drought, shall not see when heat comes, spiritual poverty, spreadeth out her roots by the river, supernatural wisdom, talent, the Beatitudes, the BIBLE, the kingdom Jesus preached is both in you and yet to moe, the opposite of the proud and haughty in spirit, the penultimate day of our work week, the presently installed rightful heirs, the Sermon on the Mount, their dependence on God to save them, theirs is the kingdom of heaven, they shall be comforted, they shall be filled, they shall inherit the earth, those who mourn for sin cahll be cmforted in, to possess divine favour, true blessings only come from sincere association with God, truth, ultimately share in the kingdom of God on earth, wanting something but not willing to pay the price, whose hope the Lord is, wisdom
Jeremiah 17:7. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
And then it was Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week, and are we ever looking forward to Friday and the weekend. But wait, am I seeing correctly? The computer is giving me a Frost advisory warning. Between the last day of April and the first day of May, we should expect frost… Let’s hope that isn’t true, for the young buds are just beginning to appear on the trees, and a frost cover would only inhibit their growth and thus further delay the greenery of spring that we’re all just dying to see, after a tough winter.
But yuh know what, we can handle anything that comes against us because we are children of the Most High God Jehovah and thus are blessed. And talking about being blessed, I read a scripture earlier this morning that talked about it, and afterward got a zeppo that we should check out some scriptures that deal with the subject. (smile) And there are several interesting ones in the Bible. But before we begin looking at scriptures about being blessed, it might be useful to first have a definition of what we mean by being blessed.
And this overview explains it thus: ‘”Be blessed” generally means to be favored by God, to possess divine favor, or to experience profound inner joy, peace, and spiritual well-being independent of circumstances. It signifies being fortunate, consecrated, or fortunate to have something. The term is used in both spiritual contexts (divine grace) and secular, everyday language (gratitude for life’s gifts).’
So, however we take it, blessed means to be rich or well-off in certain aspects of life. And the scripture I read earlier on certainly displays those sentiments. And it’s a scripture that we all know from the prophet Jeremiah, speaking on the Lord’s behalf ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see (fear) when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer. 17:7-8)
Wow! What a marvellous blessing! You’d think that all of us would then be running down such an awesome blessing by totally putting our trust in the Lord God Jehovah. But we’re not. However, we all want to be blessed like that tree. That just goes to show how prideful, foolish and unwise mankind can be; desperately wanting something but not willing to pay the price to get it. Yes friends, we all want to be blessed by the Lord, but we don’t want to live the way He desires, so foolishly we forego His many blessings.
And Jesus brought the message of blessing to the forefront by giving us the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount. Each of the Beatitudes begins with the word ‘Blessed’ and talks about a certain characteristic of a person who wants to serve God, or who has been saved. Jesus begins with ‘Blessed are the poor in Spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. 5:3) And the scholars explain that by saying: ‘The poor in spirit are the opposite of the proud or haughty in spirit. They have been humbled by the grace of God and have acknowledged their sin and therefore their dependence on God to save them. They will inherit the kingdom of heaven; is a general designation of the dwelling place of the saved.’
Then the next Beatitude says: ‘Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.’ (Matt. 5:4) And the scholars offer this explanation of that verse. ‘Those that mourn … shall be comforted. The depth of the promise of these statements is almost inexhaustible. Those who mourn for sin shall be comforted in confession. Those who mourn for the human anguish of the lost shall be comforted by the compassion of God.’
Now here’s the next Beatitude: ‘Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth (land).’ (Matt, 5:5) Which the scholars say refers again to those who have been humbled before God and will not only inherit the blessedness of heaven, but also will ultimately share in the kingdom of God on earth. Here in the opening statements of the Sermon on the Mount, is the balance between the physical and spiritual promise of the kingdom. The kingdom of which Jesus preached is both “in you” and is yet “to come.”
We then hear this awesome promise from our Lord and Saviour: ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt. 5:6) And the scholars say that ‘These future possessors of the earth are its presently installed rightful heirs, and even now they hunger and thirst after righteousness. They experience a deep desire for personal righteousness, which in itself is a proof of their spiritual rebirth. Those who are poor and empty in their own spiritual poverty recognize the depth of their need, and they hunger and thirst for that which only God can give them. They shall be filled refers to a complete satisfaction. The psalmist proclaimed: “He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.’ (Ps. 107:9)
Ah friends, I do hope we’ve gotten an understanding of the Beatitudes that we’ve covered so far, only halfway, because time and space are forcing us to stop for today. So tomorrow, if God spares life, then we’ll continue looking at the Beatitudes and some other scriptures that talk about being blessed. Now, let’s turn and declare our Thursday Blessings; undeserved blessings which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to help us do His earthly work.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…true blessings…only come from…sincere association with God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a father of the fatherless, a judge of widows, a little goes a long way, acknowledging our sins, afraid of repercussions form the wicked, before you can blink an eye, begging for begging sake, blessed are the poor in spirit, burgeoning wealth, by his name JAH, children of the Most High, cursed is he that perverts justice of the stranger, defend the poor and fatherless, deliver the poor and needy, die like men, divine aid, do justice to the afflicted, extol him that rideth upon the heavens, faith, fall like one of the princes, follow Christ's example, free them from the hand of the wicked, get their comeuppance, get up and get moving, glad at calamities, God champions the poor, God is a defender of widows, God is a good god, greed, He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, he that honours God has mercy on the poor, he that oppresses the poor, holy spirit, humble servants, humbled by the grace of God, inherit the throne of glory, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, judge the earth, judge unjustly, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, Monday's wake up call, most charity seeking society, negative situations, neither oppress the afflicted, no intention of sharing their wealthtoo few have too much, power to solve our problems, promise to prosper us, reaching out to the poor, reliant on god for salvation, reproaches his Maker, rob not the poor, running rampant in our world, salvation, self-aggrandizement, shall not go unpunished, show partiality to the wicked, sincere repentance, sing praises to his name, sing unto God, spoil the soul that spoiled them, struggling to keep life and limb together, thank you for life and strong faith in Christ, the Beatitudes, the breath of life, the God who heals, the importance of caring for those in need, the Lord lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, the Lord will plead their case, the majority have too little, the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, the throne of grace, theirs is the kingdom of heaven, to satisfy the desperate needs of others, to set them among princes, too few have too much, truth, turn from our evil ways, wisdom, wise guidance
Psalm 68:5. A father of the fatherless, and a judge (defender) of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
Oh friends, can you imagine it’s Monday already? The weekend passes so quickly, that before you can blink the proverbial eye, we get Monday’s wake up call to begin another week of work. But instead of complaining, let’s be thankful that we can answer that wake up call, that the awesome breath of life is still flowing through our bodies, for many won’t be able to answer it as the Lord called them home during the night. Let’s also be thankful that we have a job to go, for many of our fellow men don’t, and are thus struggling to keep life and limb together.
And it’s so sad and unconscionable that with the burgeoning wealth in the world, more wealth than there’s ever been, we’ve also become the most charity seeking society ever! Yes, there’s never been as many charitable associations and organizations as there are right now, and sadly, they are not all begging for begging sake, but some are begging to satisfy the desperate needs of others! What an unpleasant, absurd and ridiculous situation. One that should never occur!
And it all boils down to the ferocious greed and self-aggrandizement that’s currently running rampant in our world. Too few people have too much, while the overwhelming majority have too little. And those with too much apparently have no intention of sharing their wealth. And truthfully, they don’t have to give away everything, to solve our many problems, but just share a little more than they’re currently doing, for a little goes a long way with those who don’t have. But unfortunately that doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen anytime soon, the way the greedy haves are scraping up even the little that the have nots possess.
Now, we must not forget that our God is a good God, and won’t let His people suffer more than they can handle, but will always make a way out for them. Furthermore, let’s remember that although God cares for all people, He particularly champions the poor and downtrodden, the needy and vulnerable. And there are so many scriptures on that subject that we could spend an entire day and never cover them all. So let’s look at a few of them to solace our souls. (smile)
Like this proclamation from the prophet Samuel. ‘He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them.’ (1 Sam. 2:8) Then there’s this one from a number of curses that Moses promised would happen to the children of Israel if they rejected God. ‘Cursed be he that perverteth the judgement (justice) of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.’ (Deut. 27:19)
Meanwhile Bruh David says in Psalm 68 – The Triumphant God – ‘Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol (praise) him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him. A father of the fatherless, and a judge (defender) of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.’ (Ps. 68:4-5) And while speaking of Unjust Judges in Psalm 82, Asaph writes thus: ‘How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked (show partiality to the wicked)? Selah. Defend (vindicate) the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid (free) them out of the hand of the wicked.’ (Ps. 82: 2-4)
And sadly there are many, many poor who today need to be freed from the hands of the wicked. But most of us refuse to lift a hand to do anything, afraid of the repercussions from the mighty wicked. But let’s remember what Asaph said in the closing verses of that psalm. ‘I have said, Ye are gods (mighty ones or judges); and all of you are the children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.’ (Ps. 82: 6-8) And God has promised that He will judge the earth in His time, so there’s no fear of it not happening, and then the wicked will pay for all their abominable and atrocious deeds.
And fear ye not, Cousin Sol does have something to say on the subject. (smile) He writes; ‘He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor (needy).’ (Prov. 14:31) And there’s’ a sister verse to that one: ‘Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not go unpunished.’ (Prov. 17:5) Then there’s this: ‘Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: For the Lord will plead their cause, and spoil (plunder) the soul that spoiled (plundered) them.’ (Prov. 22:22-23)
Unfortunately though, that’s exactly what’s happening in our world today. The poor and afflicted are being taken serious advantage of, by the wealthy and powerful. But they will get their own comeuppance in due time. And what did Jesus do during His time here on earth? He ministered mostly among the poor and marginalized, demonstrating the importance of caring for those in need. And He left us with this promise from the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. 5:3) Yes friends, blessed, or happy are those of us who have been humbled by the grace of God, acknowledging our sins, and are consequently reliant on God for our salvation.
Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these most dangerous and treacherous times. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And we do need to pray for help, however, we can’t just sit back and wait on God to help us. We also have to get up and help ourselves with the amazing tools that He’s already given us. So please, let’s get up and get moving my fellow saints! Christ is depending on us! Much LOVE!
…it’s time for Christians to truly follow Christ’s example……by sincerely reaching out to the poor and downtrodden in His name…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a deep desire for personal righteousness, a hungry animal, a message of hope, a mighty rushing wind, a new heart will I also give you, a new spirit will I put within you, a renewed relationship with God, a sound from heaven, a spiritual transformation, a strong will, a thirsting soul, as generously as the Lord shared them with us, as the hart panteth after the water brooks, began to speak with other tongues, believers, blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, broken right now in the name of Jesus, broken the gates of brass, cause you to walk in my statutes, christianity, cloven tongues like fire, complete satisfaction, curse, cut the bars of iron asunder, divine protection, early will I seek thee, everything originates from God, faith, favour, filled with the Holy Ghost, for his goodness, fulfilment, give you an heart of flesh, good health, he filleth the hungry soul with goodness, he satisfieth the longing soul, his wonderful works to the children of men, holy spirit, I will bless thee while I live, in a dry and thirsty land where no water is, Jesus Christ, keep my judgements and do them, lift up my hands in thy name, LOVE, mercy, my flesh longs for you, my lips shall praise thee, my soul longeth for thee, my soul thirsteth for god, negative word, O God thou art my God, obedience to God's law, oh that men would praise the Lord, Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in the New Testament, other languages, outpouring of righteousness, panting for food or water, promostion, proof of their spiritual rebirth, propser, put my spirit within you, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, share our blessings with others, so panteth my soul after thee O God, spiritual poverty, spiritual rebirth, spiritual renewal, succeed, supernatural wisdom, take away the stony heart out of your flesh, the Beatitudes, the BIBLE, The Day of Pentecost, the Holy spirit indwelling believers, the indisputable truth, the living God, the penultimate day of our work week, the prophecy of Ezekiel, the sons of Korah, they shall be filled, thy loving-kindness is better than life, to see thy power and thy glory, truth, underserved blessings, When shall I come and appear before God, wisdom, yearning for perishable things, yearning for spiritual things
Psalm 107:15. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-KINDNESS), and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
So we’ve come to Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week, a warm and sunshiny day, and we’re just panting for Friday, like a hungry or thirsty animal panting for food or water. Oh, how I wish we could be like the sons of Korah say in Psalm 42: ‘As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’ (Ps. 42:1-2)
And Bruh David corroborates it in Psalm 63, ‘A Thirsting Soul’ while in the wilderness, running from his arch enemy King Saul. He writes: ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul longeth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;’ (Ps. 63:1)
Yes friends, it’s the living God we should be panting and thirsting for; not the day when we get a break from work! For who do you think allows you to have that break eh? In the long run, it’s the living God! In fact everything that you have or get, initially flows from Almighty God! It might come through other people, but it all originates from the grace, mercy and LOVE of our heavenly Father! As Bruh David spells out in the next couple of verses. ‘To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee (looked for thee) in the sanctuary. Because thy LOVING-KINDNESS is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.’ (Ps. 63:2-4)
Now that’s how we supposed believers ought to be behaving, not looking forward to the material, perishable things of the world, as so many of us are currently doing. It’s like Jesus says in the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt. 5:6)
And the scholars offer this interesting explanation of that verse. ‘These future possessors of the earth are its presently installed rightful heirs, and even now they hunger and thirst for righteousness. They experience a deep desire for personal righteousness, which in itself is a proof of their spiritual rebirth. Those who are poor and empty in their own spiritual poverty recognize the depth of their need, and they hunger and thirst for that which ONLY God can give them. They shall be filled refers to a complete satisfaction. The psalmist proclaimed: “He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” (Ps. 107:9)
And that’s the indisputable truth my fellow believers! When we sincerely hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God, He fills us up, because that is His very nature, which He cannot deny. And we find one of the best examples of that in the Book of Acts, on the Day of Pentecost when the church members were sitting together in a room, ‘And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues (in other languages), as the Spirit gave then utterance.’ (Acts. 2:2-4)
Oh my brethren, that was certainly an unusual outpouring of righteousness all at once, but it marked the beginning of the Holy Spirt indwelling believers and not operating outside on certain occasions. It’s what God promised the Israelites in the prophesy of Ezekiel. ‘A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements, and do them.’ (Ezek. 36:26-27)
And this commentary offers an explanation of those verses. ‘They promise a spiritual transformation, where God will replace the Israelites’ “heart of stone” (stubbornness, resistance) with a “heart of flesh” (responsiveness, obedience), and infuse them with a “new spirit,” symbolizing a renewed relationship with God and obedience to His laws. This promise is a type of the New Covenant, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, offering spiritual renewal to all believers.
In essence, Ezekiel 36:26 is a powerful message of hope and spiritual renewal, promising a restoration of the Israelites’ relationship with God through a transformation of their hearts and minds. This transformation is also seen as a foreshadowing of the New Covenant, where God’s spirit dwells within believers, enabling them to live in obedience and righteousness.’
Now that ought to help us believe God’s Word even more, as those prophecies in the Old Testament keep being fulfilled in the New Testament. Consequently, our behaviour ought to be like the psalmist says in Psalm 107: ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-KINDNESS), and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he hath broken the gates of brass (bronze), and cut the bars of iron in sunder.’ (Ps. 107:15-16)
Yes, friends, the Lord has broken all our chains and released us from the prison of sin and being hell bound through the auspices of Christ’s work on the cross of Calvary. That means we should be thankful, grateful and show it through our obedience and LOVE, especially since He’s further showered us with our Thursday Blessings, undeserved blessings to do His earthly work. So let’s declare and activate them right now nuh.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (yeah!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and share those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…instead of yearning for perishable earthly things…we ought to ye yearning for imperishable spiritual or heavenly things…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a boost to our collective spirits, a formula for achieving peace, a much needed break, a set of wusses, a solid foundation, as the light, be not envious against, Bible, birds chirping, blessed are the meek, bring forth thy righteousness, cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, cease from anger, commit thy way unto the Lord, confidently trust in the Lord, delight themselves, delight thyself also in the Lord, do not fear, don't be jealous, duty bound, easy living, entitled to the good life, evildoers shall be destroyed, faith, for ever and ever, for faith and hope, forsake wrath, fret not thyself because of evildoers, get up the gumption, give thee the desires of thine heart, God's intervening hand, God's thoughts and ways are higher than man's, he shall bring it to pass, holy spirit, hurry, I am the Lord, I am the Lord I change not, in due time, in god's eyes, in the face of the wicked's prosperity, ineffectual people, Jesus Christ, justice, keep the devil at bay, keep the Lord in first place, like white on rice, LOVE, mercy, of the prosperous evildoer, power to resist the devil, prosperous times, resist the devil, Rest in the Lord, ruling the roost, salvation, shall inherit the earth, share His love with my neighbours, soon be cut down like grass, spring is near, the abundance of peace, the Beatitudes, the beloved of God, the man who brings wicked schemes to pass, the meek shall inherit the earth, the tools we need, the tough winter, the unchanging nature of God, the whole wide world, the workers of iniquity, those that wait upon the Lord, thy judgement as the noonday, tormented day and night, trust in the Lord and do good, trust my freind Jesus, truth, wait patiently for him, we'll all get our comeuppance, wisdom, with all of life's problems, wither as the green herb, without lifting a finger, worry, wrath only causes harm
Psalm 37:1. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
Oh friends, it’s another beautiful, sunshiny day in my area, with temperatures supposedly around plus 7 degrees. Wow! Now, yesterday it was also supposed to be around the same temperature, but it surely didn’t feel that warm. Thankfully though, most of the snow has now melted, and if this warm weather continues, then it shall soon be all gone.
And by the way, I heard some other good news this morning; some birds chirping outside my bedroom window. Was I ever surprised. Birds chirping in the second week of March? It’s either they didn’t go south for the winter, or they believe that spring is near, so they came back. And when I came downstairs just now and looked out the kitchen window, I saw a couple of them frolicking in their usual fashion out there. It would surely be a boost to our collective spirits if spring was right around the corner, giving us a much-needed break from the tough winter that we’ve now become unaccustomed to. (smile)
Yes, we’ve gotten so accustomed to the easy living of these modern and prosperous times that what in earlier times would have been a normal winter, has now become a winter of huge proportions. What a set of wusses, that’s weak, shallow, ineffectual people we’ve become! No wonder we feel so entitled to living the good life without even lifting a finger to make it happen. But do not fear, we will all get our comeuppance in due time. The Lord’s promised it, and we know that whatever He promises will come to pass…in His good time. (smile)
And what’s on tap for today, you ask? Well, I just opened the Good Library, and this most interesting and most relevant psalm jumped out at me. It’s Psalm 37, where Bruh David writes about Trust In the Lord. So let’s read it together nuh, and see what good and useful information we can glean from it. He begins: ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.’ (Ps. 37:1-2)
And right there in the opening verses my people, we have some very important and reassuring words. Don’t be jealous and envious of those who do evil and seem to prosper, for their undeserved prosperity will eventually be diminished by God’s intervening hand. Now, those words of reassurance have never been needed more than in these very evil and ungodly times, where Satan’s rule is at it’s highest. And how do we counter Satan’s attempts to inveigle us into his evil doings.
Bruh David lays it our very plainly in these following verses of the psalm. ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on God’s faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.’ (Ps. 37:3-6) Yes my brethren, those are the basic ways to keep the devil at bay and the Lord in first place in our lives, so that He can uplift and exalt us in due time.
And we all know that sticking to the Lord like white on rice is not easy in these very turbulent and chaotic times, but He’s given us all the tools we need to do it, we simply have to get up the gumption to use them, and not let the seemingly pleasurable things of the world get us off track, like Beelzebub is trying so hard to do. And if we do that to the best of our ability, here’s what Bruh David says will happen. ‘And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.’ (Ps. 37:6) For sure! The Lord will ensure your justice and righteousness, if you make Him number one in your life.
Then Bruh David adds a li’l langniappe, or extra for good measure, when he continues: ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who propsereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place (look diligently for it), and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.’ (Ps. 37:7-11)
Oh my fellow saints, the wicked are ruling the roost right now, but we know that eventually the Lord will cut them down like the grass withers at high noon, so we should encourage ourselves and each other not to give up, not to let the worthless baubles and bangles that the enemy flashes in front of our faces to lure us into his evil trap. The Lord’s promised, and He’s faithful. So let’s stand strong and wait on Him. He knows what He’s doing. Remember His thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours, that we cannot even begin to understand them. (Is. 55:8-9)
Remember too, that Satan is a created being just like us, and his power is nonexistent in our lives, unless we allow him to use it. And the Bible tells us that when the Lord’s ready, He will get rid of him forever. ‘And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.’ (Rev. 20:10) So friends, it’s certainly within our power to resist the devil, but we have to use the tools provided, if we wish to do it successfully.
And I like how the scholars explain it. ‘The psalm also contains a simple formula for achieving peace of mind in the face of the wicked’s prosperity: fret not…neither be thou envious (vs. 1), trust…do good (vs. 3), delight thyself also in the Lord (vs. 4), commit thy way…trust (vs. 5), rest…wait patiently…fret not (vs. 7), cease from anger…forsake wrath…fret not (vs.8). All of these exhortations urge the believer to confidently trust in the Lord with all of life’s problems. The psalm concludes appropriately with an undying affirmation of faith and trust in the unchanging character of God.’
Yes friends, our God is immutable, unchangeable! And we see the Lord saying that in Malachi: ‘For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ (Mal. 3:6) ‘That implies that God’s character and eternal purposes do not change, which gives a solid foundation for his people’s faith and hope.’ Amen!
Now let’s go home with boosted faith and spirits, declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that declaration (steups!!!) we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Jesus reaffirmed Bruh David’s promise in the Beatitudes…blessed are the meek…for they shall inherit the earth… (Matt. 5:5)
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
30 Aug 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Sunday stroll in the park, a thorn in the flesh, an inexact science, be glad with exceeding joy, be of good cheer I have overcome the world, blasphemed, blessed are ye, climate change, constant prayer, for my sake, glory in my infirmities, god's grace is always enough, hurry, I am the beloved of god, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jesus - the veritable anchor of our lives, LOVE, my grace is sufficient for thee, my strength is made perfect in weakness, on their part he is evil spoken of, on your part he is glorified, persecute you, rejoice, say all manner of evil against you, share His love with the world, the Beatitudes, the eternal destiny of all things, the fiery trial which is to try you, the power of Christ may rest upon me, think it not strange, to test our faith, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, weather forecasting, when his glory shall be revealed, when I am weak then I am strong, when men shall revile you, worry, ye are partakers of Christ's suffering
2 Corinthians 12:9a. My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.
Well, it seems like today we might at last get some of the rain promised yesterday, after strong winds blew away the rain clouds. The skies are dark outside and a sprinkle of heavenly blessing has already fallen. But who knows, in these days of climate change anything is possible. So many times in the recent past we’ve been promised rain, and did see dark clouds all around, but no rain fell, at least in my area. (smile)
But just to show how crazy our world has gotten, I recently read that in some eastern European country, two top meteorologists were fired when they forecasted a big storm for some national holiday and thus all the celebrations were postponed. But unfortunately, no storm happened. Imagine the ignorance in that nuh! Weather forecasting is an inexact science, so you can’t hold the forecasters to any rigid details, especially when our weather patterns have recently changed and are still changing as we speak.
But I guess that’s life in these modern times. That’s why it’s ever so important for us to have Jesus as the foundation, the veritable anchor in our lives, so that those kinds of unfortunate things don’t get us too down and eventually drive us crazy. And to help us handle the madness of today’s world, promises of Jesus, like this one, should be indelibly stenciled in the forefront of our minds: ‘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)
Now that’s a most reassuring scripture! It won’t always change our circumstances, but it will surely help us to handle those circumstances in a more positive manner, driving away the desire to give up on our faith and our lives. And per the earthly life, that’s one of the major reasons to believe in Jesus. He doesn’t take away all our problems, but helps us to handle them in a positive manner.
Too many of us supposed believers though, think that as soon as we accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour that life will just run as smoothly as a rippling stream. But that’s a total fallacy, for sometimes life gets more complicated with more problems as Jesus allows stuff to enter our lives to test our faith, to see how strong we really are. And whatever comes against us, God will give us all the grace we need to handle the situation. We need to believe that very deeply.
And we have the perfect example of that in Bruh Paul’s situation in 2 Corinthians 12, where he had some thorn in his flesh, nobody knows for sure what it was, some malady, sickness or affliction that was obviously causing him problems and three times he asked the Lord to take it away but the Lord refused, telling him: ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.’ (2 Cor. 12:9a)
So, sometimes when we pray for relief from a problem, that’s the kind of answer we may receive, and then we must do like Bruh Paul did when he received that answer to his problem. He went on to say: ‘Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities (weaknesses), that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.’ (2 Cor, 12:9b-10)
Yes friends, though it’s never easy, sometimes we just have to grin and bear our problems, knowing that the grace of God is always with us, even when we seem to be at our lowest and most hurting point. All of us have strengths and weaknesses, and as we glory in the strengths, so should we accept the weaknesses or flaws, knowing that God will not allow them to destroy us, if we are faithful to Him and His word.
Oh, living the real Christian life was never meant to be easy, a Sunday stroll in the park, but it surely is an interesting life, with all sorts of unexpected adventures, both good and bad. And when the bad ones come upon us, we need to remember these soul-searching words of Peter, as he writes about us being good stewards of God’s grace. ‘Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
But rejoice, inasmuch as (to the extent that) ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings: that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached (insulted) for the name of Christ, happy (blessed) are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of (blasphemed), but on your part he is glorified.’ (1 Pet. 4:12-14)
Yes mih bredrin, we will all suffer some kind of reproach or insult on Christ’s behalf, but we need to take it in our stride and not always react in the same manner, but consider it a blessing, because the Spirit of God dwells within us and gives us the power and the grace to handle whatever comes against us in Jesus’ name. Remember how Jesus said it in the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount. ‘Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’ (Matt. 5:11-12)
And yes, it will be difficult to rejoice when you are being persecuted, be it physically or through slander and blasphemy. But the scholars offer this interesting explanation of that last verse. ‘5:12. Rejoice is the command that grows out of the blessedness of the believer. The phrase Rejoice, and be exceeding glad means even more, exult! Great is your reward in heaven focusses attention on the eternal destiny of all things. If God is as real as He claims, if the Bible is true, if heaven is to be gained, then no temporary earthly trouble or persecution can dispossess the child of God of joy in the prospect of the eternal glory that lies ahead.’
Now that’s saying a mouthful, but it’s the awesome truth. If all that we believe is true, then the earthly troubles we encounter are no match for the heavenly rewards to come. And we need to believe that and hold on to it tightly, otherwise we won’t be able to handle the earthly problems properly. And the only way to do that successfully is by constantly delving deep in the word of God, talking to Him through constant prayer, and fellowshipping regularly with other believers!
Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to live that way, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we proudly belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and confident voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And now my fellow believers, it behooves us to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…God’s grace is never in short supply…there’s always enough to see us through every problem…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
18 Jan 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a proof of spiritual rebirth, a search for righteousness, bad money management, blessed are the meek, blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, complete satisfaction, exalted them of low degree, for he satisfieth the longing soul, from them that walk uprightly, he filleth the hungry soul with goodness, hurry, I am the beloved of god, I'm not what people say about me, infringe on our free will, led astray by our sinful nature, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, made allegiance to Christ, no good thing will he withhold, no one can take that from me, reading and meditating on God's word, satisfy our famished souls, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, share His love with the world, spiritual awakening, spiritual famine, that's life, the Beatitudes, the big cleanup, the lies and deceits of the enemy.reading God's word, the rich he hath sent empty away, the Sermon on the Mount, there is no want to them that fear God, they shall be filled, they shall inherit the earth, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, worry
Psalm 107:8. He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
And the big cleanup is in progress this bright, sunshiny Tuesday morning after the big storm yesterday. And it was a real big one, one like we haven’t seen possibly in a decade. My driveway is clean now, but not the lane, especially the entrance to it, where the snow plow just moves up and down the main road cleaning that, while blocking up the laneways with piles of unpassable snow.
The lanes are always left for last, though I don’t know how they expect us to get to a clean main road, if we can’t get out of our lanes. And when they do the lanes they block up the driveways, so that ofttimes you can’t get out because the snow pile at the bottom is so big and icy. But that’s the government for you!
Now let’s hope that we don’t get any more snowfalls even close to the magnitude of this one, because then we’ll hear that they’ve run out of money to do the clean up properly. Steups! Every year they raise the taxes that’s supposed to pay for that amenity, but every year they clam to run out of money. Is it just bad money management…or something entirely different eh? (smile)
But that’s a story for another day. Today, let’s consider something much more important – a search for righteousness, one that will automatically improve that money situation we were just talking about. (smile) Now, Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount spoke of some traits that believers ought to possess, and what happens when they possess or ardently seek them. We call them the Beatitudes, and one of them goes like this: ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt. 5:6)
But before we get into what that means, let’s look at another even important statement Jesus made later on, where He warns His listeners. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33). Now, if we are supposed to seek God’s righteousness, then that gives us some idea of how important righteousness is, and it’s a continual thing.
Once you have found God, made allegiance to Christ, you don’t ever stop searching for righteousness. And righteousness is basically wanting to do the right thing. Most of us know what’s right from wrong, but don’t always do it, being led astray by our sinful nature and the lies and deceit of the enemy and this evil world. And seeking righteousness is just trying not to be led astray, through reading God’s word, meditating on it, praying, mingling with other believers, and accepting His promises for your future.
And going back to our Beatitude, we find this explanation from the scholars. ‘5.6. These future possessors of the earth (referring to the previous Beatitude – blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth: Matt. 5:5) are its presently installed rightful heirs, and even now they hunger and thirst after righteousness. They experience a deep desire for personal righteousness, which in itself is a proof of their spiritual rebirth.
Those who are poor and empty in their own spiritual poverty recognizes the depth of their need, and they hunger and thirst for that which only God can give them. They shall be filled refers to a complete satisfaction. The psalmist proclaimed : ‘He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.’ (Ps. 107:9).’
Yes friends, that’s one of the many promises of our faithful God! If you come to Him spiritually hungry and thirsty, He will indeed fill your soul with His righteousness. But sadly, in these times of great spiritual hunger and thirst, of spiritual famine, not enough of us are recognizing our drastic need for spiritual awakening, and thus are not turning to Almighty God to refresh and satisfy our famished souls.
How sad is that eh? And it’s one of the reasons why our world, why Christ’s church, and our own lives are in such disarray, that we are miserable and unhappy, and not living the abundant life that Christ died for us to have, first down here on earth, and then with Him in heaven for all eternity. Now let’s check out a few scriptures that reinforce our contention of blessedness for those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.
And the first one comes from Bruh David’s immortal, or more correctly, one of his immortal psalms. (smile) That’s Psalm 34, where he writes with exceptional confidence: ‘O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want (lack) to them that fear (revere) him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want (lack) any good thing.’ (Ps. 34:9-10) How reassuring and encouraging are those words when we take them seriously!
Then we turn to one of my favourite passages of scripture, the Magnificat, the soul and spirit baring or emptying words that Mary, Jesus’ mother spoke of her rather unusual situation when she went to visit her pregnant cousin Elizabeth, John the Baptist’s mother. Amongst her outpouring of heart-felt words, were these, on our current topic. ‘He hath put down the mighty from their seats (thrones), and exalted them of low degree (the humble). He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent empty away.’ (Luke 1:52-53)
Oh my people, our God does take pleasure in exalting and filling the humble with good things, but those who don’t have time for Him, He leaves up to their own devices. The Lord LOVES and cares for us all, but He desires us to come to Him. In most cases, He won’t infringe on the free will that He’s given us. So the responsibility lies with us to answer His call.
And the last scripture again comes from the psalms, this time from the pen of the sons of Korah, who in Psalm 84, positively declare: ‘For the Lord is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.’ (ps. 84:11-12) And that’s the gospel truth, as all of us who trust in Christ Jesus know from long experience!
Now for those of us who sincerely seek the Lord’s kingdom and His righteousness, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and confident voice! ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Now let’s go out and action those statements like Jesus desires of us, sharing His amazing LOVE and awesome friendship with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…in Jesus…we find ALL that we need…no ifs, ands and buts about it…
P.S. They have finally cleaned my lane, but if you see the two big piles of snow they set up in front of my two neighbours’ houses, completely blocking sight of the main road. Then, as the duchess complained, there will be noise all during the night as the big trucks come to remove the snow. But that’s life! You have to put up with some discomfort to get the final comfort! (smile) Much LOVE!
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
17 Nov 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all that will live godly in Christ, be of good cheer, behind the eight ball, blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness sake, blessed are ye, for my sake, great is your reward in heaven, I am halfway home, i have overcome the world, I'm not turning back, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, rejoice and be exceeding glad, say all manner of evil against you falsely, Sermon on the Mount, thank God, the Beatitudes, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the inner state of mind and heart, the spiritual character and quality of Christ's kingdom, theirs is the kingdom of heaven, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, when men shall revile you, will suffer persecution
Matthew 5:10. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
What a morning! The day’s half done, and I haven’t done my business yet. (smile) But that’s how life intervenes sometimes; getting you behind the eight-ball before you have even begun. So, without further ado, let’s begin. And the Good Book opened today on the Beatitudes, those blessings with which Christ began His Sermon on the Mount, and though we are only going to look specifically at the last section, the scholars offer an excellent explanation of Jesus’ message.
They say: ‘The opening verses of the Sermon on the Mount indicate that the message deals with the inner state of mind and heart that is the indispensable absolute of true Christian discipleship. It delineates the outward manifestation of character and conduct of true believers and genuine disciples. Thus, the life of the believer, described by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, is a life of grace and glory, which comes from God alone. To make this quality of life the product of man’s human efforts (as does the liberal) is the height of overestimation of man’s ability and underestimation of his depravity.
To relegate this entire message, Jesus’ longest recorded sermon, to a Jewish only life-style, as do some dispensationalists, is to rob the church of her greatest statement of true Christian living. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus states the spiritual character and quality of the kingdom He would establish, and the basic qualities of this kingdom are fulfilled in the church He would establish. Virtually every section of this message is repeated in substance elsewhere in the New Testament. Nothing here indicated that this message is to be limited in its application to the people of Israel only.’
Awright friends, so we now have a working knowledge of what the Beatitudes are supposed to mean, because just reading them without a proper understanding, will lead us astray, since all of them begin with ‘Blessed,’ which means “happy,’ but seem to be applicable to people who are suffering. They all seem rather contradictory to what the world expects. How can a suffering person be blessed and happy eh? But that’s because Jesus is talking about His spiritual kingdom, not that of this physical world, and the spiritual world always seems to be the opposite of the physical.
Now, according to the scholars ‘Blessed is a basic description of the believer’s inner condition as a result of the work of God. These Beatitudes, like Psalm 1, do not show a man how to be saved, but rather describe the characteristics of one who has been saved.’
And finally, (smile) we come to the section we want to look at. It says: ‘Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.’ (Matt. 5:10-11) Yes, my fellow saints, if we live the way Jesus wants us to live, we will face persecution, ridicule and hate from the world around us.
And the scholars explain: ‘5:10. As Jesus develops His message, He clearly teaches that such a life causes His people to be in direct contrast to the world in which they live. Therefore He reminds us, Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. The plural use of “ye” in verse 11 indicates that He foresaw this persecution as touching all His followers. Notice 2 Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
There’s absolutely no doubt about that friends! No wonder so many of us don’t acknowledge Christ, or our faith in Him in public, because we are either and/or ashamed and afraid of the repercussions from those around us. But we must remember that no cause is ever easily invoked or maintained.
Please note what the scholars tell us, re verse 11. ‘Again, Jesus warns that men shall revile you, and persecute you. This became true during His own ministry, in the lives of the apostles, and throughout the history of the church. This persecution spoken of here is twofold. First, it involves a physical pursuing of the persecuted, and second, a personal attack of slander against them.’
And that’s why I chose that section of the Beatitudes to look at today my fellow brethren. Some of us are naïve, or just don’t know what to expect in being a true and devout Christian and trying to live by the principles that Christ taught. But it is not a simple matter, as we see from the beginning of the church all the way down to right now. And yuh better believe that in many places, it’s open season on persecuting believers. So it’s not something to be taken lightly.
However, as our Lord and Saviour always does, He provides solace for us even in those times of persecution. He says: ‘Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’ (Matt. 5:12) And I know that’s difficult to do when persecution is staring you straight in the face, but it’s a necessary part of walking with Jesus.
Listen to the scholars again: ‘5:12. Rejoice is the command that grows out of the blessedness of the believer. The phrase ‘Rejoice and be exceeding glad’ means even more, exult! Great is your reward in heaven focuses attention on the eternal destiny of all things. If God is real as He claims, if the Bible is true, if heaven is to be gained, then no temporary earthly trouble or persecution can dispossess the child of God of joy in the prospect of the eternal glory that lies ahead.’
And that’s the God-awesome truth! We have to keep our minds tuned to the home we have waiting in heaven for us. Although this one will be pretty rough, the ultimate one will be worth all and any suffering we do down here. Please remember what Jesus said to the disciples later on when He was explaining the whole scenario of His coming and going to them? ‘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 He has overcome the world through His death, resurrection and ascension, but we have to be strong and remember that this earth is not our home, and for Jesus’ sake, with His strength and wisdom, handle whatever comes against us, knowing that He is faithful who promised. And for those of us who are sincerely attempting to do that, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
Altogether now! ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Yes friends, let’s keep that glorious future of heaven in our mind’s eye as we walk this evil and ungodly earth. Much LOVE!
…whatever ‘sufferation’ this earthly life brings…the joy of heaven will supersede and totally erase it…as soon as we get there…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
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