06 Jun 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all the days of my life, chickens have finally come home to roost, claiming God's help through the wilderness, climate patterns compromised, excessive amounts of rain causing floods, for His name's sake, God come through all the time, God is never late, God will never leave you in the lurch, goodness and mercy shall follow me, he leadeth me beside still waters, he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he restoreth my soul, help me not to despair, hurry, I am weak weary and worn, I shall not want, I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, I will fear no evil, in the presence of mine enemies, LOVE, man should pray and not faint, no heavenly blessings of rain, share His love with my neighbours, stop climate change from getting worse, the 23rd Psalm, the beloved of God, the faint of heart, The Lord is my shepherd, the promise, thou preparest a table before me, though I walk through the valley of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, Tuesday Mantra, waiting with bated breath, wildfires from coast to coast, worry, you are true to your word
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Welcome to Tuesday my people, more sunshine, cool weather and polluted air, but no heavenly blessings. Several times yesterday, the skies darkened as though getting ready to release some precipitation, but nothing happened; those dark clouds eventually drifted away with the promise of rain unfulfilled. Our once steady and reliable climate patterns have been thoroughly compromised, so much so that nowadays we don’t know what to expect weatherwise.
And the wildfire season has certainly began with a bang, all over North America. I thought it was somewhat early for that to start, but apparently not, (smile) as they are burning from one coast of the continent to the other. However, in some other places there’s a plethora, excessive amounts of rain, that’s causing deadly flood situations. As they would say, it’s either feast or famine.
The fine balance of God’s weather setup has eventually been thrown out of sync by mankind’s selfish and greedy methods of living and producing. Hundreds of years of putting carcinogens and other deadly stuff in the atmosphere, the earth and the water, those chickens have finally come home to roost, as we were warned that they would. But man’s stubborn pride and greed, particularly those of the rich and powerful class, made him ignore those warnings, and now we’re all paying the price.
And unbelievably, some of us are still denying the existence of climate change, when its many tentacles are showing up all around our world. Thankfully though, some of that message is finally getting through to some of the rich and powerful as they suffer the consequences, and at last, they are trying to do something to clean up the sordid mess we’ve made of God’s wonderful planet. Let’s hope it’s not too late, and even if we cannot reverse the situation, that we can at least prevent it from getting worse.
But thankfully, as with all the troubles and calamities that we believers in Christ Jesus are forced to go through on this evil and sinful earth, we are assured that we ought not to fear. Yes, we ought to pray and not faint or give up, because we have the many faith-filled promises of our omnipotent God to hold on to. And though that’s not always easy to do, most of us find a way, with God’s help obviously to do it. Today, I want to share a poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that’s associated with our faith and trust in Almighty God, and most appropriately, it’s simply titled ‘The Promise.’
So please read and inwardly digest with me. (smile) ‘O dear God, I continue to believe Your personal promise still stands Though every quivering emotion within Shouts that it will be broken. I am claiming Your help through the wilderness Despite every frightening shadow and vale. Often You do the most When You seem to do the least. Sometimes secretly Sometimes quietly Often slowly But always most certainly You are true to Your word. And so, my Lord Though I am weak, weary, and worn Help me not to despair. You see me, You hear me. You know I am depending utterly Upon Your unblemished integrity Surely You will keep Your word.’
Most assuredly He will my faithful brethren! The Lord has not failed one person as yet who has put their unmitigated trust in Him…and He NEVER will! The problem usually lies with us, we either don’t fully trust Him, or because we don’t see quick and obvious results, we figure He’s not around and not working. But as the poem says, when God seems to be doing the least, He’s actually doing the most, but we just can’t see what He’s doing in the background to set up the answers to our prayers and petitions.
And, as He sometimes works secretly, He also moves quietly, with no fanfare, and we all know that He very often moves slowly. That’s the bane of our existence, the plague and ruination of many of our best laid plans and desires. (smile) Waiting on God’s timing is possibly the biggest drawback that many of us believers face. And I can tell from personal experience that as the time is drawing near for the bottom to drop out the bucket and the Lord hasn’t shown up as yet, it’s one of the worst feeling we can ever go through.
But, until you believe that He’s NEVER late, and will NEVER leave you in the lurch, you’ll always be plagued by His less than early entrances. Sadly though, you can only learn that most important lesson by going through the fire of waiting with bated breath several times, until you see that He comes through EVERY time. It’s like most things in this life, you only learn by experience, by going through them more than once, until you get accustomed to them. And strong faith in our great God is one of those things we can only learn by experiencing the hard times and seeing Him come through for us, though often right at the very end.
That’s the Lord’s style, and unfortunately we can’t do anything to change it. I guess He just likes to test our faith to see if we’re truly the believers we claim to be. And what’s the Bible Promise for today’s poem you ask? You won’t be surprised to know that it’s none other than these marvellous sustaining and reassuring words of Bruh David found in the 23rd Psalm. Let’s say them together to give our faith a big boost. ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.’ (Ps. 13:1-3)
Yes friends, that’s as far as the promise for the poem goes. But even in those three short verses oodles of wonderful promises are to be found. For example, the wise guidance of the shepherd, and lack for nothing under His careful watch. And what about lying down in green pastures beside quiet waters eh? Wow! I could certainly use some of that right now! Then the restoration of one’s soul, and the leading of one in paths of righteousness. Where can we ever find better promises than those eh? NOWHERE!
And that’s not the end of it either, there’s much more to come. So, let’s read the rest of that most invigorating and uplifting psalm. ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy (LOVING-kindness) shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:4-6)
Oh mih people, what wonderful words of reassurance in God’s bountiful kingdom! Yuh know if Bruh David had never written another word, that poem, that mantra to the faithfulness of God would have been sufficient to make his name great, for I believe it’s the most well-known and prayed prayer after the Lord’s Prayer. And now, having had our faith replenished and renewed, (smile) let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, proudly 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!’
Now, it’s time to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with all we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE him like we do! Much LOVE!
…believing in Christ is not for the faint of heart…but if you believe…He will strengthen your heart…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
02 May 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new commandment I give unto you, as I have loved you that ye also love one another, as touching brotherly love, bear any grudge against the children of thy people, being born again, by this shall all men know that ye are my disiciples, convinced of the law as transgressors, God first loved us, have respect to persons, heirs of the kingdom, hurry, if ye fulfil the royal law, in God's eyes, it's easier for man to hate than to love, Jesus' Millennial kingdom, love one another with a pure heart fervently, man's inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn, not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible, obeying the truth trough the Spirit, purified your souls, share His love with the world, taught of god to love one another, the beloved of God, there is nothing new under the sun, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, thou shalt not avenge, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, unfeigned love of the brethren, worry, ye do well, ye love one another
James 2:8. If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well.
And isn’t it strange that on this Tuesday morning the second of May 2023, after celebrating Labour’s victories over the establishment down through the ages, that we’re still embroiled in one of the biggest labour battles and strikes, in Canada, that between the Federal Government and it’s hundred thousand plus public employees, a strike now moving into its second week. It’s affecting all the stuff that the Federal Government is responsible for, like visas and passports, food inspection, and even income tax.
And by the way, yesterday was the last day for submitting your 2022 income tax filing without being hit with the onerous interest that the Revenue department charges on late filings. Hn! What a joke! Filing tax returns without anybody to deal with them! But the high possibility of earning interest from the government’s poorer base must not be negated. NO! And believe me, it is the poorest classes that do pay the majority of the Income Tax, since the government employees are either afraid to touch the rich and powerful, or that class has a phalanx of lawyers at the ready to dispute any tax arguments, and thus avoid paying their fair share.
And, in a way, I’m glad that the Tax department people are feeling the heat now, because they are the worst people to deal with, for they don’t give an inch, are always eager to get their pound of flesh from the ones least able to pay it. They are worse than the bad-mouthed moneylenders. I can tell from hard experience that as soon as you can’t pay their exorbitant demands, they are quick to threaten to garnishee your wages and sell your house for the few dollars you supposedly owe them.
But what else is new eh? Nothing! For as Cousin Sol says so wisely in Ecclesiastes: ‘The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is nothing new under the sun.’ (Eccl. 1:9) Yes friends, the more powerful has always taken from the less powerful, and that’s the way it will be until Jesus returns and sets up His Millennial kingdom. No wonder this saying unfortunately exists and is gospel truth. ‘Man’s inhumanity to man, makes countless thousands mourn.’
None of God’s other creations behave in such a warlike and greedy manner towards each other as human beings do. And would you believe that we are supposedly God’s greatest creation! But I beg to differ, for in reality, we’ve become lower than the supposedly lowest with the inhumane and ungodly manner in which we react to each other. Why do you think the Father sent Jesus to die on the cross for us eh? So that our heinous sins could be forgiven and we could have a new start.
And Jesus pleaded with all His heart to us, when He said: ‘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) But have we taken Him seriously and tried to do His will. No way! Even supposed believers are amongst the most inhumane and ungodly in these evil and ungodly times!
Now, to tell the truth, Jesus’ command there was not really new nuh, because as far back as Leviticus, Moses warned the wandering Israelite’s of God’s desire: ‘Thou shalt not avenge (take vengeance), nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.’ (Lev. 18:19) But we’d been doing the opposite thing for so long that Jesus realized that they had to be a new way for us to show others that we belong to Him, thus His commandment to LOVE each other, following His example of unconditional LOVE for us.
And all through the Bible, the Good Library, that theme of LOVE for each other has been repeated time after time, because it’s the greatest attribute of our Triune God, and thus ought to be one that we show in spades. Please listen to a few of the verses we’re talking about nuh. Bruh Paul wrote this to the church at Ephesus. ‘Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in LOVE, as Christ also hath LOVED us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour (aroma).’ (Eph. 5:1-2)
Oh my people, Jesus gave His sinless life as a LOVING sacrifice for us. How can we do anything less than follow the example that He set us eh? Meanwhile to the Thessalonians, Bruh Paul wrote: ‘For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth (rejects), despiseth (rejects) not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. But as touching (concerning) brotherly LOVE ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to LOVE one another.’ (1 Thess. 4:7-9)
What else can I say eh friends? It’s God who teaches us to LOVE each other, and if we don’t listen to Him, whom then are we going to listen to? And James, Jesus’ brother, adds his two cents worth, when he writes to the believers. ‘Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich (to be rich) in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that LOVE him?
But ye have despised (dishonoured) the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgement seats (into the courts)? Do they not blaspheme that worthy (noble) name by the which ye are called? If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well. But if ye have respect (show partiality) to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced (convicted) of the law as transgressors.’ (James 2:5-9)
Yes my brethren, the royal law is to LOVE another as thyself, and we’re doing well, only if we are fulfilling it. And Peter rightly and wisely exhorts us: ‘Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned (sincere) LOVE of the brethren, see that ye LOVE one another with a pure heart fervently. Being born again not of corruptible (perishable) seed, but of incorruptible (imperishable), by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.’ (1 Pet. 1:22-23)
And last but not least, John tells us in his first epistle: ‘He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that LOVETH his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of (no cause for) stumbling in him.’ (1 John 2:9-10) Ah mih people, what’s so difficult to understand in all those scriptures eh? The main purpose for us being on this earth is LOVE! God first LOVED us, and He expects and deeply desires that we would LOVE Him back, as well as to LOVE ourselves and our neighbours. That’s the ONLY way that our world will flourish the way He intended it to.
And, for whatever it’s worth, the outcome is all in our hands now my brethren! So, for those who are doing our best to follow that royal law, lets’ go home declaring (awright!!!) 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!’
Now let’s 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!
…why is it so much easier for humans…to hate each other…than to LOVE each other…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
18 Apr 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a rushing mighty wind, a taste of summer, and share His love with the world, baptism of the Holy Spirit, be filled with the Spirit, be not drunk with wine, began to speak with other tongues, cloven tongues like as of fire, Comforter, filled with the Holy Ghost, from the least unto the greatest, hurry, I can trust my friend Jesus, I will be their God, I will forgive their iniquity, I will put my law in their inward parts, in God's eyes, Intro to Holy Spirit 101, John truly baptized with water, LOVE, no more teach every man his neighbour, Pentecost day, remember their sin no more, saying Know the Lord, the abundant life, the beloved of God, the Holy Spirit indwells each believer, there came a sound from heaven, they shall all know me, they shall be my people, Tuesday Mantra, worry, write it in their hearts, ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, ye shall be witnesses unto me, ye shall receive power when the Holy ghost is come upon you
Acts 1:5.For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
Ah chuh! It’s a chilly, windy, cloudy Tuesday morning in mid-April! The bout of summer weather we had last week has disappeared just as quickly as it came, and now we’re back to regular spring temps, with much wind and rain. But let’s look at it from a positive angle nuh, we’ve gotten a preview taste of summer, and it looks like it’s going to be fine! Glory be! We’ll take a week of hot weather anytime. The important thing though is that we’ll be joyful with whatever we get, and handle it with aplomb, knowing that the Lord’s presence, His grace and mercy are with us, through His Holy Spirit.
And that brings us back to our refresher course, Introduction to Holy Spirit 101, that we were doing yesterday. Then, we mentioned two prophecies of the Holy Spirit coming upon men at a later date, which happened when Jesus came and then returned to heaven. We quoted the prophecy from Ezekiel, so let’s see what the one from Jeremiah says. ‘Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts (minds), and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and will remember their sin no more.’ (Jer. 31:31-34)
And all of that happened when Jesus came and did His thing, then returned to heaven. Glory Hallelujah! Yes friends, that New Covenant was made with Israel and with us Gentiles, so that we could be a part of the salvation story. And the major differences there was that animal sacrifices were no longer required to relieve the sins of the people, because Christ’s death had paid for ALL sins, and then the Holy Spirit, which hitherto had only appeared to or dealt with men on a one by one, every so often basis, is now, as the Lord promised, indwelling each believer, and allowing each one to know Him personally.
That’s the beauty of this new Comforter or Helper that Jesus prayed the Father to send. And it’s interesting to note that before ascending back to heaven, He told the disciples not to depart from Jerusalem, ‘but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith he, ye have heard of (from) me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.’ (Acts 1:4-5)
Now that must have been hard for the disciples to understand, because the Good Book tells us that ‘When they therefore were come together, (at the Mount of Olives) they (the disciples) asked him, saying, Lord, will thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times the Father hath put in his own power (authority). But ye shall receive power, after that (when) the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both from Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.’ (Acts 1:6-8)
Then Jesus was taken up into the clouds and they saw Him gradually disappear. Not like the other times after His resurrection when He suddenly appeared and then disappeared. This was an intimation that it was final. Although they might not have understood that at the time. But He would not show up to them again until His Second Coming. And like obedient disciples, they went back to Jerusalem to wait for the fateful moment, for the power of the Holy Ghost to fall on, to baptize them.
And we all know that this happened on the Day of Pentecost, when the whole church, about a hundred and twenty of them were in an upper room, ‘all with one accord (one purpose or mind) in one place. 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 (languages), as the spirit gave them utterance.’ (Acts 2:1-4)
Wow! What an occasion that must have been; a baptism of enormous significance in our Christian faith. That’s because prior to the coming of the Holy Ghost to indwell those first believers on that Pentecost Day, the Holy Spirit’s work had been done from without, (the Spirit came upon), and it was temporary, and only fell for exceptional reasons. However, after that Pentecost Day, the Holy Spirit automatically indwells each and every believer. Once they come to faith, every believer receives the baptism of the Spirit.
But there’s an important difference we should all note, that’s between the baptism and the filling of the Holy Spirit. The scholars explain that ‘the baptism is permanent, happening once and for all. But the filling is not received by all believers and thus is ongoing, occurring continuously as seen in the present tense imperative of Ephesians 5:18: ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit.’ Yes my brethren we are to be filled with the Holy Spirit, that’s allow the Spirit to fill us with God’s own character, life and values, and not allow the devil to fill us with wine, so that we can live a godly not a dissipated life.
And that concludes our refresher course in the Introduction to Holy Spirit 101! Thanks for coming, but please note that that’s just an introductory course, (smile) now you have to do some studying on your own, first to assimilate all that we’ve spoken of, then reach the point where you can move on to a higher class on the subject. (smile) Now, for those of us truly interested in living for Christ, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now let’s get out there and do just that; share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others! Much LOVE!
…don’t be contented with mere baptism of the Holy Spirit…but seek to be continually filled with the Spirit of God…for that’s where the abundant life is at…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
11 Apr 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sure recipe for hellfire and damnation, abide in me and I in you, all these things shall be added unto you, ask for patience, be not wise in thine own eyes, colourful camaraderie, Easter Tuesday, fly be the seat of your pants, Goat race in Buccoo, God is with us, hurry, I am the vine ye are the branches, in both the panful and good moments, lack of passion, lean not unto thine own understanding, let us pray, live high on the hog, LOVE, presence of mind, ride the difficult waves with God, seek first the kingdom of God, share His love with my neighbours, skip the hart parts of life, the beloved of God, The Lord is my shepherd, too much to bear, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, without me ye can do nothing, worry
Proverbs 3:5.Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
It’s Easter Tuesday friends, and the celebrations continue! And today, all roads are leading to the picturesque seaside town of Buccoo in sweet Tobago, for the latest edition of their fabulous day of goat racing. And would you believe that the goat races have become so popular over the years that they built a special stadium just to hold them. (smile) I believe though that it’s a multipurpose stadium, but goat racing was apparently the driving engine to build it. But like so many events that seem to have made progress, this new scenario has lost some of the spontaneity and passion. It’s well organized and everybody sits down and watches now.
Where it was previously though, in an open field between a group of houses, the passion and enthusiasm were sky high, as everyone stood on the sidelines right next to the racing strip. There were also crab races back then too. But the best part was that in several houses around the area a scintillating party would be happening: before, during and after the races, with the firewater making itself felt in the crowd. (smile) Those were the days though, when everything wasn’t so well organized and sometimes you flew by the seat of your pants, but that’s usually when you are more creative and enthusiastic.
And brother…it would certainly be nice to be in Tobago now, enjoying the sunshine and the cool sea breezes while relaxing in the calm, beautifully blue sea, feeling the amazing propensity it has for easing the stress and pain in my mature, less than flexible body, (smile) then going to the goat races to check out the food and the colourful camaraderie that’s a major part of the celebration. Now that’s what dreams are made of…but one day soon… one day soon…
However, today I want to share this short and simple but very interesting and to the point prayer I found in the March edition of the In Touch Daily devotional. It is simply titled, ‘Let Us Pray.’ So please do that with me. ‘Lord, sometimes I wish I could skip the hard parts of my life. Some days they’re just too much to bear. But I know you’re with me in the painful moments just as much as in the good ones. So today I ask for patience – to gently ride those difficult waves with You. For attentiveness – to look for You at unlikely turns. For presence of mind – to remember the highs and lows are both opportunities to be with You. Help me experience the richness of this life You created. Amen!’
Yes friends, it’s a simple prayer, but it touches all the important bases in our everyday lives – the patience, attentiveness and presence of mind. If we are solidly grounded in those three things we can’t go wrong, since they will keep us close to and in touch with out heavenly Father, and once we are ensconced in His righteousness and LOVE, everything else will be clear sailing. As Christ said so clearly in the Sermon on the Mount. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
And He means what He says. If you keep God first place in your life, then all the necessities of life will come your way. As Bruh David so succinctly and sweetly puts it: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) And is that ever the gospel truth my fellow believers! We won’t necessarily get rich, or live high on the hog, although that is certainly possible, but we’ll never face times of serious want. And a lot of times that we face a state of want, it’s because we’re not keeping God first place. These words from Cousin Sol in Proverbs 3, which we all know, but don’t properly follow, also reverberate with that wisdom.
He writes: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear (reverence) the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength, refreshment) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:5-10)
Now what’s in those few short sentences that we don’t understand eh? They are as clear as day: Put your trust and faith in the Lord and not in your own strength, and life will go well with you. Both Cousin Sol and Bruh David are speaking from personal experiences. So, if they, who were frail and fragile men just like us, and even made many more serious mistakes than some of us will ever make, could do it and prosper, why can’t we eh? And it’s not like it’s rocket science; but simply trust and obedience. But no, we figure that with the gift of free will, we need to do stuff on our own, although we don’t have the power or knowledge to do half of what we want to do.
That’s why the Lord advises us to stick with Him. As Jesus also said so clearly. “I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) Now that should just about end the arguments. If we don’t abide in Jesus, that’s stick close to him, like white on rice, and He doesn’t abide in us, then crapaud smoke we pipe, because we can’t do much of anything without Him!
So my fellow saints, on this Easter Tuesday, or rather, all through this Easter season, let’s contemplate and consider our positions in Christ nuh. Are we abiding in Him, and He in us. If the answer is yes, then let’s hold on as tightly as possible and don’t ever let Him go, for that means certain disaster. And if the answer is no, then please, please make the conscious decision to begin abiding with Him, as soon as possible, right now will be best, because if you don’t, you have as much chance of enjoying eternal life, as a snowball has of surviving in hell!
Now, for those of us who are doing our best to abide in Christ, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one 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!’
It’s now our bounden duty 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!
…living for Jesus is not easy…but living without Him…that’s a sure recipe for hellfire and damnation…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
28 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a betrayal of trust, an infantile mistake, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive others, be willing to put in the effort, been harshly bullied, emotinally and conatively hobbled, extending mercy, for our benefit, forgiveness, forgiveness doesn't come easy, forgiveness is a cardinal rule of Christianity, God commendeth his own love toward us, gone off my rocker, hold on to hurt, humble apologies, hurry, if ye forgive men their trespasses, let go of anger and resentment, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, mortal and thus fallible, one of the most important aspects of Christianity, relationships suffer, share His love with my neighbours, strong medicine for healing deep wounds, the beloved of God, the devil does as the devil does, the right tools, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, victims of crime, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, worry, your heavenly Father will also forgive you
Matthew 6:12. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And then it was a sunshiny spring Tuesday morning. Yes friends, today is indeed sunshiny. Yesterday wasn’t, although that’s what I wrote. Ah Lord eh! The devil does as the devil does yes! Yesterday was a rainy day, but somehow or the other I wrote that it was sunshiny. And it wasn’t that I didn’t see and experience the rain first hand and didn’t read the Bit after I had written it. The problem was that I had begun writing the Bit before the rain started, so since it was nice and dry then, and the day before had ended up sunny, I assumed that yesterday was also going to be sunny, thinking that I’d rewrite the opening if it turned out differently.
And it did turn out differently. But I didn’t rewrite the opening. Steups! And was I ever flabbergasted when I discovered the error after sending out the Bit. That’s why I don’t like prewriting anything. I’m sure my Scrip-Bit family living in my area must have wondered if I’d gone off my rocker, because the sun was nowhere to be seen. (smile) Now, I might be headed in that direction, but I promise you, I’ve not reached that far as yet. So, my most humble apologies for such an infantile mistake. And thank you ever so much for forgiving me. It only means that the ole fella is mortal and thus fallible. (smile)
And I guess that since we’re on the topic of forgiveness, we might as well stay there, because forgiveness is one of the most important aspects of our Christian faith. And what is forgiveness? It can mean different things to different people, but it’s basically to let go of anger and resentment on being hurt or offended. But here is a good explanation from an article on the topic by Robert Enright, from the Greater Good Magazine website.
He writes: ‘Forgiveness can be incredibly difficult. When another person hurts us, it can upend our lives. Sometimes the hurt is very deep, such as when a spouse or a parent betrays our trust, or when we are victims of crime, or when we’ve been harshly bullied. Anyone who has suffered a grievous hurt knows that when our inner world is badly disrupted, it’s difficult to concentrate on anything other than our turmoil or pain. When we hold on to hurt, we are emotionally and cognitively hobbled, and our relationships suffer.
Forgiveness is strong medicine for this. When life hits us hard, there is nothing as effective as forgiveness for healing deep wounds. I would not have spent the last 30 years of my life studying forgiveness if I were not convinced of this. Many people have misconceptions about what forgiveness really means—and they may eschew it. Others may want to forgive, but wonder whether or not they truly can. Forgiveness does not necessarily come easily; but it is possible for many of us to achieve, if we have the right tools and are willing to put in the effort.’
And right there is the crux of the problem: having the tools and being willing to put in the effort. And if we call ourselves Christian, believers in Christ, then we have the tools and we better had have the effort, or else our witness will be immaterial and be burned up in the time of judgement like it was based on straw, hay or stubble. And why is that you ask? Because forgiveness is one of the very tenets on which our Christian faith is based. Christ came to earth specifically to die to pay for our sins, so that we could be forgiven by our heavenly Father, and thus be reconciled to Him, once again become sheep in His fold.
And Jesus said quite clearly in His teaching on prayer, when He gave the disciples and us a sample of what our prayer ought to be like, what we call ‘The Lord’s Prayer.’ In the midst of it He stated: ‘And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.’ (Matt. 6:12) Now why would Jesus put something like that in there eh? Because as we just said, it’s of the utmost importance in our faith. And after the prayer, He showed us why. ‘For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’ (Matt. 6: 14-15)
Yes, my fellow believers, it‘s as simple as that. If we don’t forgive those who hurt us, our heavenly Father won’t forgive us. He’s made it a cardinal rule of His kingdom. In other words, He’s saying, if I can LOVE you so much, want to forgive your abominable sins so much, that I can break my heart to send my only Son to die in your place, then the least you can do is to also forgive those who hurt you. And yes, it’s all based on the mighty, unconditional LOVE of the Father, for us, His sinful children. Bruh Paul puts it best when he wrote to the church at Rome. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Yes, He didn’t wait for us to come to him, He came to us. That demonstrates great LOVE! And LOVE is the main tool we have to use in forgiveness. That’s LOVING God, ourselves and our neighbours enough to forgive. And these two paragraphs from that article by Robert Enright quoted above, show us how important the act of forgiveness is, especially to us.
He says: ‘Forgiveness is about goodness, about extending mercy to those who’ve harmed us, even if they don’t “deserve” it. It is not about finding excuses for the offending person’s behavior or pretending it didn’t happen. Nor is there a quick formula you can follow. Forgiveness is a process with many steps that often proceeds in a non-linear fashion. But it’s well worth the effort. Working on forgiveness can help us increase our self-esteem and give us a sense of inner strength and safety. It can reverse the lies that we often tell ourselves when someone has hurt us deeply—lies like, I am defeated or I’m not worthy. Forgiveness can heal us and allow us to move on in life with meaning and purpose. Forgiveness matters, and we will be its primary beneficiary.’
Yes friends, when we forgive, we are the main beneficiary; our souls start to heal, we become more mature, and the Lord forgives us. We can’t ask for a better result than that. So please, let’s get on with the forgiving of others and ourselves nuh, cause it’s all for our benefit, and it pleases our heavenly Father! And for those of us who are sincerely working on it, lets’ go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one 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!’
Now let’s go out and do just that nuh: share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…as always…whatever God tells us to do…it’s for our benefit…He’s said to forgive…so let’s forgive…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
21 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: . bickering over petty matters, and glorify your Father in heaven, baptizing them in the name of the Father, be cast out, but of power love and a sound mind, can't live for Christ without salt and light, Christ's mission to save the world, church disunity, divide and conquer, doing God's will, evil doing, fear not, get back our salt and light, God has not given us a spirit of fear, good for nothing, good to be alive, Herculean task, holy spirit, hurry, in god's eyes, invaluable inroads, lead and guide us in all truth, Lenten season, Let your light so shine before men, light a candle and put it under a bushel, LOVE, make disciples of all nations, Satan's power on earth, send faith to answer it, share His love with my neighbours, the beloved of God, the salt lost it's savour (flavour), they may see your good works, trodden under foot of men, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, when fear comes a-calling, worry, Ye are the light of the world, ye are the salt of the earth
Matthew 5:16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Oh my people, it’s so good to be alive on this bright and sunshiny Tuesday morning, despite the chill in the air! There’s something about the shining sun that awakens, or raises up good vibes in our souls and spirits. I guess it’s just the goodness of our great and generous God that comes to the forefront when we see the sun. (smile) That’s why we need to offer a few words of thanks and praise for His wonderful kindness to us, His undeserving children.
So please pray with me. ‘Lord, we give you thanks for allowing us to see another day on this earth, confused and ungodly as it might be. We ask for the grace and wisdom to allow your Holy Spirit to lead and guide us as we go about our daily tasks, doing your will and not ours. Help us to make a godly difference in our chaotic world. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.’
Yeh friends, do we ever need God’s grace and wisdom to be able to make a dent in the stranglehold that the enemy currently has on our world. I don’t know if evil and ungodliness has ever been so pervasive all over the globe as it now is. But it’s our job, as followers of Jesus to help turn that most undesirable situation around. And since evil is so prevalent, I know you’re wondering how we might accomplish such an apparently Herculean task.
Well, the first thing to realize is that we can’t change it completely or soon, because the power of Satan on earth here is enormous. But we can make valuable inroads into the evil doing both on a small individual scale as well as on a larger scale as the church of Christ. As the communal church we cannot do a whole lot until we are united and not separated and bickering over mostly petty matters.
And the enemy is using our disunity as a weapon against us, the usual divide and conquer routine. We are fighting amongst ourselves more than against the enemy, and if we spend our resources in internal struggle, then there won’t be much left to fight externally. Now, bringing the church back together is a huge task, which will take time and a lot of serious effort because it’s so divided. But we don’t have to wait for that to happen since individually we can also make a difference.
Yes friends, as individuals, we simply need to go about our business in our neighbourhoods in a godly manner, be the salt and light that Christ desires us to be. Let’s recall His words, so that they can remind us of our duty. As is His wont, He explained the situation quite simply and clearly, when He said: ‘Ye are the salt of the earth, but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith (by what) shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ (Matt. 5:13)
And sadly, my fellow believers, for whatever reason or reasons, many of us have indeed lost our salty flavour and are of absolutely no use whatsoever to God’s kingdom. We’ve lost the zeal and passion we once had for Christ, through fear, unfortunate personal situations, or just simple laziness and lack of interest. And men are indeed figuratively trodding us underfoot because of our lacklustre Christian witness. But let’s remember Bruh Paul’s immortal advice and assurance to Timothy. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7)
Now that ought to keep us grounded and rooted in the power of God. And if, or most likely, when fear does come calling, we send faith to answer it’s call. Jesus said it several times, ‘Fear not, Fear not!’ And He wrapped it up with these mighty words of reassurance. ‘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 I know that’s sound good in theory, but it’s not always easy to do in real life, but when we do encounter fear, then we need to go to God and ask for His help, not just sit around moping, and wallow in the mire of fear.
So, my fellow believers, it’s of the utmost importance that we regain our saltiness, regain that beautiful flavour we had for Christ, because He also said that ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14-16)
Unfortunately too my brethren, we seem to have also lost our light, so obviously we cannot shine for Christ. How sad it is that so many of Christ’s followers have lost both their salt and their light! What then is to become of Christ’s Great Commission eh? Where we are to go into the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them all that Jesus taught us? (Matt. 28:19-20)
It’s obvious that we can’t do it if we’ve lost both our salty flavour and our bright shining Christian light. Consequently, Christ’s mission to save the world is not doing as well as it ought to, since we, His missionaries and ambassadors, agents and disciples are not doing the job we have signed up to do. That’s why the evil enemy has such vast power on the earth.
So today friends, I’m asking, pleading with us to get back our salt and light, so that we can do the work we pledged to do when we became Christians. That means replenishing, refreshing, renewing our acquaintance with our heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ, then allowing the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us in all truth. And there’s no better time for this awakening than in this season of Lent, the time our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ spent in the wilderness, fasting and praying, preparing for His earthly ministry. All heaven would be joyful if we sincerely renewed our commitment to Christ.
And for those of us who have already done that, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one 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!’
Now, let’s go out and action those statements, by sharing the LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…without salt and light…we cannot truly live for Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
14 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and the power of his resurrection, being made conformable to his death, die more to sin and self, divine commendation, for the prize of the high calling of God, forgetting those things which are behind, God's new mercies and compassions, guidance of His Holy Spirit, hurry, I press toward the mark, in God's eyes, in hot pursuit of his goal, LOVE, made like Jesus, maturing in the things of Christ, nipping at our heels, predestinate to be conformed of His son, reaching forth unto those things that are before, refuse to be pulled down by past guilt, rest on past laurels, share His love with my neighbours, spiritual disaster, that I may know him, the beloved of God, the divine summons extended to the believer for salvation, the fellowship of his sufferings, the joyful personal satisfaction, the newness of life, the resurrection of the dead, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, well done my good and faithful servant, worry
Philippians 3:10. That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings; being made conformable to his death.
And when Tuesday opens bright and sunshiny, though somewhat cold and windy, we just forget all the difficulties we experienced on Monday! Yes, we do. We move on to this new day filled with God’s new mercies and compassions, giving Him grateful thanks and praise for all the undeserved goodness and LOVING-kindness He’s wrought in our lives through His awesome Son, Jesus Christ and the amazing work, direction and guidance of His Holy Spirit!
Wow! What a most wonderful God we serve my fellow believers! And I do hope we truly appreciate Him and do show our appreciation and gratitude by the way we live our lives; that’s in keeping with His Word and His Will. And that sentiment about moving forward reminds me of Bruh Paul’s words to the church at Philippi, where in talking to them about perfection in Christ, that’s maturing in the things of Christ, which is his stated goal, and should also be ours, he says: ‘That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings; being made conformable to his death. If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.’ (Phil. 3:10-11)
Yes friends, Bruh Paul is desirous of attaining a literal as well as figurative resemblance to Christ. He wants to personally know Him, to share in His sufferings as well as His death. The scholars explain it thus: ‘Paul is eager to become more like Jesus in His death (vs. 10) so that he can (1) progressively experience more of the believer’s resurrection life to be enjoyed now (“newness of life,” Rom:6:4), and (2) some day undergo physical resurrection from the grave, thus experiencing God’s power in one of its greatest aspects.’
And that certainly is a most worthwhile objective for all believers. One though that is not very easy to attain. But Bruh Paul recognizes this when he says: ‘Not as though I had already attained (obtained it), either were already perfect: but I follow after (press on), if that I may apprehend (lay hold of) that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 3:12) Bruh Paul denies that he’s already obtained the goal of fully knowing Christ and all that’s included in that knowledge.
The scholars tell us: ‘At this point in his life the apostle does know Christ, but not to the full extent possible. He has experienced His power, but not to the degree he desires. He has been made like Jesus in His death, but he can still die more to sin and self. He does walk “in newness of life,” but there is room for improvement. And he is in hot pursuit of his goal.’
Oh, how I wish that could be said of many more of us believers; that we’re in hot pursuit of Christ and the things which pertain to Him. Unfortunately though, His church is filled with too many lacklustre Christians. Too many of us lack the salt and light Jesus desires us to have so that we can pursue His agenda of spreading the good news of His gospel of salvation and eternal life.
Anyway, Bruh Paul, as always, with his practical mind, offers us a practical avenue to help us accomplish our spiritual goal of knowing Christ. He continues in his letter to the Philippians.: ‘Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended (laid hold of perfection): but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth (forward) unto those things which are before (ahead). I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 3:13-14)
Now, that’s how we should also be in the fight to know Christ. None of us are perfect, have attained maturity in the things of Christ, but we cannot move forward unless and until we let go of the baggage we’ve accumulated in our past life. According to the scholars, when Bruh Paul talks about ‘Those things which are behind,’ he’s referring to both his religious credentials (vs.5-6), now counted as “loss” (vs. 7), and to his past Christian achievements and successes. In ever pursuing his goal to know Christ (vs. 10), he refuses to let past guilt put him down, or to rest on past laurels. Either could spell spiritual disaster.’
And the same goes for us to day friends. Hanging on to our past guilt, or resting on our laurels from past achievements will inhibit us from moving forward in our objective or the ‘mark’ of getting to know Christ more fully. So those are things we desperately need to work on, especially in these turbulent times when we need our faith to be strong, and to grow stronger as the days seem to get progressively more evil and lawless.
And when we press on towards that ‘mark,’ with conscious purpose and perseverance, we will eventually win the ‘prize.’ The scholars tell us that’s ‘the joyful personal satisfaction of having attained it, as well as the divine commendation and reward to be granted in heaven for having reached this goal on earth. And The high calling of God is the divine summons extended to the believer for salvation.’
Oh my fellow saints, that is a major purpose of our earthly life, to become like Christ. Remember God’s intention as written by Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first born among many brethren.’ (Rom. 8:29)
Yes friends, from the very beginning, the Father dreamed of, imagined a household of children that all resembled His first-born Son, Jesus Christ! But that doesn’t come automatically, we have to work at it, seriously and with perseverance, for the enemy is always there nipping at our heels, playing games and tricks with our minds, trying to divert us from that awesome goal of becoming like Christ. But we do have the tools to fight him off, we just have to learn how to use them, then put that knowledge into action.
And for those of us who are sincerely moving along those lines, let’s go home now declaring, (wow!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world 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!’
Now, let’s go out and action those words, 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!
…there’s no better commendation…than to hear Christ say…well done my good and faithful servant…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
07 Feb 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a celebration of Tuesday, a thief in the night, and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, are you ready for Jesus' return, as God for Christ's sake, be ye kind one to another, being joyful, bless the Lord oh my soul, can't do the wrong thing and expect the right result, crapaud smoke we pipe, cut out corrupt communication, don't be angry and sin, don't let the sun go down on your wrath, don't steal, eternal separation from God, forget not all his benefits, forgiving one another, foul and abusive language, hath forgiven you, have Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, hurry, in god's eyes, it is high time to awake out of sleep, let your words be edifying, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, put away lying, redeemeth thy life from destruction, satisfieth thy mouth with good things, share His love with my neighbours, speak truth, the beloved of God, the day is at hand, the Lord executes judgment and righteousness, the night is far spent, the third person of the Holy Trinity, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, work honestly, worry, ye are sealed until the day of redemption
Ephesians 4:30. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
And having embraced the potentiality of this new workweek with a celebration of Monday, let’s continue that joyful embrace with a celebration of Tuesday as well nuh! (smile) Oh friends, being joyful in our earthly lives, regardless of our circumstances, is ever so important, because that’s the ONLY way we’ll ever receive true victory over the enemy and his evil works and despicable cronies. And the only way to be mostly joyful is to have Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, with His Holy Spirit dwelling within us to lead and guide us in all righteousness.
But having said that, it is utterly essential that we obey the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit if we want to receive the many and majestic benefits it brings. We can’t obey when we feel like and don’t obey when we don’t. Total obedience is absolutely necessary ALL the time! Yes, like Bruh Paul said to the Ephesians: ‘And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.’ (Eph. 4:30)
And I guess the next question will be, how can we grieve the Holy Spirit? Easy, just like we grieve our friends and families when we do wrong. Remember, the Holy Spirit is not an ‘IT’ but a person, the third person of the Holy Trinity, so that means He has feelings just like us. And we grieve Him when we do wrong. As Bruh Paul points out earlier in his missive to the Ephesians, we must put away lying and speak truth. Don’t be angry and sin.
Don’t let the sun go down on our anger. That means don’t go to bed angry, else it will disturb our sleep and we will wake up angry. And when you’re angry, you don’t have the peace of God flowing though you. Likewise, don’t steal, work honestly, don’t use corrupt communication, that’s foul and abusive language. Let our words be edifying, that’s teachable, from which our hearers can learn valuable stuff. And all of that you can find in Eph. 4:25-29.
And we can sum it all up in this verse: ‘Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.’ (Eph. 4:31) And by doing those ungodly things on a regular basis, is how we grieve the Holy Spirit. Then Bruh Paul explains the necessary conduct that should be manifested by a true believer in Christ. ‘And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:32)
Oh my fellow saints, ‘forgiven people, should be forgiving people!’ And it’s ever so important and necessary that we believers learn to live in peace, LOVE and forgiveness with each other, because that’s the ONLY WAY we will ever resist and then conquer the enemy! We can’t do that if we’re living in strife, conflict and evil doing, in other words exactly like the enemy does and desires for us to do. Remember, ‘the joy of the Lord is our strength.’ (Neh. 8:10)
That means only when we are good and godly do we possess the joyful strength of God, which flows into us through the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s all quite simple friends. If we want the marvellous benefits that emanate from our merciful and great God, then we need to live the way that He’s set out in His will and His word. You can’t be disobedient and still expect to receive all His many benefits as pointed out by Bruh David in Psalm 103.
‘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 LOVING-KINDNESS and tender mercies. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgement for all that are oppressed.’ (Ps. 103:2-6)
There you have it my brethren; some of the many good things that the Lord God Almighty, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob does for those who sincerely bow down and worship Him! It’s amazing though, that so many of us desire to have all those benefits but refuse to do what it takes to get them. It reminds me of one of Sister Joyce’s (Joyce Meyer) sayings: ‘You can’t keep doing the wrong thing and expect to get the right result.’ But that’s exactly what so many of us are indeed doing. We are bowing down to the idols of materialism and evil that control our world, but yet we expect to enjoy the benefits of God. It won’t happen my people!
And please, please, let’s remember that although God LOVES us unconditionally and is long-suffering, that doesn’t mean He will put up with our shenanigans forever. At some stage off the game, if we continue in our present mode of undiluted evil, He will get tired and react in wrath. And believe me, you don’t want to feel God’s wrath, for it’s as great as His LOVE!
Yuh see how many times, and how disastrously He punished the Israelites for their disobedience and unfaithfulness. Don’t think the same thing won’t happen to us eventually, unless we turn from our evil ways. And who knows if it’s not already happening, with all the many calamities and disasters that are currently bombarding our world, be they natural or manmade.
Oh my fellow believers, it’s as Bruh Paul says in Romans: ‘And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we (first) believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.’ (Rom. 13:11-12)
Yes people, it’s certainly time for us to wake up from our slothful and evil ways and begin seriously living for Christ, for with each passing day, His return draws nearer, and if He comes and finds us wallowing in the mire of darkness, then crapaud smoke we pipe! And we certainly don’t want that, for it means eternal separation from God; the worst fate that can ever befall a human being. So please, let’s wake up and do what we need to do, and stop grieving the Holy Spirit nuh.
And for those of us who are sincerely trying to do that, let’s go home now declaring (wow!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the universe 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!’
Now, it’s time for us to actually go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Jesus is coming back unexpectedly…as a thief in the night…if He comes tonight…will you be ready…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
17 Jan 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, according to the riches of his glory, be filled with all the fullness of God, Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, exceeding abundantly, faint not at my tribulations for you, for this cause I bow my knees, good things never last forever, hurry, in the inner man, Jesus spake a parable unto them to this end, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, material advancement, men ought always to pray and not faint, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, share His love with the world, spiritual enlightenment, that ye may consume it upon your lusts, the beloved of God, the Master of all goodness, the name that's above every other name, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit, to comprehend with all saints, to know the Love of Christ, to which every knee shall bow, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, unto him that is able to do, which passeth knowledge, worry, ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss, your glory
Luke 18:1. And he (Jesus) spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).
Ah well, they say good things never last forever, and who am I to doubt them eh? (smile) It seems like the dry and brilliant sunlit scene we’ve been experiencing for the last few days is now over. Sadly, we’ve gone back to the wet, gloomy, cloudy days of yore. (smile) But we won’t allow it to kill our spirits, because we have the Master of all goodness and encouragement living within us, His august and holy name is Jesus Christ! The name that’s above every other name, and to which every knee will eventually bow. And the sooner we believe and bow, the better off we’ll be.
Now, as I was sitting here wondering what to write, while skimming through the Good Library, I came upon this most apropos passage of scriptures, where Bruh Paul is praying for the Ephesians not to worry about him and his tribulations. ‘Wherefore I desire (ask) that ye faint not (not lose heart) at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.’ (Eph. 3:13)
Now only Bruh Paul could pen a verse like that. And the scholars tell us it means that ‘God will use Paul’s tribulations and sufferings in the ministry to spiritually benefit his recipients. Such edification will then bring about glory on their part in that they praise and honour God.’ Yes friends, that’s the benefit of the testimony of other saints; it teaches and encourages us.
Thus, all the suffering and tribulation that Bruh Paul went through for Christ’s sake should be an eye-opening education and enlightenment also to us in these exceedingly tough and ungodly times. Just like he plowed through the ungodly times in which he lived, we too should be plowing through our times, using him as an example. But what I really want to highlight today, is Bruh Paul’s actual prayer for the church.
He says: ‘For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in LOVE, May be able to comprehend (understand) with all saints what is the breadth (width), and length, and depth, and height; And to know the LOVE of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.’ (Eph. 3:14-19)
Wow! What an empowering and heart felt prayer. It’s not about material riches, but rather spiritual enlightenment and understanding! Let’s check it our verse by verse nuh, so we can better understand it. In verse 14, Bruh Paul is resuming his prayer begun in verse one, but delayed by all the other stuff in verses 2-12. Meanwhile verse 15 illuminates us to the fact that ALL the saints, both past and present are named by God, in other words, they, and subsequently us, derive our spiritual life from God.
Then In verses 16-19, Bruh Paul prays for three things. (1) ‘That they would be strengthened with might by his Spirit; that is, they be divinely enabled to successfully live the Christian life. (2) That the readers be able to comprehend…the LOVE of Christ; that is, to better understand the enormous LOVE Christ has for them, (as well as for us). And (3) that they might be filled with all the fullness of God; that is, that the life, character and virtues of God Himself may be fully developed in them.’
Ah my brethren, that’s the kind of prayer Bruh Paul made for most of the churches that he wrote to; for spiritual enlightenment rather than material advancement. And it’s something we should also consider doing, because it falls into line with Jesus’ command: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:34) Yes my people, when we are spiritually inspired, our material wants then naturally fall into place, through God’s grace and mercy, we don’t have to strive to achieve them.
But wait, Bruh Paul’s not done with his prayer as yet. He continues: ‘Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.’ (Eph. 3:20-21)
And that’s possibly the most important part of the prayer. Why? The scholars tell us that ‘in making the three petitions above in vs. 16-19, Paul has not asked for too much. For he prays unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that he can ask or think.’ Yes, he’s praying to Almighty God, the One who can do any and everything! So it’s not an empty, futile prayer to a deity that cannot fulfill it, but to the God who created the universe and still controls it!
And on the point of prayer, I do believe that our lives lack the proper stimulation because we don’t pray enough, and when we do pray, we don’t ask for the right things, things that are in God’s will. Remember this oh so important Bible verse. ‘And he (Jesus) spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) Then James tells us: ‘Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts (desires for pleasure).’ (James 4:3)
And that’s the gospel truth! Most of the time we go to God in prayer is to ask for stuff, stuff that doesn’t fall into His will, stuff that is mainly for our carnal pleasure. So obviously we won’t get it. Then we get displeased with God and foolishly declare that He doesn’t answer prayer. But it’s the same way when our children come to us for things that we don’t think they should have, we tell them no. I guess though, it’s all right for us to say no to them, but not for God to say no to us. (smile) That’s our typical selfish human behaviour, so wonderfully encapsulated in the cliché: ‘do as I say, not as I do.’
Anyway, we’ve said enough for today, (smile) so let’s go home now declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. In 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!’
Now my fellow believers, let’s go out and do just that nuh; 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!
…the Spirit-filled life…can bring about the material-filled life…but not vice versa…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
10 Jan 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a word fitly spoken, activate our dormant brain cells, bounden duty, Encyclopedias, every idle word that men speak, God will supply all of my needs, have good success, hurry, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, if God be for me, If God be for me who can be against me, in god's eyes, like apples of gold in pictures of sliver, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, S.A.D., Seasonal Affective disorder, set a watch O Lord before my mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, share His love with the world, something good is going to happen through me, something good is going to happen to me, the beloved of God, they shall give account of on judgment day, this book of the law, this is the day the Lord has made, thou shalt meditate therein day and night, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, we will rejoice and be glad in it, worry
Proverbs 25:11. A word fitly spoken (spoken at the right time) is like apples of gold in pictures (settings) of silver.
And all I can say is: ‘Brother! Another cloudy day!’ Ah my my, where is the sun eh? And not for heat, but just a li’l light. Thankfully though, we’re not getting any unwanted precipitation like California, which is receiving all kinds of rain and stormy weather. But it would be nice to get a glimpse of the sun, and see it’s light shining through like Jesus, every so often. (smile) That’s why this S.A.D, or Seasonal Affective Disorder thing is so prevalent in winter and fall. When there’s no actual light in our lives, the body just goes into a state of natural downturn, a state of natural depression, where our moods can vary ever so dangerously.
But what a good thing that we believers have the light of Jesus shining within us, and all the uplifting scriptures of our faith to boost us, else we’d surely be in deep trouble in these S.A.D times. (smile) However, the problem is if we don’t know the scriptures, we obviously can’t use them. That’s why it’s ever so important to read and study the books of the Good Library so that we can have reassuring scriptures to fall back on. Why do you think that the Lord was so specific with Joshua after He made him leader of the Israelites on the death of Moses eh?
He commanded: ‘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)
Wow! That’s from the Lord God Almighty Himself! As the old people would say, ‘straight from the horse’s mouth!’ And thus it should not be disobeyed, but rather taken to heart and sincerely followed. But nowadays, with our know-it-all attitude, because of the inroads we’ve made into science and technology, we choose to totally disregard the wisdom of our Creator. Remember friends, the Good Library was written to help us to find our way on this crazy and dysfunctional earth. It’s the Encyclopedia of Life and Living!
Remember the days when Encyclopedias reigned supreme, when they were the last word in everything, where we went to find anything we didn’t know about? And selling Encyclopedias was the first job that many of us had on first coming to Canada, because it was possible the easiest one to get back then. I remember a few cold nights out on the road, knocking on doors and getting rude remarks. After one particularly cold night somewhere out in the Ajax area, it was just a small town then, I just said forget it and did not even go back to collect the few dollars they owed me.
Many of today’s young people don’t even know the word Encyclopedia, and if they do, what it really means, or stands for, because we now go to Google for all our enquiries. And yes, it is much quicker, but there’s nothing like holding an Encyclopedia, that’s one volume, (smile) in one’s hand and thumbing through its numerous pages to find some unknown or unremembered fact. It certainly activated our brains more and we found more knowledge that way, than simply dialing it up on Google, which does nothing to activate our dormant brain cells.
Now, where were we, before we got into this talk on the dinosaur that’s Encyclopedias? (smile) Oh yes, we were talking about God’s instructions to Joshua to constantly meditate on His word, if he wanted to be prosperous and find success. And nothing has changed since then my people! The same advice still applies: to have true, or God-given prosperity and success, one must know the scriptures and faithfully follow or live by them! It’s the only way! And do we ever need them in turbulent times like our world is now undergoing, and the cloudy days that we’re experiencing, as well as all the other natural and man-made disasters that are happening all around the globe.
And we’re talking about enlightening and reassuring scriptures like these: ‘This is the day the Lord has made; we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps. 118:24) ‘God will supply ALL of my needs through His riches in glory through Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour!’ (Phil. 4:19) ‘I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil. 4:13) ‘As for me and my house, we WILL follow the Lord; that’s for sure!’ (Josh. 24:15) ‘If God be for me, who can be against me eh? NOBODY! (Rom. 8:31)
‘And the God of all grace, who has called me to His eternal glory in Christ after I have suffered a little while, will Himself restore me and make me strong, firm and steadfast. Glory to God! (1 Pet. 5:10) ‘I am an overcomer through Christ.’ That’s just a shortened form of John’s words in his first epistle. ‘For whosoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?’ (1 John 5:4-5)
Then there are these other vibrant and reassuring scriptures: ‘I am above and not beneath. The head and not the tail.’ (Deut. 28:13) ‘I am more than a conqueror, through Christ who LOVES me! (Rom. 8:37) ‘Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.’ (Ps. 141:3) Now that last one is something we should ALL be praying EVERY DAY, because talk is so cheap, rampant and virulent, or bitter and hostile right now that it’s possibly the major contributor to our sad, ongoing demise.
Remember what Cousin Sol said about words in Proverbs. ‘A word fitly spoken (spoken at the right time) is like apples of gold in pictures (settings) of silver.’ (Prov. 25:11) Meaning that a good word spoken at the right time is invaluable to the listener! Remember too, that our words have God-given power, and they can be used for either good or evil, so we should be very careful what we say and when, because Jesus warned: ‘But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement.’ (Matt. 12:36) Now that should make us all sit up and think and take care of the words we speak from henceforth!
And then there’s this last but ever so important saying from Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) that we should ALL also be declaring (yes!!!) every day! ‘Something good is going TO happen to me today! Something good is going to happen THROUGH me today!’ And that’s just a handful of the many useful scriptures that we can employ EVERY DAY to lift up our spirits and reassure us of the goodness of our most LOVING God, Jehovah! You can also peruse and meditate on the scriptures and find many more to use in your own situations.
Now, for those of us who are trying to sincerely live for Jesus, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with all we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…it’s impossible to live a successful life…without reading and following God’s instructions…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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