03 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a forward-looking perspective, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a new work week, accomplishing his redemptive purpose, adopt Jesus' selfless attitude, ambassadors, an example of self-control, as much as humanly possible, assurance of his heavenly Father's guidance and protection, came down from heaven, come back to haunt us, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, despising the shame, disicples, disobeyed God's word, divine aid, earth's corrupt treasures, earthly purpose, ease the pain, endured such hostility of sinners, endured the cross, eternal life, faith, faithfully promised, for eternity, fulfilling God's redemptive purpose, fulfilling God's Will, give his life for a ransom, give to all who love his appearing, God-given purpose, handle them with great aplomb, highlighting his obedience, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, if thou be willing, in the face of immense suffering, in the face of numerous difficulties, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus handled his earthly life, Jesus' ability to endure extreme suffering, Jesus' human struggle and distress, Jesus' primary focus, joy, laying up treasures in heaven, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, life with Christ will be forever, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, mass confusion, material things, mercy, my meat is to do the will of him who sent me, never be discouraged, not my will but thine be done, not to do mine own will, our lives should be governed by the will of Jesus, poise, pray, reflecting the way, remove this cup from me, resolute obedience, salvation, self-confidence, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, shame, sincerely seek God's face, sinful pleasures, sought a reprieve, spreaing the good news of Christ, steadfast devotion, strong faith in Christ, sufferation of the cross, the author and finisher of our faith, the bread of life, the crown of righteousness, the Garden of Gethsemane, the God who heals, the joy that was set before Him, the many suffering from negative situations, the obedient attitude of Jesus, the righteous judge, the sacrificial nature of Jesus' purpose, the Son of man came not to be served, the throne of grace, the travails of Jesus, the ultimate joy, the will of him that sent me, to finish his work, to hear and answer our prayers, to serve, truth, turn from our evil ways, unwavering commitment, waiver from his purpose, welcome thou good and faithful servant, wisdom
John 4:34. ‘My meat (food) is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.’
Awright my people, Monday and a new work week has come back to haunt us one more time. But let’s remember that we have the wherewithal through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to handle them both with great aplomb, that’s amazing poise and self-confidence. Reflecting the way Jesus handled His earthly life with the assurance and certainty of His heavenly Father’s guidance and protection. All the trials and tribulations, the abuse and denial of His holy person, did not make Him turn back or waiver from His purpose.
And there are several scriptures that point out, as this commentary puts it: ‘The unwavering commitment to His earthly purpose and the will of the Father, highlighting His obedience, focus, and determination, even in the face of immense suffering.’ And was Jesus ever a marvellous example of self-control in the face of numerous difficulties. And why is that you ask? Listen to Him explain it to the disciples after speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well and refusing the food they offered. ‘My meat (food) is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.’ (John 4:34)
And the commentary tells us: ‘This verse clearly demonstrates that fulfilling God’s will was Jesus’ primary sustenance and focus in life.’ Oh, how I wish that many more of us would adopt that selfless and obedient attitude, and do the work that Jesus expects of us as His disciples and ambassadors. (smile)
Then there’s this other time, after accusing the multitude of only following Him because they ate of the bread He provided, and telling them that He is the bread of life, (John 6:26-35), Jesus then informs them: ‘For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.’ (John 6:38) And according to the commentary: ‘Jesus explicitly states that His mission was defined entirely by the Father’s will, not His own desires.’ So should our lives be entirely governed by the will of Jesus.
And when we talk about Jesus being the perfect example for us to follow, Hebrews tells us loud and clear: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds (become discouraged in your souls).’ (Heb. 12:2-3)
And per the commentary; ‘These verses point to Jesus’ ability to endure extreme suffering and shame by maintaining a forward-looking perspective on the ultimate joy of accomplishing His redemptive purpose.’ And don’t we have a purpose that ought to also bring us joy? Yes, that of spreading the good news of Christ and living like He desires of us. And what’s the joy we should look forward to? That’s salvation and eternal life with Jesus, being greeted with the words ‘Welcome thou good and faithful servant,’ (Matt. 25:21) and ‘the crown of righteousness that the righteous judge, (the Lord) will give to all who LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:8)
Now, isn’t that a big enough reward to encourage us to do Jesus’ will? I believe it is. And let’s remember that our earthly lives and all the material things we covet and the sinful pleasures we so avidly desire down here only last for a short while. But life with Christ will be for eternity…that’s forever…without end. So, it’s certainly not wise to expend so much energy and use up what little time we have here on earth running down its corrupt and rust-driven treasures, but ought to be laying up treasures in heaven that don’t rust or spoil.
But getting back to Jesus’ serious focus on His God-given purpose, listen to what He tells the disciples after the argument that erupted when John and James asked for one of them to sit on His right and the other on the left hand in His glory. (Mark 10:35-41) ‘For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto (be served), but to minister (to serve), and to give his life as a ransom for many.’ (Mark 10:45) And the commentary explains that verse thus: ‘This highlights the sacrificial nature of His purpose, to which He remained committed.’
And we see that commitment further displayed in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus in His human form was terribly weighed down by the whole situation and pleaded: ‘Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done.’ (Luke 22:39) The commentary tells us: ‘This shows His human struggle and distress, but ultimately, His resolute obedience to the Father’s plan, which included the cross.’ Yes friends, though Jesus was undergoing a lot of ‘sufferation’ and sought a reprieve from His heavenly Father, deep down He knew that it could not happen if the Father’s overall plan for our salvation was to be successful.
And we’ll close with a final word from the commentary. They say: ‘These scriptures collectively demonstrate Jesus’ singular and steadfast devotion to fulfilling God’s redemptive purpose on earth, despite the personal cost and suffering involved.’ And though we all know it’s not easy to do, that is the same singular and steadfast devotion that we need to show in fulfilling Jesus’ purpose for us here on earth. Now, let’s use one more benefit we acquired through the travails of Jesus, that’s the ability to go directly to the throne of grace and ask for divine aid in times of need. Let’s do that right now, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
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 what’s the answer we received? ‘Begin by turning from your evil ways, humbling yourselves, and sincerely seeking my face.’ So, if we truly desire divine aid, then it’s up to us to put those demands into action! Much LOVE!
…as disciples of Jesus…our lives ought to reflect His steadfast devotion and commitment…as much as is humanly possible…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Feb 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crown of righteousness, abide in me and I in you, accept the good with the bad, cast them into the fire, faith, finished my course, glorify your Father which is in heaven, herein is my Father glorified, hurry, I am the true vine, I am the vine ye are the branches, I have fought a good fight, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, Let your light so shine before men, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, my Father is the husbandman, salvation, see your good works, share His love with my neighbour, that God in all things may be glorified, the beloved of God, the bread of life, the door, the good shepherd, the light of the world, the righteous judge, the same bringeth forth much fruit, the way the truth and the life, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, wisdom, without me ye can do nothing, worry
John 15:1. I AM the true (genuine) VINE, and my Father is the husbandman (vinedresser).
Prologue: Please accept my apologies for writing yesterday that it was Canada Day instead of Family Day. I truly don’t know how that happened, and hopefully my ole brain won’t malfunction again. (smile)
Oh friends, it’s a beautiful winter’s Tuesday in my neck of the woods! It’s cold, as is expected of winter, but not too chilly, and with no recent precipitation, it’s also dry, so, when you add the blazing sunshine that’s reflecting off of the white snow, it just becomes a perfect winter’s day! That’s my idea of winter. Those are the kind of days that I don’t mind going out in, not the miserable, wet, slushy stuff. As far as I’m concerned, the latter kind of day is made to simply stay indoors and leave the outside world alone. (smile) But as we know, that’s not always possible, and as Job said, we must learn to accept the good with the bad. (Job 2:10)
But the good thing about having to accept the bad is that we always have Jesus with us to help us handle it. Glory to God! For Jesus is our Bread of Life; the Light of our darkened world; the Door through which we enter the sheepfold; our Good Shepherd; the Resurrection and the Life, through whom we gain eternal life; the Way, the Truth, and the Life, by whom we come unto the Father, and also our nourishing Vine through whom we get healthy food and thus bear good fruit. And that Vine is the last of Jesus’ seven great ‘I AM’ statements, which we’ll look at today.
That happens when Jesus talks to the disciples and figuratively refers to the kingdom as one large, but fruitful grapevine, and then explains the divine-human relationship that thus exists. He says: ‘I AM the true (genuine) VINE, and my Father is the husbandman (vinedresser). (John 15:1) Yes friends, the basic relationship is that Jesus is the vine, we are the branches and the Father is the gardener who tends the vine, who does whatever is necessary to keep the vine flourishing and bearing good fruit.
Then Jesus breaks it down to simple elements, as is His wont. ‘Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he (the Father – vinedresser) taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth (prunes) it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through (because of) the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide n the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me. IAM 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 15:1-5)
There’s Jesus telling it exactly like it is my fellow believers; without Him we’re basically helpless to live the abundant life that He died for us to have! We’ve all seen different kinds of vines, where the branches are spread all over the place, but they get their nourishment from one central main vine. Without that main vine to nourish them, the branches will have no chance of surviving, much less of bearing good fruit. The same allegory applies to us and Jesus: if we don’t stick to Him like a branch sticks to it’s mother vine, then we’ll perish for lack of nourishment, both spiritual and physical, for Jesus is the One who gives us true life.
Remember His great ‘I AM’ statement: ‘I AM the Resurrection and the Life’ Yes, Jesus is the One who gives us eternal life, the One through whom we get to the Father. So, sticking closely to Jesus is a no-brainer! And He says just that in His next words. ‘If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.’ (John 15:6) Oh my people, might Jesus be there talking about the day of judgement when we come before Him to answer for our words, thoughts and deeds? It surely seems so. That means if we’re not found to have abided in Him, we’ll be cast into the fires of hell and painfully consumed.
And that’s certainly not a nice thing to contemplate, so let’s be wise and abide in Him nuh. And Jesus further explains why that is the wise choice. ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto (for) you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit: so shall ye be my disciples.’ (John 15:7-8) Now isn’t that much more wonderful than facing the fires of hell? It most certainly is! So why aren’t many more of us abiding in Christ, and bearing much more fruit through which the Father is glorified eh?
We each have to answer that question for ourselves, for we cannot live by or through another’s faith, for we will be judged only on our faith journey. Remember what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount? ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven,’ (Matt. 5:16) And to glorify our great God is our major purpose on this earth my brethren! Even that was Jesus’ main purpose, as He says in His prayer: ‘I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.’ (John 17:4)
Likewise friends, at the end of our lives, we should also be able to say that we have glorified the Lord. And Peter puts it quite nicely: ‘If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles (utterances, statements) of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in ALL THINGS may be glorified through Christ Jesus, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 4:11)
Now that ought to lift us up and cause us to live for Christ, so that at the end, we can say like Bruh Paul did to Timothy. ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:7-8) Oh friends, there’s no better way to depart this world, but we first have to put in the time, effort and sacrifice for Jesus!
And for those of us who are sincerely trying to do that, let’s go home now declaring (yeahhh!!!) 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!’
And having said all of that, it’s now our duty 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 w do! Much LOVE!
…if you don’t stick to the vine…the vinedresser will cast you into the fire…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
17 Jan 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a different perspective on life, a no brainer, a prisoner of myself, all of life turned right side up, all of life upside down, as for me and my house, at the end of my rope, be of good cheer I have overcome the world, christ is the winner every time, christianity, come unto me all ye that labour, come without feeling, defenseless, don't climb, don't compete, don't cringe, endure to the end, eternal life, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, find rest unto your souls, glorious sunshine, halfway home, hands on the plough, I am meek and humble, I called upon the Lord in distress, I came, I will give you rest, Jesus Christ, Lord look at me just look at me, LOVE, mercy, never hunger, never thirst, not turning back, Reversal, see without eyes, set me in a large place, spiritual bread, take my yoke upon you, thank God, the BIBLE, the bread of life, the breath of life, the Lord answered me, the Lord set me free, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, walk without feet, we will serve the Lord, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, without merit or hope
Psalm 118:5. I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large (broad) place.
Oh my people, there’s glorious sunshine in my neighborhood It’s also pretty cold…but who cares eh? The sun’s shining brightly, that’s all that matters! And yesterday, despite the cloudiness and snow, we also had some sunshine for a part of the early afternoon, so we can’t complain. Now that’s what winter is supposed to be all about!
And having said all of that, I just discovered a wonderful poem in our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, simply titled ‘REVERSAL.’ As usual, I don’t know if I’ve shared it before, but if I did, it’s certainly worth sharing again, (smile) especially in these rough and ungodly times, when we’re all experiencing serious problems.
So please read with me: ‘I said: Lord, look at me Just look at me All of life upside down – Tangled emotions smeared with fear Guilt Despair Disgust A prisoner of myself. The hopeless thing is that It’s all decided. I’m defenseless At the end of my rope Locked in And I’ve tried, Lord Tried desperately. But how does one see without eyes Or walk without feet? How, Lord? You said, Come unto me. You need not cringe Nor climb Nor compete Nor change Come even without feeling without tokens Without merit or hope… But come. Come now. I came And all of life Turned right side up.’
Wow! I just LOVE that poem, for it’s the gospel truth and I can certainly testify to it, as many of you my fellow believers also can, because that’s exactly what happens when we sincerely turn our attention to Christ and surrender our all to Him. Our lives are inexplicably turned around. And although our circumstances might not change very much, we are able to bear them much better than before.
The thing is, that with Christ in our lives we develop a completely different perspective on life; one that promotes positivity and the concept that any and everything is possible with God. So we no longer feel alone and disgusted with ourselves because we are not living up to whatever standards we think we ought to. Oh friends, it’s important to go to Christ just as we are, broken and disgruntled. As the poem says: ‘there’s no need to cringe, or climb, or compete, or change. Just come; even without feeling, without tokens, without merit or hope…but just come.’
And that’s exactly how Jesus expects and welcomes us. Regardless of our position, He just wants us to come…come as we are, and He will fix us up. It’s as the psalmist says in the Bible Promise for our poem. When talking about God’s mercy, he confidently states: ‘I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large (broad) place.’ (Ps. 118:5) One translation says ‘he set me free.’ And that’s what He will do if you entrust your heart, mind, body and soul to Him.
And you cannot get a better scripture that encompasses it all than Christ’s Great Invitation! No friends, how can you ever top this bold and compassionate invite? ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble); and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Oh my people, what an invitation! And you’d be really foolish and unwise not to take Jesus up on it, because no one else has such an invitation to offer. Certainly not the evil one, Satan.
Now, it doesn’t mean that your life will then be all peaches and cream. No! For in this evil, ungodly world you will always have trials and tribulation, but as Jesus said: ‘These things I have spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) That’s the important part my brethren; to know and believe that Christ has overcome the world, so there’s no need for us to fear what man or beast can do to us.
Unfortunately though, in this world, it’s imperative we bow to somebody, and we only have two serious options, Satan or Christ. But since Christ’s yoke and burden are much lighter and have many more good rewards than Satan’s, especially the forgiveness of sins and life eternal in heaven, it only makes sense to accept him as Lord and Saviour. It’s the wisest decision you’ll ever make. And besides, your worst day with Christ, is going to be better than your best day with Beelzebub! That’s for sure!
Now listen to Jesus as He again offers what no one else can offer. He said to the crowd that followed him: ‘I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth in me shall never thirst.’ (John 6:35) Yes mih bredrin, the people were looking for physical bread and drink to quench their physical hunger, but Jesus was talking about the spiritual bread, the bread which gives eternal life. And for sure, NO ONE ELSE can make that kind of offer in all sincerity and truth! Jesus is the ONLY ONE who can make and keep it!
So there we have it; two options in life: Put your trust in Satan and end up in hell with eternal separation from Almighty God, or put your trust in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and end up in heaven with eternal life to look forward to. And there is no doubt or hesitation on my part as to which is the better option. I’m going to do like Joshua and say: ‘as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’ (Josh. 25:15) That’s my unalterable position. And for those of us who feel the same way, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
Altogether: ‘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 there’s a further promise that if we endure with Jesus right down to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, let’s plan to meet at the very end and enjoy that glorious future together nuh! Much LOVE!
…the choice between Satan and Christ…it’s a no brainer…Christ is the winner… EVERY TIME…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
27 Dec 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a well of water, a word to the wise, and all these things, as Jesus desires, believes on me, burden easy, Christian life, Christmas, come to me, curse, Daily Bread Devotional, damned, divine protection, eternal life, find eme, fountain, give you rest, gives the rest we need, heavy burdened, into everlasting life, Jesus alone, knew a good thing, knowing God, labour, LOVE, makes no bones, negative word, never hunger, never thirst, New Year's Eve, no apologies, on my sleeve, on the outside looking in, popular opinion, Samaritan woman, seek me, seek ye first the kingdom of God, self-control, self-discipline, Sermon on the Mount, shall be added unto you, share, springing up, success, sufficient, the bread of life, the great invitation, the well of Jacob, Thursday Blessings, wearing my emotions, well intentioned, what matters most, winding down, with all of your heart, yoke is light
Matthew 6:33. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Ah friends, as Christmas week is winding down, and we winding up to New Year’s Eve, what’s there to say eh? The ole fella is stymied! Hn, hn! And I can hear some of you who know me chuckling and wondering if that is possible. But wonder of wonders it is possible! Contrary to popular opinion, the ole fella doesn’t always have something to say, but when he does, he makes no bones about it and says it loud and clear.
Friends, I make no apologies for wearing my emotions on my sleeve, they might not always be appropriate, but believe me, they are always well intentioned. It’s sad though, that those who think I talk too much, on the odd occasion, when I keep quiet, they believe that I am angry.
So how to please them eh? I guess I just don’t try, for I’m damned if I do, and damned if I don’t! And if anybody can tell me how we got to all of that, I’d be very happy, since I don’t have a clue! Guess the Lord thought since I didn’t have anything to say, that stuff might be a good idea. For all our sakes, let’s hope so yes! (smile)
And I’ve just been searching through the bits of paper on my desk here, looking for something to write on – I really don’t have anything – and two quotes from the Daily Bread Devotional just jumped out at me. The first is: ‘Knowing God is what matters most!’ And the second is: ‘Jesus ALONE gives the rest we need!’
And yuh know friends, when you ponder those two thoughts, you can easily build a beautiful Christian life around them. They are all you really need to know! For as Jesus so strenuously and ardently emphasized in His Sermon on the Mount: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’
Oh my fellow believers, there are no more important words than those in the Good Book, because the first thing we need to do in this life is to seek God! And once we do that, He’s promised that everything else will fall into place! Give Him thanks and praise my people, for being such a wonderful Father to us stubborn and disobedient children!
And as a fitting corollary to our Bit, hear these words of our wonderful God, as spoken through the mouth of the prophet Jeremiah: ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer.29:13) What a beautiful assuring scripture mih people! All it entails is us seeking the Lord with all of our heart; meaning humbly, sincerely and with the right motives!
So now that we’ve come to know God, the next important thing is to find rest and revitalization in this cruel, busy and evil world. And where best to find that than in Jesus, the Prince of Peace, the One who uttered this Great Invitation when He walked amongst fallen men here on earth. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt.11:28-30)
Oh friends, oh friends, that’ the best invitation ever offered in this crazy, fallen world! Nobody else has ever offered such an invitation…and even if they did, it’s very unlikely that they can fulfill it, because it’s only something that Jesus can fulfill. No one else can give you rest for your souls, after He has died to atone for your sins, and bear your earthly burdens on top of all that!
My people, Jesus knows what we’re going through here on earth, because He went through it too, that’s why He can offer the sustenance and easy yoke found in His unconditional and ever-abiding LOVE! And if you didn’t believe Jesus there, then here’s another opportunity to do so: ‘And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.’ (John 6:36)
Yes my fellow believers, Jesus IS the bread that gives life: spiritual and eternal life! What else do we need to hear before we come to Jesus eh? Well try these words that He spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob: ‘Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water (fountain) springing up into everlasting life.’ (John 4:13-14)
And yuh know what friends, that Samaritan woman was smarter than many of us in this supposedly enlightened age. Without hesitation, she fervently replied: ‘Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.’ (John 4:15) Yeh mih people, she might not have understood all the ramifications of Jesus’ words, but unlike us, she knew a good thing when she heard it. What are we waiting for to seek God and come to Jesus for rest eh, my brethren?
We waiting until He comes back again and it’s too late? Please, please, let’s not fall into that trap of the enemy, because He is only looking for company. Remember the worst fate that can befall a soul is to be on the outside looking in when Jesus returns! So please let’s smarten up today, RIGHT NOW, and look after our eternal future. That’s the wisdom of the ages!
And having said all of that, let’s not forget to declare our Thursday Blessings that have been so lavishly bestowed on us as believers in Christ Jesus. As one, in strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Now let’s go out and action, share those blessings as Jesus desires of us. Much LOVE!
…a word to the wise is sufficient
16 Sep 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: almighty god, Anselm, Antigua, anything's possible, Barbuda, be of good comfort, belief, believe, believe in God, believe in yourself, blessed, carry on, catastrophic, cheer, Christian faith, Creator, devastated, disaster, disciples, faith, Father, fear not, Florida, fortunate, give thanks to god, go in peace, grace, grateful, have not seen me, healed, heavenly Father, holy spirit, hope, hunger, hurricane, I am in the Father, in full swing, Irma, issue of blood, jehovah god, Jesus, Jesus heard it, Jose, Lord and Saviour, made whole, mercy, once there is life, only believe, Philip, physical hunger, proviso, quotes, risen from the dead, sacrificed, Saturday, sinless life, Son, spiritual lack, sure foundation, synangogue, the bread of life, the Son of God, the very works' sake, the weekend, thirst, Thomas, thy faith hath made thee whole, touch the hem, tropical storm, true beginning, trust, without power, yet have believed
Luke 8:50. But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.
Well friends, it’s Saturday, we’re alive and kicking and into the weekend in full swing now! For that we should be grateful and give our great God some thanks for His grace and mercy, because that’s the only reason why we’re still alive today. Many people have not been so fortunate or blessed.
But then again friends, is there ever a day when some sort of disaster isn’t taking place in our world? I understand that tropical storm Jose has now strengthened back to hurricane status and is heading for the East coast of North America, including the Eastern Canadian Provinces.
And on another sorrowful note, the island of Barbuda, which was flattened by hurricane Irma now has no one living there, for the first time in some three hundred years.
It was so badly devastated that they had to move all the residents to the sister island of Antigua. It’s a good thing that Antigua did not feel the full force of Irma, otherwise it would have been truly catastrophic.
But what to do eh? We just have to have hope and carry on, for we know that once there is life, there is hope, and once there is hope, anything’s possible. And normally on a Saturday, we’d turn to those priceless quotes from our friend Anselm, in his heroic endeavour to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
However, because of hurricane Irma, I have only received one missive him from him this week, and that was yesterday. He lives some where in Florida and was most likely without power until then. He is apparently one of the fortunate ones, because there are millions down there who are still without power.
And yesterday’s quote aptly said: ‘Believe in yourself.’ And that’s something we all need to do friends, if we hope to have any success in any and every aspect of our lives. However, I would like to add one proviso to that statement…but first, believe in God!
Now that’s the kick-starter for ALL things; belief in Almighty God! For without that assurance and trust in our Creator and heavenly Father, nothing will go right in our lives.
That brings us to our Bit, where, Jesus, on his way to a synagogue ruler’s house to heal his daughter, got waylaid into some other healing, and then a messenger came and told the ruler: ‘Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master (Teacher). But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.’
Yeh friends, everything in our lives first has to start with belief of some kind, and the best kind of belief is that which is based on Almighty God! It’s only logical my brethren. If He is the creator of everything, then there is none better to put our belief, our faith and our trust in!
How did Jesus put it? ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.’ (John 14:1) And so should we, seeing that Jesus IS the Son of God, as well as our Lord and Saviour, who sacrificed His sinless life so that we could be cleansed and set free from our sins.
Oh my people, our Christian experience is based strictly on belief, on faith, on sincere trust in the Holy Trinity, consisting of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. If we don’t believe in their ascendancy, then our Christian faith is valueless.
Jesus made the connection very often. Look at when the woman with the issue of blood for twelve years, believing she could be healed if she could only touch the hem of His robe, pushed through the crowd and did exactly that. She was healed immediately.
And what did Jesus say to her afterwards? ‘Daughter, be of good comfort (cheer): thy faith hath made thee whole (well); go in peace.’ (Luke 8:48)
And it works both ways friends. Hear how Jesus admonishes the crowd that followed Him only to be relieved from their physical hunger and not their spiritual lack. ‘I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye have seen me, and believe not.’ (John 6:35-36)
And like wise He chastises Phillip, when he asks Him to show them the Father. ‘Have I been so long time with you, and yet thou hast not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, show us the Father?
Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself (on my own authority): but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works‘ sake.’ (John 14:9-11)
And we’ll end with this admonishment to Thomas who refused to believe that Jesus was indeed risen from the dead until he saw His scars. ‘Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.’ (John 20:29)
Yes faithful followers, that pertains directly to us, who have believed in Jesus and all that He has said and done, without actually seeing Him in the flesh, like the disciples did. We are indeed blessed for that act of faith! Please don’t doubt, or ever lose that belief. Much LOVE!
…again we say…belief in Jehovah God…is the true beginning…and the sure foundation of…EVERYTHING…
02 Jul 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a mustard seed, affection mind, Anselm, aspires to inspire, attributes of God, believe, bread, brethren, cast out a demon, character, christ lives in me, Christian, circumstances, Colossians, crucified, depressed, desires, disarray, doubts, downcast, earthly things, faith, faithfulness, fellowship, fine spirits, forefathers, forgiveness, freed, Galatians, God's Word, grace, heavenly things, hid in Christ, holy spirit, hope, impossible, inaudible, incredible, intimate with God, invisible, Jews, justification, knowledge, live by faith, live in the flesh, magnanimous, magnificent, majestic, medicine, meditating, mercy, miracles, move mountains, nothing shall be impossible, pandemic, power, prayer, reading, Redeemer, signs, sin, sinful life, son of god, spiritual realm, starve to death, strife, Supreme Being, taking care of, the bread of life, the law, truth, unbelief, unbelievers, unconditional LOVE, virtues, watching over, wilderness, wisdom, wonders, work wonders
John 6:48. I am that bread of life.
Welcome to another Saturday morning on God’s great earth my friends! Hope it finds us all in fine spirits, and if not, by the time we are finished here, I know those spirits will have miraculously been lifted by the Holy Spirit that indwells us, as we talk about God; His holy word, His unconditional LOVE, His freely offered grace, His undeserved mercy, His never-ending forgiveness, and His eternal faithfulness!
Now that alone should lift our spirits this Saturday morning my people! Wow! What a majestic, magnificent and magnanimous God we serve my fellow believers! I don’t see how any of us can stay depressed and downcast for very long with such a Supreme Being watching over and taking care of us.
It’s just not possible if we concentrate on all the wonderful attributes of our God, instead of the prevailing unfortunate or uncomfortable circumstances surrounding us.
And my Christian brethren, I have the right medicine for what we’re talking about. It’s contained in a recent quote from our friend Anselm, who always aspires to inspire us. And this time I think he’s done a heck of a job.
Listen to this quote. ‘When we do what we can, the LORD will do what we can’t. FAITH hears the inaudible, sees the invisible, believes the incredible, and receives the impossible!!! Feed your FAITH, and your doubts will starve to death.’
Oh my people, my people, what glorious, indisputable, gospel truth! Faith is that good my brethren. That’s why they say it can move mountains and work wonders. What did Jesus say to His disciples when they asked why they were unable to cast out a demon?
‘Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove (move); and nothing shall be impossible unto you.’ (Matt.17:20)
Yes friends, it only takes a little faith to do plenty things, and just as that little mustard seed grows into a big tree, so can our faith, if we’ll allow it do so by reading and meditating on God’s word, through fellowship with other believers and personal prayer…but first we have to believe.
Without belief nothing happens in the spiritual realm of Jesus. And that is borne out by our Bit. ‘I am that bread of life.’
It’s a simple, but true statement, but Jesus had a most difficult time getting His people to believe Him. In spite of all the signs and wonders and miracles He did, they still refused to believe. But they certainly wanted the physical bread they thought He was offering them.
Steups! Those long ago Jews, especially the leaders, were certainly a hard-headed, stubborn bunch of people. Just look at how their forefathers behaved in the wilderness although the Lord was looking after them.
Sadly though, we have a lot of unbelievers around today too. In fact too many of the world’s population are unbelievers, that’s partly why our world is in such complete disarray and strife is pandemic.
Anyway, let’s look at a couple of scriptures that corroborate our Bit. First up is this verse from Bruh Paul’s epistle to the Galatians, where he is saying that justification is not of the law.
He solemnly declares: ‘I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of (by faith in) the Son of God, who LOVED me, and gave himself for me.’ (Gal.2:20) Yes friends, Bruh Paul was not living by the law again, but through faith in Christ.
Listen to this explanation from the scholars’. ‘2:20. To be crucified with Christ means the believer has been freed from the law and from the ruling power of sin that was aroused by the law. Nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me is interpreted: “And I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” Since the believer has been freed from the law and sin, the old sinful life no longer asserts itself as formerly.
Instead, “Christ liveth in me,” that is, Jesus cultivates within the believer (Paul) His own desires, virtues, character, and power, thus morally transforming him and working through him in others. Paul lives his current Christian life by the faith of (in) the Son of God, that is, by depending on Him for strength and all necessities.’
And so should we my people, if we are true believers in Christ. Now hear how Bruh Paul tells it to the Colossians. ‘Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.’ (Col.3:2-4)
Ah my fellow believers, it’s truly time to stop concentrating on, and being preoccupied with earthly things and look to things in heaven instead, since we have been reborn in Christ, who now sits in heavenly places.
And the scholars’ explain. ‘3:3. Your life is hid with Christ in God (or, “Your life is deposited with Christ, who is in intimate relation with God.”) As all wisdom and knowledge reside in Christ (2:3), so the believer’s new life is stored up in Him.
This means that the Christian life belongs to the spiritual or heavenly real. Jesus is in intimate relation with God; so are His followers. Since the Colossians now belong to the heavenly realm and are intimate with God, they should seek those matters and interests pertaining to heaven and not to earth.’
So friends, what’s it to be eh? Are we going to live our lives in and for Christ, as a new creation, or are we going to let the law and its sinful attributes turn us back to our former ways?
I do hope that we’ll ponder all that we’ve said and then make the wise decision to live in and for Christ! Much LOVE!
…glory be…our Redeemer lives…and we live in Him…and through Him…and for Him…
30 Jun 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook, a prayer away, a strong will, abundance, advantage, almighty god, backbone, believe in what you cannot see, belly, blessed, boost our spirits, brethren, broken, Calvary's cross, challenge, Christian, circumstances, cleansed, comforting, confidence, confronted, courage, creativity, curse, death, direction, divine protection, embrace, endless, enthusiasm, eternal life, faith, family, favour, fear, fears, friend, friends, fulfillment, give thanks, Glory be, glory hallelujah, grow, guiding light, health, holy spirit, hurt, in the name of Jesus, Jesus Christ, King of Kings, life, Long may He reign, Lord and Saviour, Lord of Lords, mystery, negative experiences, negative word, overtake me, overwhelming, pain, panic, peace, penalyt for sin, pity, play it twice, power, prince of peace, problems, promotion, prosper, reconciliation, Redeemer, rejuvenating, resolved, Robert Nathan, run away, sacrificed, self-control, self-discipline, selfless sacrifice, set free, sins, sorrow, spoken over me, strength, succeed, success, talent, teaches, the bread of life, the Lamb that was slain, the Life, the Light, the Son is shining, the straight and narrow path, the sun is shining, the Truth, the veil, the Way, Thursday Blessings, unbelievers, ungodly world, we face nothing alone, weather, welcome, when it's nice, wine roses and song, wisdom
John 6:48. I am that bread of life.
Well a hearty welcome to you this Thursday morning mih lovelies! The sun is shining in my neck of the woods, and I do hope it’s shining in yours too. But just in case it isn’t, please remember that the Son is ALWAYS shining even in the worst of physical weather and circumstances!
That’s the wonderful advantage we have over the unbelievers; we know that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is there for us ALL the time! He is just a prayer away…
And all God’s children heartily and sincerely exclaimed: ‘Glory be to the Lamb that was slain, that was sacrificed on Calvary’s cross for our sins! Long may He reign in our hearts and souls! Amen!’
Yeh friends, there’s none other like our wonderful Redeemer Jesus Christ! Couldn’t be, for the world only has room for ONE Prince of Peace, ONE Lord of Lords and ONE King of Kings… and that’s our Jesus, our friend and guiding light! Glory Hallelujah!
Now I want to share an interesting and very relevant quote from my One More Day Daily Meditations for People with Chronic Illness. I believe I’ve shared it before, but as we say, when it’s nice, you can play it twice, or even thrice! (smile)
The quote is attributed to one Robert Nathan, but there are so many people out there with that name that I wasn’t able to identify the exact one.
However, the quote says: ‘Give thanks for sorrow that teaches you pity; for pain that teaches you courage – and give exceeding thanks for the mystery which remains a mystery still – the veil that hides you from the infinite, which makes it possible for you to believe in what you cannot see.’
Yes friends, that’s what we call FAITH! And although we don’t like or want to have those negative experiences that cause us hurt and pain, we ought to embrace them because it’s only through experiencing them that we grow in courage and strength, and yes FAITH!
If everyday was strictly wine, roses and song, we’d have no belly and backbone – we already have precious little of that.
As the text says: ‘We cannot run away from problems. Tremendous problems must be confronted and resolved. Fears can be overwhelming. Tasks seem endless, and the challenge seems too great. It is comforting to realize we face nothing alone.’
And is that ever so true my Christian brethren! We’re never alone! The Holy Spirit of Christ, which indwells EVERY believer, is ALWAYS there to lead and guide us, to strengthen and comfort us in our every need!
So Christians ought always to be positive people since we have the greatest power in the universe dwelling within us. Unfortunately that’s not the case with a lot of us. Too many believers are scared and fearful to face the days, the troubles and problems that seem to be always confronting them.
But listen to the energizer at the end of the devotion. ‘I will not allow fear and panic to overtake me today. Courage will open the door to wisdom and peace.’
Yes my precious people, we need to believe that as we step out into the crazy, dangerous and ungodly world that currently surrounds us. And to help boost our spirits, and keep us on the straight and narrow path that leads to Almighty God, let’s declare our Thursday Blessings with premium confidence and glorious enthusiasm.
All together now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life!
I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Well said my people, well said! Now let’s act it out in real life nuh. And that shouldn’t be a problem, because as our Bit so confidently states, we follow the person, Jesus Christ, who so truthfully declared two thousand years ago: ‘I am that bread of life.’
And indeed He is friends! He gave His physical life for us, so that we could have eternal life, rejuvenating reconciliation with the Father. That’s what He came down from heaven to do.
Without His selfless sacrifice, we’d have no opportunity for life, because the scripture plainly states that the penalty for sin is death, and we were certainly embroiled in sin until His death cleansed us and set us free.
Furthermore, NOBODY can get to the Father but through Him! And a lot of people refuse to belief that. But my faithful brethren, Jesus is truly the LIGHT, the LIFE, the TRUTH, and the WAY!
Let’s never forget that, and keep embracing Him with all our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, for that is indeed wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…there is power…absolute power…in the holy name of Jesus…
02 Dec 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be enthusiastice about the success of others, be too large for worry, Christian D Larson, common sense, Cousin Sol, disturb your peace of mind, duty, earthly sojourn, forget the mistakes of the past, Garden of Gethsemane, God makes his enemies to be at peace with him, happiness, It is finished, Jesus Christ, lay aside every weight, let this cup pass from me, live a life that's pleasing to god, look at the sunny side of everything, LOVE, make your optimism come true, my judgement is righteous, obedience, Optimist's Creed, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, pilgrim's journey, press on to future achievements, promise yourself, prosperity, recipe for a good life, responsibility, run with patience, Samaritans, sin, talk healht, the bread of life, the race set before us, the Son of man, the well of Jacob, the will of the Father, to be strong, to do the will of him that sent me, too happy to permit the presence of trouble, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, wear a cheerful countenance, when a man's ways please the Lord, wisdom
Proverbs 16:7. When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Oh Friends, it’s Tuesday morning and we’re on the move again. But here is something from Christian D. Larson, (1874-1954) the American New Thought leader, teacher and author, to buoy and boost us as we move along the fast track of life. It’s called ‘The Optimist’s Creed.’
Some of you might have heard of it, or even know it. And would you believe that I have it cut out and stuck up on a filing cabinet right next to my desk, but I can’t tell when last I looked at it. The paper is old and yellow now, so I must have had it up there for some time.
I believe I might have shared it with you a long time ago, but this morning the Lord led me to it. I guess He believes we need to reorient and readjust our lives in accordance with it. (smile)
It simply says: ‘Promise Yourself – To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet. To make all your friends feel that there is something in them. To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. To forget the mistakes of the past and press on the greater achievements of the future. To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile. To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.’
Oh my people, those might seem like trite, clichéd comments, but believe me, as a group, they are indeed the recipe for a good life on this evil earth! The fact is that most of us know some or even all of those wise advisements, but unfortunately we don’t implement them consistently.
And that’s what denotes a sensible life; consistency in positive outlook and behaviour. And with the Good Book to help us affirm those things, we should be able to live a life that’s not only pleasant, but even more importantly, pleasing to Almighty God! And living a life that pleases God is one of our duties, a major responsibility on this pilgrim’s journey on which we are embarked.
As Cousin Sol so wisely tells us in our Bit. ‘When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.’ Indisputable truth that my brethren!
And what we’re going to concentrate on today is how the Son of man, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ put our Bit into action during His earthly incarnation, how He always tried to please His heavenly Father. And if He, a significant part of the Godhead, put so much emphasis on it, why shouldn’t we, mere mortals and minions of Jehovah God do likewise eh?
And we’ll begin with this telling verse from John 8: ‘And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.’ (John 8:29)
Ah mih people, Jesus could not have been any simpler and straightforward than that! And if we claim to be His followers, then we too, ought always to try and do the things which please the Father.
Then in John 4, around the well of Jacob, when He teaches the Samaritans that God is a Spirit and the disciples wondered at his saying, ‘I have meat (food) to eat that ye know not of…. Jesus saith unto them, My meat (food) is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. (John 4:32, 34)
Meanwhile in John 5, where Jesus talks about the Son’s relationship to the Father, He humbly declares: ‘I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgement is just (righteous); because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.’ (John 5:30)
Then, when expounding on being ‘the bread of life,’ Jesus again reiterates His submission to the Father. ‘For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.’ (John 6:38)
And the scholars note this comment. ‘6:38. I came down from heaven is another indication of Jesus’ deity (cf.3:13).’
Ah my fellow believers when coming to obedience, there was definitely none like Jesus! Listen to these most memorable and heartfelt words while undergoing His soulful torment in the Garden of Gethsemane, the night before His crucifixion.
‘And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Matt.26:39)
And later on the Good Book says: ‘He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except (unless) I drink it, thy will be done.’ (Matt.26:42)
Yes Friends, Jesus had his hurting moments just like all of us do, but He remained steadfast to do the Father’s will, even though He knew how painful and awful it would be. He put His desires, subordinated them to those of the Father, and that’s what we ought also to do.
Obviously we don’t have the same constitution that Jesus had, but our God, our Creator, knows that and understands that we will make mistakes and be disobedient just from the very nature of our sinful being.
However, He does expect us to make a sincere effort, to diligently try to do His will, so that at the end of our earthly sojourn, we can say like Jesus did: ‘I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.’ (John 17:4)
And in the final installment of earth’s greatest drama: ‘When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar (sour wine), he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost (His spirit).’ (John 19:30)
Oh my people, there’s nothing left to say. Let’s just go out and do like Jesus did nuh; live a life that’s pleasing to God. It’s our duty as followers of Christ, as well as simple common sense and heavenly wisdom. Much LOVE!
…let us lay aside every weight…and the sin which doth so easily beset us…and let us run…with patience…the race that is set before us… (Heb.12:1)
30 Jun 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a smile on your face, aura of love, believe on him whom he sent, bounden duty, bread from heaven, Bruh Paul, challenging, change the world, cheer, cheer in your heart, complaining, confidence, conquerors, Creator of the universe, disciples, downcast, dying, eat bread, economic times, encouragement, enthusiastic, evil, excited, fearful crying, further your glorious kingdom, get a move on, gives life to the world, grateful, he that believes on Jesus shall never thirst, he that comes to Jesus will never hunger, he which comes down from heaven, holy spirit, if you don't work, in despair, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joyful, keeping lives and families together, labouring, letting Jesus work through me, lies, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, manna, Master Teacher, meet the enemy in battle, mere mortals, miserable, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Moses, move the forces of heaven, natural heritage, Oh Lord God Almighty, one moment at a time, paradox, physical food, pouting, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, responsibility, sad, spiritual armour, spiritual food, steadfast faith, surrender, the bread of God, the bread of life, the work of god, Thessalonians, touching to the heart, trust, truth, trying, unbelievers, ungodly world, useful purpose, weary souls, wicked taunts, wicked world, wiles, wisdom, you shouldn't eat, zeal, zest
John 6:29. Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
It is Monday Friends… and all over the world people are excited, joyful, enthusiastic and everlastingly grateful that they have jobs to go to on this fateful last day of June 2014!
But yuh know what, we can also say: It is Monday Friends… and all over the world lots of people are sad, in despair, fearful, crying, and even dying because they don’t have jobs to go to on this fateful last day of June 2014!
And paradoxically, both statements would be true! Unfortunately though, I do believe that in these very trying and challenging economic times the latter statement and/or situation contains the greater the number of people.
So my brethren, if you are one of those lucky ones in the minority, one with a job this Monday morning, then I’d strongly suggest you put some cheer in your heart, a smile on your face and get a move on, instead of pouting and childishly complaining, of being miserable and downcast because you have to go and do a little labouring, so that you can eat bread.
Chuh! Remember Bruh Paul’s words to the Thessalonians on the subject: ‘For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.’ (2 Thess.3:10)
Oh Friends, it’s a good thing that we don’t rigidly enforce that command nuh, else many more people would be starving than currently are! However, since we are only mere mortals, and complaining is a part of our natural heritage, (smile) let’s get some much needed encouragement from our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. Let’s sing it with a zest and a zeal that will move the forces of heaven!
As one beautiful sounding, harmonious choir now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh Friends, that was most excellent! Jesus was proud of us! Now let’s see if we can keep Him proud concerning the terms of our Bit. ‘Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.’
Remember yesterday we saw where the crowd was following Jesus looking for physical food, but He was more interested in giving them spiritual food, and told them so. After which they enquired what they had to do to perform the works of God, and Jesus replied with our Bit.
And still in a quandary, after receiving His answer, ‘They said therefore unto him, what sign showest thou (will you perform) then, that we may see, and believe thee? What dost thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.’ (John 6:30-35)
Oh my people, what beautiful words of encouragement, wisdom and truth! Only our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the Master Teacher, could have uttered them so movingly, so touching to the heart!
Now I’m not sure if the people who heard Him live on that day, really understood what He was talking about, but we do. And since we are His representatives here on earth, it is our bounden duty, our responsibility to get out into the evil, ungodly world and let the unbelievers know what is what.
So today, as we venture out into the wide and wicked world, to begin a new week of work, let’s remember to give Jesus some air time; let people know by our words, who He is and what He’s done for us, and will also do for them if they accept Him. And then, by our actions, let them see how He expects us to behave.
Friends, that’s all Jesus really expects from us. And it’s not hard to do, if we truly believe and want to be His true disciples. So let’s get on with it nuh! Much LOVE!
…today I’m going to try and change the world…just one moment at a time…by letting Jesus work through me…
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