30 Apr 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be not rash with thy mouth, bite us in the rear, boomerang back, breathed into his nostrils, counted wise, death and life are in the power of the tongue, even a fool when he holdeth his peace, excellence takes practice, expresses our happiness founr in the promises of God, false words infect the soul with evil, formed man from the dust of the ground, God is LOVE, have it more abundantly, he that shutteth his lips, I am come that they might have life, is esteemed a man of understanding, it is better to give than to receive, joyful giving, let not thine heart be hasty, let thy words be few, man became a living soul, practice makes perfect, quotes from our friend Anselm, shame shall be the legacy of fools, the breath of life, the wise shall inherit glory, they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof, to utter anything before God, where there is love there is life
Proverbs 18:21. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that LOVE it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Saturday…at long last Saturday! And no work to go to; that means no traffic to fight, no annoying co-workers or ignorant bosses to put up with! Blessed be Saturday! And the weather seems good too; sunny and getting warmer. So, all in all, we seem to be in for a fine Saturday. (smile) But let’s get right to what we do here on Saturdays; that’s review the quotes our friend Anselm sends us in the past week, to see how they fit into our Christian walk of faith.
And the first one makes this dramatic statement: ‘Where there is LOVE there is life.’ Now I guess that’s quite true if you take it in the context that ‘God is LOVE.’ John says it quite clearly in his first epistle. (1 John 4:8) And if we recognize that God is also the giver of life, as the Good Book tells us: ‘And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.’ (Gen. 2:7) Therefore, under those circumstances, where there is the LOVE of God, the possibility of life seriously abounds. (smile)
And the next quote imparts much wisdom, when it says: ‘Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.’ That’s oh so true! And we have several warnings on that subject from Cousin Sol both as the Proverbs writer and the Preacher. Listen up, as he says in Proverbs: ‘The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion (legacy) of fools.’ (Prov. 3:35) And also from Proverbs: ‘A fool uttereth all his mind (vents all his feelings): but a wise man keepeth it in (holds it back) till afterward.’ (Prov. 29:11)
Then there are these marvellous words of Cousin Sol as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes. ‘Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon the earth: therefore let thy words be few. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business (effort or activity): and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.’ (Eccl. 5:2-3) It couldn’t be put any clearer than that friends. Fools are known by their many words. And that takes us right back to Proverbs, where it says that ‘Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace (keeps silent) is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding (is considered wise).’ (Prov. 17:28)
Now that segues very nicely into the next quote. ‘False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.’ That’s gospel truth my brethren. And Cousin Sol also has a whole lot of wise sayings on that subject. Amongst them being these: ‘Bread of deceit (bread gained by deceit) is sweet to a man; but afterward his mouth shall be filled with gravel.’ (Prov. 20:17) Yes, whatever we gain through deceitful means usually turns sour on us afterward. Telling us that deceitful methods don’t pay.
Then there is this: ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.’ (Prov. 19:1) And this one takes the cake: ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that LOVE it shall eat the fruit thereof.’ (Prov. 18:21) Oh my people, nowadays we talk so much, and talk so much foolishness, what we know nothing about, that there’s a lot to come back as a boomerang and bite us in the rear!
So that’s why our enemy, the devil, Satan, Beelzebub, whatever you choose to call him deals in false words, in lies and deceit. He wants to infect our souls with evil. He wants to turn us away from Jesus, away from the straight and narrow path that leads to eternal life, to follow his evil and ungodly wide and destructive path that leads to death and damnation. That’s why Jesus describes him as ‘The thief that cometh not, but to (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10)
Remember now that Jesus only deals in truth, not falsehood. That’s why He could confidently say: ‘If ye continue (abide) in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ (John 8:32) Oh my fellow saints, truth is the elixir of our very existence, and it comes only from Jesus! He is the very personification of the word!
And that brings us to this next quote: ‘Excellence is not a gift, but a skill that takes practice. We do not act rightly because we are excellent, in fact we achieve excellence by acting rightly.’ Mama Mia! How right that is! We are not naturally or automatically excellent at anything. Like everything in this life, we only become good or excellent by practice. As the old saying goes; ‘Practice makes perfect.’ And as a Christian, a believer in Christ Jesus, it’s of the utmost importance that we become excellent in all aspects of life, as He is excellent.
He expects it of His followers, for an organization is only as good as its weakest link. And we can only become excellent followers of Jesus if we live right, live the way that He desires of us. The same thing goes for the enemy: we can live excellently for him if we faithfully practice evil. But in whatever it is, we will never become excellent, unless and until we keep doing it over and over.
And this last quote is also an eye-opener. It says: ‘LOVE has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get – only with what you are expecting to give – which is everything.’ And as followers of Jesus, we are expected to give a lot, but in so doing, we also receive a lot from our Lord and Saviour. He sacrificed His sinless life for us on the cross of Calvary, bringing forgiveness of sins, reconciliation to God, salvation and eternal life to anyone who sincerely believes in Him. So, when He says: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ (Acts 20:35) He knows a whole lot about giving!
And it’s interesting to note, per the scholars that ‘Here alone is a quotation from Christ that is not recorded in the Gospels.’ Imagine an important pronouncement like that not being recorded by any of the gospel writers nuh. Makes you wonder if it’s true at all. But there’s no doubt about it, because Jesus was all about giving, about sacrificing without looking for any rewards, and so ought we to be as loyal and true followers.
So friends, let’s go home today, on this sunny Saturday morn, the last day of April 2022, with a such joy in our hearts from all the wonderful things that we’ve received from Jesus, that we now want to share it all very generously with those around us. That’s the good life; the abundant life Christ died for us to have! Much LOVE!
… joyful giving…expresses our happiness and contentment…found in the promises of God…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
09 Apr 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a righteous man falls numerous times, aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, awesome munificence, be without flavour, cease to be life, Christian faith, delight thyself also in the Lord, don't let rejection create self-doubt, don't stress on what was, enjoy the abundant life, eternal disaster, every great dream begins with a dreamer, fight for what could be, given to every man to profit withal (all), God's lavishly generous nature, he shall give thee the desires of thine heart, if life were predictable, incentive to stay abed, it is the same God which worketh all in all, jack of all trades master of none, keep Jesus close beside you, LOVE, method to God's madness, no ending without a beginning, our friend Anselm, reach for the stars, receiving the Holy Spirit, stay on the straight and narrow path, the breath of life, the light of the world, the manifestation of the Spirit, the salt of the earth, there are diversities of operations, there's no giving up in Christ, what's life all about -living for Jesus, working towards God's divine plan
1 Corinthians 12:6. And there are diversities of operations (different activities), but it is the same God which worketh all in all (works in all things).
Here’s Saturday my people; cloudy and chilly! But some of us will like it like that since it gives us more incentive to stay abed and enjoy the early morning rest that we’ve been deprived of all week. (smile) And nothing’s wrong with that. There are rewards for getting up early five days a week, and one of them is sleeping in on Saturdays. So, if you’re one of those late risers this Saturday morning, please enjoy it.. Just make sure you keep Jesus close beside you, in your spirit and your soul, don’t let Him slip away from you for even one moment, for that could spell eternal disaster.
Now, let’s do what we do every Saturday morning that God blesses us with the breath of life and strength to read His word; we check out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us the past week and see how they fit into our setting of Christian faith. And this first quote says it all. ‘If life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavor.’
So true my fellow saints! We might not like the quality of our life right now with all its ups and downs and dramatic sequences, but believe me, if life was just sure and placid all the time, we would not enjoy it, not be satisfied, because the human spirit was made to be constantly moving, in other words, drama filled. Yes, that’s why our Creator gave us free will and not robotic animation. Life would indeed be flavourless. Note Jesus’ admonishing to His followers nuh: be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. That means we need to add a tasty flavour and brilliant, overflowing joy to the world. (smile)
Therefore, this next quote should play a significant part in our lives. ‘Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.’ Oh my people, what would dreams be without a dreamer and vice versa eh? Our world would be devoid of so many wonderful things, because its dreamers who put dreams into creation, even if they don’t see them to fruition.
And remember you cannot get an ending without a beginning. So, if the dreamer only dreams the dream, he is indeed an important, if not the most important part of the scenario. And that was certainly God’s desire for all of us when He placed whatever dreams we have in our hearts. That’s why Bruh David could confidently say in Psalm 37, titled – The true state of the wicked: ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.’ (Ps. 37:4)
Yes my fellow believers, our great and wonderful God places a dream, or several dreams in each heart that He creates, and expects us to fulfill it, or them, by accepting the anointing of His Son Jesus Christ, and thus receiving the Holy Spirit that enables us to acquire ‘the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.’ And please believe that it’s only through sincere association with Almighty God, and with His awesome munificence, that’s His lavishly generous nature, or amazing grace that we can ever acquire the things we need to make a difference in our world.
And when we have wisely hooked up with Christ, then the following quote becomes important. ‘Play to your strengths. If you aren’t great at something, do more of what you’re great at.’ Now that’s the gospel truth my people! Too many of us try to be a Jack of all trades and masters of none! But Christ gave us special gifts at which we are particularly good for a reason. He anointed us with grace to do certain things well because that’s what He wants us to concentrate on most.
Those gifts enhanced by His awesome power dovetail perfectly with His plans for us and for the world. As Bruh Paul says in 1 Corinthians re spiritual gifts. ‘And there are diversities of operations (different activities), but it is the same God which worketh all in all (works in all things). But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal (profit everybody).’ (1 Cor. 12:6-7)
So please, let’s stop fooling around with stuff that we possibly will never get good at nuh, and instead focus on the few things that we know we are good at, that we’ve been anointed to excel in. Remember, there’s always method to what we consider God’s madness. He does nothing without a good reason. And I can vouch for that because I am now writing these words some fifteen years after He approached me with the outlandish, seemingly impossible task of writing on His word. But now, we see that it was not total madness at all, (smile) for through His awesome faithfulness, and much perseverance and faith on my part, His dream, His plan for me has eventually come true.
What more can I say eh? Nothing…except this next quote: ‘Don’t let rejection create self-doubt. The founder of Starbucks was turned down by 217 of the 242 investors he initially spoke with.’ Remember friends, the Good Book says that a righteous man falls numerous times, but he keeps getting back up until he succeeds. (Prov. 24:16) And we all know that in Christ’s kingdom there are no words like giving up, so we are not expected to lay defeated on the ground, but to rise and shine again like our Lord and Saviour did on the first Easter weekend some two thousand years ago.
And believe me, whatever dream(s) the Lord has put in your heart, it (they) will not be easy, because He desires to always test our faith to see if we truly believe the words we speak so flippantly; in other words, to see if we can walk our talk. Jesus did not have it easy, but He accomplished His awesome task with the Father’s help, and likewise, as followers of Jesus we won’t have it easy either, but if we stay in faith and sincerely trust Him in whatever happens, then we will eventually succeed.
That brings us to this last quote: ‘Every day the clock resets. Your wins don’t matter. Your failures don’t matter. Don’t stress on what was, fight for what could be.’ I don’t totally concur with those sentiments nuh, because I believe that our failures and our victories are very important. They provide very valuable life lessons, as in what to do and what not to do as we journey through this interesting, complex and ofttimes difficult earthly voyage. However, we must not become so fixated on them that they take away from our forward motion, that’s always learning and always working towards God’s divine plan for our lives.
And to help us stay on the straight and narrow path, we’ve been given the invaluable attributes of the Holy Spirit as our Guide and Leader. And if we listen to Him and closely follow His righteous guidance, we will do wonderfully well (smile) and enjoy the abundant life that Christ died for us to have! And that’s the general goal! Much LOVE!
…what’s life all about…in three words…living for Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
02 Mar 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a peace beyond human comprehension, Ash Wednesday, bacchanal, be of good cheer, Carnival, evil doers, false gods, he trusteth in thee, i have overcome the world, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, intimate relationship with Christ, is still flowing through me, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, lean on God in total confidence, Lent, Lenten season, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, Mother Nature, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth, not looking back at the past, Peace i leave with you, perfect peace, shalom, thank God, the breath of life, the Millennial kingdom, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the redemption song, thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, to a glorious future with Jesus, trust in God's promises, trust ye in the Lord for ever, Wednesday Wail, whose mind is stayed on thee
Isaiah 26:3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee, because he trusteth in thee.
Now is it ever bright and sunshiny this Ash Wednesday morning! We could not ask for anything better…well, perhaps no snow on the banks, (smile) although we expect some warmer temps and rain in the next couple of days, which hopefully will melt and wash most of it away. Brother, I’ve never seen such a confused mixture of snow and rain in a winter season yet. But if that’s the way Mother Nature chooses to behave these days, then there’s nothing much we can do, except grin and bear it.
Anyway, all the frolic, the carnival and bacchanal is done now, and it’s time to get serious about life and about Jesus. The Lenten Season is here, which means a time of praying, fasting, studying God’s word, being more generous and treating each other better! And I guess the Lord knew why He had me ask yesterday about the keeping of our New Year’s resolution, because all those things back there are an integral part of not only Lent, but also of getting closer, becoming involved in a deeper and more intimate relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
And do we ever desperately need that in this ungodly, strife-filled, angry and greedy world! And I just saw a scripture that admirably describes our current plight. The prophet Isaiah said of his people Israel in his hymn of praise, a prophecy of the redemption song that will be sung in the Millennial Kingdom, when Christ finally comes to reign for a thousand years. ‘O Lord our God, other lords besides thee have had dominion over us, but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.’ (Is. 26:13)
And is that ever the gospel truth my people! We have allowed the evil and wicked idols and images to capture our lives and turn us away from the One and Only True God Jehovah! That’s why our lives and our world is in such a terrible mess. But as Isaiah continues: ‘They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore thou hast visited (punished) and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.’ (Is. 26:14)
Yes friends, the Lord is the process of destroying the false gods and evildoers. He began with the coming of Jesus, that first time two thousand years ago, where He was the first and only deity to die and rise from the grave, and live forever. And the Lord will continue that cleansing of evil from His world with the Second Coming of Christ. And though we might desire the evil and iniquity workers to be gone immediately, in God’s divine wisdom, He’s made it a long, drawn out process, and we can only do as He directs, and trust in His promises and faithfulness.
And to encourage his people, as well as subsequent believers, Isaiah, in the early part of his hymn of praise, also made this promise on the Lord’s behalf. ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee, because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.’ (Is. 26:3-4)
Oh my fellow saints, the Lord God Jehovah is indeed our ‘Rock of Ages,’ upon whom we ought to place all our trust and faith, to whom we surrender ourselves completely, to live for His Son Jesus, so that we can be amongst those singing that redemption song in the Millennial Kingdom, helping to run it with Jesus.
And the scholars offer some interesting explanations of those verses. They say that ‘the emphatic expression in the promise of perfect peace (shalom), indicates a peace that goes beyond human comprehension (cf. Phil. 4:7). To have one’s mind…stayed means to lean on God in total confidence and security. Trust is the ultimate expression of that confidence. Notice that the object of one’s faith is as important as the act of trust. Here the object of faith is the Lord Jehovah.’
Yes my faithful brethren, it’s equally important not only that we trust, but also in whom we trust. And if we want to end up in the Millennial Kingdom and see that perfect peace, we need to trust in Jehovah God, and Him ONLY, because He is the ONLY ONE that can provide the shalom we all claim to seek.
And if you don’t believe me, then listen to Bruh Paul as he spoke to the church at Philippi. ‘Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7)
That says it all friends! If we need that perfect peace, that shalom, then the only way to get it is to believe in, surrender to, live for, and trust in Christ Jesus! Otherwise we will always be filled with doubt, distrust and turmoil. And there’s absolutely no doubt that right now we desperately need the peace of Jesus, that passeth all understanding, since none of us can really understand the myriad of sad and unbelievable things that are currently happening in our world. Let me say it once more: It’s only through belief and trust in Christ Jesus that we will ever find some semblance of true peace in this evil world.
And Jesus said it so clearly on two occasions during His earthly sojourn: The first one goes thus: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) So you clearly see that the peace found in Jesus Christ is not anything like the peace supposedly found in the world. It’s a spiritual kind of peace that operates at a much higher level than that of the world.
And in the second passage Jesus says: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) Now it’s up to us to believe that God is real and that His promises are faithful! And for those of us who believe that God is real, because we can feel Him deep in our soul, let’s go home joyfully declaring (yeah!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and confident voice. ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And as always, we need to remember that if we endure to the end, that that future with Jesus will be even more glorious than we ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…shalom…shalom…the perfect peace…that’s only found in Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
23 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be of good cheer, can't call the name of Jesus aloud, carrying the torch of Jesus, continue the good fight, endure to the very end, fanning the flames of His gospel, for what shall it profit a man, gain the whole world and lose his soul, give lip service to His words, Glory Hallelujah!, He giveth power to the faint, hide and meet secretly, i have overcome the world, keep moseying along in comfort, let him deny himself, living for Christ, living the life of the rich and idle, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, not turning back, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, religious freedom, sacirifce, separate the sheep from the goats, shall mount up with wings like eagles, so glad to be alive, take up his cross and follow me, thank God, the breath of life, the bright and exciting light, the difference maker, the evil and depraved world, the same shall save it, the youths shall faint, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint, they that wait upon the Lord, this adulterous and sinful generation, to a glorious future with Jesus, to be the flavoursome salt, Wednesday Wail, who shall be ashamed of me and my words, whosever shall lose his life for my sake, wisdom of the highest order
Mark 8:36. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Well friends, it’s Wednesday, the middle of the week, and I do hope that we’ve made some headway into being the difference maker that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ expects us to be. Yes, that’s why He’s placed us on the earth at this particular time, to make a difference in His name, to be the flavoursome salt and the bright, exciting light to the evil and depraved world that currently reigns.
And though it’s a very rewarding and interesting task, it’s not always an easy one, because it sometimes calls for a lot of sacrifice on our part, giving up our will to ensure that His is forthcoming. And that issue of sacrifice is not something that Christ hid, but He said it very clearly and plainly.
The Good Book tells us: ‘And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’ (Mark 8:34-38)
And is this generation ever sinful and adulterous! So that means a lot is expected of us my fellow saints in Christ. But the basic thing is to live for and like Him, spread His gospel and not be ashamed of Him, because when he returns in all His glory, He will be ashamed of us and not recognize us as being amongst His followers.
Unfortunately though, many of us supposed believers are indeed ashamed of Christ, and afraid of the very sinful and adulterous world in which we now live, so we only give lip service to His words and way of life. But as the scholars note per verse 38 above: ‘Jesus makes a very close connection between Himself and His Words.’ So we cannot separate one from the other as we like to do.
The problem is that life is so good with us out here in the western world, with all the privileges and amenities we enjoy, that we don’t want anything at all to disturb it. We just want to keep moseying along in comfort, living the life of the rich and idle. But friends, life does not, never has, and never will run smoothly! It’s a series of ups and downs, and until we learn to take the good with the bad, and live accordingly, we will be forever destined to live unhappy and ungodly lives.
Even Christ confirmed that life is full of trouble when He 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) Now that’s a scripture that all of us know, but don’t truly take to heart, otherwise we wouldn’t be living the scared and anxious lives we’re living. Jesus has indeed conquered and overcome the world by His sacrificial death and resurrection, and only in and through Him can we ever have peace in this crazy, warlike world.
That’s what He gives to us, when we truly accept Him as Lord and Saviour and try to live the way He desires of us. Oh, He knows that we will have hard times, for nobody had harder times than He did, and sometimes we will fail to do His will, but He is also very forgiving and expects us to get back up and continue the good fight in His name. He gives us the grace and power to do that, but we have to truly believe and surrender ourselves to His holy will.
As the prophet Isaiah said so long ago: ‘He giveth power to the faint (weak), and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:29-31)
Oh my people, what more can we ask eh? Especially those of us living in the religious freedom of the West, while many of our fellow believers are still living very persecuted lives in so many other countries of the world. Please take a moment to ponder the situation where you could not get up on a Sunday morning, put on your finery and traipse to church to gather and celebrate with other believers, because that would get you incarcerated and even killed. But you had to hide and meet secretly, and couldn’t even call the name of Jesus out loud, otherwise crapaud smoke yuh pipe!
A lot of our fellow believers are living under those strenuous and unfair conditions, but they are still carrying the torch of Jesus alight, still fanning the flames of His gospel and way of life. Meanwhile, we ole hypocrites out here, who have the freedom to do so much for Jesus, live scared but comfortable, talk a good talk, but have no action to back it up.
Oh friends, if we don’t smarten up and begin living right, when Jesus returns, He will have a whole lot of separating to do, between the sheep and the goats. And sadly, many of us will find ourselves on the left hand, with the goats, and not on the right hand, with the sheep. And if you don’t know that scripture, then it’s high time you became very familiar with it, found in Matthew 25:31-46.
Anyway, for those of us who are doing our best to live for Christ, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. So, in a strong, joyful and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And lest we forget; if we endure to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! So let’s endeavor to endure nuh! It’s wisdom of the highest order! Much LOVE!
…living for Christ is not easy…but if we are serious…He generously gives us the grace and power to do it…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
26 Jan 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a disbelieving world, according to the time of life, at the appointed time, bright sunshine, climb over it, dampens your spirit, dr robert h schuller, endure, fears and foibles, find a pass through, God is in control, I will not quit, is there any thing too hard for the Lord, it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, keep on striving, LOVE, man-made solutions, mitigating factor, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my glory will I not give to another, my hands are on the plough, neither my praise to graven images, not looking back at the past, persevere, raised the Lord's ire, Sarah shall have a son, still flowing through me, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, thank God, the breath of life, the God of all flesh, The Possibility Thinker's Creed, to a glorious future with Jesus, tunnel underneath, turn the mountain into a goldmine, Wednesday Wail, when faced with a mountain, with God all things are possible, with men this is impossible
Matthew 19:26. With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
One more time around the block with the freezing temps! This Wednesday morning in late January it’s only about minus 12 Celsius. Not bad for a winter’s day, I’d say! (smile) Then there’s the mitigating factor of bright sunshine, so we’re not totally without hope. And when we have Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, then we’re filled with even more hope, not a worry on the horizon, because He washes away all our sins, our tears, our fears and foibles! Give Him some thanks and praise my brethren for the awesome help and hope He brings to those who truly believe in Him, and faithfully try to do His will!
But yuh know, I personally prefer the cold, dry, bright weather, to the dark, damp, dreary cloudy type that just seeps into your very soul, dampens your spirit, and has you calling out even more urgently than usual to Jesus for help in handling it. (smile) And today is as good a day as any to remind ourselves of what Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) called ‘The Possibility Thinker’s Creed.’ Please pray with me: ‘When faced with a mountain, I will not quit. I will keep on striving until I climb over, find a pass through, tunnel underneath, or simply stay and turn the mountain into a gold mine – with God’s help!’
Yes friends, that’s how Possibility thinkers behave! That’s how those who believe in the biggest Possibility Thinker ever, Jesus Christ, live their lives; with a total sense of purpose, that has Him leading and guiding them, with no give up in their vocabulary, because give up doesn’t exist in Christ’s vocabulary! With Him, EVERYTHING, and ANYTHING is possible! Remember when He talked to the disciples about it being easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, and they were so amazed, wondering who then who could be saved? (Matt. 19:23-25)
Then He spoke these memorable words: ‘With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:26) Now my fellow believers, that’s something we should write indelibly in our hearts, souls and spirits; something we need to hold on to tightly, because that’s what gives us hope in the dark and troubled times. Certain things we want to happen might not happen, but once we believe that ALL things are possible with God, then we won’t give up or lose hope, because at any moment the Lord could reach out and touch us positively in our less than desired circumstances or situations.
But if you don’t believe that God can do the impossible, then your hope will die as soon as all the man-made solutions are exhausted without a positive result. And long before Jesus ever came, the prophet Jeremiah begun praying thus for the safety and security of his people Israel: ‘Ah Lord God behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard (difficult) for thee.’ (Jer. 32:17)
That’s the gospel truth my faithful brethren! And we’ve lived to see it in so many instances, especially the most electrifying one, where the Lord God Almighty raised His crucified Son, Christ Jesus from the dead, with the awesome promise that those who believe in Him, will also see a marvellous day of resurrection in a wonderful time to come. It just takes believing, enduring, persevering, not giving up, and trying our best to do His will – and let’s not forget that He’s always there to help us!
And we can go even further back to when the Lord promised that Sarah, Abraham’s wife would bear him, a son, an heir to his vast fortune, and Sarah laughed, though she later denied it, because she had been barren for so long, and was then in the downward spiral of her life, when that seemed impossible. And yuh better believe that raised the Lord’s ire, and He admonished Abraham, saying: ‘Is there anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.’ (Gen. 18:14)
Yes my fellow saints, the Lord doesn’t take kindly to us doubting His promises. And to prove His awesome power, it wasn’t until some twenty-five years later, when Sarah was ninety, and Abraham one hundred, He fulfilled that promise, and Isaac was born to the supposed old folks! So please, let’s not ever doubt the power and might of our great God, we do so to our own detriment. And I like how, after Jeremiah’s prayer, the Good Book tells us: ‘Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying, Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh, is there any thing too hard for me?’ (Jer. 32:27)
Oh my people, the Lord is LOVING and kind and all those wonderful things, but He certainly doesn’t take kindly to us doubting, or trying to take away His amazing power and glory. And I think He sent the definitive message on that through the prophet Isaiah, where He proclaims with the utmost certainty: ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’ (Is. 42:8) And all down through the ages, in His own way and time, He’s proven that, and will continue to do so until He finally destroys the wicked and creates the promised eternal home with Him as our light and God. (Rev. 21:3)
Now it’s time for those of us who sincerely believe and sincerely try to do His will, to go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus! Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Remember now, we are called on to endure, to persevere, and if we do, that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! So, let’s show Jesus’ awesome power to a disbelieving world by hanging in there steadfastly to the end nuh mih bredrin! Much LOVE!
…the One who created the universe and all therein…still is…and will always be in control of it…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
10 Dec 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and in-house guide, be responsible, both riches and honour come from God, bought with the blood of Jesus, bring backsliders back to your fold, Covid-19 virus, embrace your love and compassion, Friday chant, God works all things out for our good, he that hath clean hands, in thine hand is power and might, introduce a new flock, keep on keeping on, keep our promises, LOVE, not lifted up his soul unto vanity, not reading your name in the obits, practice makes perfect, pure in heart, righteousness from the God of his salvation, stewards of God's possessions, the breath of life, the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the example your faithful believers set, the heaven of the heavens is the Lord thy God's, the Holy Spirit, the trust and faithfulness of Jesus, the world and they that dwell therein, them that seek thy face, trusting faith, unexpected storm, who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord, with your omnipotent help
Psalm 24:1. The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein.
Another snowy morning, but it’s Friday, the last day of the work week. So that takes away some of the anxiety and fear we have about venturing out into the snow covered highways and byways. And when we add the trust and faithfulness of Jesus, then we’re filled with courage, remembering that we can accomplish any and everything when He is walking with us. Isn’t that a wonderful feeling my fellow believers? It surely is! For no other Deity offers such strong and truthful reassurance to their followers…. Only Jesus!
Yes friends…Only Jesus gives us the wherewithal, the grace, mercy and LOVE, to keep on keeping on no matter comes against us in this evil dominated world! With His Holy Spirit living within us, we have an in-house guide and director of personal affairs that no other faith has. That means we can get answers and guidance much quicker than others; almost immediate direction to our tentative and ofttimes anxious and fearful requests.
But we need not be fearful or anxious because Jesus has promised to be always with us, even to the end of the world, and He keeps all of His promises. For like in everything else we do, as the old saying goes; practice makes perfect. And it’s not until you go to Him several times and see good results that you will feel comfortable. But we first need to step out into unknown territory to experience the grace that comes from knowing and trusting Christ. And every time we need to step out, we must remember what He’s already done, so it becomes easier and raises the level of our trust.
And if, like the world does, you want to ask Jesus what He’s done for you lately…then just think who allowed you to open your eyes this morning, and who’s breath of life is flowing through you right now? In other words, it’s because of His LOVE and purpose for your life that you are not reading your name in the obits today. And furthermore, whom do you think enabled you to get a job, and a good paying one too, plus the new car that you drive to that good paying job, from that nice house in which you and your family live?
It’s Jesus my brethren, because everything in this world belongs to Him, and we are only stewards, aka managers of His possessions. And the Good Book tells and reminds us of that most important fact, which many of us might find trivial and nonsensical. Very early in their journey out of bondage in Egypt, Moses let it be known to the people of Israel, when he declared: ‘Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord’s thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.’ (Deut. 10:14) There is no hesitation or doubt whatsoever in Moses’ declaration.
And Bruh David, in offering thanksgiving and prayer, before he anointed Cousin Sol king of Israel in his place, said the same thing in Chronicles. ‘Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.’ (1 Chr.29:11-12)
Now if that doesn’t convince us of our God’s omnipotence and awesome power, I don’t know what will! For, remember Bruh David rose from a humble shepherd boy to a mighty warrior and king, the greatest of Israel’s many kings, not through his power, but through the grace and anointing of God! And he never forgot that despite all the human mistakes he made. Neither should we forget it, despite the mistakes we make, because the Lord is able to change and work out all things for our good, if we stand strong and faithful in His fold.
And I believe that Bruh David, in his role as a wordsmith, the magnificent wordsmith that he was, says it best in Psalm 24, where he expounds on The king of glory. Listen and take heart. ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers).
Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and is pure in heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity (to an idol), nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.’ (Ps. 24:1-7)
Now that all sounds wonderful, but unfortunately this is not the generation that’s seeking the Lord’s face! Rather we are trying to hide from Him, and or remove Him from our society, two notions which are both foolish and impossible. But thankfully, it’s never too late to seek the Lord’s face, and do we ever desperately need to seek it in these disastrous times, because He is the ONLY One who can do anything positive for us. So please, let’s go to Him right now nuh, seeking His awesome help through our Friday Chant.
Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets.
So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways.
And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, please remember all that we asked for, and what we promised to do, because it’s only if we keep our promises, that the Lord will answer our prayers. Much LOVE!
..the created owns nothing…the world is the Lord’s, He created it…and we’ve been bought with the blood of Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
08 Dec 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man after His own heart, accomplish God's divine plan, always in God's face, amazing love and mercy, belittling ourselves, bring our will into harmony with God's, emotionally pulverized, endure to the end, find your mind and let you change mine, from caterpillar to butterfly, glad to be alive, God is number one, going to God on every matter, gospel truth, guarded resitance, He is faithful that promised, I'm not turning back, know my heart, level of trust and surrender, metamorphosis, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, One Year Book of Bible promises, prayed fervently pleading, Ruth Harms Calkin, search me O God, the best habit, the breath of life, the butterfly begins life as a caterpillar, the purpose of prayer, to a glorious future with Jesus, to achieve his divine destiny, try me and know my thoughts, Turnabout, untouched by mankind, Wednesday Wail, willing to undergo the painful change, with Christ in our lives
Psalm 139:23. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my (anxious) thoughts:
Well, the wet, white stuff drizzling down out there, has my area white and slushy and messy. (smile) And you know that once man gets into something he just naturally makes a mess of it. The white stuff looks beautiful when it’s untouched by mankind, but after that…Chuh! It’s totally ugly! Anyway, with Christ in our lives, we can see anything, even the ugliest of the ugly, and it will look beautiful to us. That’s just how much His presence in our lives can accomplish. But before we can get to that state, or stage of mind, we first have to go through a metamorphosis, as described by this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Poems with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, aptly titled ‘Turnabout.’
It says: ‘God, for so long I thought that by praying I could change Your mind. Often I prayed Fervently pleading Until I felt Emotionally pulverized. Then I gradually began to grasp That the purpose of prayer Is to find Your mind and let You change mine. Little by little The turnabout is renewing me. Slowly I begin to feel A settling quietness. I wait while You woo me To Your will, dear Lord. I wait until my thoughts Harmonize with Yours. For in my deepest heart Despite my guarded resistance I somehow sense That what You want from me Is stupendously more Than anything I could Dream or wish or want For myself.’
And that’s the gospel truth friends! Our great and wonderful God wants way more for us than we can even think or imagine, but we keep belittling ourselves. And until we sincerely and seriously come to realize His awesome plans and intentions for our lives, we will always fall way below our God-given potential. And the first step towards that goal is to realize that the purpose of prayer is not to change God’s mind, but to change ours, to bring our will into harmony with His. Remember He’s Number One, that means His will must be first and foremost in our lives.
And even when we realize this, the turnaround doesn’t happen overnight, not even quickly, because it’s something we’ve got to become accustomed to, that must become a habit for us to successfully complete the metamorphosis. As the poem says: ‘Slowly I begin to feel A settling quietness. I wait while You woo me To Your will, dear Lord. I wait until my thoughts Harmonize with Yours.’ Yes my people, in all our dealings with our heavenly Father, a period of waiting is necessary. He can change us overnight, if He so desires, but then we would not appreciate the change like we should.
Please note the butterfly; he begins life as a caterpillar, but he knows that flying is his ultimate end, and though he’s eager and anxious to fly, he knows that he must go through a period of waiting, of being a slimy, creeping, crawling caterpillar before he changes into a beautiful butterfly. And he also knows that the change from crawler to flyer is not going to be an easy one, involving many complications, but then too, he is willing to undergo that painful change from caterpillar to butterfly, so that he can achieve his divine destiny.
Now that’s how we ought to be my brethren; willing to go through the changes, slow and painful though they may be, so that we can accomplish God’s divine plan for our lives. And the Bible verses upon which our poem is based are good, solid, meaningful ones from the pen of Bruh David, from that marvellous Psalm 139 – titled ‘The everlasting presence and power of God.’ They are the last two verses, where he pleads: ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my (anxious) thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’ (Ps. 139:23-24)
Wow mih people! What an awesome request! But it’s a state to which believers must strive to attain. A state of mind where we can confidently and seriously ask the Lord to check our hearts and deal with any negative or evil stuff that’s buried deep within. Only when we can do that, will we have attained to a state of grace that allows us the freedom to come and go to God without any fear or anxiety, because we know that He will not judge or punish us, but meet us right where we are with His amazing LOVE and mercy.
Yuh see how Bruh David was always in God’s face, regardless of the wrong things he might have done? That’s why God could call him His friend and a man after His own heart. He always came to Him with His problems, was constantly praising and talking to Him. That’s how we ought to be. As Bruh Paul said to the Thessalonians: ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:16-18)
That is what the Lord wants of and for us. To come to Him in prayer on each and every matter, big or small, being joyful and giving thanks, knowing that He’s in control and will eventually make all things right in our lives. But that depends on the levels of our trust in Him and our surrender to His divine will. And those can only grow over time, as we increasingly feel more comfortable with going to Him with all our problems and seeing His work in our lives.
And if we want to see that ‘Turnabout’ in our lives then we must begin doing the things it takes as soon as possible, like right now! (smile) Because the longer we wait to begin, the longer it will take to happen, and we’ll miss out on a whole lot of good things in between. Yes friends, I can guarantee, that when you get comfortable with going to God on all matters, your life will change for the better. Oh…it might also get harder, but you will also be able to handle the difficulties better. (smile) That’s God’s promise. And He is faithful that promised. End of sermon.
Now, for those of us who are sincerely working on our turnabout, let’s go home declaring (awrighttt!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And yuh better believe, that if we endure until the end, that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…the best habit we can ever form…going to God on every matter…prayerfully, joyfully and thankfully…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
03 Nov 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and without price, call upon him while he is near, come buy wine and milk without money, come ye buy and eat, come ye to the waters, divine mercy, divine strength, endure unto the end, every one that thirsteth, glory in my infirmities, God's free gift of salvation, grin and bear them, he that hath no money, hear and your soul shall live, human weakness, I am halfway home, I will make and everlasting covenant with you, I'm not turning back, I'm so glad to be alive, in distresses for Christ's sake, incline your ear and come unto me, let your soul delight itself in fatness, listen to Christ's Spirit, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my grace is sufficient for thee, my hands are on the plough, my heart is in the right place, my strength is made perfect in weakness, not for god's benefit but for ours, seek ye the Lord while he may be found, the breath of life, the clarion call of God, the light that Jesus shines in my soul, the Lord is a wonderful God, the loss of his soul, the most exorbitant price a human can pay, the work of God comes first, thus liable to make mistakes, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, when I am weak then I am strong, your labour for that which satiasfieth not
Isaiah 55:6. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.
Another bright and sunshiny but windy and chilly day in my neighbourhood! And added to that is the brilliance of the light that Jesus shines in my soul! Wow! And yuh better believe I need them both right now, as I did one of those extra late nights and early mornings and the body is retaliating against me, crying out for sleep. But it has to learn that the work of God comes first, even though it’s my fault.
We must suffer and sacrifice when we make a mess of things. So here I am suffering and sacrificing this Wednesday morning, (smile) because I refused to listen to Christ’s Spirit and go to bed at a reasonable time, so that I could get up at a reasonable time, refreshed enough to do a respectable job for Him. But I’m not worried friends, the Lord is a wonderful God, and He will forgive and help me, because He knows that my heart is in the right place, and I’m only human, thus liable to make mistakes.
And furthermore, He will help me just so that I don’t write nonsense and spoil His business. (smile) Remember what He said after Bruh Paul asked three times to have the ‘thorn in his flesh’ removed, some unknown impediment placed there so he would not become too big for his britches, with all the revelations the Lord was giving him. ‘And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.’ (2 Cor. 12:9 a) And that’s the promise I am counting on this morning! (smile) That His divine strength will show up and help me in my human weakness.
And remember too Bruh Paul’s reaction to that divine decree. ‘Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then I am strong.’ (2 Cor. 12:9b-10)
No my friends, I am nowhere near to Bruh Paul’s taking pleasures in all those negative things, but I have stopped asking to have all the aches and pains removed from my ole body, because I’ve had them long enough, and I’ve asked often enough, that if He was going to remove them, He would have done it already. So, I just do my best to grin and bear them, releasing my faith, that He will enable me to manage them. And so far I have been doing reasonably well, with His help of course.
Now that’s what I’ve been trying to say for so long my people: our God is a wonderful God! And though He will not put up with our shenanigans forever, and there will often be consequences to pay for them, He will help us if we come to Him with sincerity and repentance. Which other supposed deity has a free offer of mercy to all eh? None whatsoever!
Listen to Isaiah offer it on behalf of the Lord. ‘Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness (abundance). Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David… Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.’ (Is. 55:1-3, 6)
Oh my fellow saints, what joyful words of inspiration and comfort the Lord promised so long ago, and made come true in the fullness of time, with the advent and ministry of Jesus! And I like how the scholars explain it. ‘55:1-7. God’s free gift of salvation is offered to all who will receive it. Those who are spiritually hungry and thirsty may come to eat and drink without money (or freely). He promises an everlasting covenant to the Gentiles like the one He established with Israel. His invitation to al men is clearly stated by the appeal, Seek ye the Lord and call upon him.’
And yes, as faithful as always, the Lord made the covenant with the Gentiles through Jesus, where we also have the opportunity to come to Him for salvation, just like the Jewish people did. And friends, that clarion call of God’s, to seek Him while He can be found and to call upon Him when He is near is still in existence today. So please, please, let’s heed it nuh! It’s not for God’s benefit, but for ours! And it never ceases to amaze me when we turn up our noses in stubborn pride and foolishness at God’s wonderful offers, as though they were for His benefit.
Steups! We’ve gotten so big for our britches that we have conveniently forgotten who created the universe and who still owns and controls it – God Almighty! And we only exist because of His great LOVE and divine mercy. But one day it will all end. Yes, it will. God has promised it. And there again, we don’t ever seem to take His promises seriously, although they always come true. So, if He promises that one day, all those who don’t believe in Him will end up in hell fire with the foolish Satan, then why don’t we believe it eh?
But as they say, you can take a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. The same way you can have the good news of Christ’s gospel explained to you, and there’s no guarantee that you will accept it and believe. However, there will come a day, when all those who have heard it, but not accepted or believed it, will pay the most exorbitant price possible for a human being; the loss of his soul. Remember, man can only kill the body, but the Lord can kill both body and soul, which He will do eventually, if you do not accept His son Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. End of sermon!
Now, for those of us who sincerely believe, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And lest we forget my brethren, if we endure unto the end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…if you sincerely seek God…and sincerely call on Him for help…He will sincerely help you…just like He sincerely did for me this morning… (smile)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
11 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a most dreary time, be careful for nothing, bless the LOrd o my soul, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, drink the asweet, eat the fat, Ezra, faith in Christ, forgive us and heal our land, go your way, God so loved the world, Happy Thanksgiving Canada, he gave his only begotten son, humble ourselves, in every thing, in everything give thanks, Jehovah Rapha, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord, let your requests be made known unto God, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Nehemiah, O Give thanks unto the Lord, please be careful, reverence and appreciate our Creator, send portions unto them for whom nothing has been prepared, show our gratitude, sing psalms unto him, sing unto him, take precautions, talk ye of all his wondrous works, Thanks be to God, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the breath of life, the God who heals, the joy of the Lord is your strength, the Lord is at hand, the peace of God which passeth all understading, this is the day the Lord has made, this is the will of God, we will rejoice and be glad in it, who redeemeth thy life from destruction, wise guidance and direction
HAPPY THANKSGIVING CANADA!
Philippians 4:6. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God.
Oh friends, is it ever good to awaken to another day, another Monday, another Thanksgiving Monday! And all God’s people said: ‘Thanks be to God, who keeps the breath of life flowing through our earthly bodies!’ And why does He do that? Because He has a plan and a purpose for our lives, which includes enjoyment of the day. That’s why we say: ‘This is the day the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps. 118:24) Yes, my brethren, that’s the only way to go!
And on this Thanksgiving Day of 2021, where life is somewhat rough, and we can’t gather as carelessly as we’d like, we ought to be thankful that we can even gather at all. Remember last year Thanksgiving Day was a most dreary time. No set of food and family and good cheer, all because of the Pandemic situation. So, there’s oodles of thanks to be given for just being able to get together more than last year. But please, please be careful. This thing is not over yet – far from it – and we still need to take as many precautions as possible to minimize further problems.
And to show our gratitude for that improvement, let’s intone the opening verses of Psalm 105, subtitled – God’s wondrous works in behalf of Israel. ‘O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek ye the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.’ (Ps. 105:1-4)
Now I am sure if we were doing that as much as we ought to, we would not be having half as many problems as we do! I am convinced that many of our problems stem from the fact that we don’t reverence and appreciate our Creator as we should. But this Thanksgiving time is the right occasion for us to turn back to Him, remembering all that He has done for us, and has promised to do.
In the marvellous words of Bruh David: ‘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.’ (Ps. 103:2-5) And are we ever so glad that this Thanksgiving we have sufficient food to eat. But having said that, let’s not forget there are many of our fellow brethren out there who don’t have enough, possible nothing at all to eat, and it’s our bounden duty to provide for them as best we can.
That recalls the glorious day when many of the children of Israel heard the word of the Lord for the first time as it was read to them, by Ezra and his associates. Then Nehemiah, the Governor, said unto them: ‘Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 1:8)
And is it ever my fellow saints! That’s why the enemy does his best to steal our joy. He knows when he gets us sad and downcast, it’s much easier to have us do his evil bidding. But not today mih bredrin, for today is a day of exceeding joy, and a time to remember our biggest blessing, our greatest gift and benefit. Like Bruh David said: ‘who redeemeth thy life from destruction.’ And yes friends, God’s greatest gift, His biggest benefit is that of freedom from the bondage of sin, of salvation through His free gift of grace, earned through the finished work of Christ.
As Jesus puts it: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) Glory be my fellow believers! If we are not thankful for anything else, we should be exceedingly thankful for that, because it’s nothing that we earned, or could ever earn, but though God’s infinite grace and mercy, it was bestowed upon us. And all we have to do is to believe in His Son! But so many of us stubbornly refuse to do it because of foolish pride and belief in the world’s evil systems. But there will be consequences for that stubbornness.
And let’s not think that just because we call today Thanksgiving Day, that this is the only day we should give thanks. Absolutely not! Bruh Paul reminds us of that in his epistle to the church at Philippi, when he says: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:4-7)
Oh my fellow believers, we wonder why we don’t have peace? Well, the answer is right there. We don’t take our requests to God in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. And there’s no better time than right now, for us to get wise and do just that. So, in sincere prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let’s make our requests known to Almighty God through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
As one now: ‘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. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that 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. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land 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!’
Now, let’s go and keep the promises we just made, if we want to see positive answers to our prayers and supplications with thanksgiving. Much LOVE!
..in everything give thanks…for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus…concerning you… (1 Thess. 5:17)
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06 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things are open and naked before God, believers remind sinners of their sin, cometh the wrath of God, consumed by the evil enemy, darkness keeps one trapped in sin, dwell in the land of the shadow of death, endure to the end, everyone that doeth evil hateth light, glad to be alive, halfway home, have no fellowship, have seen a great light, heralded the coming of Jesus, Jesus chases the evil darkness away, light brings truth and happiness, light exposes the darkness of sin, LOVE, men loved darkness rather than light, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are fixed securely on the plough, not indulge in the sins of the unsaved, not turning back, not wanting to know the truth, now ye are light in the Lord, proving what is acceptable unto the Lord, rebels in our hearts, running to hide from God, scatter like roaches exposed to daylight, separated from God by sin, the breath of life, the light is come into the world, the light of the world, the people that walked in darkness, the Prince of Peace, the unfruitful works of darkness, their deeds were evil, this is the condemnation, to a glorious future with Jesus, upon the children of disobedience, upon them hath a light shined, walk as children of light, Wednesday Wail, ye were sometimes darkness
Ephesians 5:8. For ye were sometimes (once) darkness, but now ye are light in the Lord: walk as children of light.
No more rain…And the sun is finally peeking out…Glory! Oh, the dark clouds are not all gone, but there is a great possibility of light, (smile) much more than we’ve had for the past few days. And that’s exactly how our Jesus comes and shines through our personal darkness. When we think that there is no hope, that the darkness will overwhelm us, He shows up unexpectedly with the bright light of His presence and chases the evil darkness away! Give Him some thanks and praise my faithful brethren for He is indeed a Saviour to those whose lives are consumed by the evil enemy.
As the prophet Isiah so prophetically declared long ago, re the Prince of Peace: ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath a light shined.’ (Is. 9:2) And that’s one of the most potent and prophetic prophecies ever prophesied! (smile) It heralded the coming of Jesus…the light of the world!
But the sad news is that, as Jesus said: ‘And this is the condemnation that (the) light is come into the world, and men LOVED darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth (practices) evil hateth light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved (exposed).’ (John 3:19-20)
And that’s the gospel truth my people! Those of us with evil deeds in our repertoire hate the light and will refuse to accept Jesus because we are afraid that those evil deeds will be exposed, for that’s what light does; it exposes the darkness, the sin, the evil in our souls! And we are not talking about physical light, but spiritual light, ‘light that shines on our hearts.’
I like how this article on thebereancall.org website with a conversation between Dave Hunt and T.A. McMahon describes the situation. T. A. McMahon says: ‘And men loved darkness rather than light. Dave, is this in the statistical manual it talked about earlier? (Referring there to a manual on the power of DNA to operate without words or a language).
Dave Hunt replies: ‘Yeah, they don’t want to know the truth. I would say that whole statistical manual is a witness to this fact; men loved darkness rather than light. Instead of accepting the truth that we are separated from God by sin, that we are rebels in our hearts, that we need to be reconciled to God, we need to recognize that Jesus Christ is God who became a man to die for our sins, paid the penalty for our sins, died for our sins, rose from the dead and we open our hearts to Him and we allow Him to come in and He changes us completely.
We are born again of the Word of God, Peter says. This Word that brings understanding, the truth that is the light that Jesus brought. Now, it says they hated me without a cause because the light of Jesus Christ shows up the darkness, the darkness being what? Well, rebellion against God, running to hide from God, not wanting to know the truth and so forth.’
Now this passage from an article on the subject on the mtvchurchofchrist.org, further enlightens us. ‘The reason for the world’s LOVE affair with darkness is that it hides sin, or so it is believed. As long as it is dark, as long as there is no light of truth, those in sin can perpetuate their evil. But let one beam of truth pierce the darkness of sin and error, let one ray of goodness break through, and those in darkness scatter like so many roaches exposed to daylight. But the feeling of having hidden sin is only an illusion, for all things are open and naked before God (Heb. 4:13).’
And I’ll just insert that verse here. ‘Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight (hidden from his sight): but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do (must give account).’ (Heb. 4:13) So, as we well know, there is absolutely no hiding from God, but many of us still foolishly try to retain the illusion.
The article then continues with this interesting slant. It says: ‘One of the reasons, if not the main reason, those in the world often feel uncomfortable around faithful Christians is that the faithful child of God reminds sinners of their sins. The faithful child of God might well feel uncomfortable around the sinner, as well (Eph. 5:11).’ Oh friends, I surely hope we do feel uncomfortable around evil doers, but nonetheless show them the light of Christ shining through our words and actions.
And to substantiate all that we’ve said, let’s listen to the words of Bruh Paul to the church at Ephesus on the ways of the believer. ‘Let no man deceive you with vain (empty) words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be ye not partakers with them. For ye were sometimes (once) darkness, but now ye are light in the Lord: walk as children of light. (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (expose) them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.’ (Eph. 5:6-12)
Yes my brethren, once upon a time we too walked in darkness, but then we saw the light of Christ, and our lives were transformed. And the scholars explain it all thus: ‘5:8. Our knowledge of the truth is attended by moral purity and happiness. 5:10. Because of constant temptations and solicitations to evil, believers must always be proving or discerning what is and what is not acceptable unto the Lord.
5:11. Reprove is better translated “expose.” The believer’s duty is expressed here in two ways. Negatively, he is not to have any fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, that is, not indulge in the sins of the unsaved. Positively, he is to “expose” (reprove) these sins, that is bring them to light and show them for what they really are, so that the unbeliever may see their hideous nature and their terrible consequences. 5:12. For tells why the Christian must expose the sins of the lost. If it is shameful even to discuss their iniquities in decent company how much the worse is the committing of these sins. Hence the need to bring them to light.’
Ah my fellow saints, I do hope that all the above has now elucidated and enlightened us about walking in darkness and light, (smile) so that we are now capable of making good decisions on it. Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to walk in the light, let’s go home declaring (oh yes!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And believe me, if we endure until the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we ask or imagine. So please, let’s hang in there my faithful brethren! Much LOVE!
…if light brings truth and happiness…why fool with darkness…which only keeps one trapped in sin and rebellion towards God…
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