13 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a mass reproduction of Christ, a season of inexplicable stuff, after that ye have suffered a while, all that is now so mysterious, all things work together for good, be the first born among many brethren, beholding as in a glass the glory of God, by Christ Jesus, by the Spirit of the Lord, called according to His purpose, called us into his eternal glory, changed from glory to glory, changed into the same image, christianity, Christians, clinging to you hopefully, confidently, conformed to the image of his Son, cry out for help, despite the drain and strain, determined to wait to trust, faith, faith means believing in what you cannot see, fresh depths of insight, from glory to glory, get a bit much to bear, grace grows best in winter, grin and bear it, grow in spiritual maturity, he also did predestinate, holy spirit, hurry, I anticipate new perspectives, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, judge not that ye might not be judged, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, make you perfect, mercy, no easy steps in conforming, O God ...My God, One Year Book of Bible promises, pet peeves, process of transformation, puny understanding, rely on your faithfulness, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, Samuel Rutherford, saturated with the lustful and carnal things of the world, share His love with my neighbours, sit outside in shirt sleeves, some sense of understanding, spiritual maturity, teaching me, the abiding presence of God, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the conflicting things, the face of Moses reflected the glory of God, the God of all grace, the great truth, the Lord's intention, the whole wide world, to be conformed to the image of his Son, to conform his people, to the image of His son, to them that love God, totally hidden, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, unveiled face, whom he did foreknow, wisdom, with open face, worry
Romans 8:29. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the first born among many brethren.
And then it was Tuesday, before which we had a lovely Monday, with temps in the twenties, and in the evening I got to sit on my porch in my shirt sleeves, enjoy a cool summer breeze and watch the people go by. Unfortunately though, I saw several dogs being walked, but no children. And you know that’s one of my pet peeves. The society seems more interested in dogs, rather than children. But who am I to judge them eh? Jesus said ‘judge not, that ye be not judged,’ (Mat. 7:1) and I’m trying, but sometimes it’s difficult to overlook certain things.
Anyway, today seems like it’s going to be another beautiful day, so let’s enjoy it without any more unnecessary contention, we already have enough in our world. Instead, let’s focus on an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. And this one is emphatically titled ‘O God … My God.’ And if you don’t need it, then I’m glad for you, because I certainly need it. as I’m going through a season of inexplicable stuff that I can’t make heads or tails of, but as we are led to believe, there is a reason for it all. I just can’t figure it out with my puny understanding. (smile)
So please read with me: ‘O God…My God Though You now seem totally hidden I am clinging to You hopefully Even confidently. Someday, some way, You will make All You are now permitting Blessedly clear. With fixed purpose, dear God I am determined to wait, to trust To rely upon Your faithfulness. Despite the drain and strain I anticipate new perspectives And fresh depths of insight Into all that is now so mysterious. O God, in ways unanticipated You are teaching me the great truth Of Samuel Rutherford’s words: ‘I see that grace grows best in the winter.’ Thank You, dear God Thank You for that!’
Ah mih friends, it’s definitely not easy when the Lord puts you through your paces without any reasoning or understanding…and in the real winter time too, which makes it even harder. But you just have to grin and bear it, and as the poem says, wait, trust, and rely on his faithfulness. And I’m certainly doing that, but sometimes the conflicting things get a bit much to bear, and all you can do is cry out for help and some sense of understanding, though ofttimes you won’t get an answer, but you are still expected to hang in there and trust in His timing and faithfulness. I guess it’s one of the ways in which we grow in spiritual maturity.
And of course, the promise for today’s poem comes from Peter’s tough but wise statement. ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you.’ (1 Pet. 5:10) I guess that explains it all. The Lord is simply doing His intended work by bringing us into line with His wonderful Son, as Bruh Paul writes in Romans. ‘For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the first born among many brethren.’ (Rom. 8:29)
And believe me, there are no easy steps in that task, especially when we’re saturated with all the lustful and carnal things and thoughts of the world. And this commentary explains it quite clearly and succinctly. ‘The Lord’s intention is to conform His people to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ, making them His sons and brothers, as stated in Romans 8:29.
This process of transformation, known as being “conformed to the image of His Son,” involves a spiritual growth where believers’ lives reflect Christ’s character and LOVE. God’s redemptive plan includes choosing, calling, and glorifying those He foreknew and predestined. In other words, God’s desire, His intention, was to have many sons who are just like Christ. He wanted a mass-reproduction of Christ in humanity.’
But sadly, He doesn’t seem to be getting that right now, with all the turning away and questioning of His existence and sovereignty. However, as Bruh Paul says to the Corinthians. ‘But we all, with open (unveiled) face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed (being transformed) into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.’ (2 Cor. 3:18)
And the scholars offer this explanation. ‘Beholding as in a glass: The term beholding can have the sense of “reflecting.” The believer himself “reflects” the glory of the Lord just as the face of Moses reflected the glory of the Lord (vs.13). For Moses the glory eventually faded away, but under the New Covenant the believer is changed into the same image. This transformation takes place by the abiding presence of God.’
Oh my fellow believers, having read that, the question we must now ask is whether the glory of God is being truly reflected in our faces? Obviously our faces won’t shine as brightly as Moses did when he came down from Mt. Sinai bearing the two tablets of stone that had the Ten Commandments inscribed on them. Being in God’s presence caused the radiant light to reflect on his face. This bright countenance caused fear in Aaron and the Israelites, who initially didn’t recognize Moses because of the light, and he had to wear a veil to speak to them. (Ex. 34:29-35)
We won’t need a veil, but surely the unbeliever will see the glory of God shining in our faces, if we are a true reflection of Jesus Christ. And I do hope we’ll all hunker down and bear whatever inexplicable things that come against us, knowing as Bruh Paul so confidently proclaims: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) Remember faith means believing in what you cannot see.
And with that in mind, let’s faithfully declare (steups!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And that means we’re now expected to share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…being changed from glory to glory…is never an easy transformation…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Christian soldier's last words, a disadvantage, a friend of the world, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a spiritual fight to the death, after you have suffered a while, as a roaring lion, assurance of God's grace and mercy, be sober, be vigilant, Bible, called us into his eternal glory, casting all your care upon him, cause the enemy to gain footholds in our lives, Christ has defeated hell death and the grave, Christ the royal Master, Christ's Resurrection, christianity, Christians, cleanse your hands ye sinners, disobeyed your word, divine aid, draw nigh to God, ease the pain, experienced by your brethren, faith, forward into battle, gets his hooks in you, giving us the victory, handled with aplomb, he may exalt you in due time, he shall lift you up, he will flee from you, hear and answer our prayers, Hell's foundations, hold on to the victory won by Christ, holy spirit, humble servants, humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, humility, I have finished my course, I have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, leads against the foe, like a roaring lion hungry for food, LOVE, marching as to war, mass confusion in our world, mercy, never give up, Onward Christian soldiers, perfect confirm, pray, promised to prosper us, purify your hearts ye doubleminded, quiver at the shout of praise, resist steadfast in the faith, resist the devil, resist the onslaughts of the enemy, resisting the enemy is no laughing matter, salvation, see his banner go, sincere prayer, sincere repentance in our hearts, sincerely seek your face, spiritual lives, step up to the plate, strengthen and settle you, submit yourselves to God, suffering from negative situations, thank you for life and strong faith in Christ, the enemy is difficult to dislodge, the enemy of God, the father of lies, the friendship of the world is enmity with God, the God of all grace, the God who heals, the power of the Holy spirit, the power to solve our problems, the same afflictions, the throne of grace, to alleviate our problems, to him be the glory and dominion for ever, truth, turn from our evil ways, use the spiritual weapons of God, walketh about, walketh about seeking whom he may devour, we have all sinned, wisdom, wise guidance, with the cross of jesus going on before, work week frustrations, your adversary the devil
James 4:7. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
And the new work week frustrations begin again with another Monday on board. But like all those Mondays in the past that we’ve handled with such aplomb, we will handle this one with the same poise and assurance of God’s awesome grace and mercy flowing through us, giving us the victory! Believing anything less is only putting ourselves at a major disadvantage that will cause the enemy to gain unwanted footholds in our lives. And we all know the havoc that the father of lies and deceit can create once he gets access to our minds, bodies and hearts.
And since he’s so difficult to dislodge once he begins his evil work, it’s best not to let him get any footholds at all in our spiritual lives. Consequently, James, Jesus’ brother, warns us: ‘Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of (with) the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be (wants to be) a friend of the world is (makes himself) the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth (yearns jealously) to envy?
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded…Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:4-8, 10)
Yes friends, please note that we can resist the devil, but only if we first humble ourselves and draw near to God. For if the power of God’s Holy Spirit isn’t working powerfully in you, then you will not be able to resist the numerous onslaughts of the enemy. And if you did not believe James, then listen to Peter’s wonderful advice along the same lines, from his first epistle.
‘Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be the glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-11)
Yuh see again mih bredrin, that you have to humble yourselves, submit to God, before you can have any chance of turning away the devil. That’s because it’s not our strength, but the grace, the power of God that gives us the ability to do so. And believe me, resisting the enemy is no laughing, but a very serious matter, for once he gets his hooks in you, he’s going to tear you up as Peter says, like a roaring lion hungry for food.
Remember this is no joke war we’re engaged in, but a spiritual fight to the death, and if we don’t use the spiritual weapons granted to us by Almighty God, (Eph. 6) then we won’t be able to hold on to the victory already won by Christ on our behalf. Yes, the victory is already ours, because Christ has defeated hell, death and the grave, through His own death and awesome resurrection, we only need to keep it won now.
But the enemy will not give up. Neither should we. That’s why Bruh Paul told Timothy: ‘Thou therefore endure harness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.’ (2 Tim. 2:3) So should we all who call ourselves believers in Christ Jesus, stand up strong and steadfast in His name, and fight the good fight of faith.
As the old anthem calls us to do: ‘Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before! Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe; Forward into battle, see his banner go! At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee; On, then, Christian soldiers, on to victory! Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise; Brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise!’
Oh my people, that is exactly how we have to behave this Monday morning, the first of February 2025; get out onto the battlefield behind the banner of Jesus and give the enemy what for! That’s the only way we will ever win the spiritual battle for our souls. And to help us bravely step up to the plate, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid in these most crucial and critical times.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Now, let’s remember that divine aid calls for humility, sincere prayer, and turning from our evil ways. Much LOVE!
…a Christian soldier’s last words ought to be…I have fought a good fight…I have finished my course (race)…I have kept the faith… (2 Tim. 4:7)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: after that ye have suffered a while, all that glistens is not gold, and forget not all his benefits, as a roaring lion, as far as the east is from the west, baubles and bangles, be sober, be vigilant, Bible, bless the LOrd o my soul, blessing, both thou and thy seed may live, called us unto his eternal glory, callous and cruel world, casting all your care upon him, choose life, christianity, crowns thee with loving-kindness, cursing, death, deepen my breath, don't save earthly treasures, faith, forget not all his benefits, forgives thine iniquities, God's awesome presence, God's benefits, heals all thy diseases, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, I may know you all the more, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, keep God first place in our lives, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, life, LOVE, make you perfect, mercy, moth and rust doth corrupt, quiet my soul, redeems thy life from destruction, relax my muscles, relax my musclesslow my thoughts, satisfies thy mouth with good things, save up treasures in heaven, seeking whom he may devour, showers us with undeserved blessings, so far has God removed our transgressions, steadfast resit in the faith, tender mercies, thank you for this tenderness, the God of all grace, the real McCoy, the sinful pleasures of Satan, thieves break through and steal, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, to him be glory and dominion, trust, truth, walking on air, walks about, wisdom, wisdom in spades, your adversary the devil, your love both surrounds and fills me, your unceasing nearness
Psalm 103:2. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
At last it’s our lazy-day Saturday, where we can do as we please; laze about or work hard about the house… Hn! Work hard… Not likely! It’s a day to just take things easy; to contemplate life; to consider our future in terms of our present. Although even that sounds too difficult to do today. (smile) One thing we’re going to do for sure though, is to send up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer to heaven.
So, as one sincere voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And what more can you ask on a lazy-day than the Lord’s awesome presence in abundance eh? Nothing! Because it makes us feel light and refreshed, like we’re walking on air, we can’t do any wrong! (smile) But how can we with the Lord’s presence so strong in us eh? No way! And it’s sad that more of us don’t seek the Lord and a greater showing of His presence in our lives. Oh, how that would alleviate much of the pain and suffering that so many of us experience in this cold, callous and cruel world. But for whatever reason, too many of God’s creation shy away from Him, and thus lose the many benefits of His LOVING presence.
And we see a handful of those benefits from Bruh David’s writings in Psalm 103: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgives 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. 103:1-5)
Oh my people, just look at the many benefits we get from associating with, from staying close to Almighty God! Why then would we ever want to go astray from His wonderful fold eh, when there’s no one, or nothing else that can offer us those marvellous and miraculous benefits? Let’s look a li’l closer at those wonderful benefits nuh. And the first one is indeed a major benefit, one that no one else can provide: ‘Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;’
Yes friends, can you imagine any other supposed God, even Satan doing that? No way! But the Lord Jehovah sent His One Son down to earth to die on our behalf, so that our sins could be forgiven. And furthermore, as Bruh David says later on in the psalm: ‘As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.’ (Ps. 103:12)
And for that mighty deliverance, done from an heart of everlasting, unconditional LOVE, all the world should be shouting a loud and grateful ‘Praise God for His undeserving goodness to the sinful children of men!’ But, unfortunately, only a small portion of us are doing that wise and godly thing.
Then there’s this other marvellous benefit from knowing and being in close contact with God; ‘who healeth all thy diseases;’ Wow! What more can we ask eh my brethren; a kind, LOVING and compassionate God who forgives our sins, heals us and showers down undeserved blessings on us? And don’t forget that He satisfies our mouths and stomachs with good things that renew our strength like the eagles do!
Why then are we so stupid and foolish to fall for the deceptive, sinful pleasures of the evil one eh? Pleasures that only last a short while and which gets us into trouble with God. Satan does NOTHING good for us, because his total purpose is to keep us on the outs with Almighty God. And the sad part is that the stuff he offers is not even good stuff, not even the real thing, but ofttimes faked. Remember, all that glistens is not gold, and that’s where Satan exceeds; in the glittering gold-like or gold plated stuff. But with Jehovah God, we get the real stuff.
And remember what Jesus said about laying up earthly treasures; because moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin) them, and where thieves break through and steal:’ (Matt. 6:19) But the wise plan is to lay up treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through and steal.’ (Matt. 6:20) And we do that by keeping God first place in our lives and ignoring Satan and his evil deeds and pleasures as much as possible.
But it’s not easy, however, as Peter so wisely instructs us, we ought to: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt thee in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom steadfast resist in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world.’ (2 Pet. 5:6-9)
Yes my people, Satan likes to play games with our lives, but if we hold steadfast to our faith in Christ Jesus, we will defeat him most of the time. And as Peter assures us: ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (2 Pet. 5:10-11)
Oh my fellow saints, being a true Christian in this corrupt and evil world was never, and will never be easy, but if we put our trust and faith in Jesus Christ, then we will have all the tools necessary to defeat the devil and his evil cronies and live the good and abundant life down here on God’s great earth, that Jesus died for us to have. It’s all up to us, whether we take Almighty God seriously or not. However, please let’s be wise and do as Moses asked the Israelites long ago, when he placed life and death before them, as well as blessing and cursing, and then advised them ‘therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19)
Yes my brethren….that’s wisdom in spades! Please, let’s follow it for the sake of our children’s children! Much LOVE!
…Satan’s baubles and bangles are all fake…but God’s are the real thing…the real McCoy…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 Apr 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Christ-like attitude, a new theatre of strife, as for me and my house, be grateful, be the salt of the earth, Bible, bring about positive change, called me to his eternal glory in Christ, Christian, christianity, Christians are action oriented, elect God-fearing leaders, god, hearts and souls, hurry, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, If God be for me who can be against me, Jesus, Jesus Christ, LOVE, LOVE is of God, make me strong firm and steadfast, one one cocoa full basket, share His love with my neighbours, sincere action figures, something good is going to happen to me, something good is going to happen to me today, step up to the plate, suffered a little while, the beloved of God, the dustbin of history, the foolishness of man, the fullness of life in Christ, the God of all grace, the light of the world, this is the day the Lord has made, this too shall pass, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, turn up their noses, we will rejoice and be glad in it, we will serve the Lord, will Himself restore me, wisdom, worry
Psalm 118:24. This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Then it was Tuesday, and another uncomfortable, disturbing Monday has been flung into the dustbin of History! There’s also no doubt that spring has seriously sprung now! Yes! We had some good showers in the mornings over the weekend, but by afternoon the sun had come out strong and vibrant, actually spreading some warmth, and yesterday was a particularly beautiful spring day, despite it being Monday. (smile) Today is supposed to be another of those beautiful days with temps in the high teens.
So let’s be grateful and thank our great God for all the blessings He’s bestowing on us, by gratefully declaring (yesss!!!): ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24) And while we’re at it, why don’t we declare a few more very useful acclamations, like: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ (Phil. 4:13) And what about this most useful one: ‘If God be for me, who can be against me? NOBODY!’ (Rom. 8:31)
Then there’s this non scriptural acclamation, but every bit as true: ‘Friends show their LOVE in times of trouble, not in happiness.’ (Euripides) And that’s the gospel truth! Oh how much better our world would be if supposed friends would show up in times of trouble and help, instead of running away like scared chickens! Next up is this wonderful acclamation first proclaimed by Joshua. ‘As for me and my house, we WILL follow the Lord; that’s for sure!’ (Josh. 24:15)
Now what about this gem: ‘And the God of all grace, who has called me to his eternal glory in Christ after I have suffered a little while, will Himself restore me and make me strong, firm and steadfast. Glory to God!’ (1 Pet. 5:10) Now that one is a bit long and somewhat tough to master both in memory and deed, but if we can ever get it right in our hearts and souls, our lives will be much better attuned to the vagaries and eccentricities of this world, because we’ll know without a doubt, that whatever comes against us is only for a time, and that our great God, will, in His time, restore us to the fullness of life in Christ Jesus.
Unfortunately though, a lot of people turn up their noses at acclamations, but that’s just the foolishness of man, because when we acclaim the scriptures or anything that is good and true, we reinforce the goodness and strength of God within ourselves, so when tragedy or trouble strike, we have enough confidence in our system to allow us to handle it with a good, Christ-like attitude. Finally, there’s this acclamation that sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say: ‘Something good is going to happen TO me today! Something good is going to happen THROUGH me today!’
And that’s exactly how it ought to be my brethren! Good things happen to us, and good things happen through us, for that’s the will of God. He delights in working through His wonderful followers. That’s why Jesus kept telling us to LOVE each other, for LOVE is of God. And if we’re showing true, brotherly LOVE to one another, then we’re behaving like God, and that’s what it’s all about…behaving like Christ as much as possible. And with our world in a sad and sorry state of strife, war, greed, hunger, poverty, sickness and natural disasters, we desperately need Christians to step up to the plate and be the salt of the earth and light of the world that Jesus expects us to be.
Oh my fellow believers, no one else is going to change our disastrous world if we don’t. Please, let’s understand that. Change, or rather positive and productive change will only come if we supposed Christians get up off of our lazy, comfortable, entitled fannies and do the work necessary to bring about positive change. We’ve got to stop the plentiful talking for which we’re so famous, and instead become serious and sincere action figures, who are getting things done, like Christ desires!
It’s sad to see our world degenerating, deteriorating more and more with each passing day. For every day we hear about a new theatre of strife, and none of the old ones are closed, as well as starvation and sickness somewhere else in our world of plenty. What’s wrong with us eh? And the sad part is that many of our leaders who are promulgating the negative stuff claim to be believers in Christ Jesus, to be Christians. But how can we reconcile their warlike and evil actions with a supposed Christian nature eh? No way!
The trouble also stems from the fact that too many of us believers claim we can’t do anything about the worldwide situation, and that might be true to a certain extent, but what about electing true God-fearing leaders eh? And what about the negative situations right in our own neighbourhoods? Now don’t tell me that there aren’t any, because there are oodles of fixable problems in each and every neighbourhood, which Christians could be helping to alleviate, if we so desire, and thus making our little part of the world better. But, with our sad attitude of indifference, we all sit and wait for someone else to fix the problems.
However, what did some wise someone once say. If we want peace, let it begin with me. Yes friends, anything we truly desire has to begin with us! We each have to develop the habits of movers and shakers in our own areas, if we ever expect to see positive change. And we don’t have to start with big changes, small ones will do. For as my Jamaican people tell us: one one cocoa full basket. And it certainly does. Each small change we make builds up in number, till we have a full basket of them.
So please my fellow saints, let’s get up and get a move on nuh, let’s start taking back our beautiful world from the evil doers, who are just bent on destroying it, and sending both it and us down to Hades with the evil one. And that’s not an acceptable option. But it’s only if we wake up and start smelling the roses, will it ever change. End of Sermon. (smile) Now let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock stock and barrel.
As one sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that proclamation, we are now bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with those we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…whether it’s in peace or war…actions always speak louder than words…and Christians are action oriented people…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
31 Oct 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and again I say rejoice, be careful for nothing, be of good cheer I have overcome the world, casting all your care upon him, faith, grace to accept your timing, Halloween Day, hit the nail on the head, holy spirit, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, hurry, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, in god's eyes, in me ye might have peace, in the name of the mighty dollar, Jesus Christ, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, let not your heart be troubled, let your moderation be known unto all men, let your request be made known unto God, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, my heart is stayed on hope in God, not as the world giveth, occult stuff, Peace i leave with you, rejoice always, Satanic tradition, set my thoughts higher, share His love with my neighbours, the beloved of God, the God of all grace, the goodness of God, the joy of the Lord, the peace of God which passeth all understading, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, whom resist steadfast in the faith, wisdom, worry
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.
Prologue: Let me apologize for the lateness of the Bit right up front. I had a doctor’s appointment earlier this morning and you know how it is with them; you spend more time waiting than anything else. Nonetheless, I think it’s a good Bit. (smile)
And after Monday comes Tuesday…as naturally as the day follows the night. (smile) And this Tuesday, the last day in October is bright and sunshiny in my area, though somewhat chilly, for there was frost on the cars this morning. But more importantly, for the world and it’s economic masters is that today is also Halloween day, when the world shamelessly flaunts the things of the occult, with li’l children the basis of their mockery, invoking fearful and scary foolishness, as they make oodles of money from the nonsense they promote.
What a world eh! When we’re so badly in need of God’s help with our many serious problems, we foolishly keep up with this Satanic tradition, all in the name of the mighty dollar! Personally, I’ve never seen the fun in children dressing up in scary costumes and scampering around in the night to their neighbours’ houses begging for stuff, especially candy, which every day you hear in the ads is no good for you. This is the happiest time of the year for the dentists’ because they know in another couple of months children will be flocking to them with candy infused teeth problems.
And if we insist on dealing with, cherishing and encouraging dark and occult stuff, even the scary movies are doing big business these days, what’s the purpose of this scripture then? ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind. (2 Tim. 1:7) Then, afterwards, when a real challenge comes against us, we can’t handle it, because we’re too scared, we’re filled with fear, rather than faith. To help us with all our weak and fearful moments though, here’s a prayer from Bubba Joel (Joel Osteen) that will enable us to keep God first place in our lives.
Please pray with me: ‘God, please give me the grace to accept Your timing. I will enjoy this day because You have me in the palm of Your hand. No circumstance or problem can keep me from the joy You have for me. Even though it seems I may have good reason to worry or live upset, I’m going to keep my eyes on You. I know that the enemy would LOVE for me to never get my hopes up, to think that it’s always going to be this way, to just drag through the day. But my heart is stayed on hope in You. I’m going to set my thoughts higher, championing You in this moment and throughout the day. I will choose to be happy. I will choose to focus on the goodness of God. Nothing is going to override my joy in the Lord, now, or in the days to come, in Jesus’ name. Amen!’
Yes friends, that’s the kind of desire and passion we need to hold on to each and every day. Choose to be happy, choose to focus on God’s goodness and fill our lives with the joy of the Lord, which is our strength! (Neh. 8:10) It’s all a matter of choice…our choice. We can either choose to focus on God and His goodness or the fiery trials and tribulations of this evil and wicked world! The choice is ours! No one else’s! So, if you choose to focus on your tough circumstances instead of God’s goodness, then that’s foolishly your fault. For throughout all the Bible, we have been encouraged to not fear, to not worry, just give it all to God. And these two scriptures are the epitome of that wonderful and wise advice.
First off is this scripture from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Philippians. ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (gentleness) 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 faithful brethren, that hits the nail right on its proverbial head! Don’t worry or be concerned about anything, especially if you can’t do anything about it in your own strength. Turn it over to the Lord though prayer and thanksgiving and that wonderful peace of God, which surpasses all of man’s understanding will calm your souls and spirits. It’s that peace that Jesus bequeathed unto us, when He said: ‘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) And later on He again gives us His marvellous peace, when He tells the disciples: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And if you have sufficient faith to believe in Jesus and His faithful promises, then the cares of this world won’t trouble you unduly.
Then there’s also this amazing and encouraging scripture of putting one’s cares and lives in the hands of Jehovah God. Listen to Peter tell it: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion , walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-11)
Now friends, let’s pay close attention to those scriptures because the world is getting more evil and troubled each day, and we will only be able to handle it with God’s divine help! Now for those of us who are doing our best to stand steadfast and strong, let’s declare (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, let’s go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the only place to find true peace…is with Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
26 Aug 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: as a dream when one awaketh, as a roaring lion, bring a calm relaxing presence, casting all your care upon him, despise their image, evildoers shall be cut off, found happiness, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, I may know you all the more, I saw the prosperity of the wicked, I was as a beast before thee, I was envious at the foolish, in a warm and growing relationship with God, it is good for me to draw near to God, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let my muscles relax, live in obedience to God's will, LOVE, put my trust in the Lord God, read and inwardly digest, sang praises with gladness, set them in slippery places, slow my thohghts, so foolish was I and ignorant, the God of all grace, then understood I their end, they that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth, until I went into the sanctuary of God, whom have I in heaven but thee, whom resist steadfast in the faith, your adversary the devil
Psalm 73:17. Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.
‘Beautiful days are here again! Glory Hallelujah!’ Yes friends, after a few wet, dark and cloudy days, our lazy-day Saturday has opened bright and sparkling, with blue skies all around. We’ll never refuse a beautiful day, even if it’s on a lazy-day Saturday. (smile) And I guess you’re wondering what I’m doing up so early on this day given over to laziness. Well, I just happened to get up early and decided to get a move on, to enjoy my lazy time after the Bit, rather than before it. So, with all of that in mind, let’s begin by saying our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer.
As one sincere voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ Oh my people, don’t those words just bring a calm, relaxing presence to your spirit, body and soul? They surely do to mine!
Now, yesterday we promised that if God granted us life, today we’d continue looking at that rather interesting and appropriate Psalm 73, which talks about the prosperity of the wicked. And since we are still alive and kicking, (smile) let’s get to it. In the first part of the psalm yesterday, we saw how the wicked can prosper right throughout their lives despite Bruh David saying in Psalm 37, that they will soon be destroyed. And that fact got the psalmist Asaph to wondering about the purpose of righteousness when the wicked were prospering in their wickedness while seriously oppressing the righteous.
And it almost caused him to stumble. As he said: ‘For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.’ (Ps, 73:3) Now that situation affects all of us, for it’s a sort of contradiction to God’s word. But what we have to realize is that God didn’t say exactly when He would destroy the wicked, just that He would do it.
And furthermore, our job is not to be envious of them, but to remain righteous and do God’s will, believe His promises and live in obedience to his plan for our lives, like Bruh David says in Psalm 37:4-8. Delight, commit, trust, rest in the Lord, etc. etc. ‘For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but they that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. (Ps. 37:9)
But, fortunately, the psalmist Asaph, after almost stumbling, found the cure for his ailment. As he writes, it was not ‘Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.’ (Ps. 73:17) And the scholars explain: ‘The second part of the psalm is prompted by the content of verse 17. Not until the psalmist entered God’s sanctuary and received a divine perspective on the wicked’s prosperity, did he find his answer to the problem.
He saw the destiny of the wicked: ‘Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brough into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors. As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.’ (Ps. 73:18-20)
Then he repented of the envy that he had so foolishly allowed to envelop him. ‘Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins (pierced in my mind). So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.’ (Ps. 73: 21-22) And as the scholars tell us, then he finally ‘found his happiness solely in a warm and growing relationship with God (vs. 23-28).’
So let’s see what those verses say nuh. ‘Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden (held) me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon the earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ (Ps. 73: 23-28)
Now friends, that’s the kind of strong and steadfast declaration (steups!!!) we believers ought to be sincerely making, especially in these dark and troubled times, when the wicked are prospering more than ever, and the poor and righteous are suffering through no fault of their own. And it’s certainly not easy to do when all the unfairness and inhumanity are blatantly being perpetrated right before our very eyes. But we need to stand strong on God’s word, that the wicked will be destroyed in God’s time, while if we stay righteous, we will inherit His goodness and mercy.
And, as the scholars conclude: ‘The point of the psalm is driven home even more dramatically when remembering that Asaph, the author, was a spiritual man who grew up with deeply religious training. (1 Chr. 15:16-19; 16:4-7; 2 Chr. 5:12; 29:30)’ Yes friends, Asaph was one of the singers appointed by Bruh David to accompany the ark of the covenant. The Bible tells us: ‘And he (Bruh David) appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, and to record, and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel: Asaph the chief…’ (1 Chr. 16:4-5)
And from 2 Chronicles 29, we read: ‘Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the Lord with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.’ (2 Chr. 29:30) Yes my faithful brethren, Asaph was a very bright, influential and spiritual man in Bruh David’s time, and that’s why to this day, we still sing the psalms he wrote. So if a man of his stature could fall prey to the envy of the prosperity of the wicked, why wouldn’t so many more of us today, who are not nearly as spiritual and righteous?
And it just goes to show the power of Satan, once we allow him into our souls. That’s why it’s ever so important for us to do as Peter says: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-11)
And my fellow saints, there are no better words for us to end on this lazy-day Saturday. So please, let’s read and inwardly digest them, then put them into action in our lives. It will be one of the best decisions we can ever make! Much LOVE!
…commit thy way unto the Lord…trust also in him…and he shall bring it to pass…. (Ps. 37:5)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
20 Apr 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, as a roaring lion, be renewed in the spirit of your mind, be ye kind one to another, bounden duty, curse, draw nigh to God, faith, favour, forgiving one another, God for Christ's sake has forgiven you, good health, good to the use of edifying, have life more abundantly, his bark is worse than his bite, it is written, let him that stole steal no more, let not the sun go down upon your wrath, LOVE, minister grace unto the hearers, negative word, neither give place to the devil, resist steadfast in the faith, resist the devil and he will flee from you, satan a toothless lion, seeking whom he may devour, the devil looks for us to make missteps, the God of all grace, the upper hand, Thursday Blessings, your adversary the devil
Ephesians 4:27. Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil.
Well, it seems that the sun has the upper hand in the weather contest this Thursday morning in early spring. But fear not, the dark clouds are hovering around, ready to slip in, once the sun makes a wrong step. And that is exactly how the devil does with us believers. He’s always there hovering and loitering, waiting for us to make a misstep, then jump right into the opening in our souls and spirits. And that’s why there are so many warnings in the scriptures about being careful of the wiles and evil schemes of Beelzebub.
Jesus even warned us about falsehood and evil in this world. He said in no uncertain terms: ‘The thief cometh not but for (except) to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:10-11) And that’s exactly what He did on the cross at Calvary; gave His life for us, the sheep of His pasture. But the devil has no such good intentions towards us. He just wants to wreak havoc amongst us and invade our souls and do the same there, his basic intention being to turn us away from believing in and truly living for Christ.
And that’s why we have to pay serious attention to this scripture from Peter. He writes: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-11)
There you have it in black and white friends: the devil is always prowling around to see whom he can snare in his evil trap. And though he pretends to be a lion, he’s a toothless one, with only a frightening roar. That’s because Jesus knocked out all of his teeth when He died and rose from the dead. That was Jesus’ knockout punch to the enemy, thus making him a toothless and powerless foe. Remember, he has no power over us, unless we give it to him. As they say, his bark is worse than his bite, since he has no teeth to bite. (smile) The problem though is that we continually give the devil room to manoeuvre in our lives because we don’t pay sufficient attention to the things we do and say.
And that’s James’ reason for warning us, when he says: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded….Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-8, 10) Yes friends, we must resist the devil. That’s the only way we can get rid of him. And one way of doing that is by turning seriously and sincerely to God. Humbling ourselves before Him, cleansing our hands and purifying our hearts through sincere communication and doing of His holy will.
The devil won’t just go away and leave you alone…at least not for long. As Luke reminds us in the temptation of Jesus. ‘And when the devil had ended all the temptation (testing), he departed from him for a season (until an appropriate time).’ (Luke 4:13) That shows when you resist the devil, he goes away, but only until he sees another opportune time to confound you. But please note too how Jesus resisted the devil during His period of testing; by quoting scripture to him. ‘It is written…that man should not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ (Luke 4:4) ‘It is written…Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.’ (Luke 4:8) ‘It is written…Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.’ (Luke 4:12)
Yes my fellow believers, when the devil gets a good dose of scriptures in his evil machinations, he goes away, but only for a time. That’s why we need to read, meditate and remember the scriptures so we can throw it back in his face when he comes a calling. Now, please note that when Jesus shot the scriptures at the devil, he backed off. So don’t think for one moment that Satan doesn’t know the scriptures. He possibly knows them better than us, for remember once upon a time, he was the Archangel Lucifer, the Bright Morning Star, who’s foolish pride caused him to rebel against God and get kicked out of heaven down to the fiery depths of Hades.
And we can’t quote scriptures on resisting the devil and not quote these from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. (smile) He writes: ‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lust; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil.
Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:22-32)
Oh my fellow saints that’s just the way we ought to live as true believers! And I know that it’s not always easy to live the godly, righteous life, but it’s the best way to fight off the enemy and his evil wiles and schemes. Don’t give him even a toe hold in our lives by doing the things Bruh Paul warns of. And if we live that way, we won’t have to fight off the devil as often. Now, I hope that give us some reassurance in standing up mano a mano to the enemy, but our God is so wonderful that He’s bestowed blessings on us, that we call Thursday Blessings, so that we can do His earthly work and live the way He desires. Let’s declare (steups!!!) them out loud now so we can activate them.
Altogether: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having activated those blessings, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and use them to help others come to know and LOVE Jesus like we do! Much LOVE!
…living the way Jesus desires…reduces the attacks of the enemy…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
13 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all to God my praises sing, as a roaring lion, be careful for nothing, be sober be vigilant, by prayer and supplication, casting all your care upon him, enable you to handle all your problems, he careth for you, humble servants, in every thing, intimately acquainted with Jesus, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus knows the answers, let your requests be made known unto God, like clockwork, make you perfect, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my thoughts are higher than your thoughts, my ways are higher that your ways, negative situations, sincere repentance, the Creator of the universe, the God of all grace, the God who heals, the Lord will perfect establish strengthen and settle us, the master of practical application, the same afflictions are accomplished by your brethren, turn from our evil ways, walketh about seeking whom he may devour, who hath called us into his eternal glory, whom resist steadfast in the faith, wise guidance, your adversary the devil
1 Peter 5:7.Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.
Why does Monday have to come every week like clockwork eh, you ask? Because that’s the way God and man planned it.(smile) And why does snow seem to fall in our area on Friday evenings and Monday mornings, making it difficult to get home on Fridays, while spoiling all one’s plans for the weekend, then doing the same thing to the Monday morning commute, when Monday is already difficult in itself? (smile) Some snow fell in the Greater Toronto area overnight, but it wasn’t that much, and the roads should be mostly wet and a tad slippery this morning.
And as per the questions above, sorry folks, I don’t have answers to any of those questions nuh, but I can share this very important information with you. There’s a person by the name of Jesus who knows the answers, and though He might not desire to share them with you, if you become associated, or intimately acquainted with Him and His organization, the church, He will enable you to handle all the problems those trials cause. Glory Be!
Yes, we saw in yesterday’s Bit where Jesus offered His Great Invitation for all who are weary and heavy burdened to come to Him for rest. He is gentle and humble in heart, and His yoke is easy and His burden light. (Matt. 11:28-30) And that’s a wonderful invitation, but to many of us it’s merely theory, we want to know how to put it into practice, how to make a practical application of that theory. No problem my people. Listen to the master of practical applications, Bruh Paul.
Here’s how he advises us to turn that theoretical situation into a practical one. In his letter to the church at Philippi, he writes: ‘Be careful for nothing (do not be anxious about anything); but in every thing (every situation) by prayer and supplication (petition) with thanksgiving let your requests be made known (present your requests) to God.’ (Phil. 4:6) Now that certainly seems like a practical solution to our problems. God is the Creator and Controller of the universe, and therefore has much more power, wisdom and knowledge than us mere mortals made from the dust of the earth, to which we will all eventually return.
But you still don’t understand how taking our problems to Almighty God will solve them, so listen to Bruh Paul’s continuation in his message to the Philippians. He declares (yesss!!!): ‘And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus!’ (Phil. 4:7) Glory be my faithful brethren! Yes, the tranquility or divine peace of mind that comes from God is such a high level of peace that our finite and puny minds can’t fully understand it, but it will quell our fears and anxieties.
Remember the Lord said in Isaiah: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) That sets the bar right there my brethren. Our understanding is far below that of our Creator, therefore we need to obediently accept His word and His way of doing things if we ever want to grow, to mature, to rise from glory to glory in His eternal kingdom.
Now, here’s another scripture that encourages us to take all our problems to Almighty God. Peter says: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:’ (1 Pet. 5:6) And you then ask? How do I do that? Here’s Peter’s answer: ‘Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:7) And there’s absolutely no doubt of God’s great LOVE and compassion for us! You just have to look at how He sent His only Son Jesus to earth to die on our behalf. That says it all my friends!
But according to Peter we also have a part to play, when He says; ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.’ (1 Pet. 5:8) Now that’s more gospel truth, because Satan is walking around, lurking in the background, ever ready to deceive those who are not paying attention, who are not standing strong in Jesus. So Peter then warns us to be very wary of the devil: ‘Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world.’ (1 Pet. 5:9)
Yes my fellow saints, all believers in Christ experience hardships, trials and tribulations. ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm) strengthen, settle you.’ (1 Pet. 5:10) And that’s God’s promise, which He will keep, if we keep our promise to be obedient and faithful to Him through His Son Jesus Christ! That’s why Peter ends by declaring: (awright!!!) ‘To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 5:11) And that’s exactly how it will be, if we truly believe!
Now, let’s take advantage of that awesome privilege that Bruh Paul and Peter spoke of; that’s going to God in prayer, casting our care upon Him, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. Altogether then: ‘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 keep our promises, so that the Lord will keep His. Much LOVE!
…all to God I carry…all to God my praises sing…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
12 Dec 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a barking dog on a dark night, after ye have suffered a while, as a roaring lion, be sober be vigilant, casting all your care upon him, Christ's follwere are persevering, commune with our Maker, exalt you in due time, forgive us, heal our land, humble yourselves, Jehovah Rapha, LOVE, make a way to escape, make you perfect, mass confusion, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, partners with God, satan is persistent, sincere repentance, the God of all grace, the God who heals, turn from our evil ways, under the mighty hand of god, walketh about seeking whom he may devour, with the temptation, ye may be able to bear it, your adversary the devil
1 Peter 5:8. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour:
Oh friends, let’s be thankful that we got the blast of cold weather and snow yesterday morning rather than today, otherwise this Monday morning’s commute would have been a nightmare out on the snow-covered roads with the white stuff lazily, but dangerously drifting down. (smile) However, most of the snow has either melted or has been cleaned away and the roads are in good shape for the opening day of this workweek.
And I do hope and pray that most of us are also in good shape as we journey out to earn a living and do God’s bidding. Because if we aren’t, then the day will frustrate us, causing unnecessary anxiety. That’s why before we leave home, we ought always to commune with our Maker and heavenly Father asking for His strength and guidance to handle the day as it inexplicably and uncertainly unfurls before us.
Remember, we are more than conquerors, but we can only do what Christ strengthens us to do. Therefore, we need Christ in every moment of our day, if we are to successfully see it through. That’s why Peter so wisely warned and advised us thus: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-7)
And that’s the living truth friends! Our God cares for us so much that He even sent His Son Jesus Christ to earth to die on the cross at Calvary so that He could justly forgive our sins and reconcile us to Himself! As Bruh Paul said to the church at Rome: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Now if that isn’t the epitome of LOVE and caring, then I don’t know what is!
But my people, since we are in a partnership with God, it means we also have a part to play. And Peter lays it out for us, when he advises: ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world.’ (1 Pet. 5:8-9)
Ah friends, although many of us experience similar temptations, it’s not always easy to resist the devil, especially when he goes around roaring loudly. Remember though, that he’s a toothless lion, only has a big roar, for Christ has already defanged him, taken away the keys of hell, death and the grave from him, and his only power now is to frighten us with his loud voice. He plays on our fears like a dog loudly barking on a dark night; we can’t see him, but we know he’s close by, and we tremble with a spot of fear as the sound seems to get closer with each bark.
But the truth is that those dogs who make so much noise are either tied up or are fenced in, that’s why their only avenue is to bark loudly and frighten us. And it’s the same with Satan; he has no power over us unless we give it to him, unless we allow him to scare us into doing his bidding instead of Christ’s! And Peter also covers that by saying: ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (establish) strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 5:10-11)
What a mighty and gracious God we serve my fellow believers! He won’t allow us to fall into a circumstance from which we cannot extricate ourselves with His help. As Bruh Paul says in his first letter to the Corinthians. ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13)
Yes my people, the Lord won’t always allow us to escape from the temptation completely, but more likely He will give us the strength, the wherewithal to withstand or endure said temptation, because that will test and build our faith, bring us more like Jesus, which is God’s basic plan for all His children. That’s why we have to pay close attention to the people and things that come into our lives and early on winnow the wheat from the chaff, or else the chaff, the devil’s iniquity workers will just muck up our lives.
And once he acquires a stronghold in us, it’s certainly difficult to get rid of him, he holds on for dear life. So, the best way to avoid that is by resisting him, by being sober and diligent in the first place, and not let him gain any strongholds in our lives. And it all begins with prayer. So let’s go to God, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and place our problems in His caring, merciful and gracious hands.
Altogether 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 for 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 my fellow saints, it’s up to us to do the things we know will get us a positive answer from God. Much LOVE!
…Satan is very persistent… but Christ’s followers are more steadfast and persevering…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
09 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a word to the wise is sufficient, acclamations of faith, be of good cheer I have overcome the world, by thy words thou shalt be condemned, by thy words thou shalt be justified, called me to his eternal glory in Christ, during the rough times, easy to be a friend in good times, endure to the end, Euripides, every idle word that men speak, fair-weather friends, friends show their love in times of trouble, friends show their true mettle, glory hallelujah, gospel truth, halfway home, hands on the plough, he shall direct thy paths, he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God, I am an overcomer through Christ, I will be debt free in God's time, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in the day of judgement, Karen Del Tatto, keep the door of my lips, lean not unto thine own understanding, LOVE, more glorious than we can ask or imagine, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, night-owl activities, not turning back, restore me and make me strong, separate the sheep from the goats, set a watch O Lord before my mouth, sleeping all night experiment, social media platforms, the borrower is servant to the lender, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the God of all grace, they shall give an account of, time for Christians to stand up and be counted, to a glorious future with Jesus, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, Wednesday Wail, whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, who is he that overcometh the world, without fear of retribution
1 John 5:5. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?’
Well, I don’t think I’m going to try that sleeping all night experiment again for a long while nuh, because my back hurt all yesterday – and still hurts today, despite pain medication! Yes, I’ll stick with my few hours of sleep here and there and continue with my night-owl activities since I believe I can handle the lack of sleep problem better than the back pain one. End of story! (smile)
So today we’ll continue with a few more acclamations, to enlarge our repertoire of sayings that can quickly raise the level of our spirits and keep our faith strong. And this first one is accredited to the famous Greek tragedian dramatist Euripides. It says: ‘Friends show their LOVE in times of trouble, not in happiness.’ Now isn’t that saying something? It surely is! And what is it saying you ask? (smile)
That true friends come to our help in time of need, of disaster, when we are desperate and can’t see up from down. Yes, it’s easy to be a so-called friend in the good times, but it’s during the rough times that real friends show their true mettle, show that they are not merely fair-weather friends. And that’s the type of friends we all need to encourage in our lives, especially in these sad and desperate times which we are currently experiencing. It’s now that we can truly separate the sheep from the goats, like Jesus will do when he comes back. (Matt. 25:31-46)
Now listen to this great Bible acclamation from the pen of Peter. ‘And the God of all grace, who has called me to His eternal glory in Christ, after I have suffered a little while, will Himself restore me and make me strong, firm and steadfast. Glory to God!’ (1 Pet. 5:10) Oh yes my people, that is the gospel truth! Our great God will indeed bring us out of any trouble when He’s good and ready, when He’s satisfied that we’ve learned something valuable from the situation. And yes, it’s somewhat long, but it’s worth learning if it can lift our spirits.
Then there is this one: ‘I will be debt free in God’s time! Glory Hallelujah!’ Now that is an acclamation that many of us need to declare, believe and do our part in working towards it, because it won’t come through if we keep running up unnecessary debt which is so easy to get nowadays. And for that we have to thank Cousin Sol as he tells us in Proverbs: ‘The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.’ (Prov. 22:7) And that’s more gospel truth my faithful brethren, for the lender indeed has the borrower over a barrel and can use them as puppets, pulling their strings whenever they choose.
Now this next acclamation is also one that most of us need to pray every day, the profound words of Bruh David from Psalm 141 – A Prayer for help in trouble – where he petitions the Lord to: ‘Set a watch (guard), O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door (keep watch over the door) of my lips.’ (Ps. 141:3)
And yuh better believe that the Lord will be busy all day if we ask him for that protection, because these days our mouths run like never before. Even when we don’t what we’re talking about, we all have opinions and desire greatly to express them. And the social media platforms don’t help at all. In fact, they exacerbate the problem, because we can say all kinds of things on them without fear of retribution, since they can also keep us anonymous. But unfortunately, right now talk is very cheap and plentiful and lots of people are using it for their own evil and perverted purposes.
However, please, let’s remember these very important statements of Jesus about talking. ‘But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.’ (Matt. 12:36-37) So, as they say, a word to the wise is sufficient. (smile)
Now here is an interesting acclamation based on so many Bible verses. ‘I am an overcomer through Christ!’ Oh yeah! We ought to be friends, because Christ told us in no uncertain terms that He has already overcome the world, so we don’t need to worry about it. And we all know this scripture: ‘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 sincerely believe it and put it to work.
And John corroborates Christ’s words in his first epistle, where he declares: ‘For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?’ (1 John 5:3-5) He could not put it any clearer friends. Those who are born again, who believe that Jesus is the Son of God, are the ones enabled to overcome this evil and ungodly world.
And this article on the subject by Karen Del Tatto on the growingtogetheringraceandknowledge.blog.com website tells us that the best way to be overcomers in Christ is by following these verses from Proverbs that we already know, but don’t seem to put them into practice like we ought to. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6)
Yes my fellow saints those are two verses that if we sincerely live our lives by them, that’s confidently trust in the Lord and carry all our problems to Him, He will guide us so that we can become overcomers. Let’s remember that and put it into action nuh, especially in these turbulent and uncertain times. Now is the time for Christians to stand up and be counted, for this is the time and occasion that we were born for.
And having said all of that let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful and definitely enviable 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 end, that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…why do we talk about trust in Jesus…but don’t show it in the way we live our lives…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
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