12 Jun 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a creative frame of mind, a relapse is still possible, all power is given unto me, aspires to inspire us, baptizing them, countless tentacles, do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do, don't listen to the naysayers, enjoy the easy life, evangelistically aggressive, even unto the end of the world, for a better tomorrow, getting up and trying again, go ye therefore and teach all nations, gospel truth, I am with you always, I have finished my course, I have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith, in the cause of Christ, in the name of the Father, it is better to fail in originality, lockdown restrictions lifted, LOVE, make a difference in this world, natural sinful nature, no loss of enthusiasm, our friend Anselm, play it safe, settle for making original things better, sit on our laurels, spiritually militant, spreading the good news of Jesus, step out on a limb, success is walking from failure to failure, successful people, the advent of social media, the broad way, the Great Commission, the narrow path, this thing is far from over, to succeed in imitation
2 Timothy 4:7. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith:
And then it was Saturday; that beautiful, lazy, sleep in day! Although I don’t think a lot of people will be sleeping into day because some of the restrictions on the lockdown have apparently been lifted. Don’t ask me what they are, because I have stopped paying attention since they are always so confusing. (smile)
But if yesterday was any reflection of that, with the crowded streets and plentiful traffic, more than we’ve seen for over a year, then today will indeed be crazy. Let’s hope though that people will still pay attention to some of the realities of the situation, because this thing is not over, far from it, and like we’ve had before, a relapse is still possible, especially with all the new variants out there. End of sermon!
Let’s turn to our Saturday business now; that of checking out the quotes that our friend Anselm sent us, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And the first one says: ‘It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.’ Now that’s all well and good in theory, but in actual practice, it’s not so easy to do. Just look at how the nation of Japan rose to greatness by first cheaply copying the designs of other countries, and now China is doing the very same thing. So what does it say about originality eh? (smile)
And remember that famous saying: ‘Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.’ Meaning that it’s a compliment to do or think like someone else. The problem is that though we should all try to be original, not all of us can, or will be. Some of us will just have to settle for making the original things better. (smile)
And the next quote says: ‘There are two types of people who will tell you that you cannot make a difference in this world: those who are afraid to try and those who are afraid you will succeed.’ Now that’s no lie, for some people are just scared to take a risk, to step out on a limb, just want to always play it safe, but you can never succeed by playing it safe. And the other type is the jealous ones. Those who don’t want to see you get ahead of them, who desire you to be just as unsuccessful as they are. But it’s up to you to decide what you truly desire and don’t listen to the naysayers, regardless of the reason they have for saying nay.
But that means you must also pay close attention to the following quote: ‘Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.’ Now that certainly has a ring of truth to it. For the only way to succeed is to move on from your failures, and though it’s difficult to always have enthusiasm after a failure, it’s important that you do have it, since that’s the only way you will ever get fully into your next attempt at success. And the next quote segues very nicely into that one: ‘Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better.’
That first part is gospel truth: to be successful you have to do certain things that most people will not do; like getting up and trying again, and working long, tough hours, although you are not seeing any daylight on the project. Not to mention doing all sorts of menial and supposedly low-life jobs, just to forward the project. And yes, most of wish our tasks were easier, that’s the normal human attitude. But then, as they say, nothing good, or worth accomplishing is ever easy. And that’s generally true, no wonder our society today is so listless and lazy, with so many of us just satisfied to sit on our laurels and enjoy the easy life.
But when a society gets lazy and listless and stops being creative and productive that’s when it begins to die, for a worthwhile life is only achieved through continual improvement and productivity. Consequently, this upcoming quote describes what a person or a society has to be about to not only survive but to prosper. ‘It’s not about standing still and becoming safe. If anybody wants to keep creating, they have to be about change.’
Yes, friends, we have to be in a continually creative frame of mind and accept that some change is necessary to move on up. But please, let’s not do like so many of us in our society are doing today, just embracing change for the sake of change, for not all change is productive, necessary or improves one’s life. And the advent of social media with its countless tentacles spread all over the world is just such one bad influence, for it gives the evil and wicked an even greater chance to spread their evil influence.
True, it also gives the good and righteous a chance to spread their beliefs, but it so happens that because of our natural sinful nature and the broad way of the evil stuff, it is spreading more than the good stuff, which seeks the narrow path. And if we, the good and righteous want to have more influence in this world, we have to start doing much better than we currently are, and using the many tools available to us much more intently and purposefully.
Remember some of Christ’s last words to His disciples: ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:18-20) Now, as followers of Jesus, His disciples and earthly representatives, that’s our life-long mission! We refer to it as the Great Commission, and it is indeed a great commission, as it comes directly from our Lord and Saviour, and it is a big, though very worthwhile task.
And this explanation from the scholars is excellent. ‘The closing promise, though given to the apostles, is transmitted by every generation of believers (cf. John 17:20). Christ’s promise of His presence, I am with you always, guarantees the success of the church’s mission because it is really His mission carried out by His called-out disciples. The phrase unto the end of the world means until the end of the “age.”
Therefore Christ’s empowerment of the church to evangelize the world is available in every age, even unto the end of the church age. In comparing the Great Commission with Jesus’ promise to continually build His church (Ch. 18), we must conclude that He intended His church always to be spiritually militant and evangelistically aggressive as we take His claims of Lordship to the entire world of our generation.’
Now my fellow believers, the important question is, are we being spiritually militant and evangelistically aggressive in our earthly walk? Now, if we are truthful, we will admit that we are definitely not as engrossed and purposeful in Christ’s work as we ought to be. So what’s the answer? It’s simple! To retake the world, we must become more spiritually militant and evangelistically aggressive, and at least match the efforts of the evil doers, until we eventually overpower them!
That’s it in a nutshell my fellow saints. And it’s now up to us to rise up, with a strong sense of purpose and do our job, so that at the end, like Bruh Paul, we can truthfully say: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith:’ (2 Tim. 4:7) Yes friends, unless we can all truthfully say that at the end of our earthly days, then our lives would have been worthless in the cause of Christ! Much LOVE!
…it’s time for believers to rise up…to be bold and aggressive…in spreading the good news of Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
10 May 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a believer in Christ, a future and a hope, a name anove every other name, a trite but true observation, baptizing them, be not overcome of evil, examples work more forcibly than precepts, forgive us and heal our land, forgiving and gracious God, good news of the gospel, hear and answer our prayers, Henry Fielding, humble servants, I am always with you, in the name of the Father, Jehovah Rapha, Joseph Andrews, LOVE, make disciples of all nations, mass confusion, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, monkey see monkey do, new mercies and compassions, overcome evil with good, salvation, sincerely seek your face, teach all nations, the christian motto, the God who heals, the Great Commission, thoughts of peace, to give you an expected end, wise guidance and direction
Matthew 28:19a. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations,
Awright friends, it’s Monday, so let’s be up and at ‘em nuh! It’s a new day, with new mercies and compassions; a new work week for those still with jobs to go to. And even if you don’t have a paying job in the world, and you are a believer in Christ, you still have something important to do each day in His name.
What’s that you ask? As always, Jesus spelled it out loud and clear for us before He ascended back up to heaven. ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:18-20)
That’s what we call ‘The Great Commission!’ Yes, my fellow believers, after His resurrection, Jesus was given total power over both heaven and earth. As the Good Book tells it: ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:9-11)
So you see Jesus wasn’t lying when He told the disciples He had all authority in heaven and earth. It was therefore in His power to command them to go and spread His gospel, the good news of salvation which He had imparted to them, all over the world, to the very ends of the earth. That way, all the earth would know of the mercy, forgiveness and eternal life available through belief in Him.
And I like how the scholars characterize the Great Commission. They say: ‘Christianity is not represented here as the mere reverential devotion of disappointed men who honour their martyred leader. Here is a far different scene. The triumphant, living Lord sends forth His ambassadors to proclaim His gospel throughout the world. The Great Commission is not just and order but a pronouncement of victory by the risen Saviour through His disciples.’
Wow! Yuh hear that mih people? The Great Commission is a pronouncement of victory by the risen, Living Lord!! Glory be! The only problem is that we His disciples, His ambassadors, His agents, His representatives, or whatever we choose to call ourselves, need to go out every day and proclaim that victory to whomever we meet! That’s the ONLY way they will know about it!
And that’s why I said at the beginning, even if you don’t have a worldly job to go to today, as believers in Jesus, you always have something important to do; that’s spread the good news of His victory over Satan, over hell, death and the grave, and His wonderful promise of salvation and eternal life to all who sincerely accept Him as Lord and Saviour!
So please, let’s not think that our lives are being wasted if we don’t have physical jobs, we always have a spiritual job to perform for Jesus. To be living examples of His goodness and mercy, so that others can see the wonderful relationship we enjoy with Him, and also come to desire that wonderful relationship. We can’t always preach people into accepting Jesus, but we can always lead them to Him by the life we live. And that’s all He’s asking of us.
As the opening lines of the old classic book ‘Joseph Andrews’ by Henry Fielding, published in 1742 state. “It is a trite but true observation that examples work more forcibly on the mind than precepts.” That’s indisputable truth. Or as the old people would say, ‘Monkey see, monkey do.’ We just seem to live more by what we see than what we hear. That’s why many of us got licks as children, because we didn’t follow our parents’ advice: ‘Do as I say, and not as I do.’ And it’s only human nature to want to do what others do, especially if they tell us not to do it. (smile)
So please my brethren, let’s remember that our heavenly Father has a purpose and a plan for all of our lives, which include remaking us into the image of Christ, and also spreading His gospel around the world. That’s why He said through the prophet Jeremiah: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) And that future and hope are all wrapped up in Christ and His good news of salvation.
Now, what would Monday be like if we didn’t offer up our Monday Morning Battle Hymn eh, especially in these very trying and troubled times? (smile) So, as one strong and sincere voice: ‘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, it’s all up to us to show God that we really mean what we just prayed. Much LOVE!
…the Christian motto…be not overcome of evil…but overcome evil with good… (Rom. 12:21)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
28 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a stranglehold on the world, aches and pains of an ageing body, and also to the Greek (Gentile), angry rhetoric, anti-God, Bob Marley predicted, come together, disgruntled, distrustful, disunited, endure to the end, every tongue that rise against thee, everywhere will be war, example of our lives, fearful fannies, few labourers, fight the good fight, glad to be alive, halfway home, hands fixed securely on the plough, hard-headed, he will send forth, hellfire and brimstone, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, in judgement, injustice meted out to the innocent, killing fields, labourers into his harvest, like sand on the seashore, like sheep without a shepherd, living in the carnality of the flesh, make disciples of all the world, more glorious than we can ask or imagine, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, no weapon formed against you shall prosper, not looking back, one army, our future, pandemic, pray ye therefore, prideful, reconciliation with God, scattered abroad, soldiers of Christ, spreading the gospel of Jesus, strife and hatred, the backing power of Jesus, the breath of life, the Good Shepherd - Jesus, the Great Commission, the harvest truly is plenteous, the labourers are few, the Lord of the harvest, the multitude of unbelievers, the only way to obtain victory, the power of God unto salvation, the prince of darkness, the purveyors of evil, the stubbornness of mankind, the task of discipleship, then saith Jesus to his disciples, thou shalt condemn, to a glorious future with Jesus, to every one that believeth, to the Jew first, trying to make a difference, washed away, weary and tired, Wednesday Wail, wisdom and guidance, without hope
Matthew 9:37. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
So it’s Wednesday eh? What’s new eh? Not a blooming thing! The increasing aches and pains of an ageing body are still here (smile) …and so is the pandemic…and all the other strife and hatred that’s currently filling our world…and which portends to get even worse as the U.S elections draw nearer. Every day more angry rhetoric is been spewed out and more injustice meted out to the innocent by the purveyors of evil.
As Bob Marley so wisely predicted some years ago: ‘And everywhere will be war…ah say war…’ And it seems to be coming true as we get more disunited, distrustful, disgruntled and begin showing our real evil and sinful selves. Obviously what we need is more Jesus, but too many of us are not seeing it that way. We insist in living in the carnality of the flesh, doing it our way, although our way doesn’t seem to be working.
Oh, the stubbornness of mankind always amazes me. If one thing isn’t working, why not try something else eh? Satan’s way certainly isn’t working, so why not try Jesus’ way eh? Those are the only two options we have. But we so blooming hard-headed and prideful and anti-God, that we refuse to try the Almighty despite our lives falling apart, being steadily washed away, like sand on the seashore.
Oh mih people, I don’t know what to say nuh. I need wisdom and guidance, words from Almighty God that I can share with you, that will convince and encourage you to turn to Him in these desperate and troubled times. And as I was just leafing through the Good Book, I came upon these words of Jesus, back when He was talking to the disciples about few labourers for the task of discipleship. And isn’t that the living truth today too!
Hear the Good Book: ‘But when he (Jesus) saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted (were weary), and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.’ (Matt. 9:36-38)
And that my fellow saints in Christ is the indisputable truth! If there were more of us serious saints out in the evil, killing fields, doing our best to harvest the crop of unbelievers, diligently spreading the gospel of Christ, and truly showing it by the exemplary example of our lives, our world would certainly not be as bad as it is. The prince of darkness would definitely not have such a strangle hold on it. And the scholars agree, as they add their two cents worth. ‘Verses 37 and 38 constitute one of the great missionary passages of the New Testament. Jesus pictures the world as a great spiritual harvest in need of labourers to gather it into the storehouse.’
And believe me, right now, Jesus is sitting down in heaven, with an awesome amount of compassion in His heart, remembering those immortal words and thinking the same thing: there just aren’t enough labourers, enough of His saints, to harvest the multitude of unbelievers in this crazy and evil world. Oh friends, the multitudes of this current world are certainly scattered abroad, weary and tired and without hope, like sheep that have no shepherd.
But we know the Good Shepherd, Jesus is His name, and remember He gave us that Great Commission to go out and make disciples of all the world, teaching them everything that He had taught us, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost and promising that He would always be with us, right down to the very wire of life? But we’re not doing it to the best of our ability, that’s why the devil is holding most of the cards right now. The saints of Christ have forsaken their bounden duty, through fear, compromise, and simple apathy.
And if we the labourers aren’t out there sincerely harvesting and teaching, and making disciples, who are going to do it eh? It seems that we’ve forgotten the great promise of God delivered through His prophet Isaiah. ‘No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper (succeed); and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of (from) me, saith the Lord.’ (Is. 54:17)
So are we servants of the Lord or not? And if so, why are we so fearful of what the world has to say or does eh? Remember the two words Jesus used so often hear on earth: ‘FEAR NOT!’ It would certainly do us good to powerfully reinstate them in our hearts, souls, bellies and backbones at this most critical juncture in the history of mankind. And like we’ve also forgotten these very important words of Bruh Paul, re the power of the gospel. ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Gentile).’ (Rom. 1:16)
And the living truth my people is that too many of us, supposed saints are actually ashamed of Christ’s gospel, that’s why we don’t share it, and instead live these fearful lives of compromise and shame. But please remember that the gospel of Christ is the ONLY thing that will bring mankind to salvation, to reconciliation with God, and a spot in heaven for eternity! The only other option is hellfire and brimstone with Satan in the depths of hell! Is that what we desire for ourselves and those near and dear to us? I doubt it. So let’s get rid of the fear and anxiety nuh. With the backing power of Jesus we can do all things.
Yuh know how we LOVE to quote that scripture. (smile) Well let’s put it into action instead nuh. Yeh talk is cheap but LOVE and compassion demand action and sacrifice, and Jesus gave us that example in living colour. So let’s get up off our lazy, fearful fannies and follow it nuh. The kingdom desperately needs us right now! And for those of us who are trying to make a difference, let’s go home now declaring (awrighttt!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all a
nd sundry know of our strong and sincere position in Christ Jesus. All together 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 we need to be reminded that if we endure until the end, as good labourers and harvesters, our future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…it’s time for the soldiers of Christ to come together…form ONE coherent army…and fight…fight the good fight…it’s the ONLY way…to obtain victory…
28 Sep 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things work together for good, and are called to his purpose, awesome grace and mercy, battle ready, begun a good work, being confident of this very thing, disciples of Jesus, earn our keep, first day of our work week, for when I am weak, forgive us, forgiving and gracious God, fragile Friday, hear our prayer, I am always with you, I can do all things through Christ, in the feace of persecution, Jehovah Rapha, like a stalwart soldier, LOVE, mentally challenged, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, move from glory to glory, my grace is sufficient for thee, my strength is made perfect in weakness, repentance, sincerely seek your face, teach all nations, the God who heals, the Good News of Jesus' Gospel, the Great Commission, the promises of God, then I am strong, this pilgrim world, to those who love God, tough, trials and tribulations, unto the end of the world, venomous diatribe, weekly cycle, will perform it until the day of Jesus, without batting an eyelash, withstand the rigours, writ indelibly in our hearts
2 Corinthians 12:10b. For when I am weak, then am I strong.
And as the weekly cycle cycles through its seven-day cycle, it inevitably comes right back to that awesome but much despised day we term Monday! Hn, hn! And no, I’m not mentally challenged because I refer to Monday as being awesome, because so it is. Why? Because, unfortunately, it is the first day of our work week and wakes us up from our weekend lethargy and is thus ofttimes liable to a veritable barrage of abuse, which it confidently takes every week, without batting an eyelash, like a stalwart soldier, and keeps coming back for more, unperturbed by the venomous diatribe so often hurled its way.
Wow! What a sentence! Bruh Paul would have been proud of it. (smile) But the truth is, I wish that more of us supposed believers were more like Monday, tough and battle-ready, able to withstand the rigours of this pilgrim world, rather than the complaining, fragile Friday, so many of us resemble. Yes friends, Monday has committed no crime. It just happens to be the day that gets us up off of our fat, lazy and lethargic derrieres, so that we can go out and earn our keep, and for that reason alone, we intensely dislike it. But it completely ignores us and keeps doing its job, coming back every seven days to taunt and haunt us.
And that’s how true disciples of Jesus ought to be; not giving up, even in the face of persecution, of intense trials and tribulation, but getting up every time we fall down and continuing to preach Christ and testify to the good news of His gospel with renewed energy, sincere enthusiasm and expectant hope of a brighter tomorrow. And how do we do that you ask? By remembering the promises of God, found in His holy Word, having them writ indelibly in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, so we can raise them up when necessary, and also what He’s already done for us.
So we’ll just quote a few scriptures that I believe should be at the top of our list. The first is what Jesus asked us to do; what we call the Great Commission. ‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ ( Matt. 28:19-20) So that’s what He requires of us, and most importantly, He’s also promised that while we are doing His bidding, to be constantly with us, through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit.
Then there’s this from Bruh Paul. ‘I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.’ (Phil. 4:13) Yes friends, whatever we need to do, whatever adaptations we need to make, we can do them with Christ’s enabling power. So that if need to live abased, we can do it with confidence in Christ’s strength, and likewise if we need to live prosperously. That brings us to this awesome promise where God rebuffed Bruh Paul’s prayer to remove a thorn in his flesh, letting him know in no uncertain terms: ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness (weaknesses).’ (2 Cor. 12:5)
Glory be mih people! If we sincerely believe that, then we can conquer anything that comes against us. As Bruh Paul proclaims: ‘For when I am weak, then am I strong.’ (2 Cor. 12:10b) Yes friends, we’re always strong, if not in our own strength, then surely in the Lord’s!
Now here’s some more assurance that was revealed to Bruh Paul. ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6) So we have no doubt that God will continue to work His good deeds in us through His marvelous grace, to make us more like Christ, move us from glory to glory until whenever Christ returns. That gives us eternal security, ‘for His saving work will neither be abandoned nor unrealized.’
And the last scripture is also awesome and very reassuring. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) Mama Mia! So if we are called to do God’s work and do it with LOVE and obedience, no matter what, then He will work it all out for our good eventually. But my people, having all those promises means nothing unless we talk to God, communicate with him through the awesome medium of prayer. So let’s do that right now nuh, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, letting Him know our fears and concerns and asking for His divine favour to help solve them.
All together now, humbly, but confidently.‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have 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, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, 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 we need to display that supposedly sincere repentance in our everyday behaviour, for He’s looking at our hearts, not merely listening to our words. Much LOVE!
…to stand strong in God…we must first know…and then sincerely believe…the promises in His Word…
10 Aug 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a pronouncement of victory, affections and lusts, against such there is no law, all have sinned, ambassadors, antidote, authority, baptizing them, before men, benot desirous of vain glory, characteristics of Jesus, christianity, come short in obedience, conceited, courtesy, crucified the flesh, dependability, direction, disappointed me, disciples, envying one another, faithfulness, generosity, gentleness, glorify your father in heaven, go ye therefore, goodness, honour, humble ourselves, in the name of the Father, joy, kindness, let your light so shine, lockdown, long-suffering, LOVE, make disciples, martyred leader, mass confusion, meekness, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, need your help, of the Holy Ghost, of the Son, passions, patience, peace, peaceful consensus, power, promised to answer our prayer, protests, provoking one another, reverential devotion, saints of Christ, self-control, sincere repentance, strife, teach all nations, temperance, the fruit of the spirit, the Great Commission, they may see your good works, they that are Christ's, victory over the evil one, virus, walk in the Spirit, wise guidance
Galatians 5:22-23. But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering (patience), gentleness (kindness), goodness (generosity), faith (faithfulness, dependability), Meekness (courtesy, consideration), temperance (self-control): against such there is no law.
Awright, up and at ‘em fellow saints of Christ! Time to get up, go out if necessary and live the gospel; the good news of our Lord and Saviour! Remember some of the last words He spoke to the disciples, and consequently to us, who haven’t seen Him in person, but nonetheless believe?
‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in the earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28: 18-20) Wow! What a marvellous command; one thoroughly laced with divine assurance! We call it the ‘Great Commission!’
And I like how the scholars describe it: ‘28:18-20. Christianity is not represented here as the mere reverential devotion of disappointed men who honour their martyred leader. Here is a far different scene. The triumphant, living Lord sends forth His ambassadors to proclaim His gospel throughout all the world. The Great Commission is not just an order but a pronouncement of victory (mundus regium Christi) by the risen Saviour through His disciples.’
Yes friends on the basis of Christ’s death and resurrection, His victory over the evil one, He was given power and authority over both heaven and earth, and it’s on that same power and authority that we, His ambassadors, His disciples, are able to carry our His Great Commission to all the world through His body, the church. Glory be, mih bredrin!
So our major purpose this Monday morning is to display the wonderful characteristics of Jesus, what we term the fruit of the Spirit, seeds of those awesome characteristics that have been planted within us, and are prosperously growing therein, as we continually water and nurture them.
And what better time and place to remember those precious characteristics called the fruit of the Spirit than right now. ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering (patience), gentleness (kindness), goodness (generosity), faith (faithfulness, dependability), Meekness (courtesy, consideration), temperance (self-control): against such there is no law.’ (Gal. 5:22-23) No my people, against that marvellous fruit, there can be no law!
However, as Bruh Paul continues to the Galatians: ‘And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections (its passions) and lusts.’ (Gal. 5:24). That means when we receive Christ, and the Holy Spirit comes to live in us, we become new creatures, giving up our sinful past and evil passions. Which further means: ‘If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.’ (Gal. 5:25) That should be understood. If the Spirit gave us new life when we received Christ, then we ought to continue following His leading and guidance for the rest of our lives if we want the spiritual seeds within us to grow and produce much good fruit, and thus we move from glory to glory in Christ Jesus.
And we have one last, but oh so important warning from Bruh Paul to the church at Galatia. ‘Let us not be desirous of vain glory (be conceited), provoking one another, envying one another.’ (Gal. 5:26) Now that also applies to us, but unfortunately, both in the church and society at large that is not being practiced. In fact those very emotions of conceitedness, provocation and envy are running rampant throughout our entire society. No wonder the fruit of the Spirit is not as abundant as it ought to be. That’s why as ambassadors and disciples of Jesus we have to get out there and spread the message, make a difference, so that His gospel can reach the entire world as He desires and commissioned us to do.
And the first thing we ought to do each and every day is pray. So let’s do that nuh, by declaring (awright!) our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. In strong and confident voice, but with humble and contrite hearts. ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive, and hopefully haven’t contracted the virus that’s causing havoc around our world. And our anxieties have been recently deepened because several restrictions have been lifted in the lockdown, so more of us are going out to work now without any guarantees of safety.
Then to complicate matters Father, suddenly, and unexpectedly, just like the virus, worldwide strife and protests have also struck us in this sad time of pandemic, and we don’t have a clue how to handle either situation properly. Mass confusion is currently prevailing in our world, and we desperately need your help to solve both problems, as You are the ONLY One with the power and insight to successfully handle them.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have 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, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction.
Please show us how to successfully handle these scourges that are currently plaguing Your beautiful earth. Please help our leaders to wisely quell the strife and protests, thus bringing unity, peaceful consensus and real improvement in the areas that are now sadly lacking. Please help the scientists to also find a positive solution, a sure antidote to the virus as quickly as possible. And for those who have already contracted the virus, or been injured in the strife, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them.
Father, 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!’
And while we wait for God’s help, let’s walk in the Spirit nuh, so that we can produce much good fruit! Much LOVE!
…let your light so shine before men…that they may see your good works…and glorify your Father in heaven… (Matt. 5:16)
01 Jun 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all authority is given unto me, all ye that labour, answer our prayers, anxieties, baptizing, be of good courage, begun a good work, calamitous times, come unto me, dance around, faithful, fearful, fellowship, forgiving, gentle and humble, get lost, gracious God, growing in faith, heal our land, heavy laden, humble servants, I am meek and lowly in heart, I am with you always, I will give you rest, icing on the cake, in the name of the Father, in the ungodly shuffle, Jehovah Rapha, keeping hope alive, lockdown, lose hope, make disicples, making requests, merciful, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, moratorium, my burden light, my yoke is easy, of this one thing, our turbulent world, quiet our hearts, reading the Word, reassurance, repentance, sinned, strengthen your heart, take my yoke upon you, teach all nations, the goodness of the Lord, the Great Commission, the great invitation, the Holy Ghost, the land of the living, the SON, until the day of Jesus Christ, unto the end of the world, wait on the Lord, will perform it
Matthew 28:20b. and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
One more Monday…and one more day to dance around our turbulent and disaster ridden world! And though it would be easy to lose hope and give up, and get lost in the ungodly shuffle, that’s one avenue we cannot…must not go down, if we desire to successfully make it through to the end. And that applies especially to us believers in Christ Jesus, since He has placed an eternal moratorium, a total prohibition on giving up. Instead, He’s advised us to hold on to Him tightly – be the fruitful branch sturdily attached to His vine – and He will eventually fulfill all the promises He’s made – it’s simply a matter of time.
So although dancing in these crazy times is indeed a difficult exercise, let’s remember how we felt when we first got saved nuh, when we first learned of all the sacrifices Jesus made for us and the promise we made to follow Him for the rest of our lives. Nothing has really changed, except we’re facing a few more trials, which He already warned us about. But please remember, He also told us not to worry about any of it, because He had already settled the matter in a victorious manner: ‘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)
But we do need to see out the trials in a strong, faithful and steadfast manner. Yes, that’s not an easy requirement, but with His omnipotent help, it’s very doable. As Bruh Paul declared in his prayer for the church at Philippi: ‘I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making requests with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:3-6)
Yes friends, there’s no doubt that the Lord will keep working in and on us until the day Christ returns. So let’s not be afraid or lose hope. But we also have a part to do in the whole partnership. And our part includes keeping hope alive, growing in faith, through reading His Word, prayer and fellowship. So let’s do some of that right now nuh by going to Him in prayer for comfort and sustenance through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
As one strong voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive, and hopefully haven’t contracted the virus that’s causing havoc around our world. Despite the crucial lockdown, those of us considered essential, still have go to work, and we’re somewhat fearful, because we have no idea, how, when and where the virus might strike. Our anxieties have even deepened recently because some restrictions have been lifted, and more of us have to go to work now.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have 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, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction. Please show us how to successfully handle this scourge that’s plaguing the earth, and help the scientists to find a positive solution, a sure antidote to it as quickly as possible.
And for those who have already contracted the virus, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, 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!’
And there’s no doubt that the Lord heard our plea and will respond favourably in His time. Until then though, we have to wait patiently on Him. As Bruh David says in Psalm 27: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps.27:13-14) And we all know Bruh David practiced what he preached, and the Lord lifted him up, and He will do likewise for us, if we endure steadfastly to the end.
Now here is another energizing and reassuring promise, this one from Christ Himself. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me: for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt.11:28-30) Oh my brethren, what a wonderful bit of scripture, known as the Great Invitation! It couldn’t get any better than that. But you have to accept it; it doesn’t just fall into your lap.
However, here’s the piece de resistance, the most important part of the whole show; it’s found in what is known as the Great Commission: ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: most and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:18-20)
Yes friends, that just puts the icing on the cake! Jesus promises to be with us from the time we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour till eternity…whenever that might be! Reassurance from the most reassuring person in the universe! Again though, it’s up to you to accept and believe it. So let’s be wise and do just that in these calamitous times nuh, and thus quiet our hearts and minds. Much LOVE!
…what good is a gift…if one doesn’t accept it eh…
26 Apr 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good foundation, and of the Holy Ghost, baptizing them, condemn the world, Coronavirus, dancing, eternal life, forgiven, go down in history, go ye therefore and teach, grace, hand down the gospelclapping, hug and kiss, in the name of the Father, just a nobody, living for the world to see, make disciples of all nations, nobody but Jesus, of the Son, pandemics, physical proximity, plagues, proselytizing, salvation, saved, technology, the Great Commission, the light of the gospel, the Lord's Day, the Son of man
Matthew 28:19. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Aye mih bredrin, we’re back to Sunday, the Lord’s Day, and we still don’t have the option to fellowship together in the Lord’s sanctuary because of the social distancing business, but that’s never stopped us before, and believe me, it won’t stop us today either because we have technology! Technology, the wizardry that allows us to communicate live and in person across major distances, so though we can’t hug and kiss and shake hands, we can still celebrate the Lord’s Day with thanks and praise and reading of His Word and getting His assurance and confidence to successfully handle our difficult circumstances.
I don’t know how our forefathers managed during their time of plagues and pandemic problems. But they still managed to hand down the gospel to us. Yet we, with all our technology, can’t get it into our children’s heads. But that’s another story for another day. So let’s get to some praise and worship to open the proceedings. And today’s song is of the contemporary Christian genre, titled ‘I’m just a Nobody.’
Now there seems to be at least two versions, each with different lyrics in the verses, one a soulful version by the Williams Brothers, but we’re going to follow the Casting Crowns version featuring Matthew West; a rocking, raunchy, good times one, with lots of clapping, dancing, and of course singing! (smile) We’ll begin with some hand clapping, in three fourths time, then sing the first line of the chorus three times acapella, then get into the full chorus as the music comes up. So here goes: clap, clap: ‘I’m just a nobody…clap, clap: I’m just a nobody…clap, clap: I’m just a nobody…’ and then music and everybody going crazy!
‘Chorus: I’m just a nobody, trying to tell everybody, all about Somebody, who saved my soul. Ever since You rescued me, You gave my heart a song to sing. I’m living for the world to see…Nobody but Jesus! I’m living for the world to see…Nobody but Jesus!) Why you ever chose me, has always been a mystery. All my life, I’ve been told I belong, at the end of the line. With all the other “Not Quites” with all the “Never-Get-it Rights” But it turns out, they’re the ones you’ve been looking for all this time, (Chorus: Cause I’m just a nobody… living for the world to see…Nobody but Jesus!)
Moses had stage fright, and David brought a rock to a sword fight, You picked twelve outsiders, nobody would have ever chosen, and you changed the world. Well the moral of the story is, Everybody’s got a purpose. So when I hear that devil start talking to me saying, “Who do you think you are?” (Chorus: I say, I’m just a nobody… living for the world to see…Nobody but Jesus!) So let me go down, down, down in history, as another blood-bought faithful member of the family. And if they all forget my name, well, that’s fine with me. I’m living for the world to see…Nobody but Jesus…
So let me go down, down, down in history, as another blood-bought faithful member of the family…That’s all I ever want to be… And if they all forget my name, well, that’s fine with me. I’m living for the world to see…Nobody but Jesus… Cause I’m just a nobody, trying to tell everybody, all about Somebody, who saved my soul. Ever since You rescued me, You gave my heart a song to sing. I’m living for the world to see…Nobody but Jesus! I’m living for the world to see…Nobody but Jesus! I’m living for the world to see…Nobody but Jesus!’
Oh yes friends, that was indeed a happily sung ditty; one of hope, faith and rejoicing! And I like what one web site says about the song: ‘The lyrics describe how God uses ordinary people to spread the Gospel of Jesus! We are all flawed, yet the Lord has a purpose for us. In our joy of having been forgiven, we excitedly point to the forgiver, Jesus Christ!’ And all God’s people said a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’ And that’s indeed our main purpose in this life my brethren; to ‘excitedly point to the forgiver;’ to spread the gospel of Christ with unyielding zest and holy enthusiasm.
As Jesus declared to His disciples: ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:18-20) And that my people is what we refer to as ‘the Great Commission!’ And moreover, against all odds, the disciples were indeed able to do that seemingly impossible task; twelve poor, uneducated men charged with proselytizing the entire world!
And they certainly laid a good foundation for us to further build on! Let’s not forget that we are Christ’s arms, legs, head, hands and body in this dark and sinful world, and that He’s depending on us to show the lost the light of His gospel and lead them to Him so they can be saved; forgiven, granted salvation through grace, which leads to eternal life. Remember Jesus memorable words about why He came into the world: ‘For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.’ (Matt.18:11) And that philosophy hasn’t changed down through the ages friends, which means we still need to show interest in and help those lost in the darkness of Satan’s world.
Jesus also made His Father’s intentions quite clear in these momentous and memorable words that we all know: ‘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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
Let’s remember that this Sunday friends, as we are unable to worship in physical proximity, and realize in that sense, we are still the lost, and that we still need saving from the Coronavirus, and that Jesus is the ONLY ONE who can do it! Much LOVE!
…without Jesus…we’re all hopelessly lost…
03 Mar 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a heavenly trip, aimlessly wasting it, all power is given unto me, an everlasting dominion, baptizing, be of good cheer, beloved, caimete, Christ's Second Coming, Christian disciple, climbing upward, curry shrimp, Daniel, festival, flora, friend of Jesus, fry breadfruit, fry palntain, gungo peas, Hanover Parish, horrors, hurry, i have overcome the world, in heaven and in earth, in me ye might have peace, Jesus spake unto them, Jesus' power, mango, mannish water, not who I am, Paiche's, palm trees, ram goat, rough night, share His love, soursop, stony path, teach all the nations, the Good Book, the Great Commission, the Son of man, tribulation, Tuesday Mantra, what people say about not me, worry
Matthew 28:18. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
It was a very good day, but an extremely rough night! Chuh! We accompanied the newly wedded couple into the country yesterday afternoon, the backwoods of Hanover Parish, up in the mountains…and we talking real mountain here. Hn! After driving up the rough, hill incline for a couple miles, we finally had to park and walk almost a quarter mile further up the hill to get to our cousins’ property right at the top.
And it was only a rough, uneven, stony path, always climbing upward. When you got to a bend, you’d think ‘Well this is it.’ But there was always another stretch around that bend. But the duchess/first lady and the ole fella handled it quite nicely. Just took our time and did our thing. Along the way there were all sorts of flora on either side with some big palms trees gracing the hillside, as well as a few houses.
At one time I told them that I was smelling mannish-water, the Jamaican soup made from goat entrails. What I was smelling though was what they used to make the mannish water; a live ram goat close by in the bushes. I had to laugh because it smelled so authentic. And when we were coming back down I also smelled it. (smile)
And was the sight at the top ever so lovely; mountains and sea all around, as well as all kinds of fruit trees on the property itself; mango, soursop, sugar apple, caimete, cocoa, pimento, gungo peas etc. Yes, I know that technically speaking those last three aren’t fruits, but the name suits our purposes here. (smile)
The amusing part is that while going up the rain kept drizzling, and when we got to the top a decent shower came down and we had to shelter in a li’l lean to, as the house on the property had been burned down some years ago. Coming back down was harder than going up, because of the slant of the hill and the uneven, stony ground, but we made it…Praise the Lord!
And on the way back to Mo Bay, we stopped at the restaurant along the seacoast, Paiche’s, that we’d stopped at last week. And while they had their fish stuff, I had some curry shrimps with fry plantain, fry breadfruit and festival. All in all it was a very interesting day, didn’t get back home until around nine p.m.
But brother…the night was a different story! Went to be around eleven, got up around two to go to the bathroom, and thereafter it was just horrors! My right hip just kept aching, couldn’t find a comfortable position no which way I tried, but I refused to get up out of the bed. Like a petulant child I just lay there and turned and tossed from side to side. I must have dozed off sometime, because I remember having at least one dream. (smile)
Oh, somewhere in there I got up and took some Tylenol, but that did not help matters any. And around six thirty, I decided I couldn’t take it anymore and finally got up. Steups! I guess though, as Job said, we have to take the bad with the good, that earthly life won’t be a heavenly trip, though I don’t see why not, since we’d all like it to be. (smile)
And though the Boss has a different take on the proceedings, He does encourage us with His awesome words and promises. ‘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) Wow! What reassuring words my brethren!
That means that though my hip is lending me beans, I can keep my peace through my faith in Him, since I know that He has already overcome hell, death and the grave and has all authority on earth and in heaven, meaning NOTHING can keep me from my destiny with Him!
Please note Jesus words when He appeared to His people and gave them the Great Commission: ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.’ (Matt.28:18-19) You can’t make such a monumental statement without sure authority and power!
And I like how the scholars put it: ‘The triumphant, living Lord sends forth His ambassadors to proclaim His gospel throughout all the world. The Great Commission is not just an order but a pronouncement of victory (mundus regium Christi) by the risen Saviour through His disciples. All power or authority (Gr. exousia) is now in the hands of Christ, in heaven and on the earth. On the basis of that authority and power the Christian disciple is to carry out the Great Commission of the church.’
Yes friends, we have been commanded to go and teach, and also given the power to do so! So what are waiting for eh? And just to show that the Good Book is not just a wishy-washy, hurriedly put together manuscript, but a purposeful and well thought out tome, listen to this foretelling of Jesus’ power and authority way back in Daniel, as he recounts his vision of the four beasts.
‘I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people (peoples), nations and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.’ (Dan.7:13-14)
Yuh see friends, the Lord had a plan from long ago, which He implemented when the time was right, and there’s still more to be implemented. Listen as the scholars explain those verses. ‘7:13. The Son of man who came to the Ancient of days is the Son of God approaching God the Father. Evidently Jesus took the title ‘Son of Man,’ which was His favourite way of referring to Himself in the Gospels from this passage.’
‘7:14. The commencement of Christ’s everlasting dominion will take place at His second coming (cf. Matt. 24:30; 25:31; Rev. 11:15).’ So it’s all set in place my fellow believers! Our wise and wonderful God didn’t leave anything to chance, so there’s no need for us to fear. So with all of that in mind, let’s go home declaring (yeah!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know who and whose we are.
In strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Mama Mia! What a wonderful Saviour we have my people! Let’s go out and tell the world about Him nuh! Let’s not be selfish and keep Him all to ourselves! Much LOVE!
…are you using Jesus’ power to do His work…or just aimlessly wasting it…
11 Jan 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a purpose bigger than you, all things, and a time, bear any burdens, bear fruit for Christ, became obedient unto death, called according to His purpose, causing contention, change, change for change sake, climate change, day one, death on the cross, focus on the cross, found in fashion as a man, hope, humbled himself, intelligence, intelligentsia, mano a mano, monitor the need for change, one day, peace, planting the New Testament Church, problems, purpose, reward you in the end, salvation, saving mankind, sufferation, suffered terribly, the ability to adapt to change, the Great Commission, there is a season, to everthing, to every purpose, to those that love God, truth, under heaven, wet and woolly weekend, work together for good
Romans 8:28. And we know that all things work together for good to those that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Well the weather forecasters did promise us a rather wet and woolly weekend, even to the possibility of flooding in some areas. But thankfully, we have not received that much rain in my area, and though it’s still wet outside, the day doesn’t seem to be shaping up too badly. Glory be! And I don’t know if you’re thirty years old or more, how you can’t believe in climate change nuh, because in those bygone days you wouldn’t be receiving flood warnings in early January but snow storm warnings. But whom am I to dicker with the wicked intelligentsia eh? (smile)
It’s Saturday, and we’re very thankful for it, so let’s see what interesting quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he sincerely aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. Hear this first one: ‘Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.’ And that’s the indisputable truth friends! We can’t change everything we encounter, but we will never change anything unless we stand up and face it mano-a-mano! That’s just simple logic: how can you change something if you don’t face it full on? You just can’t!
And then Anselm writes: ‘Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.’ Now there is much truth to that statement, although I won’t necessarily say that intelligence is solely the ability to adapt to change. Yes, it is an important part, because change is something most of us prefer not to have happen since it can be very disturbing and controversial and cause more problems than we need. But the problem though is that change is one of the few things we are certain of in this life, whether we make it or not. And if we allow life to make it for us, then it can get very hairy indeed! (smile)
That’s why we all need to intelligently monitor the need for change in our lives, and don’t do as so many of us are currently doing; change for change sake! That is one of the worse mistakes we can ever make. There’s no reason to change just because it is the 21st century and things are more confusing and topsy-turvy than ever! If you have a good grounding and solid foundation of life, then you need change only when it’s absolutely necessary. And don’t get me going on this topic nuh, because I’m one of those fighting against change just for change sake. (smile)
So because I don’t have or want a cell phone or I-pad, or some such foolish device that’s all the current rage and causing so much contention in our world, both monetarily and socially, does that make me stupid? Well then let me stupid yes! And I got along quite nicely without them for about 4 months last year, when I lost them both. But just for the record, my family has finally talked me into getting a cellphone and an I-pad – which I still hardly use, except to play some games – because they claim they can’t contact me if I don’t have such devices – NONSENSE!
And yuh better believe, that since I’ve had those most necessary devices, I haven’t had any more communication with them than before. Just goes to prove my point! (smile) Yuh see, all yuh get me off track with the foolishness! But Anselm himself seemed preoccupied with change this week, as his next quote says: ‘Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change.’ Now I’ve looked at that statement a few times, and I still can’t figure out what it means. So I’ll just leave it alone. Wonder which category I fall into though? (smile)
Here’s another quote that’s got me scratching my head in thought. ‘One day or day one. You decide.’ I guess that means you can either decide that one day you’ll do such and such, or today is day one of doing such and such. That makes sense. And by the way, I just got an insight into the earlier quote. You’re either so wise that you don’t need to change, or you’re so stupid that you don’t know you should change. Still wondering which category I fall into?
And the last quote quite wisely says: ‘If you have a purpose which is bigger than you, all your problems will become tiny.’ Yes friends, that’s just another facet of simple logic. Anything that’s bigger than you, will indeed make your problems look small by comparison, because your mind will be more on the larger problems of your purpose than on yourself. And the biggest purpose we can ever have in this life my faithful brethren, is to work diligently and excellently for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as He set out in the Great Commission! (Matt.28:19-20)
When we consider going out and making disciples of all nations, then we stop focusing on the problems we have in our own lives and instead concentrate on those that will bear much excellent fruit for Jesus. And we don’t have to look further than the lives of Jesus and Bruh Paul to see how those factors played out. Jesus suffered much in His earthly life, but He didn’t let that ‘sufferation’ bother Him too much, because He knew that He had a bigger purpose to achieve; that of saving mankind, and thus He kept his focus on the cross and all that it took to do the job He was sent to do.
As the Good Book says: ‘And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil.2:8) Likewise, Bruh Paul suffered terribly in his work for Christ, but he didn’t let the difficulties stop him from doing the mighty task assigned to Him by Jesus; planting the New Testament Church amongst the Gentiles. Read 2 Corinthians 11:16-33 and see some of the horrible stuff he underwent to do that, never veering, despite it all, from his avowed purpose that was so much bigger than him.
However, both Jesus and Bruh Paul knew without a doubt the efficacy and truth of this amazing scripture: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to those that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ And if you’re a faithful believer, then you sincerely LOVE God, and are called to His purpose of living for Him and helping others to come to him for hope, peace and salvation. And NEVER fret, He will always enable you to bear any burdens necessary to do that and reward you in the end! Much LOVE!
…to everything there is a season…and a time…to every purpose under the heaven… (Eccl. 3:1)
07 Jan 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all I've taught you, all nations, baptizing then, beloved of God, best confidante, best for my happiness, blood work, calm, Christians, day in and day out, discouraged, fills the hungry soul with goodness, find the strength, for his goodness, for support, friend of Jesus, get with the programme, go ye therefore, guidance and comfort, hurry, I can do all things, in god's eyes, in our hands, in the name of the Father, lean on you, life study fellowship, loving kindness, make disciples of, men would praise the Lord, must come together, no what I do, not what I have, of the Holy Spirit, of the Son, peace, perilous times, sad and trying times, satisfies the longing soul, shalom, stillness, teach, teaching them, thank you, the fate of our world, the Great Commission, the many blessings, the most difficult times, through Christ who strengthens me, to have you in my life, to keep going, to observe, to the children of men, troubles come my way, Tuesday Mantra, very glad, watershed year, wonderful works, worry, year of 2020, you are so good to me, you send me, your love for me
Psalm 107:8. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Yes, we’re somewhat tardy this morning, but through no fault of mine. Let me make that abundantly clear! (smile) I went to bed early…well yes and no…but I was up early, had to go and do some blood work though, that’s why we’re running a tad behind. (smile)
And we’re going to begin today with a prayer, one of my favourites, something I’ve shared before, doubt you’ll remember it though. (smile) But it’s one done by the Life-Study Fellowship Group in Noroton, Connecticut, some years back. It’s titled, ‘Lord, Please Accept My Heartfelt Thanks!’ And the prayer has as it’s Bible promise: ‘Praise the Lord for His Goodness.” (Ps.107:8) And do we ever need to do that my fellow believers in these sad and trying times. So please pray with me.
‘Dear Lord, You are so good to me! And I thank You sincerely for the many blessings You send me! I’m very glad to have You in my life day in and day out – whatever I do and wherever I go! You are the One who always does what is best for my happiness! How grateful I am to be able to turn to You for guidance and comfort when troubles come my way! If any situation arises that makes me feel discouraged, You let me know I can lean on You for support! And because of Your LOVE for me, somehow I seem to find the strength to keep going – even through the most difficult times!
I’m grateful, too, for peaceful moments like these when I’m all alone with You in prayer! Talking with You never fails to reassure and uplift me! Nothing I say to You goes unheard. You listen with great concern to everything I confide in You! For You truly care about me! As I look to 2020 I pray that You will continue to watch over me – and grant me even more of Your wonderful blessings! And may I serve You well in my every word, my every deed! Be my Guide hour by hour, I pray! Amen!’
Oh friends, what a marvellous prayer! I think it covers all the bases: gratefulness for guidance and comfort in times of trouble; encouragement and support when necessary. As the old Bill Wither’s song says, ‘Lean on me when you’re not strong. And I’ll be your friend. I’ll help you carry on!’ Now that’s exactly what our God does! And we can surely do that with all confidence because He is an omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present God! And because of His LOVE…oh my people, my people, because of God’s unending, unconditional and unsurpassed LOVE, we find the strength to keep going even in the most difficult of times! Glory Hallelujah!
As the Good Book says: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil. 4:13) Mamma Yo! With a God like that, who else do we need eh? Not a single soul! For our God is more than enough to meet our needs. Again, as He promised: ‘God will meet all of my needs according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus!’ (Phil.4:19) Wow! But yuh know the best part of that prayer is the peaceful moments experienced when we’re all alone with our Maker in prayer.
Oh friends, there’s something we experience when we’re communing with Almighty God, our heavenly Father, that cannot be truly defined or put into words. I guess the best we can do is call it peace, or the all encompassing Jewish word ‘Shalom!’ And when you’re talking to him, and know for a fact that He’s listening to you closely, and sincerely cares for you…why wouldn’t He eh, when He made you? A feeling of utmost quiet and stillness and calm, even when it’s rough, comes over you.
Remember too, the Lord is also the Best Confidante we can ever have. He doesn’t tell our ‘secrats’ to anyone, and we can bring EVERYTHING, yes EVERYTHING to Him in prayer, because He’s interested in EVERYTHING that concerns us, be it big, small or intermediate! That’s the kind of caring and considerate God we serve and worship my people! I know some of us wrongly think that we can’t bother God with small, supposedly unimportant stuff, but He’s truly interested in it all! Just as we like our children to bring even their most personal problems to us, so does our heavenly Father want us to bring ALL our problems to Him.
Remember, He’s not only our God, our Creator, our Judge and Saviour, but also our Father…and Friend, and He does desire to perform fatherly and friendly duties for and with us! Give Him much thanks and praise my breddren, for He so worthily deserves it! As the psalmist so rightly declares: (steups!) ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men!’ And do we ever need to thank the Lord for all the blessings He bestows on us, especially the most important one; our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
Oh we can never give Him enough thanks and praise for that nuh, because there isn’t enough in all the world to ever make up for Jesus! Bless His holy name! That’s why I’m encouraging us to really get with the programme this year of 2020 my fellow believers, for it’s a watershed year, a year that will make or break us, a year that will set the tone for all the other ones to come! That’s why Christians have to seriously and truly come together in these perilous times, because everything depends on us; the fate of our children and our world rests solely in our hands; placed there by our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ when He gave us the Great Commission:
‘Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the very end of the world.’ (Matt.28:19-20) And yuh see how kind and caring our Jesus is? Although He’s given us a big and important job to do, He’s also given us the tools to do it, through his Holy Spirit who dwells within us, and by whom He also keeps His promise to be always with us.
So friends, on this first Tuesday of our new year, let’s sincerely declare (yeah!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know in no uncertain terms, just who and whose we are. In strong voice, with sincere hearts! ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’ Now, as we’ve just promised, let’s go out and tell them about our Lord and Saviour, His undying LOVE and amazing friendship! Much LOVE!
…the Lord…He satisfieth the longing soul…and filleth the hungry soul with goodness… (Ps.107:9)
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