21 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 24 hour spans of time, a bad habit, a deep abiding joy, a great family, a spiritual strength, a very present help in trouble, an intimate relationship with Jesus, cast into the future, christianity, comes from a relationship with god, curse, despising the shame, divine protection, do what God has assigned for today, don't worry about tomorrow, empowers believers to face challenges, encourage their joyful walk with the Lord, endured the cross, faith, favour, find strength in difficult times, for the joy that was set before him, fulfilment, getting ahead of ourselves, God is our refuge and strength, God's grace is sufficient in our weakness, God's joy, God's supernatural wisdom, good freinds, handle the challenges of each day, holy spirit, is set down at the right hand of God, Jesus Christ, Jesus' selfless sacrifice, knowing God's love and provision, like jelly in his hands, looking unto Jesus, lose sight of what's happening today, LOVE, mercy, negative word, panting for Friday, planting worrisome thoughts in our minds, promotion, propser, rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, reliance on God's prmises, reluctant to endure sacrifice and pain, robbed us of our joy, robbed us of our strength, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, stolen our joy, succeed, success, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, supernatural strength, take one day at a time, take therefore no thought for tomorrow, the author and finisher of our faith, the BIBLE, the devil's plaything -worry, the Feast of the Tabernacles, the joy of the Lord is your strength, the morrow shall take thought for itself, the things of itself, though the earth be removed, though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, though the mountains shake, though the waters roar and be troubled, truth, undeserved blessings, use our blessings to help others, we will not fear, wisdom, worry and fear take over
Nehemiah 8:10b. …for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’
Then it was Thursday, our second to last day of the work week, and everyone’s panting for Friday and the weekend. However, before we get there, we need to navigate Thursday first, and enjoy the sunshine, with a touch of cloud cover, and the cool breezes it brings, while doing what God has assigned us for today. Yes, we do have a bad habit of getting ahead of ourselves, often to our detriment. (smile)
That’s why God broke up the time into 24 hour spans, with day to work and night to rest, because He knew we could not handle much more than that. Consequently, as the saying goes, we can only take one day at a time, and that’s today, that’s why it’s called the present, not the past or the future.
And Jesus fully understood this problem, that’s why He advised in His Sermon on the Mount: ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34) And many of us, even believers, ought to take those words to heart and sincerely action them in our lives, because our minds are too often cast into the future, or tomorrow, and thus we lose sight of what’s happening around us today.
No wonder Jesus said we should not worry about tomorrow, for each day has its own challenges and problems, which we need to responsibly handle and not concern ourselves with what might or might not happen the following day. And I’m sure we’ve all concocted possible fearful and disastrous happenings that will come upon us on the morrow, and not even one problem, or one iota of what we’d imagined presented itself on the day. Now, that doesn’t mean we must not make plans for certain possible outcomes, but we’re not to worry about them, especially if, in our own strength we cannot do anything to curtail or prevent the problems.
That’s the thing about worry, the devil’s plaything. It causes you to use up your hard earned energy and joy on things that you have no control over. So why worry about them when you can’t do anything about them eh? But that’s what the devil takes immense pleasure in doing; planting worrisome thoughts in our minds, so that he can steal our joy, for once he has stolen our joy, we are like jelly in his hands. Remember what the Bible says about our joy? ‘…for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) That means once Satan has robbed us of our joy in the Lord, then he’s also robbed us of our strength, and that’s something we should strive to never allow to happen!
And I like how this commentary explains ‘the joy of the Lord is our strength.’ It says: ‘This verse (Neh. 8:10) emphasizes that God’s joy, experienced through a relationship with Him, empowers believers to face challenges and find strength in difficult times. It’s not a fleeting happiness, but a deep, abiding joy that comes from knowing God’s LOVE and provision.’
Yes friends, Nehemiah had been speaking to the Israelites after they had lost their joy through the destruction of Jerusalem. However, they had rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem in a miraculous fifty-two days through the astute, God-given leadership of Nehemiah, and were just getting to know the scriptures of the Lord through the public reading and explaining of them by the scribe Ezra and his associates, and were about to celebrate the Feast of the Tabernacles. Thus Nehemiah’s exhortation to encourage their joyful walk with the Lord.
And according to the commentary: ‘The joy of the Lord: is not simply a feeling, but a spiritual strength that comes from a relationship with God and reliance on His promises.’ Therefore, if we desire to have that spiritual strength, then we need to build a strong and intimate relationship with Jesus on an ongoing basis.
And there are several other scriptures that talk about the joy of the Lord as a source of strength. For instance these words of the Sons of Korah from Psalm 46 – Our Refuge and Strength. They confidently declare: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available hep) in trouble. Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst (heart) of the sea. Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.’ (Ps. 46:1-3)
Now that definitely shows strong faith and joy in the Lord! That although things are turned topsy-turvy, we will not fear, and keep our joy knowing that the Lord’s faithful in His promises, and will not allow anything untoward to happen to us. Meanwhile, this other scripture from Hebrews 12, tells us about ‘Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher (the originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God.’ (Heb. 12:2)
Yes my people, for the joy that was to come from His selfless sacrifice, Jesus endured the shame and disgrace and pain of the cross. So why are we so reluctant to endure a little sacrifice and pain for the joy that will eventually be ours eh? And to help us endure the problems we will obviously face in this ungodly and evil world, as well as to do His earthly work, the Lord has generously bestowed on us numerous undeserved blessings, that we call our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh!
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘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 made that awesome declaration, (chuhhh!!!) it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…even if we lose our strength in the Lord’s joy…there’s no need to worry…for we will then find…His sufficient grace in our weakness…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great cloud of witnesses, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a true disciple of Christ, a warning, absolutely necessary, an incorruptible crown, be disqualified, bring it under subjection, business, Christian celebrations, compassed about, competes for the prize, corruptible crown, denying the spirituality of the situation, despising the shame, disicpline our bodies, disobeyed your word, disqualified from Christian ministry, divine aid, earthly spiritual journey, ease the pain, Easter celebrations, Easter Monday, encouraged by the enemy, endured the cross, eternal life, every man that striveth for mastery, faith, fall by the wayside, finished my course, flails helplessly, food, for the joy that was set before him, forfeiting rewards, fought a good fight, frustrations, gifts, grace, greed of the world, have a part to play, he that abideth in me, heavenly help, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, I am the vine, I in him, I keep under my body, I myself should be a castaway, I therefore so run, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus' miraculous resurrection, Jesus' sacrificial death, keep Jesus uppermost in our minds, kept the faith, know ye not, lay aside every weight, lest that by any means, looking unto Jesus, lose sight of the essential facts, LOVE, mass confusion, material selfishness, mercy, not as one that beateth the air, not that we are sufficient of ourselves, one receives the prize, our sufficiency is of God, parties, peace and calm, personal sacrifice, practical advice, pray, run not as uncertainly, run with patience, salvation, self-control, selfless sacrifice of Jesus, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, share a partnership with Christ, sin, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, so fight I, so run that ye may obtain, spiritual strength, spirituality, steal our joy In Jesus Christ, strong faith in Christ, suffering from negative situations, surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, ta perishable crown, temperate, temperate in all things, Thank you Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, the giver of life, the God who heals, the joy of the Lord is your strength, the material world, the race of life, the race that is set before us, the same bringeth forth much fruit, the sin which doth so easily beset us, they which run in a race run all, throne of grace, to think anything of ourselves, traffic jams, trainig for a marathon, truth, turn from our evil ways, we have all sinned, when I have preached to others, wisdom, wise guidance, without me ye can do nothing, work diligently, ye are the branches
1 Corinthians 9:24b. So run, that ye may obtain.
And the Easter celebrations continue unabated on this somewhat cloudy Easter Monday! And why not eh, when we were given the greatest presents ever; salvation and eternal life through Jesus’ sacrificial death and miraculous resurrection! And the other good thing about today is that many of us don’t have to face the traffic jams and all the other frustrations involved in going out to work. And all God’s children said, a loud and grateful, ‘Thank You Jesus!’
However, there’s always a warning needed in these Christian celebrations, a warning to not let the material selfishness and greed of the world to make us lose sight of what the celebration is truly about; the LOVE and selfless sacrifice of Jesus! For if we allow them, the material world, staunchly encouraged by the enemy, would just make it all about business, gifts, food, and parties, while denying the spirituality of the situation. So, as we celebrate, let’s keep Jesus uppermost in our minds today and every day, for He is the giver of life, health, wealth, LOVE, mercy, grace…in fact of everything that we enjoy!
Now, to always keep Jesus first place is no easy task, especially when the enemy’s main goal is to steal our joy in Christ, since, as the Bible says: ‘for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) That means if we lose our joy in Christ then we’ll lose our spiritual strength and won’t be able to make the wise decisions we ought to, or have the peace and calm we desire.
And how do we do that? We have to work sincerely and diligently at it. But obviously not by ourselves, for as Bruh Paul writes: ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor. 3:5) And Jesus corroborates that when he declares (yesss!!!) that well known statement: ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5)
But unlike what some might think, that does not stop us from working towards the goal of spiritual maturity, for we share a partnership with Christ, meaning we both have a part to play. If we do our part, He will do His. But if we don’t do our part, neither will He do His, and we’d be left in the lurch. And what’s our part in all this eh? Here’s one practical bit of advice from Bruh Paul. He writes thus in his first missive to the Corinthians: ‘Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.’ (1 Cor. 9:24)
Yes friends, Bruh Paul is likening our earthly spiritual journey to a race, and in his last communication with Timothy, he uses that same imagery. ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith.’ (2 Tim. 4:7) Likewise, the author of Hebrews views our earthly journey as a race, when he writes: ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witness, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Heb. 12:1-2)
So Jesus is our example for living this earthly life. But yuh know what, if we want to obtain anything positive and/or substantial from this race of life, we have to put out something. Therefore, Bruh Paul continues to the Corinthians. ‘And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate (has self-control) in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible (perishable) crown, but we an incorruptible (imperishable). I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air (flails helplessly): but I keep under my body (discipline my body), and bring it under subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (disqualified).’ (1 Cor. 9:25-27)
Ah mih people, like a runner training for a marathon, we too have to discipline our bodies and exert ourselves so that we will do well in the race of life. If not, we’ll fall by the wayside and lose the promised imperishable crown that Christ has laid aside for us. As the scholars explain: ‘The point is that the believer must discipline himself to avert being disqualified from Christian ministry, and forfeiting the rewards for such service.’ So we see that running this earthly race is not easy, but with the help of our wonderful God, we can do it, if we put out the necessary effort. And to help us do so, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, pleading for divine assistance.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And from our prayer, we see that there are some necessary steps we must take before divine aid is granted; humble ourselves, pray, sincerely seek God’s face with sincere repentance. So please, let’s get to them right now nuh, so that we’ll get heavenly help asap! Much LOVE!
…as a true disciple of Christ…personal sacrifice is absolutely necessary…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Jan 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a word to the wise is sufficient, allow god;y wisdom to reign, Andrae Crouch and the Disciples, as the praises go up the blessings come down, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, dry my weeping eyes, faith, fellowship, God is in the saving business, holy spirit, Jesus Christ, joy in heaven over one repentant sinner, keep our faith strong, LOVE, mercy, my soul's not satisfied, renew my faith, restore my joy, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, so far from you Lord, Take Me Back Dear Lord, the joy of the Lord is your strength, the peace of God, the pressures and distractions of the world, the prodigal son, truth, we lost our way, where I first believed, where I first received you, who doesn't hear will feel, wisdom
Nehemiah 8:10b. the joy of the Lord is your strength.
‘Sunday morning coming down…’ That’s what the song says. And Sunday morning has come down wet and cloudy … But what else is new eh? (smile) And regardless of the inclement weather, we’ve gathered in the Lord’s house for fellowship, to offer up prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, so that we might receive in return the peace of God, which passes all human understanding, that will keep us safe, through Christ Jesus. (Eph. 4:6-7)
Now, I would say that is a most worthwhile exchange, with us possibly even getting the bigger benefit, for though the Lord enjoys hearing our prayers, supplications and thanksgiving, the gift of His supernatural peace in this crazy and ungodly world is nothing short of manna from heaven! (smile) For when we are filled with that peace, nothing on this earth bothers or scares us. All glory be to our wonderful God, my people!
And this morning we’re going to open the proceedings by singing a somewhat recent bit of gospel soul, that is, in comparison to all the older stuff we often sing. (smile) It comes from the early nineteen nineties, and it very much resembles what so many of us are currently going through; searching for peace and joy in an unstable world. It’s titled ‘Take Me Back Dear Lord,’ and I believe it was first performed by one of the early Christian soul singing bands, that’s Andrae Crouch and the Disciples from the album of the same name.
Some of you older folks might remember when he was one of the big names in Christian music, before popular Christian artists like the Winans; CeCe and Bebe came on the scene. Anyway, today is a day for real soul; true soulful music, that brings about the emptying of our emotions in sacrificial praise to God. So, let’s offer up those sacrificial praises in a rich, soulful, scintillating version of ‘Take Me Back Dear Lord,’ remembering that when the praises go up, the blessings come down. (smile)
And it opens with the heartrending Chorus that pleads to the Lord: ‘(Chorus: Take me back, take me back dear Lord To the place where I first received you. Ohhh Take me back, take me back dear Lord to where I first believed) (twice) I feel that I’m so far from you Lord But still I hear you calling me Those simple things that I once knew, The memories are drawing me. I must confess, Lord I’ve been blessed But yet my soul’s not satisfied. Renew my faith, restore my joy And dry my weeping eyes. (Chorus ‘Oh Lord, Oh Lord Take me back…)
Bridge: I tried so hard To make it all alone I need your help Lord Just to make it home. (Chorus Take me back, dear Lord, Please take me back to the place where I first received you. Take me back dear lord, Take me back, I’m pleading dear Lord, I’ve got to get back there, to the place where I first believed! Take me back, dear Lord, take me back, back to the place where I first believed.’
Oh my faithful believers, that was beautiful! And I’m sure the Lord heard the plaintive cries in our voices, asking for simpler, more easily understood times, before we lost our way to all the pressures and distractions that the world throws at us. And I know for a fact, that though many of us feel blessed with all the earthly amenities, our souls are not satisfied. That’s because we’ve strayed from the LOVING arms of God, put too much ungodly distance between ourselves and Him. And when that happens, we automatically lose our faith, and our joy is severely depleted.
That’s why Nehemiah tells us ‘the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) And that’s the gospel truth! For if there’s no joy of the Lord in your soul, then you will be weak as a church mouse, and the devil will have you for easy pickings. And in order to keep our faith strong, we always have to come back to Jesus’ basic words of faith building: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) That’s the golden truth my brethren! The only way to keep our joy fresh and our faith strong is by continually keeping Almighty God first place in our lives.
Yes, occasionally we might stray, and Jesus addressed that in the parable of the Lost Coin, the Lost Sheep and the Lost or Prodigal Son, found in Luke 15. The younger of two sons takes his inheritance somewhat early, then goes off to a distant land and wastes it in dissolute living. When famine hits that land and he is destitute, with no handouts from anyone, he ends up working in a pig pen, the most despised job for a Jewish person.
But there in that pig pen, when he’s contemplating eating the pig food, he comes to his senses and decides to go back to his father’s house as a servant, where even the servants have more than enough. But while he is still some distance off, his father sees him, runs out to greet and hug him, happy that his son which was lost has now been found, whom he thought was dead, was still alive. That was obviously cause to kill the fatted calf and have a big celebration.
It’s the same way friends, when we stray from God, He’s always on the look out for us, waiting for us to come back home, humbled and realizing our mistake. And He’s always glad to welcome us back. That’s why Jesus said: ‘I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just (upright) persons, which need no repentance.’ (Luke 15:7)
Oh my people, let’s never forget that our God is in the saving business. Jesus said it loud and clear. ‘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 though him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
Yes my fellow saints, those are words of indisputable truth, words for us to live by! And if we don’t live by them, then we’ll just have to suffer the consequences involved. And like the Prodigal Son, we’ll eventually find ourselves in rather unpleasant circumstances. So please, let’s allow godly wisdom to reign amongst us! Much LOVE!
…a word to the wise is sufficient…he who doesn’t hear will certainly feel…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
17 Dec 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great day to be alive, a heart of stone, aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, be doers of the word, deceiving your own selves, don't walk the walk, doubt you can fly, faith without works is dead, happiness, happiness depends on circumstances, imagine something worthwhile, joy, joy is like an ever-flowing river, joy is never decreased by sharing, joyless, lazy Saturday, light the blessed candle of joy in others, live by our words, LOVE, my joy might remain in you, not a forgetful hearer, sense of satisfaction knowing Christ brings, sharing increases joy, talk a good talk, the breath of life, the Holy Spirit of Jesus, the joy of the Lord is your strength, the perfect law of liberty, the power of the imagination, your joy might be full
Nehemiah 8:10. …for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
What a great day to be alive my people! And some of you might beg to differ because it’s cold, cloudy, icy and snowy. But that’s just our physical circumstances and we can always handle those, sometimes on our own, but always with the help of Jesus. Otherwise, it’s just great to have the breath of life flowing through us, to enjoy all the things that the Lord has created for us to enjoy and know that our names are not written in the obits. (smile) And today is the epitome of what a lazy Saturday ought to look like, when one won’t venture out unless it’s absolutely necessary. (smile)
Well, I’ve used up all my allotted laziness, lying in bed for most of the morning, (smile) so now I have to get right to the Lord’s work on the Bit. And since today is Saturday, it means looking at the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And the first quote says: ‘When you are imagining, you might as well imagine something worthwhile.’
Now, that’s not rocket science but basic common sense. For with the great power of imagination that God’s placed in us, where we can imagine basically anything, why would we ever consider imagining anything that’s not worthwhile eh? Technically speaking we shouldn’t, but it seems to depend on the way our minds are conditioned, which means some things that are worthwhile to some, won’t be worthwhile to others. And the obvious example is what’s worthwhile to Satan’s followers will not be worthwhile to the followers of Jesus.
That brings us to the next quote which tells us: ‘The moment where you doubt you can fly, you cease for ever being able to do it.’ There again we have the power of the imagination coming into play. And for sure, if you start doubting that you can fly, or do much of anything, you will lose some of the ability to do it, because being able to do stuff is tightly bound up in believing that we can do it. I don’t know if you will lose the ability for ever, but hopefully if you start believing again, you will regain some, if not all of that flying power.
Then there’s this: ‘What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.’ Now I’m not sure what that quote means nuh. I understand that our past and present are usually inferior to our future, but what does it mean by what lies inside of us? If greatness lies within us, then we will surely do greater things in our future than we’re currently doing. The only greater thing that I can fathom that lies within us is the Holy Spirit of Jesus which indwells all believers. But even if that’s what the quote means, then surely, with the Spirit of Christ living in us, as we mature, grow in faith, our actions will become better as time goes on.
And I just LOVE this next quote: ‘Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.’ And that’s the gospel truth my people! Happiness is never decreased by being shared! In fact, it increases when shared. But let’s talk about joy rather than happiness nuh, because happiness depends too much on our circumstances, while joy is like an ever-flowing river, not bothered by our circumstances. And where do we get that joy that’s not bothered by our circumstances? Obviously from our Lord God Almighty, as the Good Book reminds us: ‘for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10)
Oh friends, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ expects His followers to share the joy that He’s brought to our lives with others; to light the blessed candles of joy in others, so that they too can come to know that He is the way, the truth and the life, and no one gains real happiness, or joy without being associated with Him! And what’s this ‘joy of the Lord,’ you ask? It’s been characterized thus: ‘The joy of the Lord is the gladness of heart that comes from knowing God, abiding in Christ, and being filled with the Holy Spirit.’
And there are many scriptures that speak of it, but we only have time and space for a few. Listen to Christ Himself as He speaks to the disciples. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.’ (John 15:11) Yes friends, one of the things that come from believing in Christ and being obedient to His commandments is the outpouring of joy in one’s soul. And John wrote the same thing in his first epistle when he reassures the believers in the truth of salvation and eternal life. ‘And these things I write unto you, that your joy may be full.’ (1 John 1:4)
As the scholars say, John wants the recipients of his writings to ‘enjoy and share in the deep sense of satisfaction and purpose that knowing Christ and walking with him brings.’ The same thing applies to us today my faithful brethren. We ought to get a deep sense of satisfaction and purpose from knowing Christ and walking with Him.
That brings us to our last quote. ‘As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.’ And is that ever so true! It’s also what Christ’s church and individual believers are suffering greatly from in these turbulent and difficult times. We talk a good talk, but don’t sufficiently walk the walk that talk expects.
As James so rightly says: ‘But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding (observing) his natural face in a glass (mirror). For he beholdeth (sees) himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty (the teachings of Christ), and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed (in what he does).’ (James 1:22-25)
Yes friends, we do have a tendency of looking at ourselves as good people, but soon forget it and then do things contrary to that nature. And James continues with our contrariness in the next chapter, when he says: ‘What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked, and destitute of daily food. And one of you say to them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed, be ye filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath no works, is dead, being alone…show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.’ (James 2:14-18)
Ah my fellow saints, in this strife filled world so many are in desperate need of daily bread, and so many of us are in a position to provide for them, but we’re not doing a good enough job at it. We are allowing the selfishness and greed of this world to make us hardhearted, instead of tender-hearted like Christ expects of us. Please, let’s look at ourselves in the mirror today and remember what kind of person we truly ought to be, as faithful believers in Christ Jesus. Much LOVE!
…you can’t be a Christian…if you’re joyless…and have a heart of stone…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
03 Dec 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again, a lazy day Saturday, a new realm of possibility opens up, aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, be of good cheer I have overcome the world, be positive, but with God all things are possible, dwell in possibility, failure is never final until you stop trying, happiness is based on circumstances, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I know how to abound, I know how to be abased, if the Son sets you free you are free indeed, in me ye might have peace, inspiration comes from within, it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, Jesus calms the storms in our lives, joined forces with God, reality intervened, shine our lights, spread our saltiness all over the world, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, the joy of the Lord is your strength, with men this is impossible, you do not find the happy life you make it
Matthew 19:26. With men this is impossible; but with God ALL things are possible.
And is there ever good reason for today to be called a lazy day Saturday! Oh yes! The rain’s falling, the wind’s blowing, it’s dark, cloudy and fairly chilly! Great reasons all for staying in bed under the covers, just dozing in and out of consciousness, or lounging on the couch, mindlessly watching the boob-tube! (smile)
Well, I’ve already done what lazing I could safely get away with, but unfortunately reality intervened, as it always does, letting me know that the Lord’s work was waiting to be done. And like the obedient follower I try to be, (smile) here I am considering, obviously with the Lord’s help, what to write about the quotes that our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
And the first quote says: ‘I dwell in possibility.’ Now that’s definitely a good place to dwell because it opens a much wider variety of possibilities than if one dwelt in impossibility. (smile) But then, the question needs to be asked how much is really possible in man’s strength alone? And the answer comes, not a whole lot! However, when one has joined forces with the Lord God of the universe through His most august Son, Jesus Christ, then a whole new realm of possibility opens up to you.
And how is that you ask? Well, it stems from Jesus’ conversation with His disciples about it being easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven. Then He made this overwhelming, but ever so true statement: ‘With men this is impossible; but with God ALL things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:26) And that statement is totally supported by God’s creation of the universe and all therein, and His total control of everything and everyone that exists in it. That’s why it’s ever so important to stay in God’s good graces if one wants to have unlimited possibilities in this life.
That brings us to this next interesting quote. ‘Inspiration comes from within yourself. One has to be positive. When you’re positive, good things happen.’ Now, there’s a lot of truth in those statements, but not the entire truth. First off, not all inspiration comes from within oneself because we can be inspired by things, places and people outside of ourselves. Although, in a way, you can argue that for that outside inspiration to move you, it must first get into you spirit, therefore the inspiration came from within. (smile)
Yes, I am trying to be the devil’s advocate. And being positive is wisdom of the highest order, although it’s not only good things that happen when you have a positive mindset, but certainly more good things happen than bad when you are positively inclined. But in all of our positivity friends, we still need Jesus to get us through the storms of life that will bombard us, for He is the ONLY ONE who can calm storms and/or lead us safely through them. And He ALONE gives us the strength, energy, hope and faith to withstand whatever comes against in this world filled with tribulation.
Remember His words of sincere and faithful assurance. ‘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 that’s the gospel truth my brethren! Jesus by His death, resurrection and ascension has defeated the powers of darkness, took away the keys to Hades from Satan and set us captives of sin free. And Jesus corroborates that earlier on, when He says: ‘If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.’ (John 8:36)
Now that’s why Bruh Paul could pen these marvellous words of encouragement to the church at Philippi after receiving a gift from them. ‘Not that I speak in respect of want (in regard of need): for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased (live humbly), and I know how to abound (live in prosperity): every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:11-13)
Yes friends, Bruh Paul was saying that though he appreciated their gift, he had learned to be content in whatever state he found himself. And that comes from his relationship with Christ, who through His spiritual strength and encouragement enables Bruh Paul to adapt to whatever circumstances he’s currently facing. And Christ will do the same thing for us if we put our sincere trust and faith in Him.
That leads us to this next quote: ‘You do not find the happy life. You make it.’ And that’s no lie. Happiness doesn’t just fall from the sky on us, we have to do certain things to become happy and to stay happy, for happiness can be a very fleeting thing, based so much on our circumstances of the moment. The first thing to understand is that we need to make ourselves happy. Even if we are showered with all the wealth and power in the world, we still have to decide to be happy.
And the next point is that we cannot depend on any one person for all of our happiness. It’s just not possible because of the way human relationships can be very topsy-turvy; fine one moment, then in total disarray the next. That’s why we believers in Christ Jesus talk about joy rather than happiness, because joy is something that’s deep-seated and stable and doesn’t change from one minute to the next. With Jesus as your Lord and Saviour you can go through tough times and still be joyful. That’s why Bruh Paul said he could handle any situation with Jesus in his life. That’s why the Bible tells us: ‘the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) Christ Jesus empowers us!
And that’s nowhere more evident than in this last quote. ‘I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.’ Yes, whichever ball player said those words knew the secret of success; never give up. Just keep on trying. And failure is never failure until you stop trying. As Cousin Sol writes in Proverbs: ‘For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity). (Prov. 24:16)
Yes, my fellow saints, the righteous man, the one who has Jesus as his guide and leader never gives up because in Jesus’ kingdom there’s no giving up, the word failure doesn’t exist! No matter how many times he may fail, with Jesus’ help, he gets back up again and keeps on trying until he succeeds! And that’s a very valuable lesson we badly need to renew in our souls and spirits this lazy Saturday morning.
Why? Because in these recent times of much confusion and uncertainty, the body of Christ, His church, has been very frail and fragile, beset by way too much doubt, fear and lethargy. We have not been strong and steadfast as we were expected to be. But now it’s time for the body of Christ to rise up and show this evil world the true qualities of Christ, as we boldly shine our lights and spread our saltiness all over this turbulent globe! Much LOVE!
…I can do anything…that Christ asks of me…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ
12 Nov 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a formula for trouble, a modicum of circumspection, a world of excess, adoration, ask and it shall be given you, aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, be free as a butterfly, catch excellence, chase perfection, confession, consume it upon your lusts, embrace joy and love, entitlement, fellowshipping with God, full surrender to Christ, I am the way the truth and the life, Jesus is the epitome of joy and love, knock and it shall be opened unto you, lazy Saturday, live for Jesus, moderation in all things, nothing is impossible in our own strength, only Jesus is perfect, our friend Anselm, perfection is not attainable, prayer is the basis of the successful Christian life, responsibility, seek and you shall find, thanskgiving, the importance of prayer, the joy of the Lord is your strength, trust the journey, with God all things are possible, ye ask amiss, ye ask and receive not
Matthew 7:7. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
So, after our holiday Remembrance Friday, we come to lazy Saturday. And I’m sure many of us are glad that it’s Saturday since we had a rollicking good time yesterday. And why not, with no work and a long weekend ahead? But friends, let’s remember that too much of a good thing stops being good after a while, and can instead turn disastrously bad. And that applies to partying more than many other things. So, as we’ve recently said, it’s best to let Bruh Paul and Jeeves’ advice control our behaviour. The first says, moderation in all things; the second speaks of a modicum of circumspection in all we do.
And we ought to get that fixed permanently in our souls, because today’s world is one of excess, we overdo everything, take everything to the limit. But that’s a certain formula for trouble. We therefore need to curtail some of our overboard behaviour, if we desire to stay out of trouble. End of Sermon! (smile)
Now let’s see what quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And the first one says: ‘A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. That’s why they don’t get what they want.’ Oh, the basic idea might have some truth to it, but nowadays people aren’t afraid to say what they want. I think it’s the exact opposite; they are too quick and bold-faced to say what they want, and even what they are entitled to, because we live in a society that preaches entitlement instead of responsibility.
But nonetheless, ofttimes we don’t get what we want, because we don’t ask for it. Jesus said to ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7:7-8) And Jesus doesn’t lie, but there’s one moderator to those statements. You obviously have to be a born-again believer in Christ, but above all, you must ask what’s in the Father’s will. And James further enlightens us, that, ‘Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.’ (James 4:3) Now that’s no lie, since it’s what so many of us really do.
Anyway, what Jesus is doing there is emphasizing the importance of prayer, which includes asking and getting answers from God. However, as the scholars inform us, ‘prayer is more than just asking; it is confession, adoration, thanksgiving, and fellowshipping with God. By its nature, prayer is talking with God. It is the basis of the successful Christian life, and is so important that not praying is considered a sin (1 Sam. 12:23). Illustration: Jesus pointed out that God heard the prayer of a humble publican (tax-collector) rather than that of a proud Pharisee (Luke 18:14).
Application: God will answer our prayer when we obey Him (1 John 3:22), confess sin (Ps. 66:18), abide in Christ (John 15:7), ask according to the will of God (1 John 5:14), ask in faith (Mark 11:24), have pure motives (James 4:3), and live peaceably with our mate (1 Pet. 3:7).’ Oh my fellow believers, you see all the things that fall under the simple terms of asking, seeking and knocking! (smile) You’ve a lot of scriptures to look up today, and you can’t claim to not have time, because it’s lazy Saturday, and laziness here doesn’t mean not opening your Bible Library. (smile) I just did, and those reference scriptures are all spot on!
That brings us to this quote. ‘Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.’ And that’s the gospel truth! Because the only perfect person is, was, and always will be Jesus Christ. And I don’t like the words chase or catch in that sentence, because they seem to give it a sense of rushing and trying to catch something unattainable, when excellence doesn’t need to be chased or caught. It needs to be worked towards and achieved. It’s a continual process, not a hurried action.
And though Jesus doesn’t expect us to be perfect, since we were not created to be such, He does expect us to be excellent, and to be thus, requires diligence; that’s patience, hard-work, perseverance, strong faith and belief. So, excellence is an integral aspect of working for Jesus. That leads us to this next quote: ‘You must find the place inside yourself where nothing is impossible.’ Now that’s somewhat of a laugh, because since we are not perfect, it’s highly unlikely that nothing is impossible in our own strength.
But there’s one to whom NOTHING is impossible, that’s Jesus Christ! And if we hook up with Him, then, and only then will all things be possible through us. Remember when Jesus spoke to the disciples about a camel passing through a needle’s eye? He told them: ‘With men this is impossible; but with God ALL things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:26) And that’s the truth in spades my brethren! With our Creator, ALL things are possible, and until we sincerely and truly believe that, we will not see the miracles and the goodness and mercies He wants to do in our lives.
Then this last quote tells us: ‘When we let fear be our master, we cannot be happy and free as a butterfly. But when we choose to trust the journey and embrace LOVE and joy, we are free to fly.’ Now that is quite true, but the problem is how do we trust the journey and embrace LOVE and joy? And the answer is, ONLY in sincere belief and trust, full surrender to Jesus Christ! Yes, friends, that’s the only way we can ever be free to fly like a butterfly! Remember what the scriptures say in Nehemiah? ‘For the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10)
So, without the joy found in the Lord, you cannot have a strong spiritual life. And you can only get the joy of the Lord through Jesus Christ, for He made that quite clear, when He proclaimed: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6) That tells us in no uncertain terms that if we want to fly free like a butterfly, we need to put our trust in Jesus, for Hs is the epitome, the personification of JOY and LOVE! You cannot get those two things in this evil and fallen world without having Jesus as the Lord and Master, the Leader, Provider and Guide of your life!
That says it all my fellow saints. So please, let’s go out today and live for Jesus nuh. Our world is quickly and sadly falling apart and He’s expecting, trusting us to try and keep it together until He returns. Let’s not disappoint Him. Much LOVE!
…only in Jesus…can we be perfect…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ
31 May 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: allow nothing to steal your joy in the Lord, As many as I love I rebuke and chasten, be strong and of a good courage, be strong and of good courage, be zealous therefore and repent, became obedient unto death, but of power love and a sound mind, but the will of the Father who sent me, God dealeth with you as with sons, God has not given us the spirit of fear, He tells me that I am His own, He walks with me and He talks with me, He will not fail thee neither forsake thee, I am the beloved of god, I seek not mine own will, if ye endure chastening, in god's eyes, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, meditate therein day and night, none other has ever known, scourgeth every son he receiveth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, share His love with the world, spare the rod and spoil the child, strong faith comes from sincere belief and experience, the amazing Spirit of Christ Jesus, the joy of the Lord is your strength, the joy we share as we tarry there, the Lord thy God goes before you, the Lord thy God is with thee, then thou shalt have good success, there's no joy like the joy of Jesus!, this book of the law, this earthly life is all about living for Jesus, tough love, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, what son is he whom the father chasteneth not, whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth
Nehemiah 8:10. …for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
And then it was Tuesday, and we’ve successfully navigated through hot and fearful Monday. (smile) That means we can also successfully navigate another pretty hot day on Tuesday. Of course! We can do anything once we have the power and amazing Spirit of Christ Jesus dwelling within us! And no, it’s not always easy, but as the song’s saying, ‘He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells that I am His own, and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known!’
That’s for certain sure my fellow brethren in Christ! There’s no joy in this universe like the joy that emanates from Jesus and fills our souls and spirits when we believe in, trust and surrender ourselves to Him! And that joy doesn’t only manifest itself in gladness, but even more importantly in strength. As the Good Book tells us: ‘for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) Oh yes, when we have the joy of the Lord living in us, then we strong like lion, tough like iron, and fear no man or devil, not even his satanic majesty!
And that’s exactly why the prince of darkness tries to eliminate that joy from our souls and spirits, because then we are weak and pliable and he can get us much more easily to do his evil and dirty deeds. Therefore, it’s ever so important that we allow NOTHING to steal that joy of the Lord which is our strength. And how do we accomplish that in this evil and strife-filled world? One of the ways is by studying God’s word, His many promises and assurances found there, and storing them in our hearts so that we can use them when the enemy tries to get us off of the straight and narrow path that leads to Jesus.
And we’re talking about promises and assurances like this one that Moses decreed to the Israelites way back when, but which still stands strong today. ‘Be strong and of a good courage. Fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go before thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6) And that my friends is possibly the first and most powerful scripture we must learn and even more importantly believe! That’s because everything in our Christian faith depends on our believing that our God is good and faithful, LOVING, kind and compassionate and will never leave nor forsake us, come what may!
And until we sincerely believe that our souls and spirits will continually be filled with doubts and fears. That’s the simple fact of the matter. Strong faith only comes from sincere belief and much experience of life under God’s mighty, faithful and compassionate hand! It’s like going to school; the more you study His word and lean on it and Him, then the stronger your faith will become, and doubts and fears, many introduced by the evil enemy, won’t make such a mess of your life.
And just like in school, when you don’t pay attention, or do your homework, you will suffer the consequences, for our heavenly Father LOVES us too much to just let us go astray, to do whatever we want once we give our lives to his awesome Son. And I like how the Good Book puts it. ‘For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?’ (Heb. 12:6-7)
Good question that. If we don’t chasten our children when they do wrong, then we don’t truly LOVE them. And chastening doesn’t mean abusing, but correcting with whatever punishment is necessary. The scholars explain it thus: ‘God’s principle of disciplining His own people is completely congruous (in agreement, harmony) with human practices. This quotation from Proverbs 3:12, stating God’s practice, corresponds to the commands God gave to fathers: “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that LOVETH him chasteneth him betimes (promptly). (Prov. 13:24; cf. 22:15; 23:13). LOVE and corporal punishment are not incongruous; they are two complimentary and necessary aspects of training.’
Consequently, we now have a rather unruly and undisciplined generation. We forgot what our parents told us: ‘if you spare the rod, you spoil the child.’ When we became parents, we did not discipline them as we ought to, foolishly thinking that disciplining them was wrong and abusive. But we were quite wrong, for when any animal is not disciplined it goes astray and creates havoc because of their selfish intents, interests and behaviour. Our parents disciplined us, possibly a li’l too rough and tough, and taught us seriously about God, but we came out much better for it.
And if our God practices tough LOVE, who are we to be different eh? That’s why we’re now suffering the unholy and ungodly consequences of a lost generation. But I’ll leave that alone today, for it’s something that troubles me greatly, because I saw it coming. And now that it’s arrived…well… Chuh! Let’s turn to these words of Jesus on the subject as He spoke to John in the revelation about the church in Laodicea. ‘As many as I LOVE, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.’ (Rev. 3:19) So be warned.
Now, let’s get back to talking about totally trusting and believing in Christ Jesus and not letting the enemy steal our joy with his lies and deceitful wiles and schemes. And we all know this immortal verse of Bruh Paul to Timothy, although we don’t practice it as thoroughly as we ought to. ‘For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) Yuh see there, discipline is all so important in our dealings with God. Remember what the Good Book says about Jesus: ‘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)
Yes friends, obedience was the hallmark of Jesus’ earthly sojourn. He said it Himself. ‘I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgement is just (righteous); because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the father which hath sent me.’ (John 5:30) And we are required to do the same thing: seek the Father’s will, not our own. Finally, we come to what I believe are the most encouraging and reassuring words in the scriptures; the words the Lord spoke to Joshua when He made him the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses.
‘This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then shalt thou have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:8-9)
Oh my fellow saints, those words are still the best encouragement for today. So please, let’s take them to heart and be strong and courageous nuh, for Jesus desires it of us and the world needs ever so badly to see it from us. And for those of us who are doing our best to live for Christ, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and courageous 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!’
Now, let’s go out and enthusiastically show and tell others about the marvellous LOVE and friendship of Jesus, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…this earthly life is all about…living for Jesus…nothing else…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
22 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new day of life and love, be merciful unto, deliver me from the oppression of man, he himself shall be saved, he knoweth the way I take, he shall receive a reward, he shall suffer loss, hurry, I am the beloved of god, I shall come forth as gold, I've got a good thing going, if any man's work abide, if any man's work shall be burned, in god's eyes, it giveth understanding to the simple, joy in the Lord of our salvation, let not any iniquity have dominion over me, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, make thy face to shine upon thy servant, no other foundation can a man lay besides Jesus, order my steps in thy word, revealed by fire, rivers of waters run down my eyes, share His love with the world, teach me thy statutes, the entrance of thy words giveth light, the fire of refinement, the fire shall try every man's work, the joy of the Lord is your strength, the vicissitudes of life, they keep not thy law, to whom we belong, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, we've all sinned and come short of God's glory, worry
Psalm 119:133. Order (direct) my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.
Oh my people, on this damp and cloudy Tuesday morning in late February, the 22/2/22, a momentous date they say will not return for another thousand years, I’ve been inspired to begin the Bit with a li’l ditty. (smile) So please sing along with me. ‘I’ve got a good thing going in the Lord today! Oh yes, I’ve got a good thing going in the Lord today. I’ve got a good thing going in the Lord today… And I’m so excited and blessed to share it with you!’
Glory Hallelujah my brethren! There’s no better way to begin a new day of life and LOVE than with some joy in the Lord of our salvation! What’s the purpose of having salvation if we don’t enjoy it eh? But sadly, that’s what happens to a lot of us, we allow the vicissitudes of life to rob us of the abundant joy of the salvation that Jesus Christ died for us to have. That’s not wise. It’s just wasting Jesus’ marvellous sacrifice on the cross of Calvary.
And yes, I know life can be very difficult at times, but being joyless doesn’t change our circumstances. However, being joyful changes us, and allows us to handle the tough situations that we all encounter in this earthly life. Please remember, as the Good Book tells us in Nehemiah: ‘for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) That means when we lose our joy, we lose our strength in God, and if we don’t have God’s strength, then we don’t have anything worthwhile at all.
So it’s ever so important that we retain that joy we find in the Lord our God, if we intend to live successful lives in His glorious name. And to help us keep that joy full and running over, today I want to share some exciting words from the scriptures that help us to do just that. It comes from that awesome Psalm 119 – the section titled ‘PE’ for the 17th letter of the Jewish alphabet (Pey). And it is subtitled: ‘The entrance of thy words giveth light.’
Oh, how true that is my fellow saints in Christ! The entering of God’s word into our hearts, bodies and souls, does bring spiritual light to them. So, let’s ask the Lord to allow His amazing words to bring light to the darkness of our souls today, as we read His inspiring word together. ‘Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them. The entrance of thy words giveth light: it giveth understanding unto the simple. I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments.
Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that LOVE thy name. Order (direct) my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. Deliver (redeem) me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they (men) keep not thy law.’ (Ps. 119:129-136)
What beautiful words and sentiments my fellow believers! Wish that we could truly mean them and thus have them be a significant part of our lives. But we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. However, our great and wonderful God, who is ever so rich in mercy and forgiveness always answers our prayers if we are sincere and they fall in line with His will. So, if we are serious about His word that we’ve just read, He will enable us to do the things we’ve asked.
And I like that verse we’ve chosen for our Bit, because it seems to cover everything. If the Lord directs our steps and iniquity doesn’t have dominion over us, then everything else will come into successful play. Hopefully, then we’ll be able to say like Job did: ‘But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held (held fast to) his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed (treasured) the words of his mouth more than my necessary food (appointed portion).’ (Job 23:10-12)
Oh friends, when we can sincerely declare sentiments like those, then are we truly living for God. And it would certainly be great when we are tried, we come forth as gold, as pure gold. Yes, and per that verse, the scholars tell us that ‘Job’s friends maintained that Job was full of dross, but Job is confident that no dross, or sin, would be revealed in the fire of refinement.’ And that fire of refinement is basically what Bruh Paul talked about to the church at Corinth in his first missive.
‘For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble (straw); Every man’s work shall be made manifest (become evident): for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try (test) every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide (endures) which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.’ (1 Cor. 3:11-15)
And my people, the long and short of all that is whatever work we claim to do for Christ will eventually be tested and if it comes through the test, then we will be rewarded for it. But if our works are burned up in the fire, we will not lose our salvation, just the rewards we were hoping to get. As the scholars explain: ‘The stress in this entire passage is not on a person’s relationship to Christ, but on service to Christ.’
Now for those of us who are serious about living for Christ, let’s go home joyfully declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong, confident 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!’
And having said all of that, let’s go out now and action it by sharing the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to LOVE and serve Him as we do! Much LOVE!
…the best way to build on the foundation of Christ…is with gold, silver and precious stones…stuff that will endure the refiner’s fire…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
11 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a most dreary time, be careful for nothing, bless the LOrd o my soul, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, drink the asweet, eat the fat, Ezra, faith in Christ, forgive us and heal our land, go your way, God so loved the world, Happy Thanksgiving Canada, he gave his only begotten son, humble ourselves, in every thing, in everything give thanks, Jehovah Rapha, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord, let your requests be made known unto God, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Nehemiah, O Give thanks unto the Lord, please be careful, reverence and appreciate our Creator, send portions unto them for whom nothing has been prepared, show our gratitude, sing psalms unto him, sing unto him, take precautions, talk ye of all his wondrous works, Thanks be to God, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the breath of life, the God who heals, the joy of the Lord is your strength, the Lord is at hand, the peace of God which passeth all understading, this is the day the Lord has made, this is the will of God, we will rejoice and be glad in it, who redeemeth thy life from destruction, wise guidance and direction
HAPPY THANKSGIVING CANADA!
Philippians 4:6. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God.
Oh friends, is it ever good to awaken to another day, another Monday, another Thanksgiving Monday! And all God’s people said: ‘Thanks be to God, who keeps the breath of life flowing through our earthly bodies!’ And why does He do that? Because He has a plan and a purpose for our lives, which includes enjoyment of the day. That’s why we say: ‘This is the day the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps. 118:24) Yes, my brethren, that’s the only way to go!
And on this Thanksgiving Day of 2021, where life is somewhat rough, and we can’t gather as carelessly as we’d like, we ought to be thankful that we can even gather at all. Remember last year Thanksgiving Day was a most dreary time. No set of food and family and good cheer, all because of the Pandemic situation. So, there’s oodles of thanks to be given for just being able to get together more than last year. But please, please be careful. This thing is not over yet – far from it – and we still need to take as many precautions as possible to minimize further problems.
And to show our gratitude for that improvement, let’s intone the opening verses of Psalm 105, subtitled – God’s wondrous works in behalf of Israel. ‘O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek ye the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.’ (Ps. 105:1-4)
Now I am sure if we were doing that as much as we ought to, we would not be having half as many problems as we do! I am convinced that many of our problems stem from the fact that we don’t reverence and appreciate our Creator as we should. But this Thanksgiving time is the right occasion for us to turn back to Him, remembering all that He has done for us, and has promised to do.
In the marvellous words of Bruh David: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:2-5) And are we ever so glad that this Thanksgiving we have sufficient food to eat. But having said that, let’s not forget there are many of our fellow brethren out there who don’t have enough, possible nothing at all to eat, and it’s our bounden duty to provide for them as best we can.
That recalls the glorious day when many of the children of Israel heard the word of the Lord for the first time as it was read to them, by Ezra and his associates. Then Nehemiah, the Governor, said unto them: ‘Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 1:8)
And is it ever my fellow saints! That’s why the enemy does his best to steal our joy. He knows when he gets us sad and downcast, it’s much easier to have us do his evil bidding. But not today mih bredrin, for today is a day of exceeding joy, and a time to remember our biggest blessing, our greatest gift and benefit. Like Bruh David said: ‘who redeemeth thy life from destruction.’ And yes friends, God’s greatest gift, His biggest benefit is that of freedom from the bondage of sin, of salvation through His free gift of grace, earned through the finished work of Christ.
As Jesus puts it: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) Glory be my fellow believers! If we are not thankful for anything else, we should be exceedingly thankful for that, because it’s nothing that we earned, or could ever earn, but though God’s infinite grace and mercy, it was bestowed upon us. And all we have to do is to believe in His Son! But so many of us stubbornly refuse to do it because of foolish pride and belief in the world’s evil systems. But there will be consequences for that stubbornness.
And let’s not think that just because we call today Thanksgiving Day, that this is the only day we should give thanks. Absolutely not! Bruh Paul reminds us of that in his epistle to the church at Philippi, when he says: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:4-7)
Oh my fellow believers, we wonder why we don’t have peace? Well, the answer is right there. We don’t take our requests to God in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. And there’s no better time than right now, for us to get wise and do just that. So, in sincere prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let’s make our requests known to Almighty God through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
As one now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Now, let’s go and keep the promises we just made, if we want to see positive answers to our prayers and supplications with thanksgiving. Much LOVE!
..in everything give thanks…for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus…concerning you… (1 Thess. 5:17)
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13 Dec 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a joyful heart, a spiritual nature, Adeste Fidelis, be faithful and joyful, be of good cheer, believers in Jesus, born the king of angels, born this happy morning, children of God, Christ is worthy of adoration, Christ the Lord, citizens of heaven above, come and behold him, full of faith, give thanks to Almighty God, hearten our spirits, honour Christ's call, i have overcome the world, if any man will come after me, if ye love me, in a symbolic sense, integrity, joyful and triumphant, keep my commandments, let him deny himself, loyal, O come all ye faithful, O come let us adore Him, o come ye to Bethlehem, our Creator and Provider, praise and worship, Praise be to god, raise our spirits, season of Advent, steadfast in affection, take up his cross and follow me, the joy of the Lord is your strength, this Christmas season, unfailingly loyal to Christ, whosever shall lose his life for my sake, with strong assurance
John 14:15. If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.
Sunday morning’s come down friends! And we’ll do what we do every Sunday morning, be it sunshine, rain or snow; get together and praise, worship and give thanks to Almighty God, our Creator and Provider! Only thing is that these days many of us are worshiping and giving thanks through virtual technology because of the pandemic lockdown. Yes mih people, they may stop us from gathering together physically, but they can’t stop us from giving thanks and praise! And all of God’s people said a loud and proud: ‘Praise be to God!’
And with the Christmas season upon us, when we celebrate the earthly birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, I thought it would only be right to open with a timely song, a Christmas carol we all know and LOVE; ‘O Come All Ye Faithful,’an adaptation of a Latin hymn Adeste Fidelis. It’s rather appropriate for this time as it ‘harkens to the biblical story of the birth of Christ. It is considered a reference to the shepherds, after hearing the angels singing, coming to Bethlehem to adore their new-born savior. Today this hymn signifies and celebrates our coming together in worship to adore the LOVING blessing of Jesus, as he sacrificed himself for our salvation.’
So let’s worship nuh, in strong soulful, harmonious voice. ‘ O come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem. Come and behold Him, Born the King of Angels! (Chorus: O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.) God of God, light of light, Lo, he abhors not the Virgin’s womb; True God, begotten, not created: (Chorus)
O Sing, choirs of angels; sing in exultation O sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above. Give to our Father, Glory in the highest! (Chorus) Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, Born this happy morning; Jesus, to Thee be the glory giv’n; Word of the Father, Now in the flesh appearing, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.’
And is Christ ever worthy of our adoration my people! For no one has ever done what He did; give up His heavenly position and come to earth in manly form, for the main purpose of sacrificing His sinless life so that we could become children of God, with all the wonderful benefits that entails. Mama Mia! What a Lord and Saviour!
But what does it really mean when we sing about ‘faithful’ eh? First let’s look at some definitions from the Merriam Webster dictionary. ‘1: steadfast in affection or allegiance : LOYAL – a faithful friend. 2: firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty : CONSCIENTIOUS – a faithful employee. 3: given with strong assurance : BINDING – a faithful promise. 4: true to the facts, to a standard, or to an original – a faithful copy. 5: obsolete: full of faith.’ And you’ll notice what they say about the last one; that it’s obsolete, but a lot of people still believe that’s what it means, and who’s to say them nay eh? (smile)
So you see all the different meanings ‘faithful’ can have. They left out one word though; integrity, for you can’t be all or any of those things without integrity. And I like how Wikipedia explains it: ‘Faithfulness is the concept of unfailingly remaining loyal to someone or something, and putting that loyalty into consistent practice regardless of extenuating circumstances. It may be exhibited by a husband or wife who, in a sexually exclusive marriage, does not engage in sexual relationships outside of the marriage.’
Therefore, in our case we can say ‘faithful’ means that we remain unfailingly loyal to Christ, regardless of the prevailing circumstances. And that’s not an easy thing to do, especially in these rather turbulent and topsy-turvy times. But if we seriously want to be a faithful follower of Christ, then we must buckle down and do the things He commands us. Listen to His all-encompassing statement to the disciples, and consequently to us: ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15)
Typical Jesus, plain and straightforward. No beating around the bush. And that’s what it means to be faithful; do the things that the person or organization to which you are faithful requires of you. And don’t forget this other requirement of being faithful to Jesus. ‘If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his soul shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.’ (Matt. 16:24-25)
That means friends, all that wonderful singing we did above does carry serious consequences if we truly want to observe and honour Christ’s call and be faithful. That’s not to say we should not enjoy the merriment and festivity of the season, but we should also consider the job we have to do, after all the merriment is over. Note, after the shepherds went and saw Jesus, they went back to guarding their sheep, though with a more joyful heart. Likewise, our hearts should also be joyful, as we go through this season of Advent, contemplating the importance of Christ’s birth and what it means to us in these modern times.
And we’ll end with these appropriate words, but please don’t ask me where I got them from, because I don’t remember. (smile) ‘The encouragement to “come, all ye faithful, . . . to Bethlehem” situates the singer both among the shepherds who rushed to see Christ and in the great continuation of the “faithful” that have traveled to Bethlehem in a spiritual nature for over 2,000 years. Although today, we cannot actually witness Jesus in the manger, we can come to Bethlehem in a symbolic sense. We can be there in our imaginations as we allow the Christmas story to hearten our spirits.’
Yes precious people, let’s raise our spirits, be faithful and joyful in this Christmas season, despite the many troubles in our world. For that’s what Christians – faithful, steadfast and loyal believers in Jesus do, especially when one of His commands is to be of good cheer, because he has overcome the world! Much LOVE!
…the joy of the Lord is our strength… (Neh. 8:10)
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