14 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool's wisdom, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, anxiety, be careful for nothing, be of good cheer, bow down to Jesus, bow down to Satan, but of power love and a sound mind, come unto me, faith, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, God never reneges on a promise, got our feet wet, hurry, i have overcome the world, I will give you rest, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, in god's eyes, Jesus, Jesus Christ, joy, let not your heart be troubled, let your requests be made known unto God, lighten our burdens, LOVE, our Triune God, our victory lies in Jesus, peace, Peace i leave with you, prayer, rest mode, share His love with my neighbour, the beloved of God, the great invitation, the peace of God which passeth all understading, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, understanding, wisdom, work mode, worry
Matthew 11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
So another Monday is in the books, we got our feet wet in this new work week, therefore we can now comfortably turn our eyes to Tuesday, without fear or anxiety. (smile) Yes, sometimes we might wish that we didn’t have any time off work on the week end, because it’s so easy to slip into rest mode, but ever so difficult to get back into a work frame of mind after a period of rest. But if we truly focus on Jesus, He will help us move from one arena to the next without much trouble. That’s His promise. And we know that He NEVER reneges on a promise.
So, knowing that, wisdom dictates that we throw our everything, our all unto Him so that He can lighten our burden and help us make our way safely and securely. Remember that scripture we call the Great Invitation, where Jesus invites us to come to Him with all of our burdens, worries and problems? In all, LOVE, compassion and truth, He offers: ‘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)
What a great invitation that is my people! In fact it’s the greatest invitation ever offered to mankind! So why aren’t many more of us accepting it eh? Because it seems too good to be true? Or because accepting it means we‘ll have to kow tow, or bow down to Jesus and all His demands? So what? It’s much better than kow towing or bowing down to Satan’s demands. And with Satan it never gets any easier, but always harder, more difficult to ferry our way through this turbulent life.
With Jesus though, the more you entrench yourself in His way of life, the more experience you get with Hm, life becomes easier, well not necessarily easier, (smile) but you can better handle whatever comes against you. And why is that eh? Because then you’ll have the peace of God which passes all understanding, keeping or guarding your heart and mind through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:7) And what’s that peace of God, you’re talking about eh? This commentary nicely explains it: ‘The Peace that transcends all understanding does not come from having everything work out exactly as we want it. The peace that transcends all understanding comes from knowing that no matter what life throws at us, we can still have joy when we know that our victory lies in Jesus Christ and not in our circumstances.’
Glory to God my people! How wonderful it is to know that we don’t have to worry or be anxious over every little thing in our lives…in truth, neither do we have to worry or be anxious over the big things either, because Jesus can handle anything that come against us. As Bruh Paul says to the Philippians: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in EVERY THING by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.’ (Phil. 4:6) And when we do that consistently, the peace of God that flows from that prayer, supplication and thanksgiving will allow us to handle it all my brethren.
And also remember that when Jesus was here on earth, He was big on peace, because peace is what enables you to live the abundant and godly life. Note His words to the disciples. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) Yes friends, Jesus’ peace is not like what the world offers as peace. His peace is that peace that passes all understanding and allows us to handle our problems with wisdom and understanding, not anxiety and fear.
And don’t you like how He says not to let our hearts be troubled or afraid? For sure! That’s because He knows when His peace is flowing through us there’s no need to worry or be afraid. Especially when He again talks of peace to the disciples. This time saying: ‘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 yes, sometimes it is difficult to be of good cheer when it seems like your whole world is falling down around you, but that’s exactly when the peace of God is necessary to keep you from falling over.
And please note my fellow believers, Jesus never said that living the Christian life was easy. Nobody knew that better than Him, as you can see from all the trials and tribulations He encountered. But because He also had the Father’s peace flowing through Him, He was able to handle whatever came against Him. Why yuh think He was always praying and giving thanks to the Father? Because He knew that He could not handle it all on His own, despite His status as deity. So if Jesus as deity could not handle this crazy, evil and ungodly world without His Father’s help, why do we think we can handle it on our own eh? That’s surely a fool’s wisdom!
We desperately need the awesome help of our Triune God to face this world with strength, wisdom and grace. As Bruh Paul so rightly said to Timothy. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) And that’s why Christians can face this evil and ungodly world without any trepidation or fear. But you have to sincerely embrace Jesus and His philosophy for that situation to apply to you. Satan nor his evil cohorts cannot give your that amazing sense of peace, LOVE and joy, that knowing Jesus can.
Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said all of that, it now behooves us to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…true rest and peace…can only be found in and through Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
24 Jan 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a major source of worry, a man after His own heart, and he delivered me from all my fears, be careful for nothing, be strong and of a good courage, but of power love and a sound mind, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fanning the flame, fear, fog, glad to be alive, God has not given us the spirit of fear, halfway home, hands on the plough, he will not fail thee nor forsake thee, holy spirit, I sought the Lord and he heard me, in everything, Jesus Christ, keep and guard your hearts and mind through Christ Jesus, LOVE, neither be thou dismayed, not looking back, rain, snow, stir up the gift of God, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Lord is my light and my salvation, the Lord thy God is with thee wherever you go, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the promises of God will never fail, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, whom shall I fear
Psalm 34:4. I sought the Lord, and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears.
And after the snow, comes the rain. Yes friends, yesterday it snowed all day in my area, but thankfully the white stuff only trickled down from heaven, like a drizzling rain, so we only ended up with an inch or so when it stopped. However, during the early morning hours, the fog came in and it’s still out there fairly thick, you can only see about fifty yards ahead properly, and yet some people are still driving without their lights on, as well as several of them only have one working headlight.
But the snow is melting and the rain is beginning to slowly drizzle down. So by day’s end we should not be too badly off, unless the temperature decides to freeze up again and thus cause ice problems. But there’s no need to fear, for Jesus is with us, guiding our every step, that is, if we’re listening to Him. (smile) And talking about fear, I decided to continue today with some scripture verses that promote faith over fear, since fear is a very real and troublesome problem in our current society.
What with the unfortunate fallout from the pandemic and all the strife and anger that’s proliferating out there, fear has become a major source of worry, and the only way to stop it, or even lessen it is by believing and proclaiming powerful scripture verses of faith. And brother, I’ve found so many that I don’t know which to choose, or really where to begin. (smile) But begin we must, so let’s check out this famous scripture on fear and faith, from Bruh Paul’s second letter to Timothy, where he admonishes Timothy thus: ‘Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting (laying) on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:6-7)
And I like how this commentator in the abide and seek.com website adds verse 6 to the mix, because it adds a li’l something to the next verse, the fanning of the flame of faith, that we don’t usually get when we quote that verse by itself. As the commentator writes. ‘I just LOVE this scripture! The Spirit which dwells within us believers holds the same power that raised Jesus from the dead! The Holy Spirit is there to empower us to places where we could not tread without it! We are called to entrust and to call on the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us, thus fanning that small flame into a powerful fire! To allow the fear of anything that lies ahead to dissipate and allow that light to shine in these dark times.’
Yes friends, that’s surely the job of the Holy Spirit, but it only makes a difference if we listen and obey it’s commands. Then there’s this verse from Psalm 34, as Bruh David testifies: ‘I sought the Lord, and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears.’ (Ps, 34:4) Ah mih people, when we’re afraid, the first and best thing to do is turn to the God of our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, because He is the Creator and Controller of the universe, and our very heavenly Father, who has such great compassion for us, His most precious creation.
And we all know that’s what Bruh David did throughout his life, and despite his many faults and mistakes, the Lord still considered him His friend and a man after His own heart. That means there’s forgiveness and LOVE for us too, when we open our hearts to Almighty God. And I can’t do scriptures on fear and faith and not include one of my favourites from Joshua, when the Lord made Joshua the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. In his last statement to Joshua on how He would be with him like He was with Moses, the Lord said: ‘Have I not commanded thee? be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whither thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9)
Now isn’t that a marvellous verse of encouragement? It surely is! Especially if it’s the Lord Himself speaking to you! Just like God was with Moses, He would be with Joshua, and also with us. As this commentary says: ‘God’s promises are never broken and that is what God was pointing out to Joshua as he was taking on this calling of leading His people. He was frightened and unsure yet God’s promises and LOVE can never fail!’ And that’s what we need to believe in spades my fellow saints! The promises and LOVE of our great and faithful God will never fail!
And He’s made that declaration (chuh!!!) a thousand times in His Word, as these two verses of Deuteronomy ascertain. This first one, Moses speaks to the people of Israel: ‘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 with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6) Then Moses called Joshua before all the people and reassured him with the same basic words. ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’ (Deut. 31:8) You can’t get any better encouragement than that my people!
And what about this other magnificent scripture of faith from Psalm 27, where Bruh David joyfully and faithfully proclaims: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? ‘ (Ps, 27:1) Yes mih bredrin, we are certainly maturing when we too can make such a positive declaration (yesss!!!) of faith! And we’ll conclude today’s faith incentive scriptures with these two verses which we have been seeing a lot of recently (smile)
It’s these most reassuring words of Bruh Paul to the church at Philippi. ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything 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. 4:6-7) Truer words were never written my brethren, so please, let’s take them to heart and sincerely practice them if we truly want to receive that wonderful peace of God which man’s finite brain cannot understand.
Now let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And please remember that if we endure with Jesus right down to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…if fear knocks at your door…just send faith to answer it…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
19 Jan 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new flock of believers, according to your faith be it done unto you, an element of doubt, be careful for nothing, bear your everyday burdens, believe ye that I am able, Bible, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, christianity, crying out for help, embrace your love and compassion, faith, Friday chant, grin and bear it, holy spirit, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, in everything, Jesus Christ, keep fighting the good fight, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth, omnipotent help, Peace i leave with you, prayer, simmering discontent, spiritual war, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the error of their ways, the example we faithful believers set, the peace of God which passeth all understading, trust and confidence in Christ's ability, trusting faith, unexpected storms, wise guidance
Matthew 9:29. According to your faith be it unto you.
And then it was a cold, cloudy Friday, but there were still shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ I guess we don’t much care what kind of weather we have on a Friday, because it means that the weekend is here and we can do whatever we want. No more of the getting up early, carting the children to the baby-sitter or to school, then facing the rush hour traffic jam to and from work. What a terrible grind our work week can be, especially if you have young children and you’re living far from work. But that’s just the way the society is set up, and you have to grin and bear it, and make it work somehow for you.
I certainly remember the days, some forty odd years ago, carting my eldest daughter to the baby sitter and picking her up again every night. And that was long before you had all the helpful amenities, you now have. (smile) But that’s exactly why you need Jesus in your life! He helps you bear the tough burdens of everyday life, with a modicum of peace and circumspection. With Jesus running the show, you’re never as worried and frazzled as you are without Him. And these two promises of His are very important in our everyday lives. We know them fairly well, but we just can’t seem to put them into action, so that our pain can be eased.
The first one says: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) And yes, it’s very easy to say the words, and even believe them, but it’s not as easy to put them into serious action, especially in today’s crazy and volatile world, for there’s always an element of doubt, or some niggling circumstance that gets in the way. But we just have to hang in there and do the best we can, not give up, and keep fighting the good fight with Jesus.
Then there’s this other promise along the same lines. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) Ah friends, although we might know deep down that Jesus has overcome the world by dying and being resurrected, therefore defeating Satan, hell, death and the grave, it’s indeed difficult to be peaceful and of good cheer when all the problems of the world seem like they are tumbling down around you. And to further help us in our earthly battle, we need to take Bruh Paul’s advice to the Philippians.
He writes: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.’ (Phil. 4:6) Yes my brethren, that is the basic pattern our lives must follow if we are to experience some sense of peace and comfort in our daily lives. Prayer with thanksgiving is oh so essential. And we know that giving thanks under some of the situations we face is extremely difficult, and sometimes we even feel it impossible. However, that’s the only way to get what Bruh Paul promised. ‘And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:7)
Now those aren’t easy scriptures to live by; not to worry about anything, but to pray constantly and give thanks even in untenable situations. But do it we must, by writing them indelibly in our hearts, minds and souls, then asking the Holy Spirit for His help to action them. That’s one of His many purposes in our lives; help to live the life Christ desires of us. But there again, we need to sincerely engage the Holy Spirit’s help, and then listen to what he says. And that’s where we’re not as obedient as we ought to.
With all the many distractions and voices flurrying around in our minds, we ofttimes miss the still, soft voice of the Holy Spirit, especially when our decision is contrary to His. And the devil just LOVES to get into our brain, our minds, where spiritual war is constantly being waged, and disrupt the peace and joy we are fighting to attain. And that’s where our levels of faith and trust in Jesus come in. It’s like Jesus’ interaction with two blind men who followed Him, ‘crying and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.’ (Matt. 9:27-29)
Now that last sentence is the answer to many of our problems. Yes friends, it’s according to our trust and confidence in Christ’s ability to do whatever we ask Him, that we will see positive outcomes. It’s our faith, not God’s, that determines our outcomes in life. It has everything to do with what we truly believe. And for those of us who truly believe in the omnipotent power of Christ, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Friday Chant, asking for divine help to handle our many earthly problems.
Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And if we expect to see divine help, then we need to do what we said in our prayer, that’s stand strong and steadfast as best we can, and also set a good example as faithful believers. Much LOVE!
… the size of our problems that Jesus can solve…depends on the size of our faith in Him…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
26 Dec 2023
by randyobrien50
in Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to his riches in glory, allow food to go to waste, be of good cheer, Black Friday, Boxing Day, come unto me all ye that labour, Cyber Monday, excessive litigation, greater is he that is in you, holy spirit, hurry, I am meek and lowly in heart, I am the beloved of god, I am the way the truth and the life, i have overcome the world, I will give you rest, in a time of serious hunger, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the answer to everything, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, my God shall supply all your needs, my peace I give to you, neither let it be afraid, no man cometh to the Father, Peace i leave with you, seek ye first the kingdom of God, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ, share His love with my neighbours, take my yoke upon you, than he that's in the world, the absence of snow, the peace of God which passeth all understading, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, worry
Matthew 11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
And then it was Tuesday, the day after Monday, the day after Christmas day, making it Boxing day! Yes friends, the big day has now come and gone, and I hope that you all had a good time celebrating with your families and friends. I know I did with my family. And as always, the food was excellent, but too much for the few celebrants. And, unfortunately, in this Christmas season of lavish and extreme preparations, a lot of good food will be thrown away, despite the fact that there are many hungry people in our society.
However, in these days of excessive litigation, people are afraid to give away and also accept food, as those who receive the food can get sick and cause all sorts of problems. What a contentious, cantankerous and fearful society we’ve become, that allows so much good food to go to waste in a time of serious hunger, simply because of possible lawsuits. And another note, remember when Boxing Day was the big sales day? Well that’s no longer the case, the Black Fridays and Cyber Mondays, around the time of Thanksgiving are now the big sales days!
Ah Lord eh! We’ve taken every holy and/or religious day and made them so commercialized, that many don’t even remember the true reason behind all the activity. So, now, the Boxing Day sales are merely shadows of their earlier selves. And anyway, I don’t know how many of us would like to go shopping on a wet, drizzly, cloudy day like today. In fact, the whole Christmas weekend has been wet and dark, leaving many of the outdoor enthusiasts saddened by the absence of the white stuff (snow) for them to frolic in. I guess that’s just another effect of the climate change that’s currently bewildering our world.
But the most important thing to remember, especially in this Christmas season, is that we have Jesus; our End All and Be All – our answer to every problem – our Go to Guy! That’s why He came to earth as a man in this season; to eventually sacrifice His sinless life and save us from our sins and be the One we turn to when the storms of life batter and besiege us. And there’s no better example of that than Jesus’ Great Invitation, where He invites all and sundry to ‘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)
What a marvellous invitation my people, one that we refuse to our own detriment. But let’s make one thing perfectly clear, Jesus is not promising the easy life. No! He’s promising one that’s easier and more bearable than that offered by Satan and the world. Note that He also has a yoke, but that’s much easier to bear, and His burden is lighter that what you’ll find if you refuse His offer. This world is full of sin, trials and tribulations that we cannot escape, but with Jesus as our Lord and Saviour we can mitigate the circumstances and handle them in much better fashion that without His help.
Jesus Himself said it; twice to boot. Listen up: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) Yes friends, Jesus’ peace is an entirely different kind to that which the world offers, and consequently we ought not to be afraid or worried. As Bruh Paul wrote about it to the Philippians. ‘And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 4:7) That means when we accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour we will experience a peace, God’s peace, that surpasses all human understanding. And who wouldn’t want to have that kind of peace in these turbulent and evil times eh!
Now, here’s the next statement of Jesus that we should pay attention re peace and fear. ‘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) Ah mih people, what reassuring, encouraging and true words from our Lord and Master! And has He ever overcome the world, defeating Satan, hell, death and the grave when He rose triumphantly on that first Easter morning, showing that He is indeed the resurrection and the giver of eternal life!
As Bruh Paul says in Romans: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:37) For sure! That conquering Spirit of Jesus is indwelt by all His followers, and if we live the way He desires, we’ll overcome all that’s necessary to be overcome. And John adds his bit to the subject in his first epistle, when he truthfully informs us: ‘Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.’ (1 John 4:4) And isn’t that the glorious truth my brethren! It certainly is! For Christ is indeed greater than the enemy, the evil fallen angel, Satan!
However, my fellow saints, to achieve all that Jesus offers we need to continuously keep Him first place, uppermost in our lives. As He so emphatically warned: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) Our omniscient God knows all that we need to live this life at a high standard and He will provide them if we revere and exalt Him the way we ought. It’s as Bruh Paul wrote to the Philippians: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19)
And for good measure, (smile) let’s just remind ourselves that we cannot get to the Father except through Jesus. And He said it loud and clear too: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) Please friends, let’s keep that uppermost in our minds this Boxing Day, as we continue celebrating the birth of Christ. Now, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel.
As one sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that momentous declaration, (yesss!!!) we’re now obligated to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Jesus is the Answer….Jesus is the answer…Yes…Jesus is the Answer to EVERYTHING…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
31 Oct 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and again I say rejoice, be careful for nothing, be of good cheer I have overcome the world, casting all your care upon him, faith, grace to accept your timing, Halloween Day, hit the nail on the head, holy spirit, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, hurry, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, in god's eyes, in me ye might have peace, in the name of the mighty dollar, Jesus Christ, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, let not your heart be troubled, let your moderation be known unto all men, let your request be made known unto God, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, my heart is stayed on hope in God, not as the world giveth, occult stuff, Peace i leave with you, rejoice always, Satanic tradition, set my thoughts higher, share His love with my neighbours, the beloved of God, the God of all grace, the goodness of God, the joy of the Lord, the peace of God which passeth all understading, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, whom resist steadfast in the faith, wisdom, worry
Philippians 4:6. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God.
Prologue: Let me apologize for the lateness of the Bit right up front. I had a doctor’s appointment earlier this morning and you know how it is with them; you spend more time waiting than anything else. Nonetheless, I think it’s a good Bit. (smile)
And after Monday comes Tuesday…as naturally as the day follows the night. (smile) And this Tuesday, the last day in October is bright and sunshiny in my area, though somewhat chilly, for there was frost on the cars this morning. But more importantly, for the world and it’s economic masters is that today is also Halloween day, when the world shamelessly flaunts the things of the occult, with li’l children the basis of their mockery, invoking fearful and scary foolishness, as they make oodles of money from the nonsense they promote.
What a world eh! When we’re so badly in need of God’s help with our many serious problems, we foolishly keep up with this Satanic tradition, all in the name of the mighty dollar! Personally, I’ve never seen the fun in children dressing up in scary costumes and scampering around in the night to their neighbours’ houses begging for stuff, especially candy, which every day you hear in the ads is no good for you. This is the happiest time of the year for the dentists’ because they know in another couple of months children will be flocking to them with candy infused teeth problems.
And if we insist on dealing with, cherishing and encouraging dark and occult stuff, even the scary movies are doing big business these days, what’s the purpose of this scripture then? ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind. (2 Tim. 1:7) Then, afterwards, when a real challenge comes against us, we can’t handle it, because we’re too scared, we’re filled with fear, rather than faith. To help us with all our weak and fearful moments though, here’s a prayer from Bubba Joel (Joel Osteen) that will enable us to keep God first place in our lives.
Please pray with me: ‘God, please give me the grace to accept Your timing. I will enjoy this day because You have me in the palm of Your hand. No circumstance or problem can keep me from the joy You have for me. Even though it seems I may have good reason to worry or live upset, I’m going to keep my eyes on You. I know that the enemy would LOVE for me to never get my hopes up, to think that it’s always going to be this way, to just drag through the day. But my heart is stayed on hope in You. I’m going to set my thoughts higher, championing You in this moment and throughout the day. I will choose to be happy. I will choose to focus on the goodness of God. Nothing is going to override my joy in the Lord, now, or in the days to come, in Jesus’ name. Amen!’
Yes friends, that’s the kind of desire and passion we need to hold on to each and every day. Choose to be happy, choose to focus on God’s goodness and fill our lives with the joy of the Lord, which is our strength! (Neh. 8:10) It’s all a matter of choice…our choice. We can either choose to focus on God and His goodness or the fiery trials and tribulations of this evil and wicked world! The choice is ours! No one else’s! So, if you choose to focus on your tough circumstances instead of God’s goodness, then that’s foolishly your fault. For throughout all the Bible, we have been encouraged to not fear, to not worry, just give it all to God. And these two scriptures are the epitome of that wonderful and wise advice.
First off is this scripture from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Philippians. ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (gentleness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:4-7)
Oh my faithful brethren, that hits the nail right on its proverbial head! Don’t worry or be concerned about anything, especially if you can’t do anything about it in your own strength. Turn it over to the Lord though prayer and thanksgiving and that wonderful peace of God, which surpasses all of man’s understanding will calm your souls and spirits. It’s that peace that Jesus bequeathed unto us, when He said: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) And later on He again gives us His marvellous peace, when He tells the disciples: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And if you have sufficient faith to believe in Jesus and His faithful promises, then the cares of this world won’t trouble you unduly.
Then there’s also this amazing and encouraging scripture of putting one’s cares and lives in the hands of Jehovah God. Listen to Peter tell it: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion , walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-11)
Now friends, let’s pay close attention to those scriptures because the world is getting more evil and troubled each day, and we will only be able to handle it with God’s divine help! Now for those of us who are doing our best to stand steadfast and strong, let’s declare (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, let’s go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the only place to find true peace…is with Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
16 May 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bill crazy society, a money killer, according to his riches in glory, Arrow -Bills bills every day, be careful for nothing, bills like a cancer, encouraged to buy on credit, fulfill our destiny, God is able to make all grace abound to you, hurry, I am the beloved of god, I am the vine ye are the branches, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, keep and guard our hearts through Christ Jesus, let your requests be made known unto God, living for Jesus, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, my God shall supply all your needs, our sufficiency is of God, overwhelming materialism, rain to parch the earth's thirst, share His love with my neighbours, the debt trap, the peace of God which passeth all understading, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, we live to pay our bills, without me ye can do nothing, worry
Philippians 4:13. I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.
Well, like it’s apparently going to be another warm, dry and sunshiny day. I’ve lost count of how many of them we’ve had in a row now, but it sure does feel as though we need a li’l rain to parch the earth’s thirst. And I can tell that’s the case because the duchess has started to water her lawn.(smile) So Lord, please send a li’l rain to ease up on the summer water bill.
Brother, what a life we live! During the summer it’s the water bill that drives us crazy, constantly watering the little patch of grass we so foppishly call a lawn, while at Christmas, it’s the electricity bill, with all the lights we have going on. And during the rest of the year, there’s always some bill that comes unexpectedly, or comes in so high that we get rather anxious over paying it. But that’s the way the enemy has our society programmed; to keep us in constant debt and fear. It’s all about bills: we live to pay our bills.
I think the deceased Soca maestro, Arrow, put it best, when he sang: ‘So much bills to pay, man can’t see their way. As yuh done pay one, ah next bill come. Bills, bills, every day. Bills, bills, man can’t pay. Water bill to pay, light bill to pay, grocery bill to pay, pickney bill to pay. Wo-yo-yo, wo-yo-yo ah going crazy, House rent to pay, doctor bill to pay, gas bill to pay, phone bill to pay. Salary man get, can’t pay their debts, pay and pay for years, still yuh owe arrears.
Bills, bills, every day. Child support to pay, income tax to pay, transport to pay, alimony to pay…Wo-yo-yo, wo-yo-yo ah going crazy, so much bills to pay. Mortgage to pay, insurance to pay, credit cards to pay, laundry bills to pay. Bills like a cancer, a money killer. No use complain, pay the bill again. Bills, bills every day, bills, bills man can’t pay. Wo yo-yo, wo-yo-yo, ah going crazy, wo-yo-yo, wo-yo-yo, ah going crazy.’
Yes my brethren, the endless bill paying is certainly driving a major portion of our society crazy, because they fret and worry about paying the constant stream of bills which have deadlines to pay them, and serious consequences if they are not paid. And please note that Arrow sang that song at least twenty years ago, and if it was that bad then, can you imagine how much worse it is today with the overwhelming materialism prevalent in our current society, where it’s only normal, in fact, we’re encouraged to buy things on credit, things that we don’t need and certainly cannot afford.
Then you’re held in the debt trap forever, and the creditors have you in a chokehold that’s almost impossible to break free from. But please notice I said, almost impossible, because if you have Jesus living in you and running your life, then any and everything is possible, so you will either not fall into that debt trap, or if you have already fallen, He will be able to help you extricate yourself from it. But two basic things are necessary for that to happen, you must allow Jesus to control things, and you must stop getting yourself into unnecessary debt.
Obviously, it won’t be easy, but with patience and perseverance under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it is possible to get out of the debt trap. And the first practical move is to get yourself under control. Stop the fretting and worrying, for that will only cause more harm than good and it certainly won’t get you out of your predicament. So, like Bruh Paul advised in his letter to the Philippians: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known unto God.’ (Phil. 4:6)
Yes friends, that’s always the first move in any situation; stop worrying and take it all to God in prayer. Unfortunately though, we sing and talk about it a lot, but don’t truly put it into practice. Like we forget about it when the problems arise. But we need to take those problems to our heavenly Father, for it’s the only way to acquire ‘the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, and which shall keep and guard our hearts through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:7)
And we definitely need the peace of God flowing through us, if we’re to wisely consider how to successfully extricate ourselves from untenable situations. You cannot do that if you’re all uptight, afraid and worried. And along the way, you need to keep your spirit boosted with a couple of very important and necessary scriptures, which we all know and sometimes use, but not as sincerely as we ought to. The first one is ‘I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.’ (Phil. 4:13). And the other is like unto it. (smile) ‘But my God shall supply ALL my needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19)
Oh my people, those two scriptures sustained Bruh Paul through some of his roughest times, and if they could sustain him, then they can definitely sustain us too. But we have to believe them truly and sincerely and then live as though they are true, and they will eventually become true. In God’s kingdom we don’t believe when we see, but we believe before we see. That’s because of the faith, trust and hope we have in the power of our wonderful, gracious, merciful and ever-LOVING God!
And now, here are a few supplementary scriptures to back up those primary ones. As per the first one, remember these true and telling words of Jesus. ‘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 5:15) That’s something we ought always to remember: without Jesus we’re mostly useless. Then there’s this verse from Bruh Paul in his second letter to then church at Corinth. ‘And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency (adequacy, abundance) in all things, may abound to every good work.’ (2 Cor. 9:8)
In other words, God will always give you all you need to do His work. ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of our selves; but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor. 3:5) Oh my people, please listen to this commentary on that verse. ‘The adequacy of the provisions of the Lord God Almighty can never be exhausted or run dry. He is the God who is more than enough to adequately handle all the needs of all His creatures without running short of supply.’ Yes, for certain sure, He is the God of not just enough, but of more than enough. And until we truly believe that, we will always be in need.
And we’ll end with this simple, well-known, but ever so amazing and true scripture. ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) It’s never been said better than that my fellow saints! Now, for those of us who try to live by it, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, let’s go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with those we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE him like we do! Much LOVE!
…only by living for Jesus…can we fulfill our destiny…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
25 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a discouraged mood, a gloomy Saturday morning, a lazy indolent Saturday, a sense of uncertainty, a sound disciplined mind, anxiety, be anxious for nothing, be strong and of a good courage, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, conservative and cautious attitude, do not expect to succeed, don't get discouraged, dr robert h schuller, fear not, find a pass through, get cold feet, God so loved the world, grab the opportunity, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, Hour of Power Devotional, in every thing, in every thing give thanks, keep on striving, let your requests be made known unto God, looking back while gripping the plough, lose nerve, LOVE, mountain-moving faith, nor be afraid of them, of power, reflect an anxious look, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the ball's in our court, the Lord hath not given us a spirit of fear, the Lord thy God goes before you, the peace of God which passeth all understading, The Possibility Thinker's Creed, this is the will of God in Christ, true children of God, tunnel underneath, turn the mountain into a goldmine, ungodly times, until I climb over, when faced with a mountain I will not quit, will keep your hearts and minds in perfect peace
1 Thessalonians 5:18. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Well, well, what a wet and gloomy Saturday morning! But to some of us, it’s the most appropriate weather if we plan to spend a lazy, indolent Saturday, one averse to any activity whatsoever. (smile) On the other hand, that type of weather might just lead some of us to a sad, sorrowful, discouraged mood, especially if we already have circumstances or situations that are tending to such a negative mindset. And furthermore, with the negative, evil and ungodly times in which we’re living, many of us do have that niggling sense of uncertainty and doubt already eating away at our souls.
And though, as true children of God, we’re not supposed to let the dark sides of our nature triumph over the light of Jesus in us, it’s not always easy to do. So, to help us in that undertaking, today I want to share a few words on the subject of ‘Discouragement,’ from Dr. Robert H. Schuller’s book, Hour of Power. The particular piece is most appropriately titled, ‘Don’t Get Discouraged.’ I’m sure that I’ve shared it before, but I do believe that the time has come to share it again. (smile) It was written for a time such as this, and we can all, always use a pleasing word on discouragement.
So please read and inwardly digest with me. ‘Do not be discouraged if you do not accomplish everything that you set out to accomplish. Surely if you do not expect to succeed you will hold back your full power, investment and enthusiasm. Immediately the kind of people who could help to move you on to victory begin to draw back. Your conservative and cautious attitude will reflect itself in an anxious look on your face that will disturb and discourage people from helping you.
There are two major reasons why people fail. Both stem from a lack of mountain moving faith. (1) People who fail are often people who are indecisive. They cannot make decisions swiftly and surely. The fast-moving opportunity is past before they decide – too late – to take hold. (2) Then some decisive people fail because after making the decision, they fail to move forward with an expectant confidence. They grab the opportunity, only to lose nerve, get cold feet, and begin to wonder if they have done the right thing. They have gripped the plow but now they are looking back. Want to be a success? Develop the ability to appraise opportunities intelligently, seize opportunities swiftly, and promote these opportunities confidently.’
Wow friends! I couldn’t have said it any better myself. (smile) And if you all know anything about Dr. Schuller, you’ll know that he was a man who tried to practice what he preached, and thus built the Crystal Cathedral in California, the largest all glass building in the world at the time. Everybody said it couldn’t be done, but by his tenacity and mountain moving faith, he got it done. And if you don’t know what mountain-moving faith is, then listen to him tell it in what He called ‘The Possibility Thinker’s Creed.’
Please read with me again. ‘When faced with a mountain, I will not quit! I will keep on striving until I climb over, find a pass through, tunnel underneath, or simply stay and turn the mountain into a gold mine – with God’s help.’ Yes my brethren, that’s what mountain-moving faith is all about. Never giving up. Always finding a way, with God’s help! And I just want to let us know that in these trying and very turbulent times we can always find a way out of or through our difficulties with God’s help. Remember He hasn’t given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, LOVE and of a sound or disciplined mind, that’s self-control. (2 Tim. 1:7)
So we’ve no need to fear, as Jesus told us so many times, neither should we get discouraged, which is the very basis of the Bible. We have an omnipotent God and a Saviour who is always there for us. They will not always bail us out of every difficult situation completely, but if they don’t, then they will enable us to go through them so that we can grow and become more mature believers. For we only grow when we go through difficult situations. The problem though is that we’ve become so soft and flaccid with the good life that we’re now accustomed to, that most of us can’t imagine going through tough times, and when tough times do come, we quickly fall apart.
In other words, we take our hands off the plough and look back, which automatically disqualifies us. But let’s recall some appropriate scriptures nuh, that ought to help us deal with our fears and doubts. As Dr. Schuller said so correctly in his discourse, one of our major problems is anxiety, that’s an overshadowing feeling of doubt, and possible failure. But please listen to these ever so encouraging words that Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Philippi.
‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; But in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7) Yes friends, our first move in any situation should always be to our great and wonderful God. And please, don’t be restrained by the foolish thinking that God’s not interested in our affairs. It’s the exact opposite: He is interested in EVERY SINGLE THING THAT CONCERNS US! Be it very big or very small, and is willing to help in ALL circumstances.
It’s therefore to our benefit to take all our problems to God in prayer. And as Bruh Paul wrote to the Thessalonians: ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:16-18) Oh my fellow saints, that is indeed God’s will for us through Christ Jesus! Why do you think He sent Jesus to be our Lord and Saviour eh? So that we could be reconciled to Him and have good relationships and communication with Him.
Remember, one of the main reasons God created us in the first place, was to have a good relationship with Him. But the spectre of sin raised its ugly head and separated us. However, since God LOVED us so much, He sent His only Son Jesus to die on the cross at Calvary so that we could be saved and thus return to His fold, to a good relationship. Jesus Himself said it in John 3:16. ‘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.’ What more do we need to hear or see to believe that the Lord LOVES us in all sincerity and truth eh?
And there’s no better way to end today than with this all-encompassing promise that the Lord made long ago to the children of Israel as they were in the wilderness slowly wending their way to the Promised Land.. ‘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 with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:8) And we all know that He kept that promise, seeing the Israelites through numerous problems, most of them caused by their rebellious and disobedient attitude, and finally brought them into the Promised Land.
He will do the same for us, if we stay obedient to His commandments and do His holy will. It’s all up to us. Yes my people, the ball is now in our court, please let’s make good use of it. Much LOVE!
…the Lord’s provided all we’ll ever need…it’s up to us to claim it…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
26 Jan 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, a prayerful and grateful attitude, and again I say rejoice, be careful for nothing, cast thy burden upon the Lord, curse, good friends, good health, he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved, in everything by prayer and supplication, let your moderation be known unto all men, LOVE, negative word, regardless of our circumstances, Rejoice in the Lord always, ride out the storm of life in peace, seek ye first the kingdom of God, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, supernatural strength, take no thought for the morrow, Thanks be to God, the God of peace, the Lord is at hand, the peace of God which passeth all understading, think on these things, Thursday Blessings, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are true, with Jesus as your pilot
Philippians 4:6. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in EVERY THING by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Well, it’s another cold and cloudy day, but one with a peculiar difference; the earth, the trees and the rooftops are covered in that white fluffy stuff called snow. (smile) Yes, we finally got a fair amount of the beautiful but ever so dangerous stuff yesterday and it just made a mess of the Greater Toronto Area. Accidents galore, and endless time to get around, that is when you could. Saw a picture of a bus having problems moving in the thick snow. And if a bus could have problems, think about how the smaller and less powerful vehicles managed nuh.
Oh, and I just heard the snowplough outside finally cleaning my small and insignificant lane. (smile) But we can’t complain too much because it’s the first real snowstorm we’ve had for the year, and it’s definitely not as bad as what some areas have had to suffer through. Our storm probably deposited a few inches, while other areas have had a foot or more. So, we can still say ‘Thanks be to God!’ And if we’re talking about giving thanks, then this scripture from Bruh Paul’s epistle to the church at Philippi, written while he was imprisoned, is one we should certainly review.
He’s talking about the people who helped him lay and build the church, how their names are being written in the Book of Life. Therefore, he advises the church to: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (gentleness, graciousness) 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 requests be made known unto God.’ (Phil. 4:4-6)
Oh my fellow believers, I hope you noticed that most significant admonition: ‘in EVERY THING’ we should prayerfully give thanks as we lift up our desires to Almighty God! Yes, whatever it is, however serious or insignificant the problem, our God wants to hear about it, because He desires to work with and help us through whatever difficulties we encounter in this life. But we must endeavour to have a prayerful and grateful attitude regardless of our circumstances. Why?
Bruh Paul explains: ‘And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:7) And that’s the gospel truth! When we keep our minds stayed and steadfast on God, He grants us divine peace from worry and anxiety through His wonderful Son Jesus Christ. It’s like Bruh David writes in Psalm 22 – The Plea of the Fearful: ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).’ (Ps. 55:22)
But it won’t happen unless we believe it and subsequently place all our trust in Almighty God. And that’s also why Jesus taught on the importance of not worrying in His Sermon on the Mount. (Matt: 6:25-32) He explained that we should not worry about food and drink and clothes, how the birds and other animals, plus all the beautiful flowers in nature are looked after by the Father, and since we are more important to Him than them, why wouldn’t He also look after us? No reason whatsoever!
And anyway, we can’t change anything by worrying about it, so worrying is useless. Like Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say. Worry is like sitting in a rocking chair. You can sit there and rock all day and still get nowhere. You can worry about your problems all day and still don’t have a solution. It’s best to spend your energy on talking to God about your problem, than trying to fix it yourself.
Hence Jesus’ admonition: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow (don’t worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:33-34) Yes friends, each day has its own problems that we need to handle responsibly, instead of wasting our valuable time looking forward to hypothetical problems that might arise on the morrow.
That takes us back to Bruh Paul’s admonition to the Philippians, where he continues: ‘Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (noble), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think (meditate) on these things. Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.’ (Phil. 4:8-9)
That’s it in a nutshell my fellow saints: how to get God’s peace and how to keep it. Seek God first, don’t worry about your life, but take everything to God in prayer with thanksgiving, and think on good things, things that encourage, rather than discourage, and the God of peace will provide peace and a good, worthwhile life for us. Obviously it won’t be easy to do, what with the natural ups and downs of life, but with God’s most able assistance, through His Holy Spirit that indwells us, we can have a good and fruitful life, producing even up to a hundred-fold. (smile)
And our God is so wonderful that He never asks us to do anything without giving us the wherewithal, or the tools to do them. Consequently, He has generously bestowed on us what we call our Thursday Blessings, so that we can do His earthly work. But we need to declare them out loud so that they can be activated. So, let’s do that right now nuh. Altogether: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
Now, with those blessings activated in our lives, we are expected to go out and generously use them to bring others to Christ. Much LOVE!
…you can ride out any storm of life…in peace…with Jesus as your pilot…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
08 Nov 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a follower of Jesus, as Christ forgave you, be careful for nothing, beloved bowels of mercies, bounden duty, bring us safely through trials and tribulations, don't worry about anything, forgiving one another, humbleness of mind, hurry, if there be any praise, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, in every thing give thanks, in god's eyes, in my neck of the woods, Jesus always has our backs, Jesus is there to guide and protect us, kindness, let your moderation be known unto all men, let your requests be made known unto God, lock stock and barrel, long-suffering, LOVE, not in sync with the Holy Spirit, pray without ceasing, quench not the Spirit, rejoice evermore, Rejoice in the Lord always, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ, share His love with the world, Thank you Jesus, the beloved of God, the christian motto, the elect of god, the greatest of these three is love, the Lord is at hand, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the third person of the Holy Trinity, the work of the Holy Spirit, think on these things, this is the will of God in Christ, to love and serve like Christ, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, worry
1 Thessalonians 5:19. Quench not the Spirit.
Oh Brother, I can’t believe it’s already the 8th day of November nuh! We just celebrated Halloween a few days ago at the end of October. What’s happening with these months eh? They are flying by so quickly, that you hardly have time to really notice and enjoy them. (smile) But in my neck of the words, we really can’t complain because the days have been very warm and sunny considering the time of the year. Let’s just hope that when the real winter season drops down on us, the days fly as quickly. Don’t hold your breath for that though. (smile)
However, the good thing about being a follower of Jesus Christ is that we don’t have to worry about anything, whether it’s winter, spring, summer or fall, because He ALWAYS has our backs, even in the greatest storm of our lives, our Lord and Saviour is ALWAYS there to guide and protect, to lead and bring us safely through our trials and tribulations! Wow! What a wonderful Lord and Saviour we serve and worship!
And all God’s children gave a large, long, and grateful shout of ‘Thank You Jesus! We LOVE you with all of our hearts, souls, bodies and minds! Without You we are nothing! Please keep looking out for us, as we will keep LOVING and coming to You for Your awesome grace and mercy!’
Mama Mia! I have to laugh yes, because that prayer wasn’t planned, but somehow or the other it just kept flowing from my fingers. No doubt the work of the Holy Spirit, sensing our need for some prayer with praise and thanksgiving in these turbulent and perilous times of our world. And yes, there’s no better way of communing with our great God than through prayer, praise and thanksgiving. That’s why Bruh Paul encouraged the Thessalonians to ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit.’ (1 Thess. 5:16-19)
Yes my fellow believers, life with Jesus is all about rejoicing, praying, giving thanks and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us the way He is supposed to. Most of today’s teachers and preachers don’t pay much attention to the last verse about quenching the Holy Spirit, but it’s very important since it’s through the third person of the Holy Trinity, that we are led and guided to the Lord’s will.
And the scholars explain that last verse thus. ‘Quench means putting out the fire in Matthew 12:20. Ephesians 6:16, and Hebrews 11:34. Here it is employed metaphorically to mean “stifle” or “suppress.” The Christian can stifle the Holy Spirit’s workings by hindering Him from leading the believer to rejoice (vs.16), to pray (vs.17), to give thanks in adversity (vs. 18), and by despising prophetic utterance (vs. 20) inspired by the Holy Spirit.’
And sadly, that’s what many of us do my fellow saints; we quench the Holy Spirit by not listening to His divine guidance, by going our own way, or the way the enemy lies and deceives us into going. That’s why so many of us are leading such troubled lives, inwardly we’re not in sync with the Holy Spirit of God, despite our outward Christian behaviour.
Unfortunately though, we, the individual believers, are the ONLY ones who can correct that unwise behaviour. Others can talk to us about it, but unless and until we seriously and consciously choose to change it, then we’ll keep on losing the divine blessings and leadings of God’s great Spirit that dwells within us for that very purpose. And the only way to get us to wise up and do what we know we ought to do, is to keep bombarding us with scriptures on the subject. (smile)
So here goes, with Bruh Paul’s words to the Philippians. ‘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 requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ.
Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (noble), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are LOVELY, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think (meditate) on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.’ (Phil. 4:4-9)
Hope that stirred up our souls and spirits some. But we’re not done yet. Remember we’re bombarding. (smile) So listen to Bruh Paul to the Colossians on the subject of Christian virtues. ‘Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved bowels of mercies (tender mercies), kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; Forbearing (bearing with) one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
And above all these things put on charity (LOVE), which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him’ (Col. 3:12-17)
Now that’s enough bombardment for today! And if it doesn’t rile up our spirits to do better, then I don’t know what else to say or do. (smile) Oh, upon further thought, I’ll just try to emphasize these two things. First, the putting on of charity or LOVE, the bond of perfectness.’ Meaning that ‘LOVE is the crowning grace completing the list of virtues required for perfectness or spiritual maturity. As a “bond” it binds all other virtues together in harmony and unity.’ And remember Bruh Paul’s famous words to the Corinthians: ‘And now abideth faith, hope, charity (LOVE), these three; but the greatest of these is charity (LOVE).’ (1 Cor. 13:13)
Then, the second thing I want to emphasize is that EVERYTHING we do, we should try to do in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, in glory to the Father. If we do those two things; live in LOVE, and do all in the name of Jesus, meaning what pleases Him, then I think we will do great things here on earth, live up to our Christian heritage.
Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to live for Christ, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and share the awesome LOVE and friendship of Christ with all those we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…to LOVE and serve like Christ…that’s the Christian motto…
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02 Nov 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sure shot miracle, abundant life, all the promises of God in him are yea, be careful for nothing, but in every thing, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, do a brand new thing in me, emotional fatigue, enable me to praise you, endure to the end, give me rest from my sorrow, give me water in the wilderness, glad to be alive, God will never break His promises, halfway home, hands on the plough, in him amen, in these crisis days, keep and guard your hearts and minds, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not looking back, omnipotent heavenly Father, piercing pain, rest from my fear and bondage, satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, satisfied with my goodness, shortest and best prayer -help, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, The Hardest Thing, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the virgin rejoice in the dance, to a glorious future with Jesus, turn their mourning into joy, unto the glory of God by us, Wednesday Wail, you promised to be my God
2 Corinthians 1:20. For all the promises of God in him are yea (yes), and in him amen, unto the glory of God by us.
A fine Wednesday afternoon to all you my Scrip-Bit friends and family! Yes, we’re in the afternoon because I had to go out the street earlier on, that’s why we’re a tad late. And I do hate it when other stuff interferes with my morning routine. But dem’s the breaks, and it is indeed a glorious autumn day out there. My computer tells me it’s 13 and cloudy, now it’s saying fog, but yuh better believe it’s as sunshiny as ever! I have to stop believing what it tells me. (smile) And although yesterday began somewhat wet and cloudy, it turned into another beautiful day of autumn sunshine.
So, so far, November has been a good weather month! But despite the weather being good for this time of year, I know, that for one reason or another, many of us are having a difficult time in our lives, through physical or mental illness, financial or relational mishaps, problems that we can’t quite fix on our own. However, we were never meant to fix stuff on our own. The answer to any and all of our problems should always begin with turning to our omnipotent heavenly Father for help. That’s what He’s there for, and it’s what He expects of us.
And I hope this poem titled ‘The Hardest Thing’ from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin reminds us of that, and causes us today to go to our gracious and merciful God for help in whatever area we may need it. So, please open your hearts and minds and read with me. ‘O God In these crisis days Of piercing pain And emotional fatigue Do a brand new thing in me Give me water in the wilderness And streams in my desert. You have promised to be my God Through all my lifetime Surely You will keep Your word! As you promised Give me rest from my sorrow and from my fear and from my bondage That binds me. One thing more, dear Lord. Enable me to praise You When to praise Is the hardest thing of all.’
Ah mih people, I do hope that got us back on track, reminding us that in God’s sure promises lie solutions for all of our problems. I know that plenty of us think prayer is a joke, but believe me it isn’t. And I’ll give you a li’l personal testimony here. About a week ago, I woke up after my afternoon nap with cramps in both my thighs. I could hardly move, could barely stretch out my legs, and could not stand up without the excruciating pain driving me crazy. Now, I was alone at home, so there was no one to call to for help.
But after about five or six minutes of struggling to ease the pain on my own, I suddenly cried out, ‘Help Lord, Help!’ I don’t know if it was a conscious or subconscious reaction. Possibly it was just the Holy Spirit reminding me that I had other help beside myself. But whatever caused that reaction, within about thirty seconds of my cry, I felt the pain in my legs suddenly subsiding, until I was finally able to stand up and walk around. Now, I don’t know what you call that, but I call it a sure shot MIRACLE! (smile)
And yes, when we pray, not all of our problems will suddenly lessen or go away, but there’s a better chance of obtaining help than if we don’t pray. And I have to laugh, because I’ve always heard Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) say that the shortest and possibly best prayer is a simple cry of ‘HELP!’ Now I believe it. (smile) And it’s a sad fact that if we prayer more often, and more sincerely too, our problems will not be as plentiful, and we will be able to endure or handle them much better than we currently can.
Remember Bruh Paul’s marvellous advice to the Philippians? ‘Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phi. 4:6-7) Now that’s not rocket science, but simple, straightforward wise advice. Unfortunately though, the spirit of prayer is disappearing from our society, at a time when we most need it.
And why is that eh? Because many of us no longer believe in the good Lord Jehovah, and some of us who claim to believe, sadly don’t believe His promises. However, as Bruh Paul wrote to the Corinthians in his second letter. ‘But as God is true (faithful), our word toward you was not yea and nay (yes and no). For the Son of God Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timothy was not yea and nay (yes and no), but in him was yea (yes). For all the promises of God in him are yea (yes), and in him amen, unto the glory of God by us.’ (2 Cor, 1:18-20)
And the scholars tell us of those scriptures: ‘It conveys that Jesus Christ is the “yes” and “amen” of all God’s promises, meaning in Jesus is the guarantee and confirmation of God’s promises. Christians respond with an amen to the assurance of God’s promises which signifies our affirmation of and trust in God’s faithfulness.’ That means if you claim to be a believer in Christ Jesus, then you ought to believe and use the promises of God found in His word for they are all faithful and true and meant for OUR benefit, not His.
And the particular promise on which our poem was based is that one found in Jeremiah where the Lord promised the restoration of Israel. The prophet declared (yesss!!!) ‘Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow. And I will satiate (fill) the soul of the priests with fatness (abundance), and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord.’ (Jer. 31:13-14) And that promise was indeed fulfilled when Israel returned from their captivity in Babylon.
Oh friends, until we start truly believing that the promises of God were faithfully made on our behalf, we will not seek them out and use them to our benefit. Remember Jesus came to give us life, and life so abundant that it will overflow. Now do we believe that? If so, all God’s other promises are believable and ever-faithful. So please, let’s start using those marvellous promises that were made through Christ, for our benefit nuh. And for those of us who believe them and invoke them, let’s go home declaring (ah Lord eh!!!) our Wednesday wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus based on His awesome promises.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Now here’s one other promise that ought to set us glowing with joy. If we endure to the end with Jesus, then that future with Him will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! Oh my fellow saints, that promise just emboldens us, fills us with the courage and perseverance to endure right down to the very end with Jesus! And so it should! Much LOVE!
… promises are made to be kept…and our ever-faithful God has never…or will He ever…break any of His promises…
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