08 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a doer of the work, a hearer of the word and not a doer, a joyful day, all sinned and disobeyed your word, alleviate our problems, altruistic service, balance in our christian walk, be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, beholds himself, blame everyone else for our problems, blame ourselves, breathe the breath of life, bridleth not his tongue, Christians talk a good talk, clean outside but dirty inside, compromises, controlled speech, deceiveth his own heart, deceiving yourselves, divine aid, don't walk the talk, don't walk the walk, faith, forgets what kind of man he was, frees from the principles of sin and death, God's unadulterated Word, holy spirit, humble servants, hypocrites, if any be a hearer of the word, if you think you're religious, ill prepared, in their affliction, increasing our knowledge of God's Word, inefficiency, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep himself unspotted from the world, lack of responsibility, lack of true Christian attitudes, like unto a man that beholdeth his face in a glass, look in the mirror, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, negative situations, not a forgetful hearer, pray, problems are escalating, promise to prosper us, protect the victory that Jesus won, pure religion, rebukes mere doing, rebukes mere listening, salvation, separation from the world, sincerely seek God's face, spiritual metaphor, stress, taken advantage of it, the death and resurrection Of Jesus, the God who heals, the Mosaic Law, the perfect law of liberty, the royal law, the stress of our busy society, the teachings of Christ, the throne of grace, this is the day which the Lord hath made, this man shall be blessed, this man's religion is vain, to visit the fatherless and widows, too much leeway, truth, turn from our evil ways, undefiled before God, we will rejoice and be glad in it, whited sepulchres, whitewashed tombs, whoso looketh into, wisdom, wise guidance
James 1:22. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Monday, oh Monday! What a joyful day it is! And some people will begin thinking that I’m crazy for exalting Monday. And they might just be right, who knows. (smile) But every day aren’t we supposed to mouth the encouraging scripture which says; ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it?’ (Ps. 118:24) Of course! So then, why isn’t Monday a joyful day, and one in which we ought to rejoice eh?
Because we are often so ill prepared to meet it, and we try to take it out on the day, rather than our own inefficiency and lack of responsibility. And yes, it’s often tough getting up and going back to work on a Monday morning after sleeping in for a couple of days, to once again face all the stress and frustration inherent in our busy society. But that’s what life is all about, and we’ve been doing it for donkeys’ years now, so why does the problem of rejoicing and being glad in Monday still exist eh?
Because we like to blame everyone and everything else for our problems, rather than look in the mirror and blame the one who’s staring back at us. That’s certainly reminiscent of the way James uses it as a spiritual metaphor, when he talks about hearers and doers of the word. ‘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 himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what kind of man he was.’ (James 1:22-24)
Ah friends, far too many of us supposed believers fall into that category, where we talk a good talk but don’t walk the relevant walk. That’s why the world considers us to be nothing but a bunch of religious hypocrites or as Jesus called the Pharisees ‘whited sepulchres (whitewashed tombs), clean outside, but dirty inside. (Matt. 23:27) And they’re quite right, considering the compromises and lack of true Christian attitudes we so regularly display.
However, according to James, this is the attitude that the true Christian ought to be displaying. ‘But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed (what he does).’ (James 1:25)
And the scholars offer these explanations on that verse. ‘The perfect law of liberty probably refers to the teachings of Christ and His apostles. This law is perfect, since Christ brought to completion the teachings and work of the Mosaic Law (cf. Matt. 5:17-20; Rom. 10:4). It is a law of liberty because it frees from the principles of sin and death (Rom. 8:2-3; Gal. 5:1, 13). James also describes it as the royal law (2:8) for it is the law of the messianic King (cf. Gal. 6:2)
Now there are plenty of references for you to look up, so please check them out, because they greatly benefit us by increasing our knowledge and understanding of God’s Word. And James isn’t finished with his admonition. He continues: ‘If any man among you seem to be (thinks he’s) religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain (useless). Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.’ (James 1:26-27)
And the scholars explain those verses thus: ‘In verses 22-25 James has rebuked mere listening – by the hearer who does not do. In verses 26-27 he rebukes mere doing – by the doer who leaves his inner life unchanged. James offers not a formal definition but three key aspects of pure religion: controlled speech, altruistic service, and separation from the world.’
Again, if we use those explanations as a sounding board, too many supposed believers are guilty of those unchristian attitudes. We talk but we don’t do; we do, but our lives stay the same and our motives are often wrong! And yes, it’s hard to find a good balance in our Christian Walk, with all the evil and ungodly things going on around us, but that’s why we have the Bible, God’s unadulterated, infallible and ever wise Word to read, meditate upon and put into action, as well as His Holy Spirit to lead and guide us in making wise decisions.
Unfortunately though, we don’t utilize all the tools we have at our disposal, therefore the enemy has gained a large foothold in the world, and we now must come from behind, in second place, to recover what we’ve lost and thus protect the victory that Jesus so sacrificially won through His death, resurrection and ascension. But we can do it, if we put our whole hearts, souls, bodies and minds to the grindstone, for the enemy is not more powerful than us, we’ve just given him too much leeway, which he’s taken advantage of.
And the first move for retaking our heritage is going to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine guidance. 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 the answer to our problems lies right within our prayer: humble ourselves, pray, sincerely seek God’s face, and turn from our evil ways. Then and only then will divine aid be forthcoming! Much LOVE!
…every day the Lord allows us to breathe His breath of life…is one He expects us to enjoy…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Jul 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a discipline always costs, a listening ear, A Quiet Tongue, action calls for sacrifice, be slow to speak, be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, beloved of God, deceiving your own selves, God works in mysterious ways, hurry, I break into conversation, I cringed, I talk more than I listen, in god's eyes, it's best to listen much, let every man be swift to hear, listening is a discipline, LOVE, my beloved brethren, my enlightened insight, my guilty heart, One Year Book of Bible promises, Ruth Harms Calkin, share His love with my neighbours, slow to wrath, social media revolution, solve the predicament, speak little and not become angry, talk is ever so cheap, talking a mile a minute, the perfect law of liberty, the wrath of man, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, words of eternal wisdom, worketh not the righteousness of God, worry
James 1:19. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
And it’s a fine, sunny Tuesday in the month of July, the height of the summer season! And the weather has been behaving like it’s truly summer for the last few days; hot, humid and muggy, with the occasional sprinkle of heavenly blessings to either cool it down, or increase the humidity, your choice. (smile)
And I’m chuckling here, because our God is indeed a great God who does work in mysterious ways. A while ago I was wondering what to write on today and decided to check our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin to see if I could find a good topic. And lo, and behold, the second place I opened it to, this marvellous topic opened unto me. It’s simply, but ever so appropriately titled, ‘A Quiet Tongue.’
Don’t know if I’ve ever shared it before, but even if I have, it’s certainly worth sharing again, for our world is desperately in need of more quiet tongues than we currently have. The uproar of voices today, and many of them angry voices, surely seems like the whole world is talking together at the same time, talking a mile a minute on things most of us have no real clue about.
The social media revolution has birthed an incredible amount of talk and opinions that are leading so many of us astray, especially the young, soft minded, easily led folks of this entitled generation. And with everyone talking at the same time, it obviously means that very few of us are listening. But anyway, enough of my rant, (smile) let’s read the poem and see if it can help us keep a quieter tongue.
Please read with me: ‘Lord, a revealing fact Began to surface today: I talk more than I listen. I seem to be thoroughly convinced That my ideas My inspiring experiences My bits of wisdom Are exactly what all my friends need. Too often I break into conversations Confident that my enlightened insight Will solve the predicament – Whatever it is. Obviously, I feel more comfortable When I’m expounding. But this morning at a Bible study I cringed when I read Your command In the first chapter of James.
“Don’t ever forget That it’s best to listen much Speak little, and not become angry.” At first I wanted to run. But as the words kept battering away At my guilty heart I finally circled them with red ink. Now, Lord, please help me to obey them. Remind me daily, hourly That listening is a discipline And a discipline always costs. I know I must pay a price The price for me Is a listening ear And a quiet tongue.’
Oh my people, that poem ought to be shouted from the rooftops, television sets, radios, all social media, and wherever people gather, so that we can see, understand and learn to stop talking as much as we do, and learn to listen more, because we can learn much more by listening than talking! And most of us would already have surmised that the Bible Promise for the poem comes from the age old, but very wise words of James, when he warned, two thousand years ago. ‘Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:’ (James 1:19)
Wow! What words of eternal wisdom! But are we listening to them today? Obviously not! Because words are being irresponsibly spouted more than at any other time in our long and irresponsible history! And the revolution of social media is not helping, but unfortunately allowing them to be spread more easily and widely than ever before. Now here’s a word from the scholars on the verse from James above. ‘This is a key verse because it expresses three topics that James develops later: hearing, verses 19-27; speaking, chap. 3:1-12; and wrath 4:1-12.’
Now those might be some excellent scriptures for us to spend some time reading and meditating upon in the near future. (smile) For now though, let’s deal with what comes next in James; the matter of hearing and doing. He continues: ‘For the wrath of man worketh not (does not produce) the righteousness of God… But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.’ (James 1:20, 22)
Now that’s another good reminder for many of us, because in our great bursts of speech, like the Pharisees of long ago, we often speak the word, but very seldom do it, seldom put it into action. And we can’t dispute that fact because if we believers were more astute and responsible in doing the word, we are so quick to speak, our world would not be in the dire straits it’s currently in.
And I like how James goes on to expound on our problem. ‘For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass (mirror): For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed (what he does).’ (James 1:23-25)
Oh my brethren, unfortunately, many of us are ever so guilty of James’ censure. We see ourselves in the mirror then walk away and completely forget who we are, and what we ought to be about in Christ’s kingdom. And as per the ‘perfect law of liberty,’ the scholars tell us it ‘probably refers to the teachings of Christ and His apostles. This law is perfect, since Christ brought to completion the work of the Mosaic Law (cf. Matt. 5:17-20; Rom. 10:4). It is a law of liberty because it frees from the principles of sin and death. (Rom. 8:2-3; Gal. 5:1, 13) James also describes it as the royal law (2:8) for it is the law of the messianic King (cf. Gal. 6:2).’
Ah mih people, I am seriously and sincerely suggesting you take a couple of minutes and look up those scriptures referenced by the scholars. I just did, and believe me, they are interesting and very enlightening on the subjects referred to. But enough for today, we’ll continue on this topic tomorrow, if God spares life obviously. (smile) Now let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel.
As one 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 declared (yesss!!!) that, let’s now go out and put it into practice, be doers of the word, share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…talk is ever so cheap…but action calls for sacrifice…
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
24 Aug 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man is not justified by the works of the law, catch our second wind, depart from evil and do good, endure to the end, halfway home, hands on the plough, he delighteth in his way, he is always merciful and lendeth, his seed begging bread, his seed is blessed, I have been young, I have not seen the righteous forsaken, I'm not turning back, Judaizers, keep his way, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, the breath of life, the first and great commandment, the law of God is in his heart, the Lord upholdeth him with his hand, the moral law of God, the mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, the perfect law of liberty, the physical law of God, the righteous shall inherit the land, the royal law, the seed of the wicked shall be cut off, the social law of God, the spiritual law of God, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, to a glorious future with Jesus, wait on the Lord, we are saved by grace through faith in Christ, Wednesday Wail
Psalm 37:23. The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.
Well, it’s Wednesday, the middle day of the work week. So how are we going my dear brethren in Christ at this point in time? Let’s hope that with Christ surrounding us that we are doing pretty good, catching our second wind and moving forward with faith, despite all the confusion and evil workings that currently have our world in grip.
And regardless of what’s happening in our lives right now, I believe it is of the utmost importance for us to believe these marvellous words promised by Bruh David on God’s behalf from Psalm 37. ‘The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.’ (Ps. 37:23-24) Now, if we don’t believe that promise what hope is there for us then eh? None whatsoever!
And Bruh David drives home that amazing hope in Christ Jesus when he continues: ‘I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread. He is ever (always) merciful, and lendeth; and his seed (descendants) is blessed.’ (Ps. 37:25-26) Oh my people, how wonderful is that statement eh? Most wonderful! Why? Because when we walk faithfully with God, it ensures the goodness of God to our families after we are gone. And who doesn’t want that assurance?
But before it can happen, we must faithfully do certain things. Bruh David puts it simply, but it’s ever powerful in truth. ‘Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the Lord LOVETH judgment (justice), and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever; but the seed of the wicked shall he cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.’ (Ps. 37:27-29) It couldn’t be put any simpler or more truthfully my people! The Lord, as it were, bends over backwards for the righteous, while He crushes the wicked without mercy.
And why would the Lord do that eh? Because ‘The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgement (mercy). The law of God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide (slip).’ (Ps. 37:30-31) Wow! What encouraging and reassuring scriptures! But then we talk about the ‘law of God,’ what exactly is that? Ah friends, the scholars give us a lengthy but very useful discourse on the subject. (smile)
They say, ‘The law of God is the extension of God’s nature and expression of God’s will in His creation. God’s law is expressed in different forms, relating to different areas of His creation. The physical law of God includes the laws of nature which govern the continuous physical existence of this world (Gen. 8:22; Col. 1:17). The moral law, also called “the perfect law of liberty” (James 1:15), governs the immaterial issues of life (2 Tim. 3:17).
The social law of God affects interpersonal relationships and can be summarized by “the royal law” (James 2:8). The spiritual law deals with a man’s relationship with God. It is summarized in “the first and great commandment” (Matt. 22:37-38). And we all know what that is: ‘LOVE the Lord with all thy heart, mind and soul…etc. etc.’
Illustration: The purpose of the law is to reveal the sovereignty of God (Ex. 20:2), to place a restraint on the sinner (Ps. 68:7-8), to show the greatness and reality of sin (Rom. 3:19-20), and to lead the sinner to Christ (Gal. 3:24). The purpose of the law did not change with the gospel. When the Judaizers in Galatia sought to teach their erroneous view of the law, they failed to realize that the law has never been able to save anyone. Application: As Christians, we should be concerned to live decently and orderly. (First ref. Gen. 2:17; Primary ref. Rom. 7:7-14; cf. Ex. 3:13).’
Glory be my people! There’s enough scripture and other info there to keep us occupied for the rest of the day! (smile) And I expect us to look up those scriptures, so that we can get a better understanding of God’s law. Why? Because how can we live a godly life, one in tune with God’s law if we don’t know and understand that law eh?
Now, I believe there’s one thing, we need to further explain; that’s about ‘the Judaizers.” They were ‘a group of Jewish Christians who insisted that their co-religionists should follow the Mosaic Law and that Gentile converts to Christianity must first be circumcised.’ They considered that the Old Testament laws were still binding on all Christians.
But Bruh Paul made it quite clear otherwise in his letter to the Galatians. He begins by saying in 2:15: ‘We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,’ That was a derogatory term against Gentiles, who were considered synonymous with sinners, since they didn’t live under the Jewish law, which kept the Jews somewhat restrained in their own sinful behaviour.
Then Bruh Paul continues: ‘Knowing that a man is not justified (declared righteous) by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of (in ) Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.’ (Gal. 2:16)
Please remember that friends. It’s not by works we are saved but by grace, through faith in Christ Jesus. (Eph. 2:8-9) And yes, we definitely ought to do good works, but those works don’t mean anything when it comes to saving us from hellfire and damnation. They may bring us rewards in heaven, but they will NEVER get us to heaven!
And since we began with the awesome words of Psalm 37, it only makes sense to end with some of them. (smile) And we can never go wrong when we follow this marvellous advice of Bruh David. ‘Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.’ (Ps. 37: 34) Yes, my fellow believers, waiting patiently and expectantly on our God is one of the best things we can ever do, for He will exalt us in His own time.
And for those of us who are sincerely trying to do just that, let’s go home now declaring (oh yeahhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one confident 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 my fellow saints, that means we must do whatever it takes to keep on keeping on. And don’t forget, that if we endure to the very end, that future with Christ will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! Mama Mia! What an amazing life is to be had with Christ! Much LOVE
…only in Christ…can the real and true life be found…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
25 Jul 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a doer of the work, a forgetful hearer, acclamations, be slow to speak, be ye doers of the word, blessed in his deed, bolster our courage, but to fulfill, concentrate on the word, death, deceiving your own selves, glorious future, God will supply all my needs, God's Word, halfway home, hands on the plough, his riches in glory, I am not come to destroy, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, if God be for us, implanted in our hearts, keep keeping on, law of liberty, legalism, let every man, like a man, mature, Mosaic Law, my beloved brethren, natural disasters, negative happenings, not hearers only, old way of living, ongoing faith, Pharisees, practical treatise, pure religion, put away all evil stuff, religious laws, royal law, seeing himself in a mirror, sin, sincere heart, slow to wrath, spiritual intention of god, spoon feed, strife, swift to hear, the breath of life, the perfect law of liberty, the same page as jesus, this is the day the Lord has made, undefiled, visit the fatherless, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail, widows
James 1:19. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.
Ah friends, after looking at some of the news headlines and seeing the unnecessary strife and the many natural disasters that are plaguing our once beautiful world, I decided that there was only one way to begin today’s Bit; that’s with some acclamations of our faith to bolster our courage and help us keep keeping on in the face of so much negative happenings.
So let’s affirm with sincere heart and ongoing faith. ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it! If God be for us, who can be against us eh? NOBODY whatsoever! I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me! And isn’t that a fact, a most awesome one! And last but not least: God will supply all my needs through His riches in glory through Jesus Christ!
Glory be mih people! That should get us going and hold us for today as we hear about and see the ungodly and disastrous things that are happening in our world.
And it’s only fitting that with the great amount of talk and li’l action taking place in our world that we should continue with our Bit from yesterday, where James talks about hearing and doing the word. ‘Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.’
And he told us why? ‘For the wrath of man worketh not (does not produce) the righteousness of God.’ (James 1:20) Therefore we should put away all evil and lustful stuff and concentrate on the Word that’s implanted in our hearts, since it is what keeps us going on the course of faith, thus helping us to mature as time goes by.
And he continues with this warning: ‘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 himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed (what he does).’ (James 1:22-25)
Ah mih people, that is so reminiscent of so many of us today; we hear the word, then immediately forget it, and don’t put it into practice. And I believe it happens very much on a Sunday, where we go to church and hear God’s word preached, but as soon as we get out, we continue with our old way of living and don’t put what we heard into practice.
That’s obviously not good enough my people, for God’s Word is a practical treatise on daily living, and needs to be actioned if it is to be useful! So what’s the point of hearing it if we don’t intend to put it to good use in our lives eh? None whatsoever!
Anyway, listen to this explanation from the scholars. ‘1:25. The perfect law of liberty probably refers to the teachings of Christ and His apostles. This law is perfect, since Christ brought to completion the teachings and work of the Mosaic Law (cf. Matt.5:17-20; Rom.10:4) It is a law of liberty because it frees from the principles of sin and death (Rom.8:2-3; Gal.5:1,13). James also describes it as the royal law (2:8) for it is the law of the messianic King (cf. Gal.6:2).’
Ah precious people, what a day it was when Jesus defeated hell, death and the grave and set us free from all the terrorizing religious laws of Moses’ time, which no one could keep. And I’d like to say read those scriptures above, but I know very few of you will, but because I LOVE you all so much and care so much about your souls, I will spoon feed you with a couple of them. (smile)
Listen to Jesus on the Law of Moses. ‘Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prohets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.’ (Matt.5:17) Yes friends, Jesus was the fulfillment of the old law!
As the scholars tell us: ‘The New Testament Gospel is not contradictory to the Old Testament Law; rather it is the ultimate fulfillment of the spiritual intention of the law. Where the law had degenerated into legalism among the Pharisees, Jesus now takes the law beyond mere outward observance to the inner spiritual intention of God.’ God had always intended for us to end up with an inner connection, through His Holy Spirit, and that’s what Jesus came to do.
Now hear Bruh Paul as he talks to the Roman church about life in the Spirit. ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.’ (Rom.8:1-2) And we all know that whom the Son sets free is free indeed!
So James concludes: ‘If any man among you seem to be (thinks he is) religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain (useless). Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.’ (James 1:26-27) So friends, true religion is neither mere hearing or mere doing but a timely balance of both aspects of our faith.
Now let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, proud of our position in Christ. All together now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And as always, merely thinking about how glorious that future will be, just boggles my small mind! Much LOVE!
…to be on the same page as Jesus…we must hear…as well as do…
26 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a doer of the work, a forgetful hearer, a soft rain, assurance, Bobby Schuller, bondage, bounden duty, burdensome, by love, Christian, christianity, everything is right with our world, freedom, fulfill the law of christ, gentleness, glorifying God, God is on the throne, godly enthusiasm, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, Jesus' teachings, leaves budding, legalism, liberty, licence to sin, living by faith, Love thy neighbour as thyself, messianic King, moral condition, nothing to worry about, occasion to the flesh, overtaken in a fault, serve one another, shall be blessed in his deed, share His love with the world, show partiality, sin, sincerity, spirit of meekness, spiritual freedom, spring has finally sprung, stand fast, temptation, the annals of history, the beauty of our faith, the body of Christ, the grass is green, the perfect law of liberty, the principles of sin and death, the royal law, the yoke of bondage, transgressor, Tuesday Mantra, words of encouragement
James 1:25. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, 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).
Aye mih breddren, it’s Tuesday; Monday has been relegated to the annals of History, so let’s not procrastinate and put off nuh, but use this present day to do what needs doing, above all, glorifying our wonderful, amazing, awesome God! Yes friends, for that’s the number One reason we were so wonderfully made.
And I believe we can truly say that spring has finally sprung in my area, because for the second consecutive day, there’s a soft rain falling gently on the land, the grass is green, and there are buds on the branches of the trees.
And more importantly, a few trees are even brave and bold enough to have some leaves already budding out. Oh glory to God, that winter has finally gone back to wherever it came from – for at least another few months! (smile)
So since our great God is still on His throne, and everything is right in our world, let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra with true sincerity and godly enthusiasm nuh.
All together now: ‘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.’
Oh my people, my people, what beautiful words of encouragement and assurance! When we sincerely believe that mantra, then we have absolutely nothing to worry about. Oh, there will be trials and tribulations, Jesus promised that, but deep down we will be assured that they will be properly taken care of in God’s time and in His own particular way. That’s the beauty of our faith!
So please, let’s not allow the wily enemy to deceive us into thinking otherwise. As I said last week, using Cousin Bobby’s (Robert Schuler 111) testimony, if you’re not sure, not convinced, then please repeat the mantra everyday, several times a day, until you can feel truly assured in your soul.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, which I hope to conclude today – no promises though. (smile) ‘But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, 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). And that’s a sincere promise from our ever-faithful God!
And as we’ve been doing, we’ll continue looking at the references the scholars gave about the perfect law of liberty. ‘It is a law of liberty because it frees from the principles of sin and death.’
And today’s reference comes from Galatians, where Bruh Paul gives forth on Living by faith. ‘Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.’ (Gal.5:1)
And the scholars explain that verse thus: ‘5:1. The verse could be rendered: “For freedom Christ freed us. Therefore stand fast and do not again be subject to a yoke of bondage.” The “freedom” in view is freedom from the law, here called “a yoke of bondage.” Paul wants the Galatians to “stand fast,” that is, retain their spiritual freedom.’
And I’m asking us today to do the same thing my fellow believers: let’s not fall back, lapse back into the bondage of the law, but continue truthfully and vibrantly in the spiritual freedom that Christ died for us to have.
And later on in that same chapter, Bruh Paul further advises the Galatians: ‘For brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by LOVE serve one another.’ (Gal.5:13)
And the scholars explain thus: ‘5:13. Having shown freedom from the law to be proper protection from legalism (vv.1-12), Paul now demonstrates it to be a proper antidote against unrestrained license to sin (vv.13-26).
Believers are not to abuse their liberty from the law for an occasion (opportunity) to the flesh (sinful nature). That is, don’t think freedom from the law means you can indulge in sin; it means instead that you are free to serve God by serving one another.’
Now that’s something we all seriously have to work on friends, since many of us falsely believe that because of that very freedom, plus the overwhelming forgiveness and mercy of our magnanimous God, we have a licence to willfully sin.
But that’s the furthest thing from the truth my brethren. When we truly come to God and truly have Him ensconced in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, then because of the great LOVE we bear Him, willfully falling to sin and temptation should not even enter our consciousness. It ought to make us strive not to sin.
And the last part of the explanation re the law of liberty is: ‘James also describes it as the royal law (2:8) for it is the law of the messianic King.’
And pertaining to that, James 2:8 says: ‘If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well. But if ye have respect to persons (show partiality), ye commit sin, and are convinced (convicted) of the law as a transgressor.’ (James 2:8-9) I felt that last verse was necessary to show the true context of verse 8.
And that brings us to Galatians again, where Bruh Paul is talking about applications of new principles. ‘Brethren, if a man be overtaken (caught) in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness (gentleness), considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.’ (Gal.6:1-2)
Yeh friends, if we deliberately overstep those divine boundaries and fall into sin, those of us who walk by the Spirit, whose life shows the fruit of the Spirit, ought to talk to the Christian believer who has gone astray and try to bring them back to their normal moral condition.
And we need to do it all in LOVE, handle it delicately, while all the time making sure that we aren’t caught up in the same carnality, which is so easy to do.
And per verse 2, the scholars explain: ‘6:2. Contextually, the burdens are the moral faults of verse 1, but can have wider application to other kinds of burdens. The law of Christ is the sum of all Jesus’ teachings and desires; it is Christianity itself.’
And here endeth the lesson for today friends. (smile) We have indeed concluded the last message in the perfect law of liberty series. I do hope that we now have a much better understanding of what it means and how it applies to us, both as individuals and as the church, the body of Christ.
Please, let’s put all that we have learned into proper use nuh, so that we can advance the gospel of Christ, which is our bounden duty as believers. Much LOVE!
…Christianity…the law of Christ…is not as burdensome as legalism…the law of man…
25 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a doer of the work, a forgetful hearer, adrenalin, attitude towards work, aura of love, Christian, complaining, confidence, death, enthusiasm, evil, followers of Christ, free from the law of sin, friends, fun, glorious kingdom, gospel truth, heart, holy spirit, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, lies, life in the Spirit, LOVE, mankind's fallen nature, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, no condemnation, peace, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, righteousness., salvation, shall be blessed in his deed, sinful flesh, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, the law of the Spirit, the perfect law of liberty, the principles of sin, the things of the flesh, the things of the Spirit, treasure, truth, ungodly world, walk after the flesh, whining, win souls for Christ, wisdom
James 1:25. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, 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).
Awright friends, it’s Monday morning, so let’s get up and get ourselves ready to go to work nuh. No whining and complaining about how we feeling sick and tired and otherwise. We know that we have to go back to work every Monday morning, so it behooves us to get ourselves together for that time.
And especially as followers of Christ, we shouldn’t be full of whimpering excuses for not wanting to work. Jesus is sick and tired of us and our less than Christian attitude towards work. So let’s throw all of that out the window, and instead sing a rich and moving rendition of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
As one earthly choir, but sounding heavenly, with Jesus as our choirmaster, let’s sing: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Now that was most excellent my people! Jesus was very pleased. Yuh see how we can come up to scratch when we need to, and when we put our hearts and souls in it. Now let’s go out into that wicked and foolish world and use that adrenalin that’s currently pumping through our veins and bodies to help us do what we’re supposed to do; win souls for Christ!
And we’re going to continue with the Bit of the last few days. ‘But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, 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).’
And that’s gospel truth! That’s the way our God operates; you do what He desires and He blesses you.
Now we’ll continue looking at some of the passages that the scholars referenced when they spoke about the ‘perfect law of liberty.’ ‘It is a law of liberty because it frees from the principles of sin and death.’ And one of the references for that was this one, where Bruh Paul talks to the Roman church about ‘Life in the Spirit.’
‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for (on account of) sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
That the righteousness (righteous requirement of) the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh, do mind (set their minds on) the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.’ (Rom.8:1-5)
Yeh friends, that’s as simple as it gets. Jesus came to set us free from the bondage of sin, through righteousness. But we have to give up the things of the flesh and live by the things of the Spirit if we want to accomplish that wonderful ideal.
Now here are a couple of notes from the scholars. ‘8:1. Many manuscripts omit “who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” They don’t say why, but it seems that the sentence is better explained with those last few words.
‘8:3. Law…was weak: There is nothing inherently wrong with the law. The presence of sin renders the believer powerless to do what the law demands. The likeness of sinful flesh: Christ was truly human but not a sinner. (2 Cor.5:21).’
So my brethren, we see that the basic problem with mankind is his fallen nature, his sinful leanings based on the lusts of his flesh. That’s what Jesus came to correct through the righteousness of those who believe in Him, and live according to the law of His Holy Spirit, not in accordance with man’s fleshly lust.
And as Jesus said: ‘For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt.6:21) That means if we are bent on seeking earthly treasure, then our hearts will be grounded in the world and the things of the flesh.
However, if, as Jesus desires, we are more concerned with seeking heavenly treasure, then our hearts will be set on the things of heaven, the things of Jesus, and we’ll be living by the law of His Spirit, not by that of man, and the prince of darkness, Lucifer.
And we’ll conclude today with that most important aspect of our Christian faith. Now let’s show the world as we go forth today, that our treasures and our hearts are indeed set on the things of heaven and not those of earth, for that is indeed true wisdom. Much LOVE!
…the treasures of earth are corruptible…but those of heaven are incorruptible…and thus much better for laying up…
24 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a doer of the work, a forgetful hearer, a party, an inspiration, believers in Christ, believing in jesus, celebrate, Christians, coiffured, dancing, energy, faithfulness, force ourselves, free from bondage, giving thanks, glorify God, glory hallelujah, go to church, God's mercy, happy, joy, joyous, led astray, Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, LOVE, loving kindness, magnificent and magnanimous God, man-made rules, meet in secret, One Year Book of Bible promises, outward show, peace, persecuted, pick sense from nonsense, pinned their hopes, praise, praising, radiance, reading the Word, redemption, religiosity, religious achievement, revelation of God, righteousness, Ruth Harms Calkin, shall be blessed in his deed, singing, spiritual acumen, talking to God, the Alpha and the Omega, the be all and end all, the First and the Last, the goodness, the perfect law of liberty, the Secret, time, to know Jesus, traditional church law, union with Christ, wisdom, worship
James 1:25. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, 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).
Oh my fellow believers in Christ, it’s Sunday! Glory Hallelujah! What a joy it is to be able to get up and go out to church and worship with other believers!
How awesome it is to get together and praise and celebrate the goodness and LOVING-kindness of our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Receiving in return His unbeatable strength, unsurpassed wisdom, unconditional LOVE, ever-faithful care and heart-felt compassion! Glory Be!
Oh friends, how I wish the majority of us would feel like that on Sunday mornings. Hn! The sad reality though is that too many of us force ourselves to get up and go to church because it’s expected of us; just like work on a Monday morning. There’s no joy in our spirits like if we were going to a party.
But friends, it is a party we’re going to! Isn’t there singing and dancing, and praising and giving thanks? There surely is! It’s not just a mournful, dirge-like experience that we’re forced to live through. So why, for so many of us, going to church is like pulling teeth eh?
We ought to be happy and joyous, celebrating the occasion to be able to get together freely in public to glorify our Creator. Many of our fellow believers around the world don’t have that privilege. They have to hide and meet in secret, in out of the way places to have church. And in many places they are persecuted for simply believing in Jesus! That means we have the best of all worlds, but simply don’t appreciate it.
Anyway, enough of my ranting, (smile) listen to this excerpt from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. As soon as I read it, I knew that it would be most appropriate for this glorious Sunday morning.
It’s titled ‘The Secret,’ and it says: ‘I couldn’t help but watch her As we sat in the service together Last Sunday morning… Her white hair so neatly coiffured Her hands resting on her open Bible Her smile so beautifully tranquil. When the hymn was announced She sang with a glowing smile. Occasionally during the message She nodded her head in assent.
(O Lord, what peace she portrays.) After the service I spoke to her: “You are an inspiration, my dear. I hope I may sit with you again.” She thanked me profusely. Then she added with shining joy “Isn’t it wonderful to know Jesus? I mean – really KNOW Him!” In that instant, dear God I knew the secret of her radiance.’
Oh precious people of Jesus, that is how we ought to be, and can be if we’d only invest some more time and energy in truly getting to KNOW our amazing, magnificent and magnanimous God! And we can only do that by seriously reading His Word, sincerely talking to Him in prayer and joyfully fellowshipping with other believers.
And by the way, the promise attached to that poem is ‘Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.’ (Phil. 3:8 NL.V)
Oh what indisputable truth that is my brethren! There is nothing that’s worth more in this mish-mash world than truly KNOWING Jesus! For He is indeed the Be All and the End All of our world; the First and the Last; the Alpha and Omega! Oh praise His Holy Name my people!
That brings us to our Bit: ‘But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, 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).’ More truth of enormous proportions my brethren!
And we’ll continue looking at the references that the scholars gave re ‘the perfect law of liberty.’ We saw what Jesus had to say about His coming to fulfill the law not destroy it. (Matt.5:17) Now listen to Bruh Paul, as he talks about zeal but no righteousness.
‘Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record (witness) that they have a zeal of (for) God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.’ (Acts 10:1-4)
And the scholars explain that last verse thus: ‘10:4. Christ is the end of the law: Israel mistook the purpose of the law. The law pointed to the righteousness that is attainable only by belief in Christ. Israel also mistook the scope of the law. The righteousness to which it pointed was universally available to all who responded to God’s revelation of Himself through the law.
But by Paul’s time many had substituted works for faith. Rather than seeking redemption in God’s mercy, they pinned their hopes on their own religious achievement.’
And unfortunately many of us are doing the same thing today my people. We are concentrating too much on our religious works and achievements, and not enough on the righteousness that is necessary, and can be attained from a sincere and purposeful union with Christ.
Ah friends, many of us are being led astray by the religiosity of the church; the concentration on man-made rules and regulations, the many do’s and don’ts that have become institutionalized down through the ages. It’s time for us to be free from the bondage of traditional church law and return to what is truly important, the spiritual acumen that Jesus died for us to have; the true inner faithfulness and righteousness, not merely the outward show to look good in public.
Now I hope that this message makes sense, but as I always say, we Christians are bright enough to pick sense from nonsense. (smile) And if the message does nothing else, I hope that it puts a joy in our hearts, minds, bodies and spirits to get up and go to church this Sunday morning, for that is indeed the wisdom of the ages my fellow believers! Much LOVE!
…oh the true joy of really knowing Jesus…nothing to it can compare…
23 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a doer of the work, a follower of Christ, a forgetful hearer, alcoholic beverages, an outward show of self-righteousness, Anselm, be blessed in his deed, change, Christian, contrasts, doing the same thing, healthy lifestyle, hectic week of work, high degree of technology, higher than the price of change, household chores, if you don't use it, inner attitude of the heart, Inspire us for a better tomorrow, it ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to, junk food, lack of exercise, Mosaic Law, most religious, obese, obesity, oodles of truth, Pharisees, playing games, practical application, progress, righteousness., robots, scribes, sedentary, sedentaty posing, selfies, servants, shopping, social media, spiritual living, talkers, texting, the boob tube, the gospel n action, the kingdom of heaven, the perfect law of liberty, the price of, the Then Commandments, the wisdom of heaven, truth, truth often hurts, upsets our comfort level, you lose it
James 1:25. ‘But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, 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).’
And as been happening for thousands of years friends, Saturday comes after Friday, just like night follows day and vice versa. (smile) But Saturday is the day to do the household chores and shopping after a busy week of work. Then, come the evening hours, it’s party time!
Many of us though simply lie on the couch eating junk food, imbibing alcoholic beverages and watching the boob tube all weekend. Now that is certainly not a healthy lifestyle my people. And that is partly why our society is suffering from such a high rate of obesity; lack of exercise, too much sedentary posing and posture and too much junk food.
A lot of that is brought on by our high degree of technology, with the ever- spreading and ever-dangerous tentacles of our social media, where we sit for hours in front of a computer screen or some little hand-held device, texting and playing games and getting ourselves in trouble by posting selfies and other garbage on the media platforms.
And the next big thing will be robots who communicate like men. How much longer do you think we’ll last after that eh my brethren? Not long, for we are already obese and sedentary, and sensible robots will only make us more so, when we can order them around like servants.
Please remember what a wise man once said; ‘if you don’t use it, you will lose it.’ And friends that is exactly where we’re heading. Eventually, when life gets so easy, we’ll lose the use of our brains and our limbs because we won’t have to use them. I’m sure many of you can remember the times when children, and a lot of adults too, spent much more time doing stuff outdoors than happens now. But I guess they call that progress, so who am I to question it eh? (smile)
So let me turn you over to someone else, our friend Anselm, who always tries to inspire us for a better tomorrow. We haven’t heard from him for some time, so we’ll share two of his brilliant insights. And the first quote says: ‘The price of doing the same old thing is far higher than the price of change.’ And the second declares: ‘It ain’t what they call you, it’s what you answer to.’
Ah friends, both of those sayings contain oodles of truth, as many of us can attest from our own experience. But we either try to resist sensible change because it discommodes us, upsets our comfort level, and we’re not willing to pay the higher price either.
And we all had nicknames at some stage in our lives, many of which we never liked and hopefully never responded to. And most of the time, the ones we never responded to seldom stuck.
Now however, we are known by the fabulous name of Christian; a believer in and a follower of Christ! And that is a name to which should always proudly answer to, although many of us are ashamed of it and try to hide our affiliation. But remember friends, Christ said that if you’re ashamed of Him, deny Him and don’t own up to your affiliation with Him, He’ll do the same thing to you. (Matt.10:32-33) So it’s up to each of us to decide our own fate.
And that falls right in line with our Bit. ‘But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, 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).’
Yes my Christian people, as true followers of Christ we must be seen to be not only hearers and talkers, but even more importantly doers! Unfortunately though, the world doesn’t look upon us like that, which brings us to the last verse in Jesus’ monologue on the law.
‘For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case (by no means) enter into the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. 5:20)
Now that’s hitting way below the belt my people, but Jesus always spoke truth, and we all know that the truth often hurts quite a bit. And it just goes to show how little He thought of the Jewish rulers.
Let’s hear now what the scholars have to say about that verse. ‘5:20. Because of the necessity of righteousness as a requirement to enter heaven, Jesus then declares that except their righteousness should exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees they could not enter heaven.
The significance of this is seen in the fact that the Jews of Jesus’ day considered these people to be the most religious in all Israel. However, their religion was largely an outward show of self-righteousness.
In communicating the depth of His message, Jesus used a series of contrasts between outward behaviour demanded by the law and the inner attitude of the heart desired by God. Here we discover the practical application of genuine Christian character to true spiritual living. Here we see the gospel in action:
Law Spirit
No murder No anger
No adultery No lust
No divorce Commitment
No oath taking Speak the truth
No retaliation Forgiveness
Hatred for your enemy LOVE for your enemy
(tradition allowed it) (commanded)
Awright friends, enough for today. I know it’s Saturday and our minds are all played out by the hectic week of work. (smile) However you do see the comparison between the Mosaic Law and what Jesus desired spiritually. All of the old law still stood, except hatred for your enemy, which Jesus changed to LOVE.
He basically refined them, moved them up to a higher, finer, more acute level. But the Ten Commandments still stood as the Basic law, and still do today. So as Jesus said, He didn’t come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. And as His followers, we ought to do the same in our own little way, and thus promote the wisdom of heaven. Much LOVE!
…the coming of Jesus…didn’t change the basic intent of God’s laws…they just became more refined…moved up to a higher level…
22 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a doer of the work, a forgetful hearer, authority, blessed in his work, blessings, burden, Christian, Christians, commandments, contentment, Corville Peters, difficult circumstances, earth, faith, faithfulness, fellowship, fete, Friday chant, friends, fun, generous help, glorious kingdom, hate, hate met love, heaven, heaven met earth, Jesus' work, kingdom of heaven, labour, Law, Live at the Cross, LOVE, moderation, one jot, one tittle, plan of God, practice what you preach, principles of the law, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, rest, revitalization, reward, slaving, sweat, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the perfect law of liberty, the souls of men, the weekend, time to party, true believers, truth, verily, vocation, week of work, wisdom, worship
James 1:25. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, 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.
Well mih people, the day that we all seem to crave has finally come around again – it’s Friday!
And you know that means joyful shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! The weekend’s here! No more labour, no more sweat! Time to party, time to fete! Thank you God for Fridays and the two days off from slaving for massa! Only wish everyday was Friday!’
Yeh friends, don’t we all wish that everyday was Friday. Only thing about that is if we didn’t work, we wouldn’t eat nor have a roof over our heads. So though it sounds real good, it’s not practical in the real world. Neither is too much partying and feting. Moderation and contentment should be our motto, not extremes.
Anyway, since today is Friday, let’s chant our Friday Chant, which gives us a much better perspective on the use of the weekend. As one chanter now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes my brethren, the weekend ought to be one of rest and revitalization and worship, with elements of partying so that we can have the necessary wherewithal to go back out next week, strong and ready to do Jesus’ work.
And here I want to mention a little thing I heard brother Corville (Corville Peters) from the Christian call in t.v. show ‘Live At the Cross,’ say recently. He said: ‘At the cross, where heaven met earth, and hate met LOVE, and LOVE overcame.’
Oh friends, how true that all is! Whenever hate meets LOVE, LOVE will ALWAYS prevail, because LOVE is by far the stronger of the two emotions. To LOVE under difficult and unfair circumstances as we Christians are supposed to do, is not easy.
And that’s why for some of us, LOVING is more difficult to do than hating. But LOVE is what we should be all about, because that’s our vocation as true believers in Jesus Christ.
And with those awesome words of wisdom, (smile) let’s turn to out Bit. ‘But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, 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.’ More words of indisputable truth my friends!
And we’ll continue where we left off yesterday with Christ talking about the law, that He didn’t come to destroy it but to fulfill it. ‘For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot (Gr. iota) or one tittle (smallest stroke in a Hebrew word) shall in no wise (by no means) pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.’ (Matt.5:18)
And the scholars explain that thus: ‘5:18. Verily I say is a unique form used by Jesus throughout His preaching to draw attention to the authority of His message.
Verily (Gr. amen) means “truly” or “certainly.” It is used as a designation of authoritative teaching. One jot or one tittle refers to the most minute letter and marks of the Hebrew alphabet.
He explained that even the smallest statement in the law must be fulfilled. A “jot” (yodh) is the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It functions as a Y in English and looks similar to an apostrophe. A tittle is a small projection on the edge of certain Hebrew letters to distinguish them from one another.’
So we see friends, that the law is still, and will always be of supreme importance in our lives. And Jesus continues: ‘Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt.5:19)
And here’s what the scholars have to say about that. ‘5:19. Because of the seriousness of the law, Jesus emphasizes the importance of keeping even its smallest details. However, in the ultimate plan of God, the law was not to become an extra burden on the souls of men.
Rather than pointing the way to salvation, the law convinced men of the need of the Saviour. Therefore, whoever shall teach men so but shall not live what he teaches, he shall be made least in the kingdom of heaven. But whosoever shall do and teach the principles and precepts of the law shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
This simply means that God will reward the faithfulness and effectiveness of our lives, and there will be varying degrees of blessing and reward in heaven.’
Ah mih breddren, yuh see it all comes right back to the old saying, about practicing what we preach. In our Christian faith, it’s not right or lawful to say one thing and then do another.
And in closing today, I want us to ponder our individual lives and see to what extent that is a factor in them, because we all do some of it, at various times, to a certain degree.
And as always, with God’s help, let’s try and banish that sort of behaviour from our lives, for as we can see from Jesus’ teaching, it is a critical aspect in our heavenly rewards and blessings. Much LOVE!
…a practicing Christian…must always try to practice…whatever he or she preaches…
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