30 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a negative situation, a prudent man forseeth the evil, a prudent man sees danger, a word to the wise is sufficient, alleviate our problems, and are punished, as a snare shall it come, avarice, be ye also ready, cares of is life, carousing, crapaud smoke we pipe, divine aid, done like dinner, drunkenness, embrace it like a stalworth friend, entitlement, faith, fellowship, for in such an hour as ye think not, for ye know neither the day nor the hour, grab the baton and run, grab the bull by the horns, heaven and earth shall pass away, holy spirit, humble servants, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep your promise to prosper us, laze away the weekend, lest at any time, LOVE, mercy, my words shall not pass away, of fame, of ory, our Father who art in heaven, our pants down around our ankles, party away the weekend, physical rest, practical foresight, pray always, prepare for Monday, preparedness, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, spiritual preparedness, spiritual readiness, spiritual renewal, stand before the Son of man, strong faith in Christ, take heed to yourselves, takes refuge, the ball is now in our court, the day come upon you unawares, the God who heals, the imple keep going and suffer for it, the Lord's house must be magnificent, the merry-go-round, the power to solve our many problems, the simple pass on, the Son of man cometh, the throne of grace, them that dwell on the whole face of the earth, throughout all countries, traffic jams, truth, turn from our evil ways, vim and vitality, watch therefore, wherein the Son of man cometh, wisdom, wise guidance, without complaining, words of warning, work ethic, ye know not what hour your Lord doth come, ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things, your awesome grace and mercy, your hearts be weighed down with surfeiting
Matthew 25:13. ‘Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.’
One more time on the merry-go round called our work week my beauties! We cannot get away from Monday, no matter how hard we try, so it’s best we stop trying and rather embrace it like a good and stalworth friend. (smile) Otherwise it will just frustrate us for all of our working lives. And what a waste of a good life that would be! So all God’s people said a loud and frustrated ‘Amen!’ Yes, it’s best we just grab the bull by the horns and get on with it, or the bull will action us with his horns instead. And we all know that’s a very negative situation, which we want to avoid at all costs.
But all of what we just said there doesn’t come easily, no, it requires a few things of us. The first is a good work ethic, simply knowing that we must work to earn a living, so we just make up our minds to do it without complaining, because complaining will make no real difference, except to make us miserable. But then that calls for self-discipline and self-control, two things that are very difficult to come by in this age of avarice and entitlement.
We must learn to prepare for Monday, just like we do for the other days of the week, not just party or laze the weekend away. And in all of that there’s a call for some decent physical rest, as well as spiritual renewal, meaning church and fellowship time with other believers, for we cannot handle Monday properly unless we’re filled with new vim and vitality.
And right now, let’s be thankful that it’s summer time and many people are on vacation, so the traffic jams are not as deadly, neither do we have to be wading through the snow and sludge to get to work. That is also something we cannot avoid if we live in the northern climes, but we have a few months of reprieve still to go. But let’s also note that this is the 30th day of June, meaning that it’s now done like dinner, (smile) and the summer months will pass quicker than we realize, so please, let’s grab the baton and run with it like crazy! End of sermon!
And I guess all of that leads us to the topic of preparedness. And what do the scriptures have to say about that? They offer various teachings in both spiritual readiness and practical foresight. Let’s check out a few nuh. And this first one deals with practical foresight. It tells of when Bruh David wanted to build a temple for God, but God nixed the idea because of the great amount of blood he’d shed and said that his son Cousin Sol would build the temple.
However the Bible tells us that Bruh David began collecting supplies for the building of the temple. ‘And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the Lord must be exceeding magnifical, of fame, and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.’ (1 Chr. 22:5) Yes friends, that’s how we ought to prepare for Mondays! (smile)
And here’s another interesting scripture highlighting practical foresight; this from Cousin Sol in Proverbs. He writes: ‘A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.’ (Prov. 22:3) In other words: ‘A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.’
Then there are scriptures on spiritual preparedness, like this poignant warning from Christ where He’s talking about no one knowing the day nor the hour when He returns, except the Father. ‘Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord will come. But know this, that if the goodman (master) of the house had known in what watch (hour) the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered (allowed) his house to be broken up (into). Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 24:42-44)
Yes my brethren, we need to always be prepared and watching for whenever Jesus returns, for if He catches us with our pants down around our knees, then crapaud smoke we pipe! And He considered our readiness so important that He repeated it later on in the parable of the Ten Virgins: ‘Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 25:13)Oh friends, there’s no more important preparedness for us believers than that!
And I like how Luke writes it. ‘Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged (be weighed down) with surfeiting (carousing), and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.’ (Luke 21:33-36)
Now those are powerful words of warning my people, so please let’s pay close heed to them. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid for all that ails us. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Now, please note what our prayer says we need to do to receive divine aid; turn from our evil ways, humble ourselves, pray and sincerely seek God face. The ball is now in our court! Much LOVE!
…a word to the wise is sufficient…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a time of intense persecution, Arthur Howells, be of good courage, be with Christ throughout eternity, be ye also ready, behold I come as a thief, being alert to what's happening in our world, being ready for Jesus' return, believers will not experience the tribulation, blessed is he that watcheth, blessed is the man maketh the Lord his trust, bounden duty, Christ doesn't lie or make false promises, come to know and love him like we do, even unto the end of the world, faith, foolish wisdom, for in such an hour as ye think not, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come, free will, have doubts and fears in our daily walk, he shall strengthen thine heart, holy spirit, hurry, I go to prepare a place for you, I had fainted, I will come again and receive you unto myself, I would have told you, if it were not so, if ye believe in God believe also in me, if you don't have complete trust and faith in Him, in my Father's house are many mansions, in the land of the living, in the unknown future, innovative theological education, Jane Williams, Jesus Christ, June's into double figures, keepeth his garments, known in what watch thethief would come, lest he walk naked, let not your heart be troubled, lo I am with always, LOVE, Mellitus College, mercy, no purpose in having a God, nor such as turn aside to lies, our duty to stay alert for Jesus' coming, outdoor activity, remain faithful and loyal to Christ, respects not the proud, salvation, selfish longing for summer, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, teach me to wait with patience, temptation, the Battle of Armageddon, the beloved of God, the day of the Lord cometh as a thief in the night, the end of the church age, the frigid weather of winter, the Great Commission, the Little Book of Lent, the problem lies with us, the quality of being right in God's eyes, the Rapture, the Son of man cometh, there may I be also, they see his shame, those called to serve Christ, to know your presence, to prepare a place for me, to see the goodness of the Lord, to trust that you are with me, to watch with alertness, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, unbelievers will be overtaken by destruction, ungodliness, unless I had believed, wait I say on the Lord, wait on the Lord, warm blooded animals, watch therefore, watch with alertness, watching for the return of Jesus, where I am there ye may be also, where you are, wisdom, with the whole wide world, worry, you have gone before me
Matthew 24:44. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Aye friends, please note that the month of June has already reached double figures. (smile) Yes, June is moving along quite quickly, and before we know it, summer will be over and we’ll be thrust back into the dark and frigid weather of winter. Please answer me, if you can, why do the nice, warm, summer months seem to pass more quickly than the cold dreary winter ones eh?
Technically speaking, they all move at the same speed, but it’s possibly our warped, selfish longing for the summer warmth and sunshine, as well as the outdoor, activity it provides in semi-naked dress, that makes us feel those days are going by more quickly than the ones where we’re all bundled up and spend most of the time indoors. But that’s just life in the northern climes, and why we naturally hunger so much for summer. God made us to be warm blooded animals, and gave us places with sunshine and warm weather all year round, but we, in our free will and foolish wisdom, chose to live in the cold places, so we just have to learn to stand our bounce. (smile)
And on this sunny Tuesday in early June, we’ll say a prayer from the recent Prayer Through the Ages Publication of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto, highlighting Daily Prayers for spiritual renewal. This one is ascribed to Jane Williams, a Professor at St. Mellitus College in London, founded in 2007 by the Church of England to provide innovative theological education and training for those called to serve Christ in the church and the world. I believe the prayer was originally published in 2014 in The Little Book of Lent, compiled by Arthur Howells.
And now that we know the origins of the prayer, (smile) let’s pray it together. ‘Christ, you have gone before me to prepare a place for me, that where you are there I may be also. Teach me to wait with patience, to watch with alertness, to trust that you are with me in the unknown future and to know your presence. Amen!’ Ah friends, that’s short and sweet and to the point! And it encompasses several scriptural and Christian values that we ought to possess.
The first sentence reminds us of Jesus’ promise to the disciples, and consequently to us, where He reassures them. ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions (dwellings): if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.’ (John 14:1-3)
Oh my faithful believers, Christ promised to prepare a place in heaven for us, and come back for us, so we could be with Him throughout eternity. And if He promised it, He will surely do it, because He doesn’t lie or make false promises. So therefore, if in our daily walk, we have doubts and fears, then the problem lies with us, for our God does whatever He says. That’s why the prayer implores God; ‘Teach me to wait with patience…’ Yes, that’s a big part of our Christian walk, waiting with patience, as Bruh David so astutely puts it in Psalm 27, titled – My Heart Shall Not Fear.
To end the psalm He reasons: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps.27:13-14) And I know that’s sometimes easier said than done, but if you are reading the Word and living it, your faith ought to be growing, and anytime God comes through for you, then that ought to add another notch to your faith, and help you to wait in patient faith.
The prayer also asks for us to watch with alertness. Now that’s something we have to do on two fronts. The first is being alert to what’s happening in our world, and quickly recognizing the trends of ungodliness and temptation that are coming against us and prevent them from addling our souls. The next avenue of alertness is that of watching for Jesus’ return, and being ready for it. Jesus Himself warned us: ‘Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman (master) of the house had known in what watch (hour) the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered (allowed) his house to be broken up (into). Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 24:42-44)
Bruh Paul also says it in his first letter to the Thessalonians. ‘For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.’ (1 Thess. 5:2) So we have been warned, it’s now our duty and self-interest to stay alert for Jesus’ coming. And what does it mean that Jesus will come as a thief in the night? This commentary explains it thus: ‘The passage assures us that believers will not experience the tribulation. The day of the Lord will commence unexpectedly, like the arrival of a thief at night. It is described as a time of darkness with dreadful consequences. Unbelievers, identified as those who belong to the night, will be overtaken by destruction.’
That’s why we must be ready for the Rapture, the end of the church age, for the period of the Great Tribulation will indeed be one of horrific violence and persecution. And Jesus even assures those believers in the Great Tribulation, when He says; ‘Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.’ (Rev. 16:15)
This is the time of Jesus’ Second Coming, before the battle of Armageddon, where Christ finally defeats Satan and his cronies. The scholars tell us that’s ‘an exhortation to the surviving believers to be watchful and alert, and to remain faithful and loyal to Christ during a time of intense persecution. To have garments, rather than be naked, relates to spiritual preparedness.’
And finally, as to trusting God and knowing that He’s always with us, these two scriptures tell it like it is. The first comes from Psalm 40, where Bruh David confidently writes: ‘Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.’ (Ps. 40:4) And the second scripture is a gem of a promise from Jesus, where after He gives the disciples the Great Commission, He ends: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) Now, if you can’t believe Jesus, then I don’t know whom else you can believe.
However, for those of us who believe Him totally, let’s go home declaring 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!’
Now, it’s our bounden duty to go out and 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!
…what’s the purpose of having a God…if you don’t have complete trust and faith in Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Dec 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: at the name of Jesus, be ye also ready, became obedient unto death, being in the form of God, compassion, empathy, endure to the end, eternity in hell with Satan, even the death of the cross, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, for in such an hour as ye think not, found in fashion as a man, given him a name above every other name, glad to be alive, God hath highly exalted him, God sent not His Son to condemn the world, halfway home, hands on the plough, humbled himself, Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, Jesus is the answer, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, LOVE, made himself of no reputation, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not turning back, our eternal benefit, pay a hefty price, suffer in hellfire for all eternity, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the incarnate birth of Christ, the Son of man cometh, the world through him might be saved, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, ye know not what hour your Lord doth come
Philippians 2:5. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Three down, three to go, then the Big Day friends; a celebration of the incarnate birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Wow! The only thing to compare to it is His resurrection! So how can we not LOVE and worship Christ eh? He was born, died and rose again ALL for us, for our eternal benefit! If it wasn’t for out abominable sins and disobedience, there would have been no need for Him to be born, much less to die!
But then again, the Father’s LOVE for us was so great that He could not see His greatest creation suffer in hellfire for all eternity with the ole foolish crook Satan and not do something to help us. And since the Father is righteous and just, He couldn’t just wave away our sins, it needed a sinless soul to redeem us. And since Jesus was the only sinless soul besides Him, the burden of our redemption fell on Jesus. And since Jesus was also the obedient Son that none of us could, or would ever be, He did what the Father asked, despite the great ‘sufferation’ that it held in store for Him.
And this scripture from Bruh Paul’s writing to the church at Philippi, should resonate ever so loudly in our ears this Christmas season. ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made (came) in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:5-8)
Oh my supposed fellow believers, where is our gratitude, our compassion, our empathy, our supposed LOVE of God eh? Doesn’t it seem shameful and disgraceful to you that Christ did so much for us and we can’t even remember that He’s the reason for this Christmas season. We concentrate on giving and receiving presents, on eating and drinking, and we talk a lot of foolishness about ‘Happy holidays!’ But where did the happiness and the holidays come from eh? From the birth of Christ!
So please, let’s not forget the word Christmas and the reason for this worldwide celebration; the li’l baby boy that was born in the manger on that cold winter’s night that was oh so deep. The same li’l boy that grew up to become the Saviour of the world. As He took such great pains to tell us: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17)
Yes friends, that was Jesus’ sole purpose for coming to earth; to save our sinful souls. And He deserves much more thanks, gratitude and praise from the very ones that He came to save than he’s currently getting! It’s a crying shame my brethren, that we don’t appreciate Jesus more than we do! For all He‘s done, we should be constantly bowing down to Him and offering our grateful thanks and praise.
But yuh know what? That will eventually happen, because the Father is not ungrateful like us, and consequently gave Jesus the highest honour possible. Listen as Bruh Paul explains it to the Philippians: ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of the things in heaven, and the things in earth, and the things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:9-11)
Yuh see the great difference between the Father and us? He exalted Christ for His obedience, made His name revered for the most excellent work He had done. But no, we the frail, feeble, foolish, created minions, think it too much to glorify His name, although it was all for our benefit. And for that rejection of Christ Jesus, we will pay a most hefty price; eternity in hell, with that other foolish creation, Satan.
But thankfully, it’s not too late my people. Once we are alive, are still drawing the breath that Almighty God breathed into us, we still have a chance to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour and thus forego the eternal date with Beelzebub in the hot and humid chambers of Hades. But let’s put it all in proper context: If you die without receiving Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, or He returns to earth as He faithfully promised before you receive Him, then all bets are off.
That’s why the wise and sensible thing to do is not wait, but receive Him, as your most worthwhile benefactor RIGHT NOW! For no one knows when the Grim Reaper is going to come a calling, or when Jesus is going to show up. Jesus even warned us that He might come like a thief in the night, so we must always be prepared and ready. ‘Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come…Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 24: 42, 44)
Yes friends, we cannot say that we have not been warned. Now, for those of us who have received Christ as Lord and Saviour, and are doing our best to live for Him, let’s go home declaring (yayyy!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful and most enviable position in Christ Jesus.
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!’
And for a li’l encouragement, let’s remember that if endure to the end with Christ, that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! Wow! Won’t that be a great time! Yes! The greatest time ever! Much LOVE!
…Jesus is the answer…the answer to every doubt and question…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
03 Jul 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a greedy grab for power, a modicum of circumspection, aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, basic foundation for right and truth, be ye also ready, but my Father only, but of that day and hour knoweth no man, for in such an hour as ye think not, give wrongdoing a good name, hindsight is 20/20, it only saps today of its joy, keep God first place in our lives, learned to be content in all situations, let not your heart be troubled, like in the days of Noah, my peace I give unto you, neither let it be afraid, not the angels of heaven, O ye of little faith, our friend Anselm, our lazy day, Peace i leave with you, prepared for the coming of Christ, so blind with patriotism, take therefore no thought for tomorrow, teach and make disciples of others, the future belongs to those who prepare for it today, the morrow shall take thought for itself, the peace of Jesus, the Son of man cometh, the tenets of the Good Book, worry is like a rocking chair, worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrw, wrong is wrong, you can't face reality, you can't separate peace from freedom
Matthew 24:36. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
So, we have finally arrived at Saturday, our lazy day. But I think we are going to have more celebrations than laziness this long holiday weekend, with Canada Day up here, and the 4th of July happening in the U.S. And hopefully we won’t see any unnecessary escalation in the Covid-19 sickness count, because contrary to what many of us believe, the pandemic is not over simply because many of us have been vaccinated. We still need to have a modicum of circumspection as to how, and with whom we gather. But as they say, he who has ears to hear, let him hear. (smile)
Let us move on though to our Saturday business, that of checking out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And the first one says: ‘You’re not to be so blind with patriotism that you can’t face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who does it or says it.’ And that’s the living truth my people! But sadly, today, a lot of people are trying to give wrongdoing a good name, trying to turn wrong into right and truth. And unfortunately, if you hear that kind of talk enough, you can often come to believe that wrong is indeed right and truth.
I guess the best example of that right now is the Republican political party in the U. S, who are diligently trying to prove Donald Trump’s lies about the election and His worthless regime are right and true. And they are painting it as patriotism, when it’s nothing but a downright greedy grab for power! So we have to be very careful of whom and what we listen to, using the tenets of the Good Book as our basic foundation for right and truth.
Now, the next quote informs us that ‘Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance next time.’ And though we prefer not to consider that defeat and heartbreak contain seeds or lessons for future behaviour, the statement is very true. If we look back at all the disappointments in our lives, we can often find things we did wrong, or moments we should have gone in another direction.
That’s because hindsight is twenty-twenty, and we can see the right thing for the prevailing situation, much clearer when we look back at it, than when we are actually going through it. That means, after every disappointment we need to do some dissection, to learn where we went wrong, and thus learn from it for future opportunities.
Then there’s this: ‘Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.’ Now that’s something of which we should all be aware…yet still we worry as though there was no tomorrow. Yes, precious people of God, worry gets us nowhere. It’s like Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say: ‘Worry is like rocking all day in a rocking chair, but at the end you are still the same place, haven’t moved an inch.’ But the best analogy is that of Jesus; where He compares the birds and flowers and nature in general to mankind. They are less important to God than man, but are still able to live a life of joy and beauty through God’s sustenance.
And He reasons: ‘Wherefore, if God so clothe (clothes) the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith.’ (Matt. 6:30) Oh my fellow saints in Christ, our heavenly Father knows we need food and clothes and shelter and all those things, and will provide them if we do as Christ says: ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness: and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
If we keep God first place in our lives, He will look after us, just like He looks after the birds and the bees and flowers of nature. Consequently, we should be concerned, pay attention to things, but don’t get to the worrying stage. ‘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. 6:34)
Yes friends, everyday brings its own problems, but if we worry about what’s going to happen tomorrow, and not concentrate on what is happening today, then we’re doing an injustice to today, we are shortchanging ourselves on the joy that we could possibly have today. And please remember, tomorrow never really comes nuh, because when it shows up, it’s always called today. (smile) So let’s stop with the worrying and concentrate on seeking God first nuh, for that’s the side on which our bread is buttered.
And the next quote is a dandy. (smile) ‘‘You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.’ I don’t know about that nuh. It sounds true, but what kind of peace, and what kind of freedom are we talking about? If we are talking about the peace the world gives us, then we do need freedom of body and mind to enjoy it. However, if we’re talking about the peace that Jesus gives us, then we don’t necessarily need freedom of body to enjoy it.
Here’s why. Jesus said it thus. ‘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 14:33) Oh my people, the peace we get from Jesus is an entirely different kind of peace than what we get from the world. It’s a peace that enables us to go through storms of life and much adversity without worrying and being downtrodden.
Just take Bruh Paul as an example. He suffered so much for the gospel but he was never downtrodden or seriously discouraged, because he had the peace of Christ working in him. Thus, he learned to be contented in whatever state he found himself. And Christ will give us that same kind of wonderful peace, despite our world falling down around us, if we turn to Him and sincerely ask for it.
Now let’s turn to our last quote, another dandy. (smile) ‘The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.’ Now that’s the gospel truth friends! It has always been, and will always be! Those who prepare for the future will always have a better handle on it, than those who don’t. That’s just the way life runs. Whatever you are prepared for, you will handle it better than if you were not prepared for it. And the best, or most pressing example of that in these last days is if we are prepared for the future coming of Christ Jesus?
Yes mih breddren, that’s the question of the day; are we ready, have we received Christ as our Lord and Saviour, been sealed by the Holy Spirit as a child of God, and had our names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life? Now that’s the most important preparation we can ever make for the future, because Jesus is coming back, and when He does, those who have not received Him as Lord and Saviour will be eternally separated from the Living God!
And there is a big reason to get that done as soon as possible, in fact right now, because Jesus can come back at any time, even later today or tomorrow. For, as He said while here on earth. ‘But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.’ (Matt. 24:36) So you see friends, even Jesus didn’t know when He would return, only the Father has that info. But He did tell us that it would be like in the days of Noah, before the flood, when men were sinfully cavorting about the earth, without any thought to God and godliness. (Matt. 24:37-43) ‘Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 24:44)
And I don’t need to tell you that these days are looking exactly like those of Noah, for we are doing our own thing without regard to God or godliness. That means Christ’s return can’t be that far off, and it draws nearer every day, which further means that it’s becoming more important every day, to be prepared for it. So please friends, let’s be wise and make being prepared for Christ’s return our number one priority nuh. And to also tell others about it and help them be prepared too, for that’s a very important part of our duty in Christ’s kingdom…to teach and make disciples of others! Much LOVE!
…if you are not ready…then Jesus will not take you home with Him when He returns…it’s as simple as that…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
18 Mar 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, brings solace in the face of death, but my Father only, but of that day and hour knoweth no man, Christ's Second Coming, comfort one another with these words, curse, divine protection, divine responsibility, eternal damnation, eternity with Jesus, from spiritual apathy, hopelessness of the heathen, I show you a mystery, in the twinkling of an eye, leave you behind, LOVE, negative word, prosper, sooner than we expect, spiritual laziness, succeed, that fateful day, the Christian's hope of resurrection, the dead in Christ shall rise, the dead shall be raised incorruptible, the fiery depths of hell, the majestic halls of heaven, the Son of man cometh, the time of the Rapture, the trump of God, the trumpet shall sound, this corruptible must put on incorruption, this mortal must put on immortality, Thursday Blessings, wake up my people, watch therefore, we shall all be changed, we shall not all sleep, would yo be ready
1 Thessalonians 4:18. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Please wake up my people…and I’m not talking about from physical sleep, but from spiritual apathy, from spiritual laziness, for the day of Christ coming for His church is closer than we think, and every day it draws nearer still. So are you prepared? If the trump of God was to sound right now in the sky and Jesus were to appear in glory, would you be ready to go with Him, or would He be forced to leave you behind?
We all hope that the first situation will be the one, yet every day we keep putting off our preparedness, believing that we still have a lot of time. That’s a fallacy though friends, a betraying thought of Satan, for remember he wants us to go down into the fiery depths of hell with him and not to the majestic halls of heaven with Christ.
So today I’m warning us about the fact that on any day, and at any time, we could hear that trump blowing in the wind of high heaven and Christ appearing. Remember too, that even He didn’t know when that marvellous occasion would occur. ‘But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.’ (Matt. 24:36) And thus He warned: ‘Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come…Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 24:42, 44)
Oh friends, we’re sure that Jesus is coming back for us, we just don’t know when. However, it is imperative that we’re ready for whenever He comes, like the five wise virgins who took extra oil for their lamps were ready when the bridegroom eventually showed up. I don’t want us to be like the five foolish ones who didn’t take any extra oil and were shut out when he came. (Matt. 25:1-13) So please, let’s get serious and take this whole Rapture business to heart nuh!
Remember Bruh Paul’s words to the church at Corinth: ‘Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump (trumpet): for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.’ (1 Cor, 15:51-53)
Yes my fellow saints, we must become immortal and incorruptible to enter the hallowed halls so heaven. But, unfortunately, that will not happen to everybody; just those who are prepared for that big day. Again, remember Jesus’ words on the subject: ‘Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.’ (Matt. 24:40-41) And there will not be any more chances after that my brethren. That’s why it’s ever so important to get ready, RIGHT NOW!
But let’s go back to Bruh Paul’s words to the Corinthians, on which the scholars have an interesting explanation. ‘15:52. At the last trump: This is not the last trumpet of Revelation 11:15, but the last trumpet of 1 Thessalonians 4:16. It is so designated because it signals the end of the present age. Two groups are distinguished. The dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. The term dead refers to those who have died in Christ. The term we refers to those who are still living at the time of the Rapture.’
So you see friends, this is indeed serious business, and will determine where you spend eternity, which is a long, long time. Now, there are only two options, heaven with Jesus, or eternal damnation with Satan. It’s your choice. But I’m warning us that if Jesus comes back and you’re not ready, then the automatic choice will be eternal damnation. That’s all I’m saying.
So let’s turn now to Bruh Paul’s words to the Thessalonians, re the coming of the Lord. ‘But I would not have you be ignorant brethren (I have something to tell you), concerning them which are asleep (dead), that ye sorrow not (you will not continue to grieve), even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep (dead).
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever (always) be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.’ (1 Thess. 4:13 -18) Oh my people, we surely can take comfort from those words, but we still must be ready for whenever that day comes, otherwise crapaud smoke we pipe!
Now let’s check out some scholarly explanations.‘4:13. That ye sorrow not is in the present tense: “So you will not continue to grieve.” Apparently these believers were concerned about their LOVED ones who had died in the Lord, especially in view of Christ’s promised second coming. (cf. vs. 14-15).Hope (Gr. elpis) means “certain expectation.” Glory be! That’s what we believers have…and lots of it!
‘4:14. Jesus died and rose again: The certainty of the believer’s hope is based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 15:20-23). Bring: This supposes that those who sleep in Jesus are with Him, and when He comes they will come with him.’ 4:15. Prevent(Gr. phthano “precede”): The Greek emphasizes that the living will have no advantage over the dead when Christ returns.’
‘4:16-17.The order of events of Christ’s coming is clearly given: (1) The Lord will descend with a shout, accompanied by the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God (cf. 1 Cor. 15:52); (2) the dead in Christ will be resurrected; and (3) then those remaining will be caught up with them in the clouds. Dead in Christ is a technical expression for believers of the church age. Caught up (Gr. harpazo, “to seize or snatch”): The Latin word for carry off is raptus. From which we get rapture. The doctrine of the Rapture of the church is given its clearest expression in this verse.’
‘4:18. Comfort :The Christian’s hope of the resurrection brings solace in the face of death – in contrast to the hopelessness of the heathen.’ And that’s exceedingly good news friends! Just imagine that because we believe in Christ we will live through eternity with Him, and furthermore be comforted by the fact that our LOVED ones will also be there with us! Wow! Nothing can be better than that! Both for this life and the one to come!
Now for those of us who are convinced of those immortal, immovable and unchangeable facts, (smile) let’s go home declaring (awright!) our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. Altogether now: ‘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 it’s our divine responsibility to go and share those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…please be prepared…for that fateful day…is coming sooner than we expect…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
30 Jan 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be nor proud, be ye also ready, blasphemy, blessed, blessed is he that watcheth, children of the Most High God, coming like a thief in the night, corona pandemic, cursing, darkness of national catastrophe, divine warning, dropped off the face of the earth, for in such an hour as ye think not, for the Lord hath spoken, found sadly wanting, free choice, Give glory to the Lord your God, God's top exhibition, he turn it into the shadow of death, hear ye and give ear, if ye will not hear, in the last days, lest he walk naked, like a mighty child of God, LOVE, mankind, mine eye shall weep sore, moaning and begroaning our circumstances, my soul shall weep in secret places, our friend Anselm, plenty to be thankful for, precious gifts, revelling in disobedience, rulers of the universe, run down with tears, the fateful words of god, the Son of man cometh, they see his shame, this too will pass, to test our true love for Him, too proud to ask for help, ungodliness, waste this day, watch ye and pray, while ye look for light, wisdom at its zenith, without God we're nothing, your feet stumble upon the dark mountains
Jeremiah 13:15. Hear ye, and give ear, be not proud for the Lord hath spoken.
Oh mih people, it’s Saturday! Wow! Already? And if you’re reading this, then it means that you have opened two of the most precious gifts man can ever receive; we talking about your eyes. (smile)
Oh friends, what a beautiful universe our great God has created, with mankind as its top exhibition! And if yuh believe that, then shout a loud, proud and grateful ‘Amen!’ Yes my brethren, let’s give thanks and praise to Almighty God for all the wonderful things He’s done, is doing and has promised to do for us nuh, for without Him we’re nothing!
And as they say, if you’re alive, you have plenty to be thankful for. And if you have food, clothing and shelter, then you’re more blessed than most of the world. And if you also have a LOVING family and good friends, then you’re blessed like a mighty child of God! Glory be!
So let’s not waste any time this day moaning and begroaning whatever unfortunate circumstance(s) that might have come our way nuh, for if we’re children of the Most High God then we know that they have not come to stay, that they too will eventually pass away and leave us stronger in body, soul, spirit and mind, for that’s the way our heavenly Father has set it up. Give Him a much deserved round of applause nuh mih bredrin!
And I guess, by now you have deduced that there are still no quotes from our friend Anselm. Sorry to say it, but that’s the truth. Don’t know what’s happened to him, like he just dropped off the face of the earth. Hope that he’s all right though. Please say a word of prayer for him, just in case he’s in trouble.
And while we’re doing that, let’s also remember these fateful words of the Lord to His people of Judah through the prophet Jeremiah, when they were revelling in disobedience and ungodliness, just like our society is doing right now.
‘Hear ye, and give ear, be not proud for the Lord hath spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.’ (Jer. 13:15-16)
Oh friends, that warning is so apropos for us in these trying and troubled times that we need to pay instant heed to it. For many of us are already stumbling in the darkness of sin, disobedience and doubt, and many are going through the valley of the shadow of death because of it. The corona pandemic isn’t helping us any either, just adding to our concerns.
So why aren’t we listening to the voice, the divine warning of our heavenly Father eh? Is it because we’re too proud to ask for help, or because we think we are the rulers of the universe and we know what we’re doing and nobody must tell us anything? Hn! What foolishness!
Why would we think such a stupid thing eh? Can any of us define our times or do anything to stop them? No! So why do we still insist on thinking of ourselves more highly than we truly are eh?
Now hear how Jeremiah continues with the Lord’s words. ‘But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock is carried away captive.’ (Jer. 13:17)
Yes, the Lord will weep and be sorrowful for our demise, but being a God of justice and righteousness, He must band His belly and punish sin, like He had to do when Jesus died for us. And oh my people, are we ever proud and haughty in these days of the modern technological revolution!
We think we’re the cat’s pajamas! But in fact we’re not. We’re still God’s creation, and still beholden to Him for everything we have, receive or do! So listen to this explanation from the scholars on those verses above.
‘13:15-17. A third illustration (in the series of God’s warnings to Judah) concerns a weary traveller in danger of being overtaken by the falling darkness of night. Such was Judah. It must renounce all pride and give God His rightful glory before the final darkness of national catastrophe engulfs it.’
Oh my people, my people, what’s wrong with our minds eh? We claim to be the wisest civilization ever, but still, we turn away from our Creator with blasphemy, vehemence and downright cursing, and we yet expect to prosper forever? Hn! What fools we are my friends!
The Lord LOVES us like a real Father, but also, like a real father He’s not going to let us get away with sin and willful disobedience forever. Remember, He’s given us free choice for a reason, to test our true LOVE for Him. And believe me, we have been tested and found sadly wanting.
Now a lot of people are claiming that we’re in the last days, the days before Jesus’ return, and they just might be, because many of the signs He spoke about that would herald His Second coming are currently playing out. But who knows just when that will be? Only the Father Himself! (Matt. 24:36)
But be assured that the last days are much closer than they have ever been. (smile) Remember too, Jesus’ warning about Him coming like a thief in the night. (Matt. 24:43) And in Revelation: ‘Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.’ (Rev. 16:15)
Yes friends, Jesus’ Second Coming will be an unexpected affair, therefore we must take His warning very seriously. ‘Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 24:44)
Oh my fellow believers, I think those are very fitting words to leave us with this Saturday morning in this troubled year of 2021. Please, let’s ponder them seriously and make the appropriate decisions nuh. That’s wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…watch ye…watch ye and pray…watch ye and pray…
14 Jan 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: accepted Christ as our Lord and Saviour, alive and kicking, as the days of Noah, be ye also ready, but my Father only, but of that day and hour knoweth no man, children of God, courage, creativity, curse, death is staring us in the face, dislike computers, expletive deletes, for a rainy day, for in such an hour as ye think not, free choice, give Him all the priase, heaven with Christ, hell with Satan, in the name of Jesus, in what watch the thief would come, joint heirs with Christ, justified, layeth up treasure for himself, lead the easy life, like a thief in the night, LOVE, negative word, new-fangled machine, not rich toward God, not the angels of heaven, obedient to Christ's way of living, one day older and closer to death, our eternal destination, put money in the bank, put up treasure in heaven, reconciled, redeemed, sanctified, sealed by the Holy spirit, self-control, shame shall be the legacy of fools, share the blessings, storing up earthly treasure, supernatural wisdom, talent, tearing my hair out, technological society, the coming destruction, the grim reaper, the joy of the Lord is our strength, the Lord moves in mysterious ways, the parable of the rich fool, the return of Christ, the second coming of Christ, the severity and suddenness, the Son of man cometh, the wise shall inherit glory, this night thy soul shall be required of thee, thou hast provided, Thursday's Blessings, to judge the world, to separate the lost from the saved, watch therefore, we have Christ in us, whose shall those things be
Proverbs 3:35. The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion (legacy) of fools.
Let’s get with it nuh friends, for we are now one day older and thus one day closer to death, when we can’t make any changes in our eternal destination!
Yes, death is staring each of us in the face every single moment of every day, and since we know not when our time will be up, doesn’t it make a whole lotta sense to ensure that our eternal destination will be heaven with Christ and not hell and damnation with Satan! It certainly does!
But oh, I forgot that we have free choice and can do whatever we wish, when we want to…but not this immortal and most important decision. That has to be made while we’re still alive and kicking!
Remember the supposedly wise man in Jesus’ parable of the rich fool? He had plenty, and thought he was going to live for a long time, so he planned to build bigger and better, saying: ‘And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.’ (Luke 12:19)
Oh my people, a lot of us are behaving like that rich fool, acquiring earthly treasure and storing it up so we can eventually lead the easy life, but what about our treasure in heaven where so many of us hope to spend eternity eh? Just like we put away money in the bank for a rainy day, likewise we need to put up treasure in heaven for that bright and sunny day when we get there.
And we all know what happened to that rich fool: ‘But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?’ (Luke 12:20) Now that’s a very good question, one we should all ask ourselves.
Yeh friends, the Grim Reaper came calling for him that same night. Now what would happen if the Lord came calling for us sometime today eh, would we be prepared, or would we be caught napping like that rich fool? Would God make this statement towards us as He did towards that rich fool? ‘So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.’ (Luke 12:21)
Friends, are we rich towards God? Are we storing up treasure in heaven, and not only concerned with what’s happening here on earth? I certainly hope not! For Cousin Sol tells us this:‘The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion (legacy) of fools.’(Prov. 3:35)
Oh precious people, I know none of us want to leave a legacy of being foolish, so let’s be wise and take time, RIGHT NOW,to make sure our eternal destination is heaven and not hell nuh!
That means ensuring we have Christ in us, and that we are in Him, we have accepted Him as our Lord and Saviour, and thus are obedient to His way of living, that we are children of God, joint heirs with Christ, have been redeemed, justified, sanctified, reconciled and sealed by the Holy Spirit as God’s own for ever and ever!
Oh what a wonderful and joyful situation to be in my faithful brethren! And that’s what happens when we invite Jesus into our hearts, our lives and allow Him to take control of our eternal destination. We’re flooded with a joy inconceivable to the unbeliever, for the joy of the Lord is our strength. That’s why the enemy works so hard to keep us miserable and unhappy. He knows that’s where our strength lies.
And oh, I forgot, there’s one more constraint on our eternal preparations; the Second Coming of Christ! Yes friends, if Christ comes back before the Grim Reaper comes a calling, then all bets are also off the table. The thing about Jesus’ Second Coming is that we don’t know when that will be either.
As He himself said: ‘But of that day and hour knoweth no man, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.’ (Matt. 24:36-37) Yes mih bredrin, we’ll be eating and drinking and carrying on like they were in Noah’s time, unconcerned about sin and God, when like the flood suddenly came, Jesus will come back, like a thief in the night, unexpectedly.
‘Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman (master) of the house had known in what watch (hour) the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered (allowed) his house to be broken up (into). Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 24:40.44)
Those weren’t my words friends, they were Jesus’. So if He took the time to warn us, don’t you think it will be wise for us to heed it? I certainly do. And just in case you don’t understand the seriousness of that situation, listen to this explanation from the scholars.
‘24:39-42.The observation that the people of Noah’s day knew not the severity and suddenness of the coming destruction indicates that the last generation will be totally unprepared for the coming of the Son of man, the return of Christ to judge the world. (See 2 Thess. 1:7-8) The reference to two being in the field or at work at the time of Christ’s return implies the suddenness of His coming to separate the lost and the saved.’
What else can I say eh friends, it’s all there in black and white! All I know that if either the Grim Reaper or Christ comes and we’re not ready, there’ll be much weeping and gnashing of teeth. So let’s get it together right now nuh, and avoid that sad and undesirable scenario. And for those of us who are seriously working on it, let’s go home now declaring (ah Lord eh!) our Thursday Blessings, generously bestowed on us to do Christ’s earthly work.
Altogether now: ‘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 everyday! Amen!’
And the desired consequence of all that, is we go out and share those blessings just as generously with others in need.Much LOVE!
…be wise…be prepared…
Epilogue! And you all wonder why I dislike computers and this technological society that is strangling us. Well over an hour ago, I was almost finished writing the Bit when the one-year-old computer broke down on me in the middle of writing. Steups! Try as I could, I was unable to get it to work. So here I am on my trusty laptop, so much older than that new-fangled machine and still going strong!
And it’s a good thing that I had signed back into OneDrive, only a couple of days ago, else I would have to write over the Bit from start, and would be tearing my hair out and using even more expletive deletes than I am now. (smile) But the Good Lord does move in mysterious ways – give Him all the praise – and we finally finish. Much LOVE!
01 Dec 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to the riches of his glory, after the rain, be strong, be ye also ready, bounden duty, by his Spirit, concoct such profound statements, desperately wicked, destroys what he loves, evil fiends, for in such an hour as ye think not, friend of Jesus, I am the beloved of god, I have refused him, in the inner man, just like the good Lord made it, let all your things be done with charity, let your conversation be as it becometh, look not on his countenance, looking so white and beautiful, man is sadistic, man looketh on the outward appearance, man sullies everything he touches, no weapon formed against us will prosper, not what I do, not what I have, not what people say about me, on the height of his stature, one one cocoa full basket, our sinful nature adores, quit you like men, share His love with the world, stand fast in faith, stanf ast in one spirit, the breaking point of sinfulness, the gospel of christ, the greatest of these is love, the heart is deceitful, the human capacity for evil is unending, the Lord looketh on the heart, the Lord seeth not as man seeth, the Lord would grant you, the Son of man cometh, then comes the snow, this level of sinfulness, to be strengthened with might, Tuesday Mantra, watch therefore, watch ye, white virginal stuff, ye know not what hour your Lord doth come
1 Corinthians 16:13-14. Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you (be brave) like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with charity (LOVE).
Sing it with me people: ‘And after the rain, yes after the rain, then comes the snow…oh yeah…after the rain, then comes the snow, alooking so white and beautiful, just like the good Lord made it to be, just like the good Lord made it to be…’
Oh friends, around 4 o’clock this morning, before I went to bed, I dreamed up that li’l ditty…obviously with the Lord’s help, since I could not concoct such profound statements all on my very own. (smile) But it had been raining for most of the day, and when I looked outside then, was I surprised to see the place all covered with that white virginal stuff.
But yuh know something, once man puts foot in that virginal snow, he sullies it, sullies it good and proper, just like he sullies everything he touches. And just for your info, that white stuff is now falling again out there, coming down in a gazillion droplets, more like rain than snowflakes, but as they say, ‘one one cocoa full basket,’ so every drop that falls adds to, and heightens the level of snow on the ground. (smile)
And another thing, it wasn’t only the snow that God made to be beautiful, but also mankind. That’s why it so cruelly breaks His soft and tender heart when we turn away from Him, and become the evil fiends our sinful nature adores.
And remember, yesterday we were talking about the abdominal sinfulness of man, and considering if we had reached the limit yet where God would again destroy us? Well, unfortunately, I received this mind boggling, heartbreaking response from one of our Scrip-Bit family members. In her own words: ‘We have NOT reached the breaking point of sinfulness. The human capacity for evil is unending.’ Now doesn’t that just drive you crazy, to know that we can become even more sinful that we already are?
Brother! I can’t even contemplate another level of sin for us to ascend to! I guess my mental capacity is just too small to comprehend such a big undertaking. But I prefer it so yes, because then I might just rise to a more sinful level myself. So please, please, just leave me at this level of sinfulness eh! (smile)
And the real sad part in all our sinfulness is not that it’s directed to, or against God nuh, although it works out thus in the long run, but all the evil we perpetrate is basically directed towards our fellow man and our life-giving environment. Man seems to be truly sadistic, destroying what he portends to LOVE, and in the process, his very self.
And very unfortunately, it seems the olden but golden words of the prophet Jeremiah ring ever so true these days: ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately (incurable) wicked: who can know it?’ (Jer. 17:9) Now does that mean our hearts can’t be cured of its wickedness? I certainly hope not, else there’s no hope whatsoever for us!
The good thing though, is that our God and Creator knows the motives and will of all of our hearts. He made them so He knows how to decipher them, and that’s exactly what He does before He answers our prayers. That’s why the Lord said to Samuel, when He sent him to Jesse’s house to anoint a new king for Israel and Samuel thought the first son, Eliab, was the one: ‘Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused (rejected) him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’ (1 Sam. 16:7)
Oh my fellow believers, that’s why we need to often cry out to God like Bruh David did in Psalm 51 – A prayer for cleansing. ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me.’ (Ps. 51:10) Yes precious people of God, if our hearts are so wicked, then it’s only the Lord who can cleanse us and renew a right and steadfast spirit within us, so that we can continue to do His work down here on earth, and make it be as it is in heaven.
And to help us with all that we’re currently going through, I read an interesting exhortation from Bruh Paul last night that seems very apropos to our situation. In his first missive to the church at Corinth, he exhorts them thus: ‘Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you (be brave) like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with charity (LOVE).’ (1 Cor. 16:13-14) Now that seems to be very good advice for all believers, or even better yet, ALL mankind, considering the turbulent, controversial and uncertain situation in which our world is currently entangled.
And now just a few scriptures to reinforce that directive. First some more prayer and exhortation from Bruh Paul. To the Ephesians, he desired: ‘That he (the Lord) would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.’ (Eph. 3:16) Yes friends, we do need divine enablement to help us successfully live the Christian life.
And in exhorting the Philippians to steadfastness, he prayed. ‘Only let your conversation be as it becometh (let your conduct be worthy of) the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. And in nothing (no way) terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token (a proof) of perdition (destruction), but to you of salvation, and that of God.’ (Phil. 2:27-28)
That means my brethren, we need to stand strong together, in one spirit, in unity, spreading the gospel of Christ in LOVE, and not being afraid of those who come against us. For if our great God is for us, who can be against us eh, especially since He’s so faithfully promised that no weapon formed against us will prosper or harm us. (Is. 54:17)
And last, but certainly not least, these momentous words from Christ Jesus as to when divine intervention would come, be it good or bad. ‘Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come… Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 24: 42, 44) And if we believe in Jesus, then we ought to adhere to His words – watch and pray…and be ready.
So for those of us who sincerely try to do so, let’s go home now declaring (yeahhh!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know who and whose we are. In strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
So precious saints of Christ, it now behooves us to stand strong and steadfast in unity and share Jesus’ LOVE and friendship with ALL humanity! That’s our bounden duty! Much LOVE!
…and now abideth faith, hope, LOVE…these three… but the greatest of these is…LOVE… (1 Cor. 13:13)
SCRIP-BITS 