05 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a light unto my path, a one-way street, a two-way street, all these things shall be added unto you, Ash Wednesday, ask and it shall be given to you, choose to do right, dieting, doing our part, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fasting, giving up stuff, God-fearing life, halfway home, hands on the plough, help me love your every wish, His Part - My Part, holy spirit, I expect your help dear Lord, it is written, Jesus Christ, knock and it shall be opened, let not any iniquity have dominion over me, like white on rice, live by God's dictates, LOVE, make your word my guide, making music unto the Lord, mercy, more than we can ask or imagine, not turning back, obedience brings God's blessings, One Year Book of Bible promises, order my steps in thy word, reassure me, refresh and revive me, riotous living, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, seek and ye shall find, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, sinful excesses, stay steadfast, stop me wanting any plan but yours, thank God, that your promises are mine, the abundant life, the bacchanal finish, the breath of life, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Lenten season, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to a glorious future with Jesus, to depend upon you increasingly, to obey you, to revere and honour you, trust, trust you totally, truth, unmoved by any circumstance, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, work in me that steadfast trust, you're not going to start with me, your will to be my will
Psalm 119:133. Order (direct) my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity (sin) have dominion (rule over) over me.
And finally, all the bacchanal done now! After all the riotous living and excesses of Carnival, everybody suddenly get pious and godly this Ash Wednesday morning! (smile) Who not dieting and fasting, giving up something to make them feel good for the Lenten season. It’s a good thing that I don’t do much, so I don’t have anything to give up. If I give up anything, then I won’t be doing anything at all. I don’t need to fast either, because I do that every day with the hours I eat between meals.
And dieting…no way Jose! I need to put back on some pounds after the lot I recently lost from my illness. What I believe I need to do is to get back to doing some of the things I haven’t been doing, like writing something besides the Bit, and making some music unto the Lord. Anyway, we all have our own peculiarities and eccentricities in dealing with Lent, and who’s to say who’s right from wrong eh? Certainly not me! (smile)
Now today, we’re going to look at an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. As always, I’m not sure if I’ve ever shared this one, but since they are all so interesting and appropriate to our needs, they can all be shared several times. (smile) This poem is titled ‘His Part – My Part.’
So please read with me: ‘Lord You want me to trust You so totally That I am unmoved by any circumstance: Then work in me that steadfast trust. You want me to choose to do right: Then turn me from wanting any plan but Yours. You want me to revere and honour You: Then refresh and revive me. You want me to obey You uninterruptedly: Then make Your Word my guide. You want me to depend upon You increasingly: Then reassure me that Your promises are mine. You want Your will to be my will: Then help me to LOVE Your every wish. – – – – – I expect Your help dear Lord For You’ve never broken a single promise And you’re not going to start with me.’
Oh my people, we’ve got that ever so right! The Lord’s NEVER broken a single promise, and He’s not going to begin with us if we stick to Him steadfastly and closely like white on rice, and bring to His attention all the promises He’s made us. Let Him know, as Jesus said to Satan: ‘It is written.’ Written in His faithful Word. But please, let’s remember the title of the poem ‘His Part – My Part.’ The Lord is quite capable of doing His part, but are we capable of doing our part, and if so, are we willing to do it?
That’s the million-dollar question! We want the Lord to do all sorts of things for us, and we’re quite right, because Jesus also told us to: ‘Ask, and it shall be giving you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.’ (Matt. 7:7) So asking and seeking and knocking of God is not wrong, but we must also be manifesting, demonstrating some basic trust, faith, LOVE and obedience in His direction. Otherwise, it would just be a one-way street; coming from God alone, and not a two-way street like it ought to be.
Yes friends, we can ask for all that we need within God’s will, and He will meet those needs as Jesus promised. if we place Him first in our everyday lives. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) There we have it, another promise of God which we can make Him keep, if we seek Him and His kingdom above everything else.
And the Bible promise for our poem today comes from none other than the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119. This verse says, quite appropriately: ‘Order (direct) my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity (sin) have dominion (rule over) over me.’ (Ps. 119: 133) Now that’s a nice, overall, all containing request. It gets right to the heart of the matter; being guided by the Lord’s Word, so that no sin can overcome us.
And how do we do that? By allowing this other verse from Psalm 119 to be uppermost in our lives. ‘Thy word is a light unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) Yes my faithful brethren, the Lord’s Word was given to us to be our Guidebook for earthly living, and if we sincerely study it and put it into action in our lives, we will live the abundant life that Christ died for us to have. Not that we won’t have problems, but we’ll be able to handle those problems in a calm and peaceful manner, just like Jesus did when He lived here on earth.
And that’s the beauty of making Jesus our Lord and Saviour; He enables us to live a good, strong and solid, God-fearing life despite the trials and tribulations we will face. No One else, or no other organization, even if they promise it, can truly do it! Only Jesus Christ! And having said that, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Jesus Christ.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Now, there’s one more promise that you might not know of; it’s said that if you endure with Jesus right to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. Wow! So please, let’s stay steadfast with the programme nuh, so that we can meet and enjoy that more than glorious future at the very end! Much LOVE!
…if we truly want to be God’s people…then we truly have to live by His dictates…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new flock of believers, anxiety, as long as there's life there's always hope in God, as the hart panteth after the water brooks, Bible, Chistianaity, Christians, confusion, deep longing for God, divine aid, every morning is a fresh beginning, faith, for the help of his countenance, for the hope I have today, Friday chant, give me new direction, goals vanish, God's greatest attribute, guide my steps, holy spirit, hope, hope thou in God, I know you never fail, I shall yet praise him, I take your hand in this place, In you I always have hope, Jesus Christ, longing, LOVE, mercy, my soul thirsteth for god, my tears have been my meat, obedience, omnipotent help, our sinful world, perplexity, prayer on Hope, regret, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, shrouded in darkness, simmering unrest, sing a song of praise, so panteth my soul for thee, sure confidence in God, tempted to fear all is lost, Thank You God, the error of their ways, the living God, the sons of Korah, the throne of grace, the trail ahead, this day of love, trust, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, ungodly times, Valentine's day, wake up and smell the coffee, when plans evaporate, where is thy God, Why art thou cast down o my soul, why art thou disquieted within me, wisdom, with hope anything is possible, without hope there's no real life, witness for Christ, You know the way, you're my light, your great faithfulness
Psalm 42:5. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).
And the shouts went up in loud unison this Valentine’s Day morning: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here!’ That said, a Happy Valentine’s Day to all you my Scrip-Bit friends and families! Let’s hope that this day of LOVE will indeed be one that brings God’s greatest attribute sincerely to our hearts, and stay there after the day is done. Because we talk a lot about LOVE, but many of us don’t know what it really means, or don’t show it enough in our relationships with others.
Anyway, it’s been a bright, sunshiny, though somewhat windy day in my area, but at least the streets are clean and the snow has been mostly removed. I heard the snow crew working diligently all night, until around four this morning to get it done. However, after the 25-30 cm. of snow we recently received, it’s forecasted to have another big downpour this weekend. Let’s hope that there’s enough money in the Snow Removal Budget to clean that up also, and we don’t end up like we’ve done in some past years, with not enough money to facilitate a quick and thorough clean up. (smile)
But you know the most important word in that sentence is the li’l word HOPE! It’s small but ever so powerful, so that without it, one is without true life, but with it, all things are possible. Especially if we have Christ Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. And we’ll dedicate this Valentine’s Day Friday to not only LOVE, but also to HOPE, because, if we have those two things in abundance, we are truly blessed. And we’ll begin with this most appropriate prayer on HOPE, from the recently published Prayer Series of Cards by the In Touch Ministries.
So please pray with me: ‘Thank You, God, for the Hope I have today. The trail ahead is shrouded in darkness, but You’re my light. Though I’m tempted to fear all is lost, I know You never fail. Guide my steps, because You know the way. When plans evaporate and goals vanish, give me new direction. Every morning is a fresh beginning in Your great faithfulness. So I take Your hand in this place and sing a song of praise. In You I always have hope.’ And all God’s people said a loud and sincerely grateful ‘Amen!’
Yes friends, In Christ our Saviour there’s ALWAYS HOPE! Let’s never forget that. And there are no better words from the scriptures to describe our great hope in God than these awesome words from Psalm 42, penned by the Sons of Korah. Please read with me: ‘As the hart panteth after (deer longs for) the water brooks, so panteth (longs) my soul for thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my meat (food) day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday (a pilgrim feast). Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).’ (Ps. 42:1-5) And that’s the best advice we can ever take or give anyone else; continue hoping in God and His amazing presence!
Now we don’t have time for all of the psalm, but these words of explanation from the scholars bring it’s truth home to us. In the first place, they claim that Psalms 42 and 43 could be read as one, and in fact are joined together in some Hebrew texts. So here, they are talking about both psalms together.
‘Using the refrain Hope thou in God as a marker, the poem yields three stanzas. First, the psalmist expresses his deep longing for God (42:1-5); second, his sad lament and dejection before God (42: 6-11); finally, his sure confidence in God (43:1-5). The three stanzas reveal the changing moods of the psalmist: from longing and regret to perplexity, then to trust and assurance. If only every downcast soul could end up in that third stanza!’
Yes friends, if only. However, we can, because we have the true and real hope in God, for when our souls are cast down and disquieted, we can go confidently, but ever so humbly, to the throne of grace, seeking divine aid to help with our earthly problems. So let’s do that right now nuh, go to the throne of grace through our Friday Chant for aid in these dire times.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
But please remember, divine aid all depends on our level of obedience, trust and the quality of witness we give for Christ. Much LOVE!
…as long as there’s life…there’s ALWAYS HOPE in Almighty God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a discerner of thoughts, a Saviour who is christ the Lord, beyond our understanding, Bible, bless thy name for ever, breath of life, call us to rejoice in thee, celebration of Christ's birth, centre of unbroken praise, Christ our brother, christianity, compassion, condemnation, death, destroy religion, dividing asunder of soul and spirit, drive the dark of doubt away, expressions of common Christian feelings, faith, fellowship, fill us with the light of day, flowing fountain, full of compassion, giver of immortal gladness, giving and forgiving, God of glory, God of Love, God's Unsearchable Greatness, great is the Lord, greatly to be praised, hearts unfold like flowers before thee, Henry van Dyke, his greatness is unsearchable, holy spirit, hope, Hymn of Joy, I will extol thee my God, immeasurable love, in the midst of strife, Jesus Christ, joy, joy is still flooding the land, Joyful joyful we adore thee, light, LOVE, melt the clouds of sin and darkness, mercy, no creature is hidden from God's sight, not afraid, ode to joy, of great mercy, one generation shall praise thy works to another, opening to the sun above, overthrow the kingdom of God, raise our praise level, raise the roof, restoration, revolution on earth, salvation, selfless sacrifices, sharper than any twoedged sword, singing bird, slow to anger, stars and angels sing around thee, Sunday after Christmas, sweet sacrifices of song, teach us, the inner recesses of man's mind, the Lord is good to all, the Lord is gracious, the prince of darkness, the truth of science, the Word of God is quick, they saints shall bless thee, to love each other, trust, truth, unable to hide from God, ungodly times, victors, wellspring of the joy of living, wisdom, you bring us joy
Psalm 145:3. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: and his greatness is unsearchable (beyond our understanding).
And it’s the Sunday after Christmas, but the joy is still flooding the land in glorious celebration of our Lord and Saviour’s miraculous and wonderful birth! And all God’s people said a joyful and most grateful; ‘Thank You Lord for the gift of Jesus at that Christmas so long ago! It’s really been the beginning of the best gift you’ve given us, after our initial breath of life; the birth of a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord! And consequently, from Him and His sinless, selfless sacrifices flows the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, the wonderful option of salvation and eternal life!
And we’re oh so sorry for those who refuse to accept that marvellous option of Light and LOVE that you have provided and foolishly prefer to hob knob with the prince of darkness, and thus endure eventual separation from you, our most wonderful Creator and God. And the amazing point is that you did not have to give us that option of escaping from our sinless lives and the eventual death it causes, but you simply did it out of your immeasurable, unconditional LOVE for us, your most important creation. And for that we sincerely thank you each and every day…in Jesus’ name. Amen!’
And now, having offered up a prayer of praise and thanksgiving, let’s raise the roof of heaven with sweet sacrifices of song, singing that marvellous ‘Hymn of Joy’ – better known as ‘Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee.’ It’s based on a poem written by Henry van Dyke in 1907 with the intention of musically setting it to the famous “Ode to Joy” melody of the final movement of Ludwig van Beethoven’s final symphony, Symphony No. 9. And is it ever a most appropriate song of worship for this particular Christmas season when our lives are flooded with joy at Christ’s birth.
So, in a sweet, scintillating up-tempo version of the Hymn of Joy…let’s sing: ‘Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of LOVE; Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee, Op’ning to the sun above. Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; Drive the dark of doubt away; Giver of immortal gladness, Fill us with the light of day!
All Thy works with joy surround Thee, Earth and heav’n reflect Thy rays, Stars and angels sing around Thee, Center of unbroken praise. Field and forest, vale and mountain, Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea, Singing bird and flowing fountain Call us to rejoice in Thee. Thou art giving and forgiving, Ever blessing, ever blest, Wellspring of the joy of living, Ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother, All who live in LOVE are Thine; Teach us how to LOVE each other, Lift us to the joy divine. Mortals, join the happy chorus, Which the morning stars began; Father LOVE is reigning o’er us; Brother LOVE binds man to man. Ever singing, march we onward, Victors in the midst of strife, Joyful music leads us Sunward In the triumph song of life. You bring us joy, joy, joy, We adore thee…You bring us joy, joy, joy!’
Oh friends, does the Lord our God and Saviour, ever bring us joy! The greatest joy that there is to offer, salvation and eternal life! And did we ever light up heaven with our heartfelt sincerity and joy as we sang that wonderful hymn! And this commentary gives the song its rightful pips: ‘This hymn is generally considered by hymnologists to be one of the most joyous expressions of hymn lyrics in the English language.’ And we certainly cannot argue with that.
But now, on a different note, let’s consider what the song is really about? As another commentary tells us, the author Van Dyke wrote thus of this hymn. ‘These verses are simple expressions of common Christian feelings and desires in this present time—hymns of today that may be sung together by people who know the thought of the age, and are not afraid that any truth of science will destroy religion, or any revolution on earth overthrow the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, this is a hymn of trust and joy and hope.’
Wow! And that it certainly is! I like how the author expresses that we Christians will not be afraid that scientific knowledge will destroy religious beliefs, neither will earthly revolutions overthrow the kingdom of God! Because they are both indestructible! Remember what the Bible says about God and His Word?
‘For the word of God is quick (living, alive), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts (able to judge) and intents (intentions) of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in (hidden from) his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do (must give account to).’ (Heb. 4:12-13)
Yes friends, the Bible, the Word of God is not an ordinary book, it is alive and kicking, so powerful that it reaches into the inner recesses of man’s mind to discern his thoughts and intentions. Or, as this commentary so aptly puts it: ‘God’s Word can penetrate through all the layers of impurity and get to the true central issues of life. In line with this conception, we can see that the Bible truly has two edges: condemnation and restoration.’ And I certainly could not have declared that truth any better.
What we must also remember is that God’s eyes see us as though we’re naked, thus we’re unable to hide from Him behind any foolish excuse or pretence. But getting back to our hymn, it’s basically a song of praise to our great God, to His LOVING-KINDNESS towards us, who don’t deserve one iota of it. And there are so many scriptures on praising God, especially in the Psalms, that we can spend the whole day researching them and still not be done. (smile) However, we’ll close with some verses of this psalm of praise from Bruh David, titled, ‘God’s Unsearchable Greatness.’
Please offer praise with me: ‘I will extoll (praise) thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: and his greatness is unsearchable (beyond our understanding). One generation shall praise thy works to another, and declare thy mighty acts… The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee.’ (Ps. 145: 1-4; 8-10)
Yes my fellow saints, that is only a little of the great and constant praise our God deserves, and what we are required to give to Him, if we are true believers. So, without further ado, let’s ramp up our praise level nuh, like we so badly need to do in these evil and ungodly times. Much LOVE!
…true joy…which is of the soul…can only be attained…when Jesus Christ is your Lord and Saviour…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a successful Christian life, approve things that are excellent, as sheep in the midst of wolves, autumn, be not wise in thine own eyes, between truth and lies, Bible, blessed with rain, Christian, christianity, depart from evil, discernment, do what is pleasing to you, faith, fear the Lord, filled with the fruits of righteousness, foolishness, give me true discernment, god, he shall direct thy paths, holy spirit, hurry, I send you forth, in all judgement, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in god's eyes, in knowledge and discernment, in preparation for winter, Jesus Christ, lean not unto your own understanding, LOVE, morally excellent, more and more, more and more in knowledge, Prayers through the Ages, reject whatever is evil in your eyes, share His love, shedding leaves, spiritually sound decisions, the ability to distinguish between right and wrong, the acquisition of knowledge, the beloved of God, the best solution to pursue, the fruits of righteousness, the glory and praise of God, the goodness and mercy of God, the natural man, the sun's on vacation, the things of the Spirit, this I pray, Thomas a Kempis, till the day of Christ, to judge rightly between things that differ, to know what is worth knowing, to love what is worth loving, to make wise decisions, to praise what delights you most, to values what is precious, trust, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, understanding, ungodly times, who hath known the mind of the Lord, wisdom, wisdom is an applying process, without offence, without the life there is no living, without the truth there is no knowing, without the way there is no going, worry, your love may abound
Philippians 1:9. And this I pray, that your LOVE may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement (discernment);
Ah friends, sorry for the lateness of the Bit, but the ole fella went to bed pretty late this morning and the lulling qualities of the early morning rain kept him abed longer than expected. (smile) Yes, at long last we’ve been blessed with some rain! The sun’s not shining, apparently it’s gone on vacation after such a long spell with us, leaving the day cloudy and dark, as the trees finally grasp that autumn’s truly here and quickly begin shedding their leaves, in preparation for a long, cold, lonely winter.
And I guess we humans should also start preparing for that eventual season. (smile) But today, we won’t worry about winter, for we have the goodness and mercy of God to see us through anything. However, we want to share an interesting prayer from a Pamphlet put out by the Anglican Diocese of Toronto, called ‘Prayers through the Ages,’ highlighting prayers that our ancestors have offered up during the earlier days of Christianity. Today’s prayer comes from the medieval era, from German-Dutch Catholic canon Thomas à Kempis, (1380-1471).
So please pray with me: ‘Grant to me, O Lord, to know what is worth knowing, to LOVE what is worth LOVING, To praise what delights you most, To value what is precious to you, And to reject whatever is evil in your eyes. Give me true discernment, so that I may judge rightly between things that differ. Above all, may I search out and do what is pleasing to you; Through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.’ Now, that’s a simple, but very thoughtful prayer, seeking to know and do what pleases our God; in other words, seeking that most important lesson of discernment, which so many of us so badly need but sadly lack in these turbulent and ungodly times.
Yes my fellow believers, with all the mind boggling information floating around today, it’s difficult to know what is true and what’s not, as well as what is right and what’s wrong, and the only place to find that discernment is through Christ Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, who keeps reminding us that ‘I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) That means to ever access the things of heaven here on earth, and heaven itself eventually, one must go through Jesus Christ.
And this quote from Thomas à Kempis puts those words of Jesus in a most interesting light. He says: ‘Without the way, there is no going; without the truth, there is no knowing; without the life, there is no living.’ And that’s the awesome truth! If you don’t know the way to go, you cannot go. Likewise, if you don’t know the truth, you don’t really know anything; and if there’s no life, then obviously there cannot be any living! And that’s why discernment is so very important in this evil and topsy-turvy world.
And what’s discernment, you ask? In it’s most basic form, discernment, in Biblical parlance, is the ability to distinguish between right and wrong, truth and falsehood, and to make wise and spiritually sound decisions. And there are many scriptures which deal with this most important subject, that’s possibly a blend between wisdom and understanding. But before we get into some scriptures on the subject of discernment, here is some interesting info on wisdom and understanding that I have written down, gotten from where I don’t remember, (smile) but which does enlighten us on those two important topics.
It says: ‘Understanding is based on the acquisition of knowledge. Wisdom is an applying process. Understanding tells us what’s happening. Wisdom tells us why it’s happening. Understanding gives us the facts. Wisdom tells us what to do with those facts, what solution is best to pursue.’ And though that sounds somewhat confusing, if you spend a few moments and think about it, you’ll find that it’s all absolutely true; wisdom and understanding allows us to collect the facts of a situation, then make the wisest decision based on those facts.
Now let’s look a few scriptures that preach or teach discernment. And I guess the best one comes from Cousin Sol’s famous words in Proverbs, that we all know, but don’t always put into practice. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord and depart from evil.’ (Prov. 3:5-7) That’s the best way to get discernment my people! Totally trusting God and turning to Him in every matter, on every occasion, is the surest way to know what decisions to make.
Then in 1 Corinthians, Bruh Paul writes: ‘But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.’ (1 Cor. 2:14-16) In other words, the Holy Spirit, which indwells all believers, is the One who gives believers the ability to discern spiritual truths, whereby we can know truth from lies and right from wrong. However, the unbeliever cannot discern spiritual things, because they don’t have the Holy Spirit indwelling them.
Meanwhile, to the Philippians, Bruh Paul writes it thus: ‘And this I pray, that your LOVE may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement (discernment); That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.’ (Phil. 1:9-11) And as the scholars explain, that basically means Bruh Paul ‘hopes that as the Philippians LOVE increases in knowledge and discernment (vs. 9) they will be able to accurately distinguish the vital and worthwhile things in life from those that are not.’
Another commentary explains: ‘Here, discernment is linked to LOVE, knowledge, and pursuing what is morally excellent.’ And that’s exactly what Jesus expects from all of His followers. And we’ll close with this last quote from Christ Himself on the travails of discipleship. ‘Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore as wise as serpents, and harmless (innocent ) as doves.’ (Matt. 10:16) The scholars tell us, that means ‘a cautious wisdom was necessary in order to deal with the fierce opposition that the disciples would face.’
And the truth is that we’re still facing fierce opposition as we work for Christ, but we do have the tools to handle it, if we pick them up and use it. That’s where our problem lies; not using the tools we have. Anyway, let’s hope that what we’ve said to day will give us a wake up call and get us going in the right direction, with diligence and steadfast faith. Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, we are duty bound 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!
…without discernment from the Holy Spirit…one cannot live a successful Christian life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: after that ye have suffered a while, all that glistens is not gold, and forget not all his benefits, as a roaring lion, as far as the east is from the west, baubles and bangles, be sober, be vigilant, Bible, bless the LOrd o my soul, blessing, both thou and thy seed may live, called us unto his eternal glory, callous and cruel world, casting all your care upon him, choose life, christianity, crowns thee with loving-kindness, cursing, death, deepen my breath, don't save earthly treasures, faith, forget not all his benefits, forgives thine iniquities, God's awesome presence, God's benefits, heals all thy diseases, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, I may know you all the more, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, keep God first place in our lives, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, life, LOVE, make you perfect, mercy, moth and rust doth corrupt, quiet my soul, redeems thy life from destruction, relax my muscles, relax my musclesslow my thoughts, satisfies thy mouth with good things, save up treasures in heaven, seeking whom he may devour, showers us with undeserved blessings, so far has God removed our transgressions, steadfast resit in the faith, tender mercies, thank you for this tenderness, the God of all grace, the real McCoy, the sinful pleasures of Satan, thieves break through and steal, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, to him be glory and dominion, trust, truth, walking on air, walks about, wisdom, wisdom in spades, your adversary the devil, your love both surrounds and fills me, your unceasing nearness
Psalm 103:2. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
At last it’s our lazy-day Saturday, where we can do as we please; laze about or work hard about the house… Hn! Work hard… Not likely! It’s a day to just take things easy; to contemplate life; to consider our future in terms of our present. Although even that sounds too difficult to do today. (smile) One thing we’re going to do for sure though, is to send up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer to heaven.
So, as one sincere voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And what more can you ask on a lazy-day than the Lord’s awesome presence in abundance eh? Nothing! Because it makes us feel light and refreshed, like we’re walking on air, we can’t do any wrong! (smile) But how can we with the Lord’s presence so strong in us eh? No way! And it’s sad that more of us don’t seek the Lord and a greater showing of His presence in our lives. Oh, how that would alleviate much of the pain and suffering that so many of us experience in this cold, callous and cruel world. But for whatever reason, too many of God’s creation shy away from Him, and thus lose the many benefits of His LOVING presence.
And we see a handful of those benefits from Bruh David’s writings in Psalm 103: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgives all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-kindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:1-5)
Oh my people, just look at the many benefits we get from associating with, from staying close to Almighty God! Why then would we ever want to go astray from His wonderful fold eh, when there’s no one, or nothing else that can offer us those marvellous and miraculous benefits? Let’s look a li’l closer at those wonderful benefits nuh. And the first one is indeed a major benefit, one that no one else can provide: ‘Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;’
Yes friends, can you imagine any other supposed God, even Satan doing that? No way! But the Lord Jehovah sent His One Son down to earth to die on our behalf, so that our sins could be forgiven. And furthermore, as Bruh David says later on in the psalm: ‘As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.’ (Ps. 103:12)
And for that mighty deliverance, done from an heart of everlasting, unconditional LOVE, all the world should be shouting a loud and grateful ‘Praise God for His undeserving goodness to the sinful children of men!’ But, unfortunately, only a small portion of us are doing that wise and godly thing.
Then there’s this other marvellous benefit from knowing and being in close contact with God; ‘who healeth all thy diseases;’ Wow! What more can we ask eh my brethren; a kind, LOVING and compassionate God who forgives our sins, heals us and showers down undeserved blessings on us? And don’t forget that He satisfies our mouths and stomachs with good things that renew our strength like the eagles do!
Why then are we so stupid and foolish to fall for the deceptive, sinful pleasures of the evil one eh? Pleasures that only last a short while and which gets us into trouble with God. Satan does NOTHING good for us, because his total purpose is to keep us on the outs with Almighty God. And the sad part is that the stuff he offers is not even good stuff, not even the real thing, but ofttimes faked. Remember, all that glistens is not gold, and that’s where Satan exceeds; in the glittering gold-like or gold plated stuff. But with Jehovah God, we get the real stuff.
And remember what Jesus said about laying up earthly treasures; because moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin) them, and where thieves break through and steal:’ (Matt. 6:19) But the wise plan is to lay up treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through and steal.’ (Matt. 6:20) And we do that by keeping God first place in our lives and ignoring Satan and his evil deeds and pleasures as much as possible.
But it’s not easy, however, as Peter so wisely instructs us, we ought to: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt thee in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom steadfast resist in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world.’ (2 Pet. 5:6-9)
Yes my people, Satan likes to play games with our lives, but if we hold steadfast to our faith in Christ Jesus, we will defeat him most of the time. And as Peter assures us: ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (2 Pet. 5:10-11)
Oh my fellow saints, being a true Christian in this corrupt and evil world was never, and will never be easy, but if we put our trust and faith in Jesus Christ, then we will have all the tools necessary to defeat the devil and his evil cronies and live the good and abundant life down here on God’s great earth, that Jesus died for us to have. It’s all up to us, whether we take Almighty God seriously or not. However, please let’s be wise and do as Moses asked the Israelites long ago, when he placed life and death before them, as well as blessing and cursing, and then advised them ‘therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19)
Yes my brethren….that’s wisdom in spades! Please, let’s follow it for the sake of our children’s children! Much LOVE!
…Satan’s baubles and bangles are all fake…but God’s are the real thing…the real McCoy…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
31 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a greater presence of God in our lives, a man after God's heart, a modicum of circumspection, a new yearning for God, all these things shall be added unto you, as the hart panteth after the water brooks, Bible, Christian witness, christianity, deepen my breath, early will I seek thee, entitled life, eternal life, faith, for the living God, god, goodness, hate, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, in a dry and thirsty land, increase my awareness of you, Jesus Christ, labour day weekend, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, light of the world, LOVE, made for a time such as this, mercy, my lips shall praise thee, my soul shall be satisfied, my soul thirsteth for god, O God thou art my God, praise thee with joyful lips, proliferating darkness of the world, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, ruling the roost, salt of the earth, salvation, seek ye the kingdom of God, selfless sacrifice, slow my thoguhts, so panteth my soul after thee O God, spiritual renewal, thanksgiving, the believer's thirst for God, thy loving-kindness is better than life, thy right hand upholdeth me, trust, truth, warms the cockles of God's heart, wisdom, with marrow and fatness, your love surrounds and fills me
Psalm 42:1. As the hart panteth after (the deer longs for) the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
Well, it’s the last day of August 2024! Just imagine that nuh; the summer holidays done and over with…but we still have the whole long Labour Day weekend to cavort about and get in some last minute flings. (smile) But remember, a modicum of circumspection is always the best advice in those rushed circumstances. And this lazy-day Saturday seems to be tailor-made for laziness. (smile) It’s damp and cloudy, after a big thunderstorm last night, and there might even be some more rain later in the day. But right now the sun is making a valiant effort to overcome the dark clouds that insist on holding it up.
In the meanwhile, while we enjoy a lazy Saturday morning, there’s nothing better than offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. So as one sincere voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
Now that’s the best kind of prayer we can ever pray; asking for a greater presence of the Lord in our lives and desiring to know Him better than we already do. Because there’s nothing the Lord appreciates more than His people wanting to have a closer association with, and knowledge of Him. That kind of prayer warms the cockles of His heart and He immediately answers it. That’s why we’re now feeling the increased warmth, the LOVE, the glowing presence of our God moving in our souls and spirits.
And that mind frame just reminded me of these yearning words of the Sons of Korah from Psalm 42. ‘As the hart panteth after (the deer longs for) the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’ (Ps. 42:1-2) Yes friends, that’s the kind of hunger and thirst we ought to have for our God, the One True Living God, Jehovah! For all that we are, everything we have, comes from, is derived from Him.
Obviously Bruh David was of the same mind, for although He was running from Saul in the wilderness of Judah, he nonetheless longed for the Lord; for spiritual renewal with thanksgiving and trust. Listen to how he puts in in Psalm 63. ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen (looked for) thee in the sanctuary. Because thy LOVING-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.’ (Ps. 63:1-4)
Now that’s how we ought to feel about our great and LOVING God, my people! And some might say that Bruh David was laying it on somewhat thick because He was out in the wilderness suffering, but we all know that from a youth, out in the fields as a shepherd, he was always entranced by and calling out to God. As these other verses testify. ‘My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow (the best) and fatness (abundance); and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. My soul followeth hard after (close behind) thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.’ (Ps. 63.5-8)
Yuh see what happens when we keep God first place in our hearts and souls. He helps us, and when further tough times come, we can remember that earlier help and not be afraid, but rejoice that the Lord will help us again. And that’s why Bruh David enjoyed so much of God’s goodness in his life. He never strayed far from Him, always kept Him at the forefront of his mind. And that’s how we supposed believers in Christ Jesus ought to behave. As Jesus so wisely advised: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
And we see that in Bruh David’s life. He kept God first place and the Lord made him the greatest king that Israel ever had. His life was not easy, but the rewards were certainly worth it. And anyway, after he became king, most of his trouble came from his own doing. The Lord could have certainly demoted him to a lowly servant for his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah, but He knew that Bruh David’s heart was right, that’s why He could call him a friend, and a man after His own heart. (1 Sam. 13:14)
And that basically means Bruh David valued the things of God, and generally walked with a heart filled with faith, LOVE and repentance. Now that’s what we ought also to be doing in these very troubled and critical times, because that’s why God has us here at this particular time. We were made for a time such as this; to show forth God’s praise and glory, His goodness and mercy, and challenge others to come to Him in faith and receive salvation and eternal life! We’re not here just to live the good, comfortable, entitled life, as so many of us insist on doing.
No, we need to be sacrificing some for Jesus and those who don’t know Him, and will thus lose out on His selfless sacrifice on their behalf. That’s what Jesus expects of those who call themselves, Christians, or His followers. But unfortunately we’re not doing enough good Christian witness, otherwise the world would not be in as sorry a state as it currently is. Hate, and not LOVE, is ruling the roost.
We’re not being the true salt of the earth and the light of the world as Jesus desires. Sadly, our salt has lost its flavour, and our light has been dimmed by the proliferating darkness of this ungodly world. That means we’re not seeking God and His presence in our lives as much as we ought to. But please, let’s try and turn that around with a new yearning for our Creator, so that we can do a better job, and thus leave our children’s children a better world. Much LOVE!
…the believer’s thirst for God…is not as dire as it ought to be…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundance, according to his excellent greatness, afraid, all things work together for good, at the hand of God, Bible, called according to His purpose, christianity, climate change, courage, creativity, Creator, curse, divine protection, duty bound, faith, faults and foibles, generously share our blessings, god, god of all comfort, God will help us fix whatever is wrong, help me understand everything in my heart, in the firmament of his power, In Touch Devotional, Jesus Christ, let everything that hath breath praise the Lord, LOVE, mercy, negative word, not receive evil, praise God in his sanctuary, praise him for his mighty acts, Praise the Lord, Praise ye the Lord, promotion, prosper and succeed, receive us with loving arms, shall we receive good, shout Hallelujah, supernatural wisdom, sustainer, talent, the Great God Jehovah, Thursday Blessings, to them that love God, true believers in Christ, trust, truth, upon the loud cymbals, what I'm afraid to see, what I've never noticed, what is pure and good, what's holding me back, wisdom, with stringed instruments and organs, you'll never leave me to face anything alone, your truth sets me free
Psalm 150:6. Let every thing that hath breath, praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah).
Sorry Friends, but today, Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week, doesn’t look like it will live up to the summer image of the last few days, sunny and warm. In fact, it’s been forecasted to be somewhat cool and cloudy. And though we’d like every day of the summer season to be seasonally summer, (smile) we know that’s not always possible, especially with the vagaries of climate change, it’s unpredictable, unexpected behaviour.
And furthermore, since we are true believers in Christ Jesus, we understand as Job says to his wife: ‘What? shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive (accept) evil (calamity)?’ (Job 2:10) That’s a very good question my people, but we can accept the tough things that will happen in this life to all of us, because we also believe these words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28)
Yes, in the long run, eventually, our great God will work everything out for our good, so we don’t have to worry too much about what happens in our daily lives. And here’s a prayer that can certainly help us to reduce our anxieties as we go about God’s business. It’s the prayer from the In Touch Devotional for this month.
So please pray with me: ‘God, sometimes I feel stuck and hesitate to talk to you about it. Maybe I’m afraid of what You’ll say. Give me the courage to pray these words: Father, help me understand everything in my heart – what is pure and good, what’s holding me back, what I’ve never noticed, and what I’m afraid to see. Help me remember Your truth sets me free and you’ll never leave me to face anything alone. I trust You, God of all comfort. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Oh friends, is there ever a lot of truth and reassurance in that simple prayer! And by the way, we don’t need courage to go to God, just faith and trust, because we know He’s made it so we can come to Him at any time with anything. Even when we’re so low down, we believe we cannot get any lower, all we have to do is turn to him and pour out our hearts, for He will understand and receive us with LOVING arms.
Remember, the Lord created us and He knows all of our faults and foibles, so nothing we do or happens to us, is news to Him. He just desires us to come to Him with all of our problems, be they big or small, because He enjoys taking an active part in our lives… all parts of them. So whatever is holding us back today, let’s go to God and pour it our to him. He LOVES to listen to us, and will help us fix what ever is wrong.
And as the prayer says, His truth sets us free, and He’ll NEVER leave us to face anything alone, because He’s a most faithful and trustworthy God, of LOVE, comfort, peace and joy! And all God’s children gave out a loud and grateful shout of ‘Praise the Lord! Praise Him for his goodness and mercy to the undeserving children of men!’ And that just dovetails right into these amazing words of praise from Psalm 150. So let’s get right into it:
‘Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah). Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power (his mighty heavens). Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet (cornet): praise him with the psaltery (lute or lyre) and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath, praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah).’ (Ps. 150. 1-6)
And isn’t that the god-awesome truth! Everything that has breath ought to praise the Lord, their Creator and Sustainer! Shout Hallelujah to Him in His high heaven and give Him thanks and praise for the marvellousness of His great creation; heaven and earth, the seas, and all that therein is!
What an amazing God we serve my people! One who can do any and everything. Just look at how His creation earth, heaven, the seas, Mother Nature run, like clockwork, without any help. Who else can create such an amazing entity eh? No One but the great God Jehovah, he of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! That’s why we ought to worship and praise him with all of our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, for without Him, we’re nothing!
And although we don’t deserve His awesome generosity, He still bestows it on us, for example in what we call our Thursday Blessings, given to help do His earthly work. So, let’s activate them now by declaring (chuh!!!) them. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (yesss!!!) we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings in the same generous manner to help others less fortunate. Much LOVE!
…there’s only ONE TRUE GOD…JEHOVAH…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, a generous God, a second wind, always wants something for nothing, as to the Lord and not unto men, ask, Bible, boost our spirits, but one receiveth the prize, Christ - the answer to everything, Christian performance, christianity, courage, do God's will, do it heartily, endure to the end, enjoy the fruits of life, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, finished my course, for God so loved the world, grace, greedy. selfish, halfway home, hands on the plough, hath nothing, he gave his only begotten son, hearken unto you, I have fought a good fight, I know the thoughts I think toward you, it shall be given you, it shall be opened, Jesus Christ, kept the faith, knock, LOVE, mercy, not a doting grandfather, not looking back, obedience to God's will, pray unto me, provisos to God's promises, salvation, search for me with all your heart, seek, seek me and find me, should not perish but have everlasting life, sit on our lazy fannies, so run that ye may obtain, thank God, the breath of life, the soul of the diligent shall be made fat, the soul of the sluggard desireth, they which run in a race run all, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to a glorious future with Jesus, to give you an expected end, trust, truth, wallowing in the mire, Wednesday Wail, whatsoever ye do, whosoever believeth in him, wisdom, without lifting a finger, without rhyme or reason, ye serve the Lord Christ, ye shall find, ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance
1 Corinthians 9:24b. So run, that ye may obtain.
Here comes Wednesday, our mid-week work day, with the promise of a second wind and thus better things, or rather, better Christian performance from us supposed believers. And isn’t that good news? It surely is! For any improvement in our Christian lifestyle is welcome because it gives more credence to Christ’s gospel. And today we’ll look at some scripture promises that will inspire us to do better And there’s no better scripture to begin with than this one where the Lord clearly spells it out through the prophet Jeremiah.
‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) Now friends, that’s a scripture we all know, but do we use it to boost our spirits, our courage and trust in the Lord? Possibly not as much as we should. But the Lord is saying loud and clear that He has a good future in store for us, if we will only do His will. And yes, it all comes down to doing the Lord’s will. He’s not going to hand out blessings and such to those who refuse to obey Him…although some of us seem to think so.
And ofttimes there are provisos to God’s promises – like if you do this, I’ll do that, or I’ll do that, when you do this. And this is one such case, as the Lord expands on the promise of a future and a hope. ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen ) to you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13) And that’s very understandable, for we do the very same thing when others come to us asking for help, we look for some sincerity and a promise that we won’t be deceived.
So why can’t the Lord, the Creator of the earth and all therein do likewise eh? The problem is that we’re just greedy and selfish and always want something for nothing. But that doesn’t work, especially with our heavenly Father. Oh, He’ll give us oodles of things we don’t deserve, for He’s a most generous God, but He must see some obedience and a light burning in our hearts for Him. Nothing different to our human behaviour.
Then there are these words of promise from Jesus: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7:7-8) There you have it again friends, a great promise, but we have to do something to claim it.
We cannot expect to have all the good things thrown in our lap without any involvement on our part. Life just doesn’t work that way, although some of us seem to think that we can just sit on our lazy, entitled fannies and enjoy the fruits of life, without even lifting a finger. And that’s why so many of us are just wallowing in the mire of this evil world, lost and alone, with no real future or hope.
And yuh know, even God’s greatest gift, that of salvation, comes with something for us to do. Listen as Jesus spells it out for us. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) Yes my people, to get everlasting life all you have to do is believe, simply believe.
But there are many of us who refuse to believe but expect to receive everlasting life. No way! Our God is great and good and kind and LOVING and all those wonderful things, but He’s definitely not a doting grandfather who just throws goodies at us without rhyme or reason., although that’s what many of us think, or believe, or expect.
And in accordance with all that we’ve said, here’s this pearl of wisdom from Cousin Sol. ‘The soul of the sluggard (lazy) desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat (rich).’ (Prov. 13:4) It’s oh so simple and straightforward my people; the lazy will die in poverty, while those who make a diligent effort will prosper! And that’s all the Lord is asking of us; to make a diligent effort in living for Him. It’s all up to us, the goodness of His grace and mercy are waiting for us to come and get them, they certainly won’t come to us without some effort on our part.
Then there’s this great promise from Bruh Paul to the Philippians: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) And that’s the gospel truth, but we also have a part to play; belief and obedience to God’s will! And these words of Bruh Paul to the Corinthians tells us of how it should be. ‘Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.’ (1 Cor. 9:24)
Yes friends, the only way we will ever obtain what’s been promised to us is if we RUN! Not dawdle or take our time, but RUN towards what’s been promised to us! Or as Bruh Paul says to Timothy: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith.’ (2 Tim .4:7) And how do we do that? By following this basic but very wise advice to the Colossians: ‘And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.’ (Col. 3:23-24)
Oh my fellow believers sincerely living for Christ means serving and doing, not just sitting on our laurels and expecting stuff to fall into our laps. So let’s wake up and get going nuh, show the world some serious action on Christ’s behalf! And we’ll begin that action right now, by going home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful 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 if we endure to the very end with Jesus, then He’s promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, hoping to see you there! Much LOVE!
…running to, and for Christ…is the answer to everything…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a peace that passes all understanding, a personal journey with God, a true christian life, abide in his love, above that ye are able, anointing, as the day follows the night, be able to endure it, be of good courage, blessed assurance, called thee by name, duty bound, even as I have kept my Father's commandments, faith, fear not, getting through to the other side with God, God is faithful, God will come to our rescue, God's never late, grace, he shall strengthen thine heart, hope, hurry, I am the beloved of god, I have redeemed thee, I will be with thee, if ye keep my commandments, in god's eyes, in the face of adversity, Jesus Christ, lay not up treasures on earth, lay up treasures in heaven, LOVE, lustful eyes, make a way to escape, many are the afflictions of the righteous, marinating in our hearts, moth and rust doth corrupt, necessary ingredients, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee, no temptation has overtaken you, nothing is impossible with God, obedience, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, share His love with my neighbours, such as is common to man, suffer you to be tempted, the Holy One of Israel, the Lord delivereth him out of them all, the sinless blood of Christ, the transformative power of faith, the way the cookie crumbles, they shall not overflow thee, thieves break through and steal, thou art mine, thou shalt not be burned, through the rivers, to our detriment, troublesome Monday, trust, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wait on the Lord, walk the talk, walkest through the fire, when thou passest through the waters, where your treasure is there will be your heart also, wisdom, worry, ye shall abide in my love
Isaiah 43:2a. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee;
And so, without any due notice or welcoming applause, we come to Tuesday, which follows Monday, just like the day follows the night and vice versa! (smile) But most likely, we’ve breathed a huge sigh of relief that we’ve gotten through troublesome Monday, and fallen into much easier Tuesday. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles. But the wonderful thing about it all, is that we believers have Jesus to backstop all our doubts and fears, so even when circumstances don’t look so good, we don’t need to worry, but call up scriptures like this one from the wise words of Bruh David: ‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.’ (Ps. 34:19)
And with those words of blessed assurance steeping, marinating in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, we can then stand strong in faith with a good attitude, and do what Bruh David so wisely advises: ‘Wait (patiently in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (patiently in faith), I say on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14) That’s marvellous advice friends, although it’s not always easy to put into action, because oftentimes we feel as though our world is just being torn apart and there’s no time to wait, an instant remedy is required. But please have no fear, for in good time, His time, our amazing and faithful God will come to our rescue.
As Bruh Paul says to the church at Corinth: ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13) Yes friends, our great God will either make a way for us to escape the tough circumstances, or give us the strength, the grace, the anointing to go through it with a calm peace that passes all understanding.
And, one more very important thing: He won’t be late. No! God’s NEVER late! And I can testify to that, because so often in my own life, when I’ve thought that all was lost, I’ve seen Him show up just at the right time. Sometimes He waits until the very last moment to show up, because He’s testing our faith, to see if we will actually walk the talk that we’ve been spewing out to others. And why would He not rescue us, or at least give us the strength to go through our problems after He’s made promises like this one.
‘But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon (scorch) thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee (in thy place). (Is. 43:1-3)
Yes friends, that’s all the gospel truth, for the Lord our God has certainly redeemed us, bought us with a price, the sinless blood of Christ, which means we are indeed His! And we’ve seen examples of His people passing through the waters on dry ground through the Red Sea to escape the army of Egypt, (Ex. 14:19-31) and the rivers, where they passed through the River Jordan and it did not overflow them. (Josh. 3) And we all know the famous story of the three young Hebrew men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who refused to bow to the idol made by the king of Babylon and were thrown into the furnace, heated seven times hotter than normal, yet they came out alive, not even smelling of smoke. (Dan. 3)
Wow! What a powerful and faithful God we serve my brethren! Remember, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH HIM! But He seeks faith and trust in those who claim to believe, and consequently tests us by allowing unfortunate stuff to happen to us, like passing through the waters. And what does passing through the waters really mean? Listen to these two commentaries on the subject. The first one says: ‘Isaiah 43:2 is a verse that calls for a personal journey with God, where trust in His divine promise leads us to discover our own strength and resilience. In essence, the heartfelt message of Isaiah 43:2 is about the transformative power of faith in the face of adversity.’ No doubt about that!
And the second tells us re Isaiah 43:3-5. ‘Another thought about “when you pass through the waters”: this phrase implies getting through to the other side with God. Whether it ends with resolving a problem here or taking us home to heaven, God will be with those who LOVE Him and whom He LOVES.’ And you can bet your bottom dollar on that my people! God will ALWAYS be with those He LOVES, and those who LOVE Him! As Jesus said to the disciples: ‘If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my LOVE; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his LOVE!’ John 15:10)
Yuh see friends, it’s all about obedience and doing the will of God! You cannot expect God to bless you while you are constantly ignoring Him and doing the will of Satan. And yuh know, that’s all the Lord really desires of us, obedience. But we allow the bright and shiny baubles and bangles of the world to dazzle our lustful eyes and thus turn away from God, all to our certain detriment. That’s a fool’s wisdom my people! For even if you acquire all of the world’s wealth, you cannot carry one iota of it with you when you die, regardless of if you make your bed in heaven or in hell.
For as Jesus so wisely advises: ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth doth corrupt (ruin) and rust, where thieves break through and steal: But lay up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:19:21) More gospel truth and wise advice my fellow believers. Instead Jesus gives this wise and heartfelt advice as to what we should do. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
Now, Jesus doesn’t have cause to lie, like Satan does, so it’s wise and sensible to believe Him. And for those of us who have been wise and sensible, and have believed Jesus, (smile) let’s go home declaring 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 made that declaration, (yesss!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…trust, faith, hope, obedience and LOVE…all necessary ingredients for a true Christian life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a facade, a mistaken sense of entitlement, all should come to repentance, all things are in God's hands, anathema to the soul, belief, better than the proud in spirit, Bible, boundaries, busy lives, christianity, count it all joy, do our duty, faith, fall into divers temptations, forgiveness, god, grace, he that is slow to wrath, hurry, I am the beloved of god, I pray for patience, in god's eyes, In Touch Devotional, it takes a whole village to raise a child, Jesus, Jesus Christ, knowing this, let patience have her perfect work, listens to a child's concerns, LOVE, mercy, moving away from God, no knowledge of God, no sense of responsibility, of great understanding, patience is better than pride, share His love with my neighbour, the hasty of spirit exalteth folly, the Lord is longsuffering to us=ward, the patient in spirit, the people in my life, the trying of your faith worketh patience, there is no rush, time for patience, trust, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, tv and social media raise children, wisdom, worry
James 1:3. Knowing this, that the trying (testing) of your faith worketh (produces) patience.
And then it was Tuesday, another warm and sunshiny summer’s day! We’ve left Monday far behind in our blazing path to glory in Jesus’ wonderful name! That means looking forward to another God-filled day down here on His chaotic but still beautiful creation called Planet Earth. And to be able to do all of that requires the believers in Christ Jesus to behave in a certain manner with certain boundaries that ought not to be crossed. However, since we’re all human, and thus tend to be sinful, selfish and rebellious, we need heavenly help to do our duty and stay within our boundaries.
And this prayer from the In Touch Devotional for July gives us a good sense of some of the things we need to concentrate on. So please pray with me: ‘God, I pray for patience today – the kind that sits with an anxious friend, waits for a spouse to come around, listens to a child’s concerns. Teach me to hold space for others – and myself. There’s always time to extend your grace and forgiveness. Let my stillness be a declaration. I believe in You and trust in Your care for the people and circumstances in my life. There is no rush when all things are in Your hands. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Ah friends, that li’l prayer holds so many truths of which so many of us need to be aware of and action in our overly busy, modern lives. Things like having patience, which in today’s world is anathema to the human soul. Many of us claim we can’t find time to sit with a hurting friend, and we certainly don’t want to wait for a spouse to understand our point of view. No! We expect them to come around right away. And one of our big problems is paying serious attention to our children and their concerns.
Too many parents in this modern technological and information age allow the television and social media to raise their children, and foolishly cater to their every whim and desire. Thus the children grow up to be selfish, with a mistaken sense of entitlement, and no sense whatsoever of responsibility, with little, if any knowledge of God and no true LOVE for each other. No wonder our children have turned out so badly! I remember the days when it was said that it took a whole village to raise a child, but nowadays all it takes is a Television set and the social media platforms.
All because we allow ourselves to fall into the false worldly trap of supposed busyness, then claim to have no time to look after the things and people we ought to be looking after. Oh my faithful believers, it’s all a façade of the world and the enemy. It’s only an empty storefront with nothing behind it, to keep us away from doing the things that God desires of us. If you ask the majority of us why we haven’t done so and so, the invariable answer would be, we’re too busy. But then, if you ask what we’ve been busy doing, the majority of us would be hard pressed to say exactly what we’ve been busy about. It’s just become a convenient cliche for avoiding stuff we don’t want to do.
And what do the scriptures tell us about Patience eh? Plenty! But we’ll only have time and space to consider a few, starting with this one from the wisest man ever, Cousin Sol, writing as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes. ‘Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.’ (Eccl. 7:8) And then in Proverbs, Cousin Sol wisely informs us: ‘He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit (impulsive) exalteth folly.’ (Prov. 14:29)
And what does all of that mean eh? Why is patience better than pride? Listen as this commentary explains. ‘Our pride, or ego, gives us many opportunities to be angry. According to this passage in Proverbs, “patience is better than pride.” What does that mean to us in everyday life? Simply that most of what makes us angry is foolishness and if we will just be patient most of these things will work themselves out.’
Ah friends, impatience is one of our biggest setbacks in this modern world. With all the quick technology we have nowadays, we expect everything to happen now for now, or even sometimes yesterday. Have you ever noticed that when when you log on to your computer and it doesn’t come up almost immediately, how aggrieved and wronged you feel? (smile) I do. And I’m not a child of this technological age. I grew up when things took time to happen. So if that li’l matter can call up impatience in me, what’s it liable to do to those who were born to all this quick technology?
Then there’s this perfect scripture on patience, where James writes: ‘My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (various trials); Knowing this, that the trying (testing) of your faith worketh (produces) patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire (complete), wanting (lacking) nothing.’ (James 1:2-4) And that’s the road to spiritual maturity, to having true patience, to persevere, to be longsuffering like the Lord. As 2 Peter says: ‘The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ (2 Pet. 3:9)
Yes friends, just as the Lord restrains Himself and allows us time to come to forgiveness, we likewise ought to offer our fellow man time to change, to improve. But the whole problem simply lies in our getting away, or moving away further and further from God, rather than closer to Him as this busy and ungodly society demands. And there are many more scriptures on patience, but they would make the Bit way too long to consider them today. (smile) So, if God spares life tomorrow, then we’ll consider some more.
Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) 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 made that declaration (yesss!!!) we are now duty bound 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!
…in God’s grace and mercy…there’s always room and time for patience…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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