01 Dec 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new flock of believers, before many witnesses, bring backsliders back to your fold, Christmas Season, coveted after money, crying out for help, divine help, erred from the faith, faith, fight the good fight of faith, first consider the consequences of our actions, Friday chant, FRiday Chant., godliness, hindsight is 20/20, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the reason for the season, keep Christ in Christmas, lay hold on eternal life, LOVE, material treasures, meekness, more than you sow and later than you sow, obedience to god, omnipotent help, our sinful world, pateince, professed a good profession, righteousness, shun the love of money, simmering unrest, spirutal treasures, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the daily struggle of life, the error of their ways, the LOVE of money, the root of all evil, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, wake u and smell the coffee, wisdom, wise guidance, you reap what you sow
1 Timothy 6:10. For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds) of evil;
Well friends, we might be shouting ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ on this first day of December 2023, but it’s not such a good day, because it’s wet and cloudy and miserable. It seems to be the kind of weather that just gets inside your soul and irritates it no end. (smile) However, many of us don’t care, because it’s Friday and the end of the work week, and we have all sorts of plans for the upcoming weekend as the Christmas Season gets into full swing. And is it ever a busy season; shopping for gifts for the friends and family, decorating the house and the yard, baking and cooking, the numerous things we do to get ready for Christmas.
But friends, allow me to include one word of caution; please, let’s remember the reason for the season, the birth of Christ! That’s why there’s a Christmas or holiday or whatever season you want to call it. We celebrate the incarnate birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and though it’s good to have all the worldly hoopla, we must not forget what brings us the joy, and focus on Jesus more than on the things the world considers important. It’s sad, but every year, less and less people are focusing on Jesus being the reason for Christmas and more on the holiday spirit, the shopping and decorating, baking and cooking, as the world exerts more ungodly influence over the traditional Christmas season.
But as true believers, let’s not allow Christ to be taken from Christmas, but to be more firmly planted and rooted there, as He ought to be! End of Sermon! (smile) And as I was going to ask what’s on the agenda for today, I opened the Bible and where do you think it opened to? These everlasting wise, interesting and encouraging words of Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds) of evil; which some have coveted after (for which some in their greediness), they have erred (strayed) from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.’ (1 Tim. 6:10)
And unfortunately, too many of us have done just that! But let’s get one thing straight, the LOVE of money is not the only source or root of evil, there are many others, but the LOVE of money is a prime one. For as Bruh Paul says above there, many have coveted after money, ‘striven after’ money as the goal of life, and have ended up in sorrows, in ruin, physically, spiritually and financially. And there’s no season like this Christmas one where money is ever so important, because if you don’t have it you can’t buy the things you believe you need.
Thus many of us without the hard cash to purchase what we want, go out and splurge on our Credit Cards during this time, but when the bills start coming in in January, we hold our heads and bawl: ‘Woe is me! Where am I going to get the money to pay all these bills? I shouldn’t have bought all that stuff on Credit!’ That’s for sure! But please remember that hindsight has 20-20 vision. However, then it’s too late to do anything about our mistakes. What we need more desperately than anything else is foresight, where we sit and consider the consequences of our actions before me make them.
For, as Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) God rest his departed soul, liked to say: ‘You reap what you sow, more than you sow, and later than you sow.’ Yes mih bredrin, at some stage of the game, all the chickens will come home to roost, and if you haven’t prepared properly for them, you won’t be able to handle them. And it’s all about first considering the consequences of our actions, for every action has a consequence. Just like those who strive after money and material wealth end up in sorrow away from the church, all our ungodly and unwise actions have consequences that drive us to our knees…and sometimes even to the madhouse.
That’s why we need to listen to these further words of Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and has professed (confessed) a good profession (confession) before many witnesses.’ (1 Tim. 6:11-12)
Oh my fellow saints, that’s the kind of stuff we all need to follow. Shun the LOVE of money and striving for material wealth with all its consequential troubles. And instead pursue things like righteousness or practical correctness, as the scholars tell us: ‘Conforming to God’s will in one’s thinking and acting. While godliness is proper reverence for, and obedience to God. And faith is a trust in God that grows stronger with each passing day. LOVE is a maturing affection for God and man. Patience is perseverance or steadfastness in life and service. Meekness is gentleness.’
Yes my people, those are the things we need to help us fight the good fight of faith; the daily struggle of life, bombarded by sin and ungodly distractions at every turn, plus the adversity we all go through at one time or another. The scholars tell us: ‘A genuine believer demonstrates the reality of his faith by being engaged in this warfare.’ And that’s exactly what we need to do; put on the armour of God and daily fight the good fight of faith. Remember we cannot fight successfully without armour, and spiritual warfare without the spiritual armour of God. (Eph. 6:10-18)
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, asking for divine help to do all the things we’ve just spoken about. 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!’
And to get the ball rolling, we need to do exactly what we just expressed: be a good example of faithful believers. That’s the ONLY way divine help will come! Much LOVE!
…you can’t take your material treasures to heaven…only the spiritual ones…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
27 Oct 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a disgruntled populace, a means of restoring faith in you, all men shall know ye are my disciples, and now abideth faith hope love, as unto the Lord and not unto men, being obedient to God's will, do it with all thy might, don't like our jobs, embrace your love and compassion, for ye serve the Lord Jesus Christ, Friday chant, going the extra mile, he that doeth wrong, if ye have love one to another, if you love me keep my commandments, Jesus Christ, LOVE, love covers a multitude of sins, Love makes the world go round, of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of inheritance, omnipotent help, only for the money, return backsliders to your fold, shall receive for the wrong that he hath done, simmering unrest, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the error of their ways, the example we faithful believers set, the greatest of these is charity (love), the Ten Commandments, there is no respect of persons, there is no work device knowledge nor wisdom in the grave, trusting faith, turning the other cheek, ungodly times, whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, whatsoever ye do do it heartily, wisdom, wise guidance, work by rote
Colossians 3:23. And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
So it’s Friday, and the universal shout of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ has gone up all around the world! What a world! When all we seem to live for is Friday and the upcoming weekend. It’s all about getting away from the boring, same old, same old jobs that we do during the week, a lot of them by rote, that’s automatically, without having to think about what we’re doing. And, unfortunately, not a great percentage of us like our jobs, we just put up with them because they earn us the money to keep our lives going.
What a sad thing it is when so many of us spend a lifetime doing jobs that we don’t like and are just looking forward to retirement and the time when we no longer have to do those mundane and boring jobs. It doesn’t say a whole lot for our society, when so many of our populace are disgruntled and dissatisfied. But thankfully, today we will learn how to avoid that self-defeating attitude of despising our jobs.
First up, these wise words of Bruh Paul in his letter 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 Jesus Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.’ (Col. 3:23-25)
And all that means is that believers, regardless of our station in life – be it the lowliest worker or highest paid leader – ought to do the best work they can despite their circumstances, to work as though they were working directly for God and not for men. And that’s a fact too, because in the long run, it’s the Lord who will richly reward them for their good work, while repaying, without partiality, the wrong doers with judgement for their evil deeds.
And just in case you don’t believe Bruh Paul, then listen as Cousin Sol puts in in his perspective, writing as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes. He writes: ‘Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.’ (Eccl. 9:10) And isn’t that the awesome truth! It certainly is. That means whatever we do on earth is our portion to do, since there’s no working in the grave. Thus, we ought to do to the best of our ability and as though we’re doing it unto our Creator, Almighty God!
And above all, remember these key words of Jesus to the disciples: ‘If you LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15). Now that also pertains to us in this age. And what does He mean by that? He means that we should not only keep the basic Ten commandments, but also the moral commandments that He gave us. Like LOVING one another, going the extra mile, turning the other cheek, doing unto others as we desire them to do unto us, being excellent and diligent in our work, not being too judgemental or critical of others, especially when we’re guilty of the same things.
It’s those sorts of things that Jesus was more concerned about, things that were not written down as Old Testament law, but as His New Testament directives. It’s well documented about not killing and stealing nor committing adultery, but not His ways and the ways He wants us to follow. And besides, they were and still are in direct opposition to those of the world. And as He said earlier on: ‘By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:35)
Yes my fellow believers, ALL that Jesus teaches can be confirmed in one small but ever so powerful word: LOVE! If we go about showing the LOVE of Jesus, doing the same basic things He did, to the best of our human capabilities, then we’re keeping His commandment. For remember Bruh Paul’s treatise on LOVE in what we term the LOVE chapter; that’s 1 Corinthians 13:, where he enlightens us on all the wonderful things that constitute LOVE. Things like long-suffering, kindness, not given to boasting or arrogance, doesn’t behave rudely or selfishly, doesn’t think nor rejoice in evil, but rejoices in truth, etc. etc.
Then he ends with this perfect gem: ‘And now abideth faith, hope, charity (LOVE), these three, but the greatest of these is charity (LOVE).’ (1 Cor. 13:13) Oh my people, LOVE is indeed God’s greatest attribute, and He expects His followers to walk in the footsteps of His Son Jesus Christ, whom He gave to be crucified for our sins because He LOVED us. It’s as simple as that my brethren. The Lord doesn’t expect anything from us that He won’t do or hasn’t done himself.
And as we go out today, let’s remember these most poignant and true words of Peter. ‘And above all things, have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover the multitude of sins.’ (1 Pet. 4:8) And isn’t that the gospel truth! The LOVE of God towards us made Him send Jesus to die and cover our sins, and the LOVE we show to others, also covers both their sins and ours. So in one word, it’s all about LOVE! And having come to that awesome conclusion (smile) let’s now go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking the deep and sincere LOVE that we need to restore some sense of balance to our angry and terribly unbalanced world.
As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And the only way to receive divine help is by turning away from our evil deeds and being obedient to God’s will. So let’s do that now nuh, if we truly desire to hear a positive word from heaven. Much LOVE!
… LOVE makes the world go round…both literally and figuratively…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
22 Sep 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: amend our evil ways, another glorious day, as for me and my house, autumnal change of colours, between a rock and a hard place, bring down my gray hairs, considered spies, damned if you, damned if you don't, desperately crying out for help, dysfunctional family, evil can only be contereacted by good, Friday chant, go again, go boldly to the throne of grace, God will supply all my needs, hold his head and bawl, If God be for me who can be against me, intriguing saga of Bruh Joseph, introduce a new flock of believers, LOVE, my neck of the woods, omnipotent help, Praise the Lord, return backsliders to your fold, rot in jail, sincerely seek God's face, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the famine was sore in the land, through His riches in glory, trusting faith, unless your brother be with you, unseasonal weather, waxing philosophical, we will serve the Lord, with sorrow to the grave, ye shall not see my face
Genesis 43:1. ‘And the famine was sore (severe) in the land.
And it’s another glorious day in my neck of the woods! How can I not give thanks and praise to our heavenly Father for allowing me to see such wonderful weather in the last week of September eh? Usually, by now, the chilly winds would be blowing and the trees far into their autumnal change of colours and ridding themselves of the leaves, so that they can hunker down for the winter without too much baggage. (smile) But only a few have yet begun that process, and most of the leaves are still green and lively.
So, when we declare (yesss!!!) ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ we must not only consider that the work week is over and the week end is here, but also include a thought for the good, somewhat unseasonal weather we’re currently enjoying, with temps even reaching the low twenties. And all God’s people in the northern climes, said a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord!’
Now, before we get to Bruh Joseph’s story, let’s acclaim a few acclamations to boost our spirits. This first one is a beauty: ‘God will supply ALL of my needs through his riches in glory through Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour.’ (Phil. 4:19) And that we need to sincerely believe deep down in our hearts, or we’ll just fall apart when the first needs show up.
Then there’s this: ‘If God be for me, who can be against me eh? Absolutely NOBODY!’ (Rom. 8:31) That too we need to deeply believe, if we expect to make it through this greedy and evil world. And finally: ‘As for me and my house, we WILL follow the Lord, that’s for certain sure!’ (Josh. 24:15) That puts the lid on the pot, so that the ingredients don’t burn off in the blazing fire of evil in which we’re currently embroiled. Brother! The ole fella sure is waxing philosophical this Friday morning! (smile)
And, finally, let’s see what’s happening in the intriguing saga of Bruh Joseph. We left the story yesterday where the nine brothers return home without Simeon, whom Bruh Joseph kept in jail in Egypt. They gave the bad news to their father, who obviously wasn’t happy with the situation. Then when they opened their bags, all their money was still in them. That meant they had not paid for the food they’d brought home, and they all became scared. They told Jacob about Bruh Joseph’s desire for his younger brother Benjamin to be brought to him in Egypt or they would be considered spies, Simeon would rot in jail, and they would not get any more food. Glory be!
When Jacob heard that, he could only hold his head and bawl! He’s already lost Joseph and Simeon, now they wanted to take away his youngest Benjamin too! No way Jose! He immediately put the kibosh on that idea. ‘And he said, My son shall not go down with you…if mischief (calamity) befall him by the way in which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.’ (Gen. 42:38) No doubt the loss of a third son would surely have sent him home to his maker.
But friends, life happens, and very often we are not able to do what we want to do. Thus it was with Jacob. For the Bible tells us: ‘And the famine was sore (severe) in the land. And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn (grain) which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.’ (Gen. 43:1-2) Yes my brethren those worms in our stomachs do make a terrible noise and cause a hurtful pain when they cry out for nourishment!
But it’s not always easy to assuage their hunger and thirst, like in this case, as the Bible continues. ‘And Judah spake unto him (Jacob), saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us (warn us), saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food: But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.’ (Gen. 43:3-4)
Oh my fellow saints, life certainly does provide some unwanted conundrums, puts us in some positions between a rock and hard place where we suffer in whatever decision we make. It’s like the quote assigned to the U.S President Roosvelt’s wife, Eleanor: ‘You’re damned if you do, and you’re damned if you don’t.’ And that’s exactly the situation in which the patriarch Jacob (Israel) found himself. Send his youngest son Benjamin down to Egypt with his brothers, and fear losing him like the other two sons. Or don’t send him, and simply stay at home and starve.
What wonderful options, none of which we’d wish on our worst enemy. But life has to go on, and decisions must be made. ‘And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill (wickedly) with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother? And they said, the man asked us straitly of our state (pointedly about ourselves), and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? Have ye another brother: and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly (possibly ) know that he would say bring your brother down?’ (Gen. 43:6-7)
And who says our God isn’t a great dramatist eh? All the aspects for great drama can be found in the story of Bruh Joseph; from a dysfunctional family with a sleazy, cheating patriarch, with devious mothers, to devious, unprincipled, hating brothers, who apparently inherited some of their father’s trickery. And when you add life’s unforeseen circumstances to that already volatile mix, it just addles the pot further, and makes it boil and sputter, like a witch’s brew, until it boils right over!
Ah mih bredrin, many of us are familiar with such goings on, and there’s not much we can do to stop them from happening, we just have to band our belly and do something, then suffer the consequences of which ever decision we make, while sincerely believing that with the help of Almighty God, it will all work out well in the end. And that’s only accomplished by going boldly, but humbly to the throne of grace and seeking divine help for our many earthly problems. So, let’s do that right now nuh, through our Friday Chant.
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!’
And if we truly want to see divine help here on earth, then we need to amend our evil ways and sincerely seek God’s face. It’s the only solution to our problem! Much LOVE!
…the world’s evil…can only be counteracted by…the goodness of God…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
15 Sep 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: approach our generous Father with confidence and humility, bow the knee, Consider This, essentials of godly living, Friday chant, gave him to wife, God doesn't provide begrudgingly, God doesn't scramble to find resources, God freely gives us what we need - and more, God is a giver, God provides with pleasure, God's omnipotent help, God's supply of resources is endless, God's timing and wisdom never fail, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt, introduce a new flock of believers, LOVE, omnipotent help, our sinful world, rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him, return backsliders to your fold, simmering unrest, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the error of their ways, the school of hard knocks, the school of the Holy Ghost, trusting faith, waiting on God's timing, wake up and smell the coffee, walking in God's wisdom, without your consent shall no man lift up his hand or foot
Genesis 41:41. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
Oh friends, is it truly Friday already? I can’t believe it! But all the joyful shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last!’ must mean that it’s really Friday. (smile) Where did the week go eh? I don’t know that I’ve done anything of any consequence during this past week. And I guess that’s why it feels like it just sailed by. But although I’m somewhat miffed with myself, I’m not going to let it get me down. I’m just going to enjoy the life Christ died for me to have and suffer whatever consequences are forthcoming.
And in light of all that, here’s some interesting advice from the September Issue of the In Touch Devotional, which is simply titled ‘Consider This.’ Please read with me: ‘God is a giver. Just as moms and dads enjoy delighting their children. He freely gives us what we need – and more. He doesn’t provide begrudgingly but with pleasure. He doesn’t scramble to find the resources – His supply is endless. But sometimes His provision doesn’t look the way we would expect – or happen when we think it should. So let us approach our generous Father with confidence but also with humility. His wisdom – timing – never fail.’
And that’s the God-awesome truth my brethren! Our God’s wisdom and timing are never wrong or late, but always of the best quality, and always right on time! And until we truly believe that, we’ll always be dissatisfied and unhappy. And a great example of accepting God’s wisdom and timing is found in the story of Bruh Joseph. He received God’s dreams, His promises as a teenager, but instead of them simply coming to pass, He had to go through a lot of trial and tribulation, which was necessary for him to reach the stage of maturity so that he could handle the realities of those promises.
He was sold into slavery by his brothers, unfairly accused of sexual assault and languished in jail until, in God’s opinion, the time was right. And despite all the unfair and unjust stuff, Bruh Joseph kept a good attitude, because he realized that God was always with him, since He gave him favour in all the unfortunate circumstances. And finally, the big day came when the Lord in all His wisdom and glorious timing rolled out the red carpet for a faithful Bruh Joseph. He stood before the mighty Pharaoh and expounded God’s plans, and Pharoah made him his number one adviser!
But friends, we must understand that that only happened because Bruh Joseph faithfully waited on God’s timing. And that’s where so many of us go wrong. Although we acknowledge God’s promises, we’re always in a hurry to have them come through. But sometimes, like Bruh Joseph, we’re not ready to handle the great responsibilities involved in the promises, and the Lord has to grow us, which always takes time. Or otherwise, the circumstances are not quite ready, and the Lord has to get them ready. That too takes time.
But when we do like Bruh David says in Psalm 37:7: ‘Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him:’ then He will eventually bring those dreams, those awesome promises to pass. And Bruh Joseph’s life was the perfect example of that. What better reward could he have had on earth than this. ‘And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.’ (Gen. 41:41) There could not have been a better reward or culmination to all of Bruh Joseph dreams and injustice! And that wasn’t all, the Bible tells us that Pharaoh sweetened the pot thus:
‘And Pharaoh took off his (signet) ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures (clothes) of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee (without your consent) shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath–paaneah (probably Egyptian for God speaks and he lives); and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.’ (Gen. 41:42-45)
Oh my fellow saints, how good is our God to us when we are obedient to his bidding and patient in His holy timing! There was nothing more that Bruh Joseph could have had that day! The Lord rewarded him with it all in one fell swoop: Promotion to Pharoah’s number one steward, amazing power over the whole country, good clothes and jewelry, the honour of the people bowing before him, and last but not least, a most likely beautiful wife! What more can a man ask for all in one day eh? Nothing really. But Bruh Joseph fully deserved a good reward for all the injustice he had faithfully borne.
However, please, let’s not get carried away by the all the pomp and pageantry of the situation, because Bruh Joseph’s real work was just beginning. Hitherto he had been in the school of the Holy Ghost learning his trade, now he had finally graduated and great things were expected from him, like the Lord expects great things from us after we come through the school of hard knocks, ready to do His awesome work. (smile) But more on Bruh Joseph tomorrow, obviously if God’s willing. Now, it’s time to go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, and present our earthly problems for heavenly solutions.
As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And if we truly expect divine help, then we’ve got to clean up our acts and keep our promises, for without obedience and godliness, no man shall see God! Much LOVE!
…walking in God’s wisdom…and waiting on His perfect timing…are the two essentials of godly living…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
25 Aug 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, a new flock of believers, as the day follows the night, backsliders, commit thy way unto the Lord, compassion of Jesus, delight thyself also in the Lord, error of their ways, evil and ungodly times, fret not thyself because of evildoers, Friday chant, give thee the desires of thine heaert, God is good to Israel, God's promised never to leave nor forsake us, he shall bring it to pass, I saw the prosperity of the wicked, I was envious of the foolish, increase in riches, Jeusus is faithful, LOVE, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity, omnipotent help, prosperity of the wicked, simmering unrest, sin is enticing, stand strong and steadfast, sunshine lollipops and roses, test his own personal relationship with God, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the repercussions of sin, the righteous are chastened, the ungodly who prosper, the weekend, their eyes stand out with fatness, thou shalt be fed, trust in the Lord and do good, trusting faith, violence covereth them as a garment, wise guidance
Psalm 73:3. For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
And after a wet and foggy night, Friday has turned out somewhat sunny, but the cloud cover is still there threatening the blue skies that are peaking out. (smile) But that hasn’t stopped us from zestfully proclaiming: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at last!’ And believe me, as August is winding down, there won’t be many more warm and pleasant weekends, as the cold weather begins to take over. But we know that we can handle whatever comes against us, because we have Jesus on our side, and He’s promised never to leave nor forsake us. (Heb. 13:5) Give Him some thanks and praise my brethren, for He is as faithful as the day follows the night.
Ah friends, as I was perusing the Good Library, looking for something to write on, I came upon Psalm 73, a psalm of Asaph, titled ‘Prosperity of the Wicked.’ It’s one I know, but haven’t read for some time, and it suddenly struck me as being very appropriate for these evil and ungodly times. For it points out how easy it is to lose our faith and fall into evil doings, when we see the wicked prosper in spite of their ungodliness. Now, the scholars have some wonderful explanations on it, so I’ve decided to follow their lead.
They say: ‘This psalm is another dealing with the problem of the prosperity of the wicked. Unlike Psalm 37, however, it does not emphasize the brevity of that prosperity.’ And Psalm 37 is Bruh David’s famous psalm that says: ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.’ (Ps. 37:1-2) However, the author of Psalm 73, Asaph, ‘observes that sometimes the bounty achieved by the wicked does in fact last throughout life (v.4)’ And we have all seen the wicked prosper throughout their entire lives.
But Asaph ‘emphasizes every believer’s need to test his own personal relationship with God. That alone provides the ultimate satisfaction available to the believer who witnesses the affluence of the wicked. The psalm contains two key parts, first the psalmist describes the problem of the wicked’s prosperity (vs. 1-16). Not only is it an objective fact (vs. 4-12), but it almost caused him to stumble spiritually and lose his faith (vs. 1-3, 13-16) So now that we have some idea of what the psalm is all about, let’s read it together.
‘Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean (pure) heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone (I almost stumbled); my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands (pangs, pain) in their death: but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain (serves as a necklace); violence covereth them as a garment.
Their eyes stand out with fatness (bulge with abundance): they have more than their heart could wish. They are corrupt (scoff), and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily (proudly). They set their mouth against the heavens: and their tongue walketh through the earth. Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to (drained by) them. And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? Behold, these are the ungodly who prosper (who are always at ease) in the world; they increase in riches.’ (Ps. 73:1-12)
Oh my people, haven’t we all seen what Asaph is speaking about in these evil and wicked times, when the rich seek even more than they can ever use, but their greed is so rampant that they are willing to oppress and even kill the poor to satisfy their greedy and lustful desires. And despite their greed, evil deeds and ungodliness, they prosper in this evil and ungodly world. Meanwhile, the righteous are chastened, as Asaph writes.
‘Verily I have cleansed my heart (kept my heart pure) in vain, and washed my hands in innocency (innocence). For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. If I say, I will speak thus: behold I should offend against (would have been untrue to) the generation of thy children. When I thought to know (understand) this, it was too painful for me (troublesome in my eyes); Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.’ (Ps. 73: 13-17)
Yes my brethren, in spite of Asaph’s righteousness, it was not until he went into the Lord’s sanctuary that he truly understood what was happening! And it can indeed be incomprehensible to many of us who try to live godly, and yet see the wicked prosper in their evil deeds and schemes. But we have to hold on to our faith, and believe as Bruh David says that eventually they will be destroyed. Unfortunately, it might not be in our lifetime, or even theirs, but the Lord has promised to destroy the wicked, and we all know that He’s faithful to keep His promises.
In the meantime, if we want to stand strong and not fall for, or stumble into the prosperity of the wicked, we also have to take these words of Bruh David very seriously, where he says in Psalm 37: ‘Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.’ (Ps. 37:4-6)
And I know that’s all easy to say, but doing it under the shadow of the wicked’s prosperity takes a lot of effort, sacrifice and faithfulness in God. But that’s what we signed up for when we received Jesus as Lord and Saviour. He will make a way, where there seems to be no way, and He will supply all of our needs, and no weapon formed against us will ever prosper, but at the same time we must realize it won’t all be sunshine, lollipops and roses, for no life is ever like that, not even the prosperous wicked.
And if God spares life, we’ll continue with Psalm 73 tomorrow. Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking help to handle all the evil and ungodliness that’s coming against us. As one voice: ‘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!’
Now, it’s up to us to keep our promises, and do our part, so that heaven can do its part! Much LOVE!
…sin is indeed enticing…but are the sure and serious repercussions of sin…truly worth it…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
18 Aug 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: A woman of Compassion, crying out for help, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, does not live in pieces, doing something to alleviate a need, embrace your love and compassion, Friday chant, God is full of compassion, God's overwhelming love for humanity, his compassions fail not, I'm here for you, introduce a new flock of believers, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus is the epitome of compassion, lives in peace, LOVE, of great mercy, omnipotent help, one purpose, One Year Book of Bible promises, priceless individuality, putting our hearts where our mouths are, return backsliders to your fold, seeks first the kingdom of God, slow to anger, the error of their ways, the Lord is gracious, The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, the reliability of the Word of God, they are new every morning, to know and do the will of God, trusting faith, wake up and smell the coffee
Psalm 145:8. The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
Well then, it’s Friday! So ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last!’ Yes, it’s nice to see Friday come around, but it’s not such a wonderful day in my area, cool, cloudy and very windy. And after the rain, lightning and thunder we had last evening, a cool, cloudy and windy day doesn’t thrill the soul. (smile) But here’s a li’l something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that ought to thrill our souls. It’s aptly titled ‘A Woman of Compassion.’
So please read with me: ‘A woman of compassion seeks first, always first, the kingdom of God and his righteousness, knowing that all else will be given to her. She has one single purpose: to know and do the will of God. Often she narrows her interests in order to expand her heart for others. She says to her troubled friend, “I feel your pain in my heart. I don’t have a cure-all kit, but I will walk through the dark tunnel with you until the light breaks through again.”
She says to her reserved husband, “I understand that you don’t want to talk now, but I’m here for you if I can help.” She listens to the outbursts of her children in a way that makes them feel secure. She reminds them of their priceless individuality. She opens her home as well as her heart. she knows that a cup of hot tea and an hour of concerned listening means so much more than “We want to have you for dinner some day.” A woman of compassion rests her total self on the reliability of the Word of God. Consequently she does not live in pieces – she lives in peace.’
Mama Mia! What a wonderful way to live! Oh, how our world could use so many more people like that woman of compassion. And please note, that story doesn’t only apply to compassionate women, but also to compassionate men. And what do we mean when we talk of compassion? Simply putting our hearts where our mouths are. Instead of just talking sympathy, we do something to alleviate the need. It’s empathy plus. And who’s the most compassionate of us all?
Obviously our great God! For as Jeremiah puts it so aptly in his Lamentations: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:22-23) Yes friends, it’s because of the Lord’s compassion, His empathy and overwhelming LOVE for us that we’re not totally destroyed for our sinful behaviour and disobedience towards Him! And Jesus showed that same overwhelming LOVE for humanity when He walked this earth.
And there are several examples of where His heart ached for humanity, so let’s look at a few of them, starting with this commentary. ‘God comforts his people with compassion. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, exemplified compassion during his ministry on earth. One of the most poignant examples of compassion in the Bible is when Jesus showed compassion at the grave of Lazarus. When Jesus saw Lazarus’ friends weeping, he wept alongside them (John 11:33-35). And that last verse is probably the shortest verse in the bible, and also one of the most poignant, for all it states is ‘Jesus wept.’
Then we have this instance where Jesus was going around the land, teaching, preaching and healing. The Good Library tell us though: ‘But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted (were weary), and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.’ (Matt. 9:36-38)
Now, if that isn’t sufficient evidence of Jesus’ compassion, then check out this time when he fed the five thousand with five loaves of bread and two small fishes. That’s after He heard of John the Baptist’s beheading by Herod. He went out by boat into a desert place by Himself, but the multitudes followed Him on foot out of the cities. The Bible tells us: ‘And Jesus went forth, and saw the great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.’ (Matt. 14:14)
And later on, when evening came and the disciples wanted to send the crowd away hungry, Jesus again had compassion on them and performed the miracle of the five loaves and two fishes that fed five thousand men beside women and children, and then they collected twelve baskets of fragments afterwards. (Matt. 14:15-21) And what about that time when Jesus went up into a mountain and sat down there and the multitudes came with their ‘lame, blind, dumb (mute), maimed (crippled), and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them. And when the multitude saw His great deeds, they glorified the God of Israel.
Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days , and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting (hungry), lest they faint in the way.’ (Matt. 15:29-32) And again the disciples questioned His ability to feed so any people on what little they had. This time they had seven loaves of bread and a few fishes. And after commanding the multitude to sit down, ‘He took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they all did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat (fragments) that was left seven baskets full. And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside woman and children.’ (Matt. 15-35-39)
Ah friends, when we talk of compassion, Jesus is the epitome of that characteristic! And yuh know something else; if we supposed believers would sincerely try to be like Him, as our discipleship demands, our world would be a whole lot better than it currently is. And please remember that it’s only because of the Lord’s great compassion that we’re still alive and kicking, because we certainly don’t deserve it in our own strength and behaviour. And if anybody truly knew of the Lord’s compassion after all his misdeeds, was Bruh David, as he so rightly states in Psalm 145. ‘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 (compassions) are over all his works.’ (Ps. 145:8-9)
And that last verse was the Bible verse associated with our ‘Compassionate Woman’ reading earlier on. So please, let’s spend sometime today thinking about our own level of compassion nuh, and sincerely try to improve it, so we can show some true discipleship. Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant and ask for help come up higher. Altogether now. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And having prayed, it’s time to make good on our promises Much LOVE!
…the hallmark of Christ and His family is…COMPASSION…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
21 Jul 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, but look not unto the Holy One of Israel, climate change, deceit, divine help, embrace your love and compassion, fraud, Friday chant, God never breaks promises, happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, he hath put a new song in my mouth, he that helpeth shall fall, in man there is no help, inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, it is better to trust in the Lord, like the heath in the deset, LOVE, nor such as turn aside to lies, omnipotent help, Praise ye the Lord, promises, respecteth not the proud, set my feet upon a rock, shall not see when good cometh, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that go down to Egypt for help, the Egyptians are men not god, the simmering unrest, their horses flesh not spirit, to put confidence in man, to put confidence in princes, to serve selfish and evil purposes, trusting faith, unexpected storm, wake up and smell the coffee, whose hope is in the Lord his God, wise guidance, woe to them
Psalm 40:4. Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
Then it was Friday, with all its fanfare: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend’s here!’ And though Friday opened a tad on the cool side, it promises great things, like sunshine and blue skies. But beware, the promises of the weather these days are not very trustworthy, what with all the instability and unpredictability that’s showing up in the disaster we term climate change. (smile)
Promises on the whole in our unfaithful and distrustful society are no longer worth the paper they‘re written on or the wind on which they’re spoken, because most of them are made to serve selfish and evil purposes. They’re not like the promises of Almighty God who faithfully makes them and never breaks them.
But sadly, even in these trying times, when many things are not what they seem, we still appear to accept the promises of man more than those of God. Even when the biggest human activity today is fraud and deceit, where scams are prevalent in almost everything, where you’re afraid to pick up your phone because the person on the other side is most likely trying to defraud you out of your life savings or some such ungodly act, we still tend to trust humans more than God.
And then, when we suffer the irreversible damage, we whine and complain about people not being honest and not keeping promises etc. etc. But haven’t we read the Bible, which warns us so often about trusting man and his offspring. Haven’t we read since Moses was a boy, (smile) what Psalm 118 so directly says: ‘It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.’ (Ps. 118:8-9)
Yes friends, man’s trust can, and will waver, be he an important personage or lowly nobody, simply because he is man; a frail, feeble sinful, greedy and imperfect creation. However, God’s trust will never waver because He is the exact opposite of mankind; strong, holy and perfect! And the Good Library repeats it over and over. So, if you don’t believe me, then let’s look at some of those scriptures which deal directly with the wisdom of trusting God and not man.
Listen to Bruh David as he writes in Psalm 40 – Praise for God’s Deliverance. ‘I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings (steps). And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.’ (Ps. 40:1-4)
There we have it friends, simple and straightforward. You trust in the Lord and He will see you through, because He has the awesome power to do it, whereas mankind doesn’t! Now hear how Isaiah puts it. ‘Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help, and stay (rely) on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord… Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen (helped) shall fall (perish) together.’ (Is. 31:1, 3)
That was the Lord’s rebuke to Israel for going down to Egypt for help to fight their enemies without first consulting Him. Then Jeremiah calls it this way. ‘Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man (man’s strength), and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath (a shrub) in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.’ (Jer. 17:5-6)
Ah mih people, yuh see how the Lord is mightily displeased when we don’t come to Him first in all our endeavours, when we don’t show Him the amazing trust that He deserves! And these words of psalm 146, serve as a fitting end to our scriptures for today.
‘Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah), Praise ye the Lord, O my soul. While I live I will praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being. Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man (a human being), in whom there is no help (salvation). His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God: Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever.’ (Ps. 146:1-6)
Now there’s a perfect picture of the wise man! Please my fellow saints, it’s of the utmost importance, especially in these untrustworthy times, that we don’t put our trust in evil and fragile man, but in the Lord God Almighty who created us and always has our best interests at heart. So, let’s go to the throne of grace now, and through our Friday Chant, ask for divine help to solve our many problems.
Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need 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. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to 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. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And as always, the best way to get divine help is by changing our ways and becoming obedient to God’s will. Much LOVE!
…trust should only be placed in the trustworthy…that’s God and not man…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
16 Jun 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good foundation against the time to come, all the nations will call you blessed, and all the tithe of the land is the Lord's, be careful of what you wish for, be responsible, bring backsliders back to your fold, bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, charge them that are rich, divine help, Friday chant, give from a generous heart, honour the Lord with thy substance, introduce a new flock of believers, laying u in store for themselves, LOVE, no mention of going to church, omnipotent help, open the windows of heaven, pour you out a blessing, sacrificed all her living, show them the error of their ways, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the first ten percent not the last, the widow who cast in two mites, there shall not be enough room to receive it, they be not highminded, they may lay hold on eternal life, thy barns shall be filled with plenty, thy presses shall burst out with new wine, time for playing and partying, trust in the living God, trust not in uncertain riches, trusting faith, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy, wise guidance, with the first fruits of all thine increase, ye shall be a delightsome land
Proverbs 3:9. Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase:
And then it was Friday, and everybody shouted the same old, same old mantra: ‘Thank God it’s Friday and the work week is almost done! The weekend is here for playing and partying!’ Please note that nobody mentioned anything about going to church and fellowshipping and worshipping Almighty God. But we’ll take that for granted, as it being a normal, expected weekend behaviour, that doesn’t need shouting out loud. (smile)
And after some early morning showers, Friday in my area has turned out somewhat sunny, but cool and windy with some dark clouds hovering overhead, threatening some more heavenly blessings. Remember the other day when we were dying for heavenly blessings? Well now we’re getting more than we possibly want. Raising up the ole cliché of being careful what you wish for, because when you get it you might not like it.
Now, today I want to continue sharing some tidbits of scripture on money and how to and how not to use it. And the first scripture comes from Cousin Sol reputedly the wisest and richest man ever. He says in Proverbs: ‘Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:9-10)
And this follows directly from the Lord’s command in Leviticus. ‘And all the tithe (tenth part) of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s, it is holy unto the Lord…And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord…These are the commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses for the children of Israel on Mount Sinai.’ (Lev. 27: 30, 32, 34)
Yes friends, the Lord commanded from long ago that His take for owning the earth and all therein, and leasing it out to mankind, was ten percent, and please note it’s the first ten percent, not the last. It’s the first fruits. We give God His share right off the top, not wait until we’ve done what we want then give Him of what’s left.
This led the Lord in the book of Malachi to tell the people they were robbing Him. He tells them: ‘Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings? Ye are cursed: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat (food) in mine house, and prove (test) me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time (fall to bear fruit) in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome (delightful) land, saith the Lord of hosts.’ (Mal. 3:8-12)
Oh my people, right there is the solution for a blessed land; giving the Lord what rightfully belongs to Him! And how our world would change for the better if we turned back to God, or even those who still believe will tithe and give God what’s His, instead of playing stingy and barely giving Him what He deserves.
Oh brother… and I’m sadly chuckling here because I was going to say that I’ve never experienced a day like this when almost every sentence I’ve written had several misspelt words, and that was true of the first one in this sentence. I wrote ‘Brither instead of Brother.’
And they are mostly simple, everyday words…and chuh man, I just misspelled simple and misspelled misspelled twice in that sentence…and when I thought I had misspelled misspelled a third time, I spelled times wrong too! Ah Lord eh! There must be a reason for my propensity to misspell today, but I don’t know what it is. (smile)
But getting back to those scriptures on money. Listen to this most interesting one from Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘Charge (command) them that are rich in this world (present age), that they be not highminded (haughty), nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute (give), willing to communicate (share). Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life.’ (1 Tim. 6:17-19)
So friends, although Jesus said it was difficult for a rich man to enter heaven, (Matt. 19:23) He never said it was impossible, and here Bruh Paul is advising Timothy to command rich people to give generously of what they possess, so that it might be accounted to them for good in heaven. And so should all of us be generous, be we rich or poor, but with the right motives, the right state of our hearts, not just to hope that it helps us get into heaven. As Jesus spoke of a widow’s sacrificial offering, while sitting in the temple with His disciples.
The Bible says: ‘He looked up, and saw the rich men casting (putting) their gifts into the treasury. And he saw a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites (small copper coins worth very little). and he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings: but she of her penury (poverty) hath cast in all the living (livelihood) she had.’ (Luke 21:1-4)
Yes, ofttimes sacrificial giving is more recognized than giving from mere abundance. As the scholars says: ‘God does not measure giving by conventional human standards.’ And also, we ought not to flaunt our giving, as Jesus said, let not the left hand know what the right is doing (Matt. 6:3-4) That means, as this commentary informs: ‘We should never do our giving in order to be seen by, and subsequently, to be praised by others. In other words, we do not want to give because of what we might get from it—like others thinking more highly of us or paying us compliments, or to receive some special treatment because of our giving.’
And with those words of wisdom let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, for divine help to fix our many earthly problems. As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need 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. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to 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. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And if we’re seriously looking for divine help, then we need to make those changes necessary for them to be forthcoming. Much LOVE!
…the more we give…from a generous heart…the more we will receive…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
19 May 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: anxiety, being nailed naked to a wooden cross, clean up our evil ways, confusion, dehumanizing ordeal, free will, Friday chant, God commendeth his own love toward us, God so loved the world, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, I stand at the door and knock, if any man hear my voice and open the door, in due time Christ died for the ungodly, LOVE, omnipotent help, save our sinful soul, simmering unrest, smell the coffee, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the option of heaven, took the weight of all the world's sin, trusting faith, while we were yet sinners christ died for us
John 3:16. For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Let me open this warm but partly sunny Friday morning with an apology for the late arrival of yesterday’s Bit, but it was not my fault. For whatever reason, when I went to send it out around 12.30 p.m., the server told me it could not be sent at that time, to try later. And I did try later, up until six p.m. But the story was still the same for sending it by bulk messaging. So I tried sending it in small groups, and it worked. Then I increased the size of the groups, until I sent one with twenty-one names… and it worked. Now, I have no idea why it refused to send the bulk ones earlier on. We’ll see what happens today though. (smile)
Anyway, it’s obvious that the global shout of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ has already gone out, for we don’t make joke with that at all. I wish we could be as serious about giving God thanks for keeping us alive so we could shout that out, or give Jesus much more thanks than we do, for dying on our behalf, bearing the awful pain, the utter dehumanizing ordeal of being nailed naked to a wooden cross and made the ‘Sin Bearer’ of an evil, and ungodly world. Because that’s exactly what He did; took the weight of all the world’s sin on His shoulders and paid the terrible price of being punished, of being put to death by His own Father to pay for our abominable sins.
For that was the price of freedom from sin; the death of a sinless soul, and fortunately or unfortunately, Jesus was the only one in that category. Yes friends, like I send out the Bit in bulk, so Christ died for us in bulk; for all of us in one fell swoop. There’s no more dying to be done, just living the abundant life in His kingdom. The thing we most need to realize and understand though, is why he did it? Yes, why did the Father send the Son to the cross to die on behalf of a bunch of disobedient ingrates?
And there was only ONE reason: it was LOVE! Oh my people, it was simply LOVE for His most precious creation that drove the Father to that unseemly plan to save us from eternal separation from Him. For as John says in his first epistle: ‘He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE.’ (1 John 4:8)
And Bruh Paul writes thus in his letter to the church at Rome. ‘For when we were yet without strength, in due time (at the right time) Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely (barely) for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Yes, my fellow believers, that was the measure of God’s LOVE for us: strong and powerful enough to make Him break His own heart and suffer His only Son’s death to pay for our sins. That’s why there’s no greater LOVE, than God’s LOVE for mankind! And Jesus corroborated that claim when He proclaimed: ‘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)
Now that says it all! Jesus died so that we could have another option other than simply ending up in damnation and hellfire, but we have to believe that He is the Son of God and through His death and awesome resurrection, can save our sinful soul. Listen to Jesus further explain the situation nuh. ‘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) And that’s a very big deal, but it all hinges on our belief, our trust and faith in Christ. For as He continues: ‘He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son.’ (John 3:18)
That’s the long and short of the story friends; believe and be saved – spend eternity with God in heavenly places, don’t believe and be condemned to eternal separation from Almighty God in the company of Beelzebub and his evil cronies. The choice is ours…completely ours. The Father and Jesus have already done their parts, now it’s left entirely up to us to believe or not believe. And the Lord will not intrude on our free will, our options to believe or not believe. But Jesus through the Holy Spirit will always give you the opportunity to come to Him.
Note how He says in Revelation to the church at Laodicea: ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup (dine) with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in (on) my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in (on) his throne.’ (Rev. 3:20-21) And that’s the beauty of Jesus my fellow saints, He will not force His way on to us, but He will always be around knocking on our hearts, seeking for those who are willing to let Him in, like a travelling salesman who goes around knocking on doors seeking sales for his product.
And it’s up to us, if we are wise we will let Him in, because He is the answer to ALL of our problems. Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant asking for heavenly help to solve those many problems we have down here on earth. As one sincere voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need 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. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to 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. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And as always, to receive divine help, we need to be more obedient, and clean up our evil ways. So, let’s get to doing that nuh, if we sincerely want God’s help. Much LOVE!
…instead of mankind having only one option for eternity…hellfire…Jesus died so we could also have the option of heaven…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
31 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, a means of restoring faith in you, a testament to our faith, a testament to our maturity, able to stand against the wiles of the devil, be not afraid, be strong and of a good courage, desperately need your help, dividing asunder of soul and spirit, for all saints, Friday chant, inclement weather, it's not a physical but spiritual battle, Jesus is on our side, Jesus is our strength shield and high tower, Jesus keeps His promises, LOVE, neither be thou dismayed, omnipotent help, our sinful world can wake up, praying always, put on the whole armour of God, quench the fiery darts of the wicked one, sharper than any twoedged sword, simmering unrest, sincerity, smell it sweet and strong, surrender, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the Lord thy God is with thee, the Lord's spiritual armour, the pandemic, the shield of faith, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the sword of the Spirit, the Word of god, the Word of God is quick and powerful, trusting faith, wake up and smell the coffee, watching thereunto, with all perseverance and supplication, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.
And, as been happening these last few weeks, our ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ sentiments were again met by inclement weather; today it’s rain, with promises of snow in the forecast. Chuh! Some force or the other seems desirous of putting a proverbial spoke in our weekend plans. (smile) But please let them know that whatever they throw at us, we can handle it, because we have Jesus on our side! He is our strength, our shield and high tower! Yes friends, once we have Jesus as the mainstay of our lives, we can handle anything. He’s promised it, and He keeps His promises.
And I just LOVE this verse of scripture where the Lord says to Joshua, when He made him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9)
It could not be any clearer than that my faithful brethren. He said it to Joshua a long time ago, but it’s the same thing He’s saying to us right now too. Be strong and courageous, because He is with us, wherever we go. It’s a testament to our faith, to our maturity, and it’s not always easy to adhere to, especially when the enemy keeps throwing fiery darts at us, like is happening right now with our world in such an evil mess.
But remember too that we have the Lord’s spiritual armour to protect us from all the enemy’s assaults. As Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus. ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:11) That’s because we’re not in a physical but spiritual battle.
And he continues: ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about (your waist girded) with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked (one). And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph. 6:13-18)
Now there we have the spiritual armour with which we need to be constantly clothed. That’s the only way we can fight the enemy mano a mano and defeat him. But most importantly, we also have to put on that armour. It doesn’t just get on us automatically. We have to PUT ON, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the helmet of salvation, then TAKE UP, the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Only then are we ready to engage the enemy in combat, to stand and face him… And not even then, because we still have to engage in prayer and supplication for all believers. Remember prayer is the mightiest weapon we have, and it must be involved in all we do. The whole point of all of this my brethren is that we have protection from the enemy, but we have to make a conscious decision to take it up and to put it on! It won’t do us any good otherwise.
And please take a good look at our armour and you’ll see how excellent it is: truth, righteousness, peace, salvation, faith, the word of God, and prayer. Wow! Nothing can defeat us if we have those things in our armoury! And remember too, the mighty sword that’s the word of our God.
How does the author of Hebrews describe it? ‘For the word of God is quick (living), 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 (able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest (hidden) in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him that we have to do (give account to).’ (Heb. 4:12-13)
Yes my people, the word of God is indeed mighty and powerful, living and sharp as the proverbial sword, and we cannot get away from it, because through God’s Spirit it can discern our very thoughts and open us up to the Lord Himself. That means nothing; thoughts, words, deeds, actions are hidden from our great God! So it’s useless trying to hide anything from Him, like so many of us still insist on doing.
And it’s only when we come to him in sincere repentance, open up ourselves, surrender to His goodness and mercy, that we can truly enjoy all the benefits of His protection and LOVING-kindness. And right now, we badly need those things with the level of evil that’s so very prevalent in our world. So, let’s go to him, through our Friday Chant, laying bare our souls, asking for His divine assistance.
As one strong but sincere voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need 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.
So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to 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. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, 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!’
Now let’s go out and keep our promises, so that the Lord can keep His. Much LOVE!
…to go to God…sincerity and surrender…are of the utmost importance…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries
SCRIP-BITS 