31 Oct 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and again I say rejoice, be careful for nothing, be of good cheer I have overcome the world, casting all your care upon him, faith, grace to accept your timing, Halloween Day, hit the nail on the head, holy spirit, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, hurry, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, in god's eyes, in me ye might have peace, in the name of the mighty dollar, Jesus Christ, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, let not your heart be troubled, let your moderation be known unto all men, let your request be made known unto God, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, my heart is stayed on hope in God, not as the world giveth, occult stuff, Peace i leave with you, rejoice always, Satanic tradition, set my thoughts higher, share His love with my neighbours, the beloved of God, the God of all grace, the goodness of God, the joy of the Lord, the peace of God which passeth all understading, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, whom resist steadfast in the faith, wisdom, worry
Philippians 4:6. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God.
Prologue: Let me apologize for the lateness of the Bit right up front. I had a doctor’s appointment earlier this morning and you know how it is with them; you spend more time waiting than anything else. Nonetheless, I think it’s a good Bit. (smile)
And after Monday comes Tuesday…as naturally as the day follows the night. (smile) And this Tuesday, the last day in October is bright and sunshiny in my area, though somewhat chilly, for there was frost on the cars this morning. But more importantly, for the world and it’s economic masters is that today is also Halloween day, when the world shamelessly flaunts the things of the occult, with li’l children the basis of their mockery, invoking fearful and scary foolishness, as they make oodles of money from the nonsense they promote.
What a world eh! When we’re so badly in need of God’s help with our many serious problems, we foolishly keep up with this Satanic tradition, all in the name of the mighty dollar! Personally, I’ve never seen the fun in children dressing up in scary costumes and scampering around in the night to their neighbours’ houses begging for stuff, especially candy, which every day you hear in the ads is no good for you. This is the happiest time of the year for the dentists’ because they know in another couple of months children will be flocking to them with candy infused teeth problems.
And if we insist on dealing with, cherishing and encouraging dark and occult stuff, even the scary movies are doing big business these days, what’s the purpose of this scripture then? ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind. (2 Tim. 1:7) Then, afterwards, when a real challenge comes against us, we can’t handle it, because we’re too scared, we’re filled with fear, rather than faith. To help us with all our weak and fearful moments though, here’s a prayer from Bubba Joel (Joel Osteen) that will enable us to keep God first place in our lives.
Please pray with me: ‘God, please give me the grace to accept Your timing. I will enjoy this day because You have me in the palm of Your hand. No circumstance or problem can keep me from the joy You have for me. Even though it seems I may have good reason to worry or live upset, I’m going to keep my eyes on You. I know that the enemy would LOVE for me to never get my hopes up, to think that it’s always going to be this way, to just drag through the day. But my heart is stayed on hope in You. I’m going to set my thoughts higher, championing You in this moment and throughout the day. I will choose to be happy. I will choose to focus on the goodness of God. Nothing is going to override my joy in the Lord, now, or in the days to come, in Jesus’ name. Amen!’
Yes friends, that’s the kind of desire and passion we need to hold on to each and every day. Choose to be happy, choose to focus on God’s goodness and fill our lives with the joy of the Lord, which is our strength! (Neh. 8:10) It’s all a matter of choice…our choice. We can either choose to focus on God and His goodness or the fiery trials and tribulations of this evil and wicked world! The choice is ours! No one else’s! So, if you choose to focus on your tough circumstances instead of God’s goodness, then that’s foolishly your fault. For throughout all the Bible, we have been encouraged to not fear, to not worry, just give it all to God. And these two scriptures are the epitome of that wonderful and wise advice.
First off is this scripture from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Philippians. ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (gentleness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:4-7)
Oh my faithful brethren, that hits the nail right on its proverbial head! Don’t worry or be concerned about anything, especially if you can’t do anything about it in your own strength. Turn it over to the Lord though prayer and thanksgiving and that wonderful peace of God, which surpasses all of man’s understanding will calm your souls and spirits. It’s that peace that Jesus bequeathed unto us, when He said: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) And later on He again gives us His marvellous peace, when He tells the disciples: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And if you have sufficient faith to believe in Jesus and His faithful promises, then the cares of this world won’t trouble you unduly.
Then there’s also this amazing and encouraging scripture of putting one’s cares and lives in the hands of Jehovah God. Listen to Peter tell it: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion , walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-11)
Now friends, let’s pay close attention to those scriptures because the world is getting more evil and troubled each day, and we will only be able to handle it with God’s divine help! Now for those of us who are doing our best to stand steadfast and strong, let’s declare (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, let’s go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the only place to find true peace…is with Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
10 Oct 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great King above all Gods, being thankful keeps us spiritually healthy, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, every good and perfect gift, giving thanks gets easier the more you do it, giving thanks is a daily occurrence, giving thanks to God the Father, good manners, his mercy endureth for ever, in every thing give thanks, in god's eyes, it's good manners to say thanks, Jesus Christ, keep our priorities straight, let us make a joyful noise, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, lustful desires, mercy, O come let us sing unto the lord, O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good, our one word ought to be thanks, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, share His love with my neighbours, Thank You Lord, thanksgiving magnifies God, thanksgiving reorients us, thanksgiving weekend, the beloved of God, the Lord is a great God, the rock of our salvation, the source of every good thing, the sun's shining, the thankfulness muscles respond to exercise, they sang together by course, this is the will of God in Christ, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, whatsoever ye do in word or deed, with the help of our great God, worry
Psalm 107:1. O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
And though this Tuesday morning, post the Thanksgiving weekend, has opened somewhat cool and windy, there is at least one redeeming feature; the sun’s shining! And that’s a lot to be thankful for, as the days grow cold and cloudy, and eventually snowy. Look at it nuh, just last week we were enjoying exceptional summer-like weather, now we’ve been suddenly thrown into the throes of fall (smile) that has winter as its final dance partner. And try as you want, regardless of how long you spend in this land, unless you’re an outdoor sports enthusiast, you never seem to get accustomed to that season of darkness and dreary cold weather.
But, like all the other unpleasant and tough aspects of life, with the help of our great God, we handle it superbly whenever it raises its ugly head! Give much thanks to our gracious and merciful God for all that He’s done, is doing and has promised to do for us! And all God’s people said a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’ And just in case we’ve forgotten or gotten too busy to remember, now that the Thanksgiving weekend is over, it doesn’t mean we should stop giving thanks. No! The giving of thanks to our most wonderful God Jehovah, must be a daily occurrence, not just once a year, or when you’re pleading with him for something to satisfy your lustful desires.
And that’s one of the major reasons why our lives are so sad and miserable; we boldly ask for a whole lot from our heavenly Father, but don’t give sufficient thanks for what we already have. Somehow or the other, it just slips our minds that, as our parents taught us, it’s good manners to say thanks for whatever you’re given. Or, we simply don’t think or believe that such a great God as ours, needs or desires thanks from His puny human creation. But that’s a thoroughly incorrect supposition my fellow believers, for the Good Library, God’s inerrant and infallible word, says otherwise, and says it very often too.
But before we get into some of those many scriptures, let’s check out this commentary that tells us why it’s so important for us to give thanks to our God. It says: ‘What is the power of giving thanks to God? Thanksgiving reorients us to the center of all things. So, thanksgiving magnifies God: it makes him great in the sense of declaring his greatness. Here is the most foundational truth about biblical thanksgiving: it gives him the glory he deserves. It exalts him as the source of every good thing we enjoy.’
And that’s the indisputable truth friends! Giving thanks to Almighty God honours and exalts Him, for that was one of the reasons why He created us in the first place; to commune with Him and give Him honour and glory! Now here’s another commentary that adds further reason for being thankful. It reads: ‘But being thankful also has significant spiritual benefits. For starters, it keeps us spiritually healthy. When we live gratefully, we keep our priorities straight—focusing on God as the one who gives us “every good and perfect gift” (James 1:17)—and we don’t accidentally put ourselves in God’s place.’
Yes friends, giving sincere and constant thanks keep us spiritually healthy and on the straight and narrow path. Now let’s hear some of those scriptures on the importance of being thankful. First up is this mighty one from Psalm 107: ‘O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.’ (Ps. 107:1) And in all truth, there’s no better reason than that. The Lord’s good and merciful, and therefore our thanks is necessary. It’s as simple as that. There’s no better reason for giving thanks than to someone who’s good and merciful to you.
I just wish there was much more mercy and goodness amongst us believers, and the world in general, and therefore much more thanks, for then that would make it something we’d do naturally with our good and merciful God. But unfortunately, goodness and mercy don’t exist in our world as much as they ought to, so it doesn’t naturally rub off on our dealing with the Lord. Then there’s this Scripture from the Book of Ezra, when the Israelites returned from captivity in Babylon and began rebuilding the temple.
‘And they sang together by course (responsively) in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.’ (Ezra 3:11) And yes, our God does like great shouts of praise from His people, but He’s also contented with a simple ‘Thank You Lord,’ because it shows that we are thinking of Him and gratefully acknowledging the fact that He is working in our lives. And that’s all He truly desires; a grateful acknowledgement of His presence.
Then there’s the song of thankfulness from Psalm 95. In fact, the Psalms is where the most thankfulness can be found in the Lord’s word. And just for our information here’s how many times the Bible mentions gratitude. ‘The Bible mentions the word “gratitude” 157 times. It does not appear as frequently as “fear not” (which is said 365 times), but it appears more than “thanks” or “thanksgiving” (mentioned 72 times).’ That ought to show us how important gratitude is to our God. (smile)
But back to the thankfulness of Psalm 95, which opens thus: ‘O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.’ (Ps. 95:1-3) And there’s definitely no denying those sentiments my fellow believers. Our God is GREAT! That says it all! (smile)
And don’t think that there aren’t thankful scriptures in the New Testament too, because they are, and some that tend to drive us crazy, especially this one from Bruh Paul’s first missive to the Thessalonians. ‘In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:18) In ‘every thing’ you ask in disbelief? Yes friends…in every thing .That means whether the situation is good, bad or indifferent, we ought to give thanks. As this commentary tells it: ‘For this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.’
Then in his letter to the Colossian, Bruh Paul tells us: ‘And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’ (Col. 3:17) That’s another tough scripture, but one which we should all adhere to if we want to please our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as true followers. For remember, when He was here on earth, giving thanks was also one of His strongpoints. He never did anything without giving the Father thanks.
And we don’t have time nor space to go into it all, but you can read these instances for yourself. Jesus thanked the Father ‘for providing food (Luke 24:30), for listening to him (John 11:41), and for the opportunity to minister to others (Matthew 14:19, 15:36). Jesus began and ended his prayers with words of thanks and praise to his father and in the Lord’s Prayer he taught his followers to do the same (Matthew 6:9-13).’ And as always, if our Leader can do it, then we also ought to be doing it.
And this a most appropriate comment with which to close our li’l talk on the giving of thanks. ‘One of the best things about thankfulness is that the more you choose it, the easier it gets. The more you profess gratitude, the more you notice things to be grateful for. The thankfulness muscles respond to exercise!’ Yes, my brethren! Just try it and you’ll see it’s oh so true. (smile)
Now let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. In one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said all that, it now behooves us to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…if there’s only one word to fall from our lips…it ought to be THANKS!…
P.S. Yes, it’s long, but oh so good, and so reenergizing! (smile)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
03 Oct 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a dysfunctional family, beloved of God, bring thee up again, characterisitc of a godly life, drama, everything's going my way, faith, fear not to go down into Egypt, hurry, I will go and see him before I die, in god's eyes, intrigue, It is enough, Jesus Christ, Joseph my son is yet alive, longsuffering, LOVE, make of thee a great nation, offered sacrifices, perseverance, put his hand on thine eyes, share His love with my neighbours, summerlicious days, surrender, the good shepherd cares for his sheep, the sons of Israel, trust, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, wisdom, worry
Genesis 45:28. Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.
‘Summerlicious’ days are still here friends! Thus we can sing: ‘Oh what a beautiful morning…Oh what a beautiful day! Oh what a beautiful morning…Everything’s going my way!’ And with Jesus Christ as our Lord, Savour and Guiding Light, ALL things will eventually go our way! All thanks and praise be to the spotless Lamb who died for us to set us free from Satan’s evil bondage! And all God’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Praise the Lord!’
Now, let’s get to that amazing story of Bruh Joseph, which the Lord imbued with so much intrigue and drama. We’ve reached the part where Joseph finally reveals himself to his brothers, then sends them home, per Pharoah’s command, with wagons and food to bring their families down to Egypt. But when they get home and tell their father Jacob that Joseph was still alive and ruler of all Egypt, the old man faints and does not believe them. Not until he sees all the wagons and provisions that Joseph has sent. Then ‘Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.’ (Gen. 45:28)
And we pick up the story from the Bible at that point. ‘And Israel (Jacob) took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes (will close your eyes when you die).’ (Gen. 46:1-4)
Now here are some important explanations from the scholars re those verses. In regard to ‘Jacob stopped at Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. Both Abraham (21:33) and Isaac (26:25) had erected altars here, and this may have been his (Jacob’s) motive for offering sacrifices. Abraham had lied about his wife in Egypt (12:10-20) with serious consequences; and Isaac had been forbidden even to go there (26:2), which must have caused Jacob some anxiety. But God assured Jacob that he need fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation (cf. 15:13-21; Ps. 105:17, 23).
The Lord promised to be with Jacob and also surely bring thee up again. It was also promised that Jacob would die in Egypt as Joseph shall put his hand on thine eyes, contrasted to the troubled end he had predicted for himself (37:35, when he believed that Joseph was dead). Thus “bring thee up again” refers to the nation of Israel, not Jacob.’ Ah friends, there are so many ins and outs and ramifications and complications in the story that sometimes it’s hard to keep one’s bearings. (smile) But fear not, the Holy One of Israel has it all under control.
Thus, the Bible continues: ‘And Jacob rose up from Beer-sheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharoah had sent to carry him. And they took their cattle (livestock), and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his seed (descendants) with him: His sons, and his sons’ sons with him, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt.’ (Gen. 46:5-7)
Oh mih people, doesn’t our God do a wonderful job of storytelling, with just the right amount of pace, drama and intrigue to keep you fastened to your seat in great expectations? He certainly does! And I guess we can call this the ‘li’l Exodus’, where Jacob and his immediate family moved from the famished land of Canaan to the prosperous land of Egypt, as opposed to the ‘great Exodus’ some four hundred years later, where the whole nation of Israel, between one and two million strong, left Egypt to return to the Promised Land of Canaan.
But that friends, the creation of the nation of Israel, was the whole idea behind God’s machinations. To give them a place to grow in peace and develop the characteristics and culture that He desired them to have. And that they did quite successfully in the fertile land of Goshen in Egypt. If He had left them in Canaan during the famine they would have died out and His promises to make a great nation of Abraham and his descendants would not have come to pass. And I know with God’s mighty power, one would think that He could accomplish it in some easier way. But that’s not the way our God operates. He likes things to move along in a normal, steady manner, no rush and no fuss. (smile)
And who would have thought that He would set up the creation of the promised nation of Israel through the young boy of a dysfunctional family being sold into slavery by his evil and jealous brothers eh? I doubt that either Abraham or Isaac would have thought it. But Jacob might, since he ended up down there with his whole family. The point is my brethren, that we never know the Lord’s purposes or reasons behind the things He does or allows in our lives, but if we claim to sincerely trust and obey Him, then we must allow Him to do what He thinks is best.
And though the situations in which He places us are not always to our liking, with His greater wisdom and foresight, as well as the promise to eventually work all things for our good, we have to go along with His plans. And remember, He never asks us to do something without giving us the wherewithal, the anointing to do it. And I believe Bruh Joseph’s story is a monumental one, from which we can learn the immense value of trust, faith, surrender, patience, perseverance and longsuffering, all worthwhile and necessary characteristics for living a godly earthly life. End of Sermon! (smile)
Now, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel. Altogether now: In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, it now behooves us to go out and share that amazing friendship and LOVE of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the Lord never leads us astray…for He is our Good Shepherd…and the Good shepherd cares for His sheep…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
26 Sep 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all is well, an abomination unto the Egyptians, fellowship, firstborn according to his birthright, for brethren to dwell together in unity, had a change of heart, he sent servings unto them, he washed his face, his heart years for his brother, how good and how pleasant it is, hurry, I am the beloved of god, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, LOVE, playing his cards close to his chest, set on the bread, share His love with my neighbours, the Egyptians coulld not eat with the Hebrews, the ever-present fear of trouble, the light of God surrounds me, the love of God enfolds me, the power of God protects me, the presence of God watches over me, thr youngest according to his youth, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, wherefore have re rewarded evil for good, wherever I am God is, worry, ye have done evil in so doing
Genesis 44:4b. Wherefore have ye rewarded (repaid) evil for good?
Aye friends, I’m not sure exactly what kind of day we’re going to have this autumn Tuesday in my neighbourhood, because they are telling me about it being partly sunny and to expect high winds soon. But what I do know is that right now it’s a glorious day out there, filled with sunshine and decent temperatures for this time of year. So, I will rejoice and be glad in it, like the Bible tells us to do!
And now a li’l prayer to remind us of God’s goodness. Please pray with me. ‘The Light of God surrounds me: The LOVE of God enfolds me: The Power of God protects me: The Presence of God watches over me: Wherever I am, God is… And ALL is well!’ Oh mih people, isn’t it just wonderful to know that wherever we are God’s Light, LOVE, Power and Presence are constantly with us, looking over us and protecting us? It certainly is!
Now let’s get to that intriguing drama that’s Bruh Joseph’s story. We left the saga yesterday where Bruh Joseph sees his brothers seated in his house, and his heart yearns so much for his youngest sibling Benjamin, his mother’s other son, that he goes into his bed chamber and cries. The emotions are beginning to run free.
The Bible then tells us: ‘And he (Bruh Joseph) washed his face, and went out, and refrained (restrained) himself, and said, Set on (serve the) bread. And they set on for him (served him) by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves, because the Egyptians might not eat bread (could not eat food) with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.’ (Gen. 43:31-32)
Ah Lord eh, even in the midst of supposed good relations there’s still always separation! Bruh Joseph eats by himself, his brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians by themselves because by man’s foolish and ungodly tradition, it’s not fitting for them to all eat together. No wonder there’s still so much anger and resentment in our world, if we can’t even do a simple thing like break bread together.
But the Bibe continues: ‘And they sat before him, the first-born according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled (looked with astonishment) one at another. And he took and sent messes (servings) unto them from before him: but Benjamin’s mess (serving) was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry with him.’ (Gen. 43:33-34)
Brother! The drama is surely ramping up now! They’re all eating together, but separately, and there are all sorts of thoughts and undercurrents present because no one’s sure of what’s really happening! Bruh Joseph has opened up some, but is still playing his cards close to his chest. The brothers don’t have a clue what’s going on, and though they are eating, apparently joyful on the outside, the ever-present fear of trouble is still only a heartbeat away. And the Egyptians, watching this strange encounter…what are they thinking eh? Who knows? (smile)
Now, here’s some interesting information from the scholars. They say, as per verse 33 above: ‘And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another. At the dinner the brothers failed to leap to one logical explanation of his (Bruh Joseph’s) behaviour, considering his concern for Jacob (vs. 27), his affectionate favouritism for Benjamin (vs. 29-34), and exact knowledge of the interlocking sequence of births of these sons of four mothers (vs. 33).’
And yes, those things should possibly have said something to the brothers, although when you’re filled with fear, your mind doesn’t always work properly. But I find one concern in the scholars’ statements above there. How do we know that it was Bruh Joseph who seated them according to their birth rights eh? Perhaps it was just natural for them to sit at table in that manner, since that kind of tradition was very important in those days.
Anyway, the scholars continue: ‘The fact that Joseph had the brothers separated from the Egyptians (vs. 32) – it would have been an abomination unto the Egyptians had they not been separated – suggests that this was a native Egyptian Pharaoh. If it were a Hyksos king (non-native), most likely he would not have demanded such discrimination. Evidently the Egyptians had a deep hatred for Asiatic shepherd (cf. 46:34; Ex. 8:26). Verse 34 suggests that the brothers were not jealous or resentful toward Benjamin because of the preferential treatment; thus they seemingly had a change of heart. But Joseph was going to test them.’
Yes friends, although everything seemed somewhat hunky dory on the outside, more alarming situations were in the offing. No wonder the Good Library continues thus: ‘And he (Bruh Joseph) commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in his sack’s mouth. And put my cup, the silver cup in the sack mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.’ (Gen 44:1-2)
Bruh Joseph is certainly not making it easy for his brothers. But who knows why he’s setting these traps for them. Is it a matter of deep revenge, or simply playing games, to show them how their actions can have rebounding ramifications? Nonetheless, ‘As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses (donkeys). And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded (repaid) evil for good? Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth (practices divination)? Ye have done evil in so doing?’ (Gen. 44:3-5)
Ah mih people, Bruh Joseph certainly wasn’t easy nuh. But who can really blame him after all the trials and tribulations he had suffered because of his brother’s evil machinations. And if God spares life tomorrow, we’ll continue looking at how that most important story in the Good Library plays out. Now, let’s declare (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that declaration (awright!!!) it’s now our bounden duty to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…behold…how good and how pleasant it is…for brethren to dwell together in unity… (Ps. 133:1)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
19 Sep 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: do the Lord's work, famine was in the land of Canaan, fire and brimstone, get our Christlike selves together, God's daily mercies and compassions, he put them all together in ward for three days, hurry, I am the beloved of god, in god's eyes, it always comes to pass, Joseph knew his brethren but they knew not him, Joseph remembered the dreams, Joseph's brethren bowed down themselves before him, keep our part of the bargain, live up to our Christian responsibilities, LOVE, one is no more, only human, Satan's evil doings, share His love with my neighbours, that we may live and not die, the standard to which we must always aspire, the Word of god, the Word of the Lord does not lie, the youngest is this day with our father, their faces to the earth, to see the nakedness of the land, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, twelve brethren the sons of one man, worry, ye are spies, ye shall be proved
Genesis 42:8. And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.
Oh friends, how wonderful it is that we’ve been blessed to see another glorious day on God’s great earth! And yes, it’s been born of His daily mercies and compassions, but it also means that He still has work down here for us to do. So please, let’s get our Christlike selves together and do the Lord’s work nuh! What will it take for us to live up to our Christian responsibilities eh? Fire and brimstone?
Our God has been so good to us down through the ages, that it’s only fair that we keep our part of the bargain, if we want the covenant to have a happy ending. Remember, we’re the ones who are suffering the hurts and pains of Satan’s evil doings, and everything the Lord has advised us to do is for OUR benefit, not His! Nuff said!
Now, let’s turn once again to that intriguing story of Bruh Joseph. In our last go round, we saw where the famine was in full swing throughout all the lands, and his father Jacob sent his ten brothers down to Egypt to buy grain ‘that we may live, and not die.’ (Gen. 42:2) However, he refused to send his last child, Benjamin, fearing that some calamity might befall him, the way it had done Joseph, some twenty years before.
The Bible then tells us: ‘And the sons of Israel (Jacob) came to buy corn (grain) among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan (where they lived). And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren (brothers) came and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.’ (Gen. 42:5-6)
Oh my people how mighty are the ways of our God eh? Remember many years before when Bruh Joseph told his brothers that in his dream they were bowing down before Him? That was the very reason they had gone to so much trouble to get rid of Bruh Joseph in the first place. Well, it had taken almost two decades, but the Word of the Lord does not lie. It might tarry, take some time, but it always comes to pass!
Then the Bible continues: ‘And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them (acted as a stranger to them), and spake roughly (harshly) unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said from the land of Canaan to buy food. And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.’ (Gen. 42:7-8) And that was quite possible since Bruh Joseph was most likely dressed as an Egyptian nobleman, and possibly even spoke the Egyptian language after being in the country for so long.
The Good Library then states: ‘And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness (exposed parts) of the land ye are come. And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. We are all one man’s sons; we are true (honest) men, thy servants are no spies. And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren (brothers), the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not (no more).’ (Gen. 42:9-13)
Now isn’t it strange that the brothers even mentioned that they had a sibling who was no longer alive. Or so they thought. But the interesting repartee between the brothers goes on: ‘And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies: Hereby ye shall be proved (tested): By the life of Pharoah ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved (tested), whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharoah surely ye are spies. And he put them all together in ward (prison) three days.’ (Gen. 42:14-17)
Bubba! Bruh Joseph was really tough with his brethren. And this explanation from the scholars makes the whole thing even more interesting. They say: ‘It is hard to determine Joseph’s real motive for testing his brothers. Most scholars feel that Joseph was not being vindictive, but was engaged merely in official probing and testing. However, Joseph’s manner, coupled with the numerous tests through which he put his brothers, gives the distinct impression that he was humbling his previously arrogant brothers (vs. 6-14).’
And even if that’s true, why not eh? Bruh Joseph, though godly, was still only human, and they had put him through unnecessary hell simply because of their jealously and hatred. And it’s not strange that when we do evil and ungodly deeds, that at some stage of the game they rebound on us, like the famous Australian boomerang. That’s because the Lord God is our vindicator, and if we do not seek vengeance ourselves, He will eventually give us justice. Remember Bruh Paul’s words in Romans 12:19, as he quotes Deuteronomy 32:35. ‘Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord.’
Yes my fellow saints, our God will make everything right, if we only believe Him and leave everything in His hand. And no, it’s not always easy to forgive or let wrong doings go by, especially when they cause much hurt and pain, but our ever-faithful God requires that we make such sacrifices, if we truly believe in Him. And now that it’s time to go home, let’s declare (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And now that we’ve made such a marvellous admission, it now behooves us to go out and share that wonderful LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the Word of God…that is the standard to which we must always aspire…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
12 Sep 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good time to correct our faults, an Hebrew servant, avoid disastrous flood situations, be truly faithful to God, bounden duty, coming from a privileged situation, diligence, disaster mode, excellence, God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace, God will work all things out for our good, hurry, I do remember my faults, improve human life, in god's eyes, It is not me, lock stock and barrel, our job, share His love, share His love with my neighbours, stayed the course, steady drizzle of rain, the beloved of God, the faithfulness of God, there was none that could declare it to me, titillating, titivating, to each man according to his dream, to grow up, to make things better, to understand the realities of life, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, worry
Genesis 41:16. It is not me: God shall give Pharoah an answer of peace.
Well, at long last the rain which has been promised by the weather forecasters and the intense cloudiness of the last few days, eventually arrived this Tuesday morning! And thankfully, not in humongous showers like some places have been recently receiving, but in a steady drizzle, which hopefully gives the land the opportunity to soak it up and avoid the disastrous flood situations that’s been happening around the world recently. Our world is certainly in disaster mode, but that’s why we’re here, why we’ve been chosen for just such a time like this, because we have the wherewithal from Almighty God to make things better.
Our job is always to make things better, improve human life. The question is whether we are doing that, and if so, whether it’s to our fullest ability? Remember Christ expects diligence and excellence from His followers. So, hopefully, we’re all doing as best as we can, for come the judgement day, the Lord won’t ask us about anybody else nuh. No, He’ll only ask about what WE did with the talents that He gave us. That means we’ve got to stop looking at, and comparing ourselves with others, and get on with our personal tasks.
And now it’s time to return to that amazing saga of Bruh Joseph. I wonder, with all the unfair and unjust things that have happened to him so far, how many of us would have lived up to his faithfulness? Not many I believe. Most of us would have been downright annoyed with God, angrily claiming that we’re doing right, and only unfair and unjust things are happening to us. Some of us might have already turned away from Him.
But thankfully Bruh Joseph stayed the course, as we sincere believers are expected to do. We need to believe God’s promise that eventually He will work all things out for our good. And what a catastrophe it would have been if Bruh Joseph had given up on God’s promises. But he held it all together, despite the trials he faced. And as the Lord would have it, we saw yesterday how Pharaoh dreamed two dreams he did not understand and none of his wise men or magicians could interpret them either.
And the Word says: ‘Then spake the chief butler unto Pharoah, saying, I do remember my faults this day: Pharaoh was wroth (angry) with his servants, and put me in ward (in custody) in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker: And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret. And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.’ (Gen. 41:9-13)
Ah friends, yuh see how the Lord LOVES to play out His dramatics; slow and long. (smile) But there’s always a good reason behind His situations. In this particular case, Bruh Joseph needed to grow up, to understand the realities of life, after coming from a privileged situation. He also needed to learn how to handle and lead people for the destination and destiny the Lord had in store for him.
And maybe that’s the same thing he’s doing in many of our lives right now; preparing us for our eventual destination and destiny, and all the tough stuff we’re currently going through are merely learning and growing pains. But despite whatever is happening with us right now, we need to stand strong and steadfast and believe the faithful promises of our wonderful God! That’s the only way we’ll ever be successful in this evil and ungodly world.
Oh, and there’s a most important scripture early on in those verses above. When the chief butler says to Pharaoh: ‘I do remember my faults this day.’ Perchance, or perhaps, some of us might also remember our faults this day. Things we’ve promised to do or not to do and never kept those promises. Like the chief butler, now is as good a time as any to correct those faults. (smile) Yes friends, we’re all guilty of something, and the sooner we repent and fix them, the better off we’ll be.
But getting back to Bruh Joseph’s story. The Bible tells us: ‘Then Pharoah sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment (clothes), and came in unto Pharaoh. And Pharoah said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. And Joseph answered Pharoah saying, It is not me: God shall give Pharoah an answer of peace.’ (Gen. 41:14-16)
Please note again, that Bruh Joseph is not assigning any of his talent to himself, but always to God. Oh, how I wish that more of us believers could do that, instead of thinking and/or claiming that our successes come solely from our own energy. (smile) And please note too that Bruh Joseph did not merely say that God will give Pharaoh an answer, but an answer of peace, which must have quieted some of Pharoah’s sorrow and lifted his spirits. Then Pharaoh told Bruh Joseph his dream, ending with the sorrowful words: ‘but there was none that could declare (yes!!!) it to me.’ (Gen. 41:24)
And in keeping with good drama procedures, we’ll stop there for today, leaving you hanging, in suspense, thinking about what comes next, titivating and titillating your imaginations. (smile) But seriously though my brethren, this story of Bruh Joseph is indeed one of God’s best drama pieces, and it definitely set the stage for most of what came after. Now, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And now it’s our bounden duty to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…to truly experience the faithfulness of God…we truly need to be faithful to Him…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
29 Aug 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a heart overflowing with faith, a successful walk with Christ, and lo I am with you always, be strong and of a good courage, call his name Immanuel, econoic deprivation, even unto the end of the world, famine drought, gallivant ourselves into action, God be with us, God doesn't require us to strive and stumble, He is faithful that promised, hurry, I long to rest with you, I will fear no evil, LOVE, natural disasters, share His love with my neighbours, shewed him mercy and gave him favour, teach me to experience you, the beloved of God, the Lord was with Joseph, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, without wringing my hands, worry
Matthew 28:20b. …and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
Oh friends, what a beautiful Tuesday morning it is in my area! The sun’s shining brightly in a clear blue sky, the birds are singing, the insects chirping, and everything seems right with the world! (smile) But we know that’s not true. In fact, it’s the opposite, not a whole lot is right with our world. When you consider the overwhelming natural disasters happening all over our world; the wildfires, the hurricanes and tornadoes, the flooding, the drought, famine, economic deprivation and sickness, plus the serious strife caused by man’s greed and inhumanity to his fellow man, how can anything be right eh?
But that’s what we believers in Christ Jesus are here for, to make it better, or as best as we can before our Lord and Saviour returns. But we have to get serious about it, not only talk, but gallivant ourselves into action, helping those in need; that’s the vocation and purpose of Christ’s body, the church. Unfortunately, it’s an area in which we have not been doing as well as we should. But with things as bad as they are right now, it’s of the utmost importance that believers rise to the occasion and help alleviate the serious situation existing in our disaster filled world.
And the best place to begin is always with prayer. So, here’s this month’s prayer from the In Touch Devotional. Please pray with me. ‘Father, all my striving has one goal – to know You. Have mercy on me. I make mistakes, I stumble, but always toward You. Have mercy on me. I confess, Lord, that I long to rest with You. Have mercy on me. Teach me to experience You without wringing my hands. Have mercy on me. Forgive me for scrambling and striving – You’ve never required it. Have mercy on me. You’ve always been here and always will be. Have mercy on me. Amen.’
Yes my fellow believers, two things jump out at me in that prayer; first that our wonderful and merciful God doesn’t ever require us to strive and scramble, because if we dwell sincerely with Him, He always provides for our needs. And secondly, He has always been with us, and always will be. And until that fact becomes a permanent and active part of our lives, our spiritual walk will not be as comfortable and significant as it ought to be. And there are numerous scriptures where the Lord has promised to be with us, so let’s look at a few to remind ourselves of his gracious promise and thus renew our faith and trust in Him.
And the first one comes from way back when, when Moses told the Israelites on the Lord’s behalf. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6) Then there’s the personal outpouring of God’s favour in the life of Bruh Joesph. Yes, Joseph is one of our three Bros: we just don’t talk about him as much as we do the other two, Paul and David, but he was the forerunner of the Israelite nation in Egypt, and though he suffered much misfortune, the Lord was always with him.
As the Bible records in Genesis. ‘But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.’ (Gen. 39:21) Wherever Joseph went, despite his many misfortunes, he remained faithful to God and God favoured him with steadfast LOVE, so that he was always well looked upon. And it’s the same way the Lord will look upon us with favour and steadfast LOVE if we are faithful to His will.
And Isaiah made this pronouncement about the coming of Jesus, long before it ever happened. ‘Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.’ (Is. 7:14) And what does ‘Immanuel mean? God with us! So the Lord didn’t just talk about being with us, but He sent His Son, God in the flesh to be with us! You can’t get any better than that!
And probably the most in your face and direct promise of God being with us, is when He said to Joshua: ‘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) And believe me friends, the same promise holds good for each and every sincere believer in Christ Jesus! He is with us wherever we go!
The problem is that we have to believe it, do like Bruh Joseph and have strong faith despite all the unfortunate and unfair things that happen to us. Don’t think that he was not confused and wondering why his brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt, why Potiphar’s wife wrongly accused him of sexual abuse, and why the chief butler forgot for two years to tell Pharaoh about him. But despite all that stuff, he held on to the dream the Lord had placed in his heart, and because of his faithfulness, it eventually came true.
That’s how we have to be my fellow believers; strong in our faith, despite whatever happens that doesn’t sync with what we expect, for our God is faithful. As Hebrews tells us: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering: (for he is faithful that promised.)’ (Heb. 10:23) And again there’s this promise through Isaiah to the people of Israel. ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is. 41:10) How much more can we ask eh?
Now listen to Zephaniah tell it like it is. ‘The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest (quiet you) in his LOVE, he will joy over thee with singing.’ (Zeph. 3:17) How much reassurance do we need of God’s faithfulness eh? And Bruh David lived it and said it in spades in our favourite psalm. ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:4) And why do you think Bruh David escaped all the times that Saul tried to kill him eh? Because the Lord was with him, and will be with us too if we stick close and faithful to Him.
Now there are many more scriptures where God poured out His promise to be with us, but we’ll close with this one straight from the horse’s mouth as it were. (smile) It’s Jesus promise, when He gives the disciples the Great Commission: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) And if we can’t believe that, then I don’t know what else to say.
Now, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And it’s now our duty to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the most important aspect of a successful walk with Christ…a heart overflowing with faith…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
22 Aug 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all the way down to hell, Christ's church is filled with contention, Christian faith walk, come behind in no gift, encourage and strengthen you in the Lord, false teachers and preachers, God is faithful, grace be unto you, I am the beloeved of God, in god's eyes, Is Christ divided, LOVE, patience, peace from God our Father, perseverance, praise, prayer, shall he find faith on the earth, share His love with my neighbour, speak the same thing, successfully navigate the storms, supplication, thanksgiving, the devil is laughing his head off, the grace of God, the help of social media, the unity of Christ's church, there be no divisions among you, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, unmerited favour, when the Son of man cometh, worry, ye may be blameless in the day of christ
1 Corinthians 1:13.a. Is Christ divided?
Welcome to the second to last Tuesday in August 2023 my Scrip-Bit Friends and Family! Now, I would like to share Bruh Paul’s sentiments in his first letter to the church at Corinth, because they are still very valid, important and encouraging to our Christian faith walk. So, as he wrote: ‘Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always on your behalf (concerning you), for the grace of God which is given you by Christ Jesus;
That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: so that ye come behind (short) in no gift; waiting for the coming (revelation) of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (1 Cor. 1:3-9) What a heartfelt and LOVING greeting! And in my simple way, I offer you the same sentiments, hoping that they will encourage and strengthen you in the Lord. (smile)
Now, as per ‘Grace …and Peace,’ the scholars tell us that ‘In the former (grace) Paul contemplates all that is understood by God’s gracious unmerited favour as it is extended to sinners.’ And do we all ever have great need of plenty of God’s unmerited favour in these ungodly and evil times. And as per ‘The latter (peace) Paul has in mind benefits that fall from the exercise of God’s LOVE.’ That’s another thing we so badly need in these troubled and turbulent times; God’s peace! The ONLY kind that can truly do us any good right now!
Then, Bruh Paul goes on to wish that the Corinthians were enriched with all wisdom and knowledge of God, through the testimony and witness of Christ that was confirmed in them, and that they would not be left out of any of God’s good things, most likely spiritual gifts, but be strengthened and made firm, as they waited for the return of Christ, when He shall make them blameless before God.
Now it’s the same testimony and witness that’s supposedly been confirmed in us, and we’re still waiting for Christ’s return, and desperately need to be strengthened and made firm in God’s grace, so the same sentiments can be applied to us, and we possibly need them more because our world is surely more troubled and confused than theirs was.
And I like how after all the warm and pleasant greetings Bruh Paul gets down to brass tacks re the unfortunate contentions in the church. ‘Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ye all speak the same thing (have a uniform testimony), and that there be no divisions (dissensions or schisms) among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement.’ (1 Cor. 1:10)
Apparently it had been brought to Bruh Paul’s attention that serious quarrels were happening among the church brethren. ‘Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul, and I am of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.’ (1 Cor. 1:12-15)
Ah friends, sadly, just like the early church was filled with contention, today’s church is overrun with dissension, so badly that Christ church is terribly divided. There are so many Christian religions, sub-religions, cliques, and what have you, that it brings a big smile to the evil one’s face, because that makes it ever so easy for him to conquer us. He doesn’t even have to do the division since we’ve already divided ourselves, and over so much petty stuff. That’s the hurtful part. A lot of our division is over stuff that can easily be figured out or simply laid aside because it is not that important.
But the latest style is that as soon as something dissatisfies us in one church body, we leave and start a new one, with slight variations. But as Bruh Paul asked the church at Corinth, and we should seriously consider today with our many schisms and divisions: ‘Is Christ divided?’ And the answer is NO! So why is His supposed church so divided, and yet we all claim to be preaching the same Christ crucified? That’s why the devil is laughing his head off all the way down to hell! For if Christ is One, the same yesterday, today and forever more, then how can so much different, conflicting stuff be preached and taught about Him eh?
Unfortunately, I don’t have the answers. All I know is that Satan is having a field day, a heyday amongst believers right now. Believers who are filled with so much doubt, anxiety and worry about their lives and circumstances that they are losing their faith in Almighty God. And the many false teachers and preachers, with the help of social media, are escalating the problems, causing more conflicting dialogue and beliefs among Christ’s people.
Ah mih saints, the times are difficult and troubling, but serious and sincere students of and believers in Christ Jesus will be able to successfully navigate the storms and trials of the day. However, the important question, is what’s to become of Christ’s church? God is already being removed from our society, and if Christ’s church doesn’t come together soon, and real soon too, there will not be much of it left to talk about, and the devil would have won. Now that’s something we should not even be contemplating, but it is a possible reality the way the church is continually splitting apart, instead of uniting.
However, I pray that most of us will stand strong and call for the reunification of Christ’s church, so that we can defeat Satan’s evil schemes. And thus, the question Christ posed after the parable of the unjust judge: ‘Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?’ (Luke 18:8) will be a resounding YES! But please remember that will only happen if we keep strong in faith, in prayer and supplication, in fellowship, praise and thanksgiving, and our patience and perseverance don’t run out by the time Jesus finally returns.
Now for those of us who are sincerely trying to live for Christ, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we joyfully belong, lock, stock and barrel! As one strong 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 it’s now our bounden duty to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the unity of Christ’s church…right now it’s of the utmost importance…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
15 Aug 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a repentnat heart, bringing glad tidings of good things, cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us, discipleship, drew water piured it out before the Lord, Ebenezer, evil and disaster filled world, gather all Israel to Mizpeh, God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, good ambassadors of your Word, hurry, I will pray for you unto the Lord, in god's eyes, Ithe beloved of god, let him deny himself, LOVE, our bunden duty, poured out in personal trust and submission, return unto the Lord with all your hearts, share His love with my neighbours, spread the gospel of peace, stone of help, take up his cross daily and follow me, thanks for life and health, the God of our forefathers, the Lord thundered with a great thunder, the walk of faith, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, worry
1 Samuel 7:5. And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the Lord.
And what does this Tuesday morning in mid-August look like in my area? Unfortunately, it’s opened cool, cloudy and dreary looking. But there’s yet hope for the sun to eventually shine. That’s because as long as we believers in Christ Jesus are alive, we have hope that any and everything is possible and can happen in the name of our marvellous and majestic Lord and Saviour. So, let’s give Him a shout of thanks and praise for His wonderful goodness to us, undeserving children of men.
Please pray with me: ‘Blessed Saviour, we thank you for life and health to see another day on this beautiful but somewhat troubled earth. We thank you for the salvation you provided for us through your sacrificial death on the cross of Calvary, and we faithfully promise to be good ambassadors of your Word during our lifetimes, to be people who spread your gospel of peace, bringing glad tidings of the good things you have to offer to all those we meet. We pray this in your strong and holy name! Amen!’
Yes friends, nothing is impossible for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and if we live faithfully for Him, we shall see all sorts of incredible and unbelievable things happen in our lives. But we must be prepared to make the occasional sacrifice for Him, like He did for us. The walk of faith is not a Sunday walk in the park, or all wine, roses and song, and it can be very difficult and discouraging, if you’re not prepared to make the necessary sacrifices.
And I guess the best way to remind us of that is by quoting Jesus’ requirements for discipleship. He plainly stated: ‘If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) And that’s what we need to do each and every day that we’re alive, take up our cross and follow our Lord and Saviour, right to the ends of the earth!
So now that we know the elementary stuff of discipleship, let’s look again at the prophet Samuel, who epitomized the subject, long before it even became a household word. (smile) He didn’t have all the tools that we have, but he persevered with God despite his many problems and led his people Israel in the way of the Lord, unlike many of the judges before him, and the kings after him. It was Sameul who brought the children of Israel back to God when they were being harassed by the Philistines and lamented over the lack of God’s faithfulness to them.
The Bible tells us: ‘And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange (foreign) gods and Ashtaroth (images of Canaanite goddesses) from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.’ (1 Sam. 7:3)
Oh my people, a return to worshipping the God of our forefathers, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is exactly what we also need to do today to cleanse our diseased, evil and troubled world. Put aside all the other false gods we now worship and sincerely pledge our hearts to Christ. For that is the only way our world will ever improve. And if you don’t believe me, then let’s check out the example of Israel when they did the same thing.
The Bible continues: ‘Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth (the images of the Canaanite gods and goddesses), and served the Lord only. And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the Lord. And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the Lord. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.’ (1 Sam. 7: 4-6)
Wow! What an evangelical event that must have been! Wish we could have something even half as big and powerful as that all over our world today, for it would make such a major, positive difference. And just to show that it was not all fanciful stuff. When the Philistines heard that all Israel was gathered at Mizpeh, they decided to attack them. And when the Israelites heard of the Philistine attack, they were deathly afraid, and they said unto Samuel: ‘Cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.
And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the Lord: and Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel; and the Lord heard him. And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited (confused) them; and they were smitten (overcome) before Israel. And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them until they came to Beth-car.’ (1 Sam. 7:8-11)
And who says that crying out to our great God for help with a sincere heart doesn’t work eh? Only fools believe that! ‘Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer (stone of help), saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.’ (1 Sam. 7:12) After that, the Philistines didn’t bother Israel anymore, and they even regained the cities they lost in previous battles. The Good Library says it thus: ‘And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites. And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.’ (1 Sam. 7:14-15) Now that was only the beginning of Samuel’s time at the helm of Israel. Tomorrow, if God spares life, we’ll finish looking at his marvellous story.
In the meanwhile, here are some explanations from the scholars. They say that ‘The pouring out of water (7:6) symbolized a repentant heart poured out in submission and personal trust before God (cf. Ps. 62:8). And thunder was a sign of divine presence, the Lord often used thunder as a part of His military weaponization. Meanwhile Ebenezer means ‘Stone of Help.” The Israelites recognized that their victory really came from God. And the term Amorites is used here as a general term for all the various groups of the native Canaanite population. The Israelites at last achieved peace with both the Canaanites and the Philistines, due to the godly leadership of Samuel, Israel’s last judge.’
Mama oh Mama! If we could only have someone like Samuel today to stand before us in godly leadership! Our world would not be such an ungodly and evil place. But my fellow saints, we do have ourselves and the strength and direction of Christ Jesus, through the wondrous work of the Holy Spirit, so please, let’s do what we can in our own small sphere to improve the godliness of our wonderful world. That’s our bounden duty.
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 voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, let’s go out now and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…our evil and disaster filled world…needs ALL believers…working sincerely to turn it around…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
08 Aug 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a true rewarder of them that diligently seek him, anger, brotherly LOVE, Caribana, chief identifying characteristic, Christianity 101, draw near with a true heart, God's clarion call, going right down to the wire with Jesus, great commission, greed, hate, he that cometh to God must believe that He is, hold fast the profession of our faith, in full assurance of faith, in god's eyes, it's Jesus all the way, Jesus now and forever, light of the world, living a diligent and responsible life, LOVE, make disciples of all nations, make hay when the sun shines, mark of the beast, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, our level of trust faith and surrender, salt of the earth, sealfishness, self-aggrandizement, share His love with my neighbour, take hard times in stride, the mark of love for Jesus, the name that's higher than any other, to provoke unto love and good works, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, uncertain and trying times, without faith it is impossible to please God
Hebrews 11:6a. But without faith it is impossible to please him:
So friends, Caribana done now! And a good thing too, because Tuesday has opened somewhat sunny, but cool and very windy; on the verge of what can be called a windstorm. But life goes on, we’ll still make hay when the sun shines, and when it doesn’t, we’ll do whatever the Lord asks us to do. (smile) Yes friends, we going right down to the wire with Jesus! Let’s never allow that to be a questionable situation! It’s Jesus ALL THE WAY! And all God’s people gave a loud and sincere shout of ‘Jesus! Jesus NOW and FOREVER!’
And it’s ever so easy to talk it mih people, but in these rather uncertain and trying times we cannot afford to just talk Jesus, we have to LIVE Him! Sincerely do the things He commanded us to do: Be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. (Matt. 5:13-16) Accept His Great Commission and go forth into all the world and make disciples of all nations, so that the world can know Him and come to Him for help and refuge that we all so badly need. (Matt. 28:19-20)
And then there’s LOVE! Yes mih brethren, the Agape or Brotherly LOVE of Christ, that needs to pour out of us in all our dealings with our fellow man. Remember, unless that LOVE is forthcoming, we’re not His true disciples, because He purposely stated that it’s only through the great and sincere LOVE we show to each other, that will mark us as His true disciples. (John 13:35) In truth my fellow believers, the mark of LOVE for Jesus is our chief identifying characteristic. Like the Bible talks about taking the mark of the beast, the Evil One, so we Jesus believers are supposed to take His mark, that of LOVE for each other!
And it’s so sad, that that LOVE which our world so badly needs right now is in such an abysmal shortage, while the things of the Evil One are flourishing like never before. I don’t know if our world has ever seen a time like this; one of immense greed, selfishness, hate, anger and resentment. A time of widespread self-aggrandizement and power-hunger, where numerous dictatorships are being birthed through evil ramifications and a foolish, doh-care, not interested, led astray populace. A time when there’s war and rumours of war all over the globe, and in almost every nation, a state of dissatisfaction and disenchantment runs high.
And there’s so much variation in our thinking that it boggles the imagination. There’s thinking running from the extreme left to the extreme right and all the way in between, making the voices so raucous and disunited that only chaos can be the eventual result. That is unless we Jesus’ people step up to the plate and make a significant difference. Do the job that Jesus purchased us with His sinless blood to do; that’s live right and show others the way to Him and eternal life.
That means living a responsible and diligent life; one of excellence and sincerity; following His example the best way we can, taking suffering and hard times in stride, like He did, learning obedience through the hard knocks like He did, fully knowing that our Lord God Jehovah will never leave nor forsake us, (Heb. 13:5) will be with us through whatever tough times we go through, will make a way for us where there seems to be no way, and eventually will work everything out for our good! (Rom. 8:28)
Now those are the things, the scriptures we need to take to heart and inculcate in our daily lives, because we know that our God is faithful, and never reneges on a promise. And I guess that’s where it all starts my fellow saints, with our level of trust, of faith and of surrender to God’s clarion call! And I believe these scriptures from Hebrews, clarifies it all. This first one in the chapter on the heroes of faith like Enoch and Noah, Abraham and Moses, specifies the necessity for strong faith to walk sincerely with God.
‘But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6) That’s the first aspect of the situation friends, true belief in Almighty God. Then this second scripture from Hebrews enlarges and enlightens on the first.
‘And having an high priest over the house of God (Jesus): Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering: (for he is faithful that promised,) And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10: 21-25)
Oh my people, those scriptures just put it in a nutshell for us: the importance of true belief in God and His everlasting faithfulness, especially right now, when the last days seem to be upon us. Then having Jesus as our high priest, our advocate and intercessor in heaven, we stand strong, never wavering, behind Him and all that He desires of us, through gathering together and encouraging each other to live in LOVE and do good works in His majestic name. The name that’s higher than every other name! That’s the ONLY WAY to truly live the Christian life my brethren!
And now that we’ve retaken Christianity 101 (smile) and our spirits have been lifted and refreshed, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, let’s get out into the evil and ungodly world 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 true belief and strong unwavering faith…one cannot live sincerely for Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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