18 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a vested interest, backsliders, Bible, but sinners to repentance, call the poor, come to seek and to save, compensated at the resurrection, crying out for your help, divine aid, economic deprivation, error of their ways, existing in a prosperous world, faith, feudal times, finished my course, fought a good fight, Friday chant, get together as One, get up off our fat fannies, god, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn it, God so loved the world, greed, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, heal the brokenhearted, holy spirit, hunger for power, I came not to call the righteous, inequality, inequity, Jesus Christ, kept the faith, LOVE, man's inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn, mercy, out of joint noses, poverty, preach deliverance to captives, preach the gospel to the poor, recovering of sight to the blind, restoring faith in you, set at liberty the oppressed, should not perish, sickness, simmering unrest, still have battles to fight, strife, sufferation, supposed believers in Christ, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that which was lost, the blind, the body of Christ, the downtrodden, the example your faithful believers set, the lame, the maimed, the poor, the Son of man, the spirit of the Lord, the throne of grace, the world through him might be saved, they cannot recompense thee, this day is salvation come to this house, to fight the wrongs in our world, to handle the unexpected storms properly, truth, ungodly state of our world, wake up and smell the coffee, walk the talk, when thou make a feast, whosoever believeth in him, wisdom, wise guidance, won the war
John 3:17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
And then it was Friday.. and those shouts of TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here!’ echo around some of the world! I can’t even say much or a lot of the world, because much and a lot of the world is shrouded in chaos and disaster, both natural and man-made, so Fridays aren’t anything special for them. And it’s so sad to see all the confusion, poverty, sickness, strife and economic deprivation existing in such a prosperous world as ours. At a time when you’d think that we’d be wise enough to undo some of the inequity and inequality that’s causing the problems, our leaders, power brokers, and the greedy rich are instead seeking to make it worse, to bring us back to feudal times, if possible.
Ah Lord eh! Greed and hunger for power are further decimating our already decimated world. Thus, the term ‘man’s inhumanity to man, makes countless thousands or now millions, or even billions mourn,’ unfortunately is still most appropriate to the sinful, evil, ungodly state of our world. And the situation will never get better, but most likely worse, until and unless we supposed believers in Jesus Christ get up off our fat, lazy, comfortable and fearful fannies and help to do something about it.
We are the only ones, who according to God’s Word, have a vested interest in seeing the sick healed, the lame walk and the poor prosper. But that will never happen until the Body of Christ, His Church get’s together as ONE, not the many divisions now existing, and start fighting a serious and determined fight to right some of the many wrongs in our world. I don’t know if we remember what Jesus said He came to earth for, but let’s check them out nuh.
And it begins with these encouraging and reassuring words of Jesus re His purpose on earth. ‘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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17) Now that’s His overall purpose, to save the world. And how did He intend to do that? This scripture from Isaiah 61:1-2a, which Jesus read in the synagogue of His hometown, Nazareth, on the sabbath helps to explain it.
‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath appointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised (oppressed). To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.’ (Luke 4:18-19) And Jesus showed His cares for the sick and suffering later on in that same chapter. ‘Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers (various) diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.’ (Luke 4:40) So Jesus wasn’t only talking the talk, like so many of us do today, but He also walked it.
Then in Luke 5: 30, where the scribes and Pharisees were complaining about Jesus and His disciples eating with publicans (tax collectors) and sinners. Jesus answers: ‘They that are whole (healthy) need not a physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’ (Luke 5:31-32)
And again in Luke 14, Jesus shows His compassion for the have nots by recommending: ‘When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again (invite you back), and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed (crippled), the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; they cannot recompense (repay) thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection.’ (Luke14:12-14)
But we, with our haughty, arrogant selves, contrary to Jesus’ recommendations, invite only the brightest and the best to our feasts, thumbing our out of joint noses at the poor and downtrodden. But nonetheless, we expect to receive rewards in heaven. Hn! That will be the day!
And remember the incident with the tax collector Zacheus, who climbed the tree so that he could see Jesus as he passed through Jericho, then Jesus called him down saying that He would dine with him. (Luke 19:1-6) Then, having eaten with Jesus, Zacheus said to Him: ‘Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’ (Luke 19:8-10)
You see my fellow believers, Jesus didn’t just talk about His purpose, He went about fulfilling it, the way we ought to do. Remember we are His ambassadors, His earthly agents and He expects us to put up a good showing. We might not turn the world around, but we certainly can prevent it from sinking any deeper into the mire of Satan. But we can only do that if we become serious about our faith, get together and do what is required of us. We need to be up and doing like Bruh Paul said to Timothy: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith:’ (2 Tim. 4:7)
Oh my fellow saints, don’t you feel badly about our lack of real effort and zeal in living for Christ, our Lord and Saviour, who gave up His sinless life for us on the cross of Calvary? Who underwent so much ‘sufferation’ for our sake? Don’t we have enough shame and/or decency in us to do a better job than we’re currently doing in His name? I plead with us to start walking our talk, and not just talking it, otherwise we’ll never receive that crown of righteousness laid up in heaven for those who sincerely LOVE Jesus and have fought a good fight in His name!
Now, let’s go confidently to the throne of grace and through our Friday Chant, ask for divine aid to turn things around in both our lives and in the world. 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 please remember, that we’ll get no divine aid until we begin fighting a better fight of faith in Jesus’ name! Much LOVE!
…we might have won the war…but we still have battles to fight…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a positive outlook on life, abundance, Bible, by grace ye are saved, Christ died for us, christianity, come unto the knowledge of truth, courage, created in christ Jesus unto good works, creativity, curse, dead in sins, do foolish things, eternally separated from God, faith, foible, frail, god, God commendeth his love for us, God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, he will rejoice over thee with joy, he will rest (quiet you) in his love, he will save, herein is love, in his kindness towards us through Christ, in the ages to come, Jesus Christ, Jesus' Second Coming, joy over thee with singing, lack of love, lest any man should boast, LOVE, loved thee with everlasting love, make mistakes, manifested the love of God, mercy, negative word, not of works, prosper and succeed, quickened us together with Christ, receive clear direction for my life, reconciliation, salvation, save our bacon, shew the exceeding riches of his grace, should not perish but have everlasting life, sit together in heavenly places, success, talent, the calamitous state of our world, the cross of Calvary, the end of the church age, the fiery end of the world, the gift of God, the greatest of these is love, the Lord God in the midst of thee is mighty, the Lord hath appeared. of old, the Lord is longsuffering to us-ward, the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, the propitiation for our sins, to know God on a personal level, we are his workmanship, we ought also to love one another, while we were yet sinners, who will have all men to be saved, whosoever believeth in him, with loving-kindness have I drawn thee
Jeremiah 31:3. The Lord hath appeared of old (from afar) unto me, saying, Yea, I have LOVED thee with an everlasting LOVE: therefore with LOVING-kindness have I drawn thee.
Ah friends, that’s what happens when you have a late morning and a tired body; you get up late and thus all your well-planned and thought out activities also end being late. (smile) But that’s life! We’re human, very frail and foible, thus we makes mistakes and do foolish things. The wonderful thing though is that our Lord and Creator still adores, admires us and LOVES us no end! And even sent His One Son Jesus to die on the cross at Calvary so that we wouldn’t be lost to Him for all eternity!
Wow! What a wonderful God we serve my people! And just to remind and reassure us of that great LOVE of the Father, let’s look at a few Bible verses that show it in spades. Beginning with one of my favourites: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrates) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Isn’t that marvellous my people! A God who shows His LOVE for His underserving and sinful creation by taking the lead in reconciliation. No other supposed God would ever do that! But our God, the One True God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is so confident and assured of Himself that He can do things like that.
Then there’s this other famous verse on the topic of God’s LOVE for mankind, spoken by none other than Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ while here on earth. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16)
Yes friends, if the Lord had not stepped in to save our bacon, we would all have been automatically consigned to hellfire and damnation because of our sinful and ungodly behaviour. But God’s LOVE for His awesome creation was so great, that although we certainly deserved eternal separation from Him, in all good conscience, He could not allow it to happen. As Bruh Paul says of God, to his protégé Timothy. ‘Who will (desires to) have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.’ (1 Tim. 2:4)
Meanwhile Peter puts it thus in his second epistle. ‘The Lord is not slack concerning his promise (re the end of the church age with Jesus’ second coming, and the eventual fiery destruction of the world), as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ (2 Pet. 3:9)
Yes my fellow believers, those words clearly signify that God desires salvation for all who will trust in Him and His Son Jesus Christ. And the scholars say that ‘Salvation here is equated with repentance.’ So we see again the high value that the Lord places on us being reconciled to Him and not being eternally separated, which is really the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul.
Even way back in the Old Testament God was forecasting salvation and healing for His people. Listen to this scripture from the prophet Zephaniah. ‘For 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) And what about this verse as Jeremiah reassures Israel of God’s everlasting LOVE. ‘The Lord hath appeared of old (from afar) unto me, saying, Yea, I have LOVED thee with an everlasting LOVE: therefore with LOVING-kindness have I drawn thee.’ (Jer. 31:3)
And this commentary very nicely explains that verse. ‘His LOVE for us will continue for all eternity. It never decreases or subsides. At all times, in all conditions, regardless of who we are or what we have done, God LOVES us. Moreover, the Lord is constantly drawing us to Himself that we might know Him on a personal level and experience the fullness of His LOVE for us.’ Mama Mia! How marvellous is that eh! God LOVING us so much that He’s constantly drawing us to Him on a personal level so that we can experience all that He truly is.
That brings us to this other magnificent scripture on God’s LOVE, this from the apostle John’s first epistle. ‘In this was manifested the LOVE of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world , that we might live through him. Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that He LOVED us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so LOVED us, we ought also to LOVE one another.’ (1 John 4:9-11)
And right there is the crux of our problem my fellow believers! God LOVES us and has shown it in numerous ways, but we are so hardhearted, cold and selfish, that we refuse to LOVE each other as God desires! And that’s why our world is in such a disastrous and calamitous state…the sad and sorry lack of LOVE!
Now here is the crowning glory of God’s LOVE as told by Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. ‘But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great LOVE, wherewith he LOVED us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ, (by grace ye are (have been) saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace ye are (have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship (creation), created in Christ Jesus unto (for) good works, which God hath before ordained (prepared) that we should walk in them.’ (Eph. 2:4-10)
That says it all my fellow saints! All that we are from creation to the judgment day comes from the great LOVE of God towards His favourite creation. How can we not return that LOVE eh? Because we’re too full of ourselves and the nonsense that Satan and the world is filling up our heads with. And to further show God’s great LOVE for us, let’s go home now declaring (chuh man!!!) our Thursday Blessings, which He’s so generously bestowed on us to do his earthly work.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and use those blessings just as generously for the benefit of others! Much LOVE!
…and now abideth faith, hope, LOVE…but the greatest of these is…LOVE…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, a generous God, a second wind, always wants something for nothing, as to the Lord and not unto men, ask, Bible, boost our spirits, but one receiveth the prize, Christ - the answer to everything, Christian performance, christianity, courage, do God's will, do it heartily, endure to the end, enjoy the fruits of life, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, finished my course, for God so loved the world, grace, greedy. selfish, halfway home, hands on the plough, hath nothing, he gave his only begotten son, hearken unto you, I have fought a good fight, I know the thoughts I think toward you, it shall be given you, it shall be opened, Jesus Christ, kept the faith, knock, LOVE, mercy, not a doting grandfather, not looking back, obedience to God's will, pray unto me, provisos to God's promises, salvation, search for me with all your heart, seek, seek me and find me, should not perish but have everlasting life, sit on our lazy fannies, so run that ye may obtain, thank God, the breath of life, the soul of the diligent shall be made fat, the soul of the sluggard desireth, they which run in a race run all, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to a glorious future with Jesus, to give you an expected end, trust, truth, wallowing in the mire, Wednesday Wail, whatsoever ye do, whosoever believeth in him, wisdom, without lifting a finger, without rhyme or reason, ye serve the Lord Christ, ye shall find, ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance
1 Corinthians 9:24b. So run, that ye may obtain.
Here comes Wednesday, our mid-week work day, with the promise of a second wind and thus better things, or rather, better Christian performance from us supposed believers. And isn’t that good news? It surely is! For any improvement in our Christian lifestyle is welcome because it gives more credence to Christ’s gospel. And today we’ll look at some scripture promises that will inspire us to do better And there’s no better scripture to begin with than this one where the Lord clearly spells it out through the prophet Jeremiah.
‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) Now friends, that’s a scripture we all know, but do we use it to boost our spirits, our courage and trust in the Lord? Possibly not as much as we should. But the Lord is saying loud and clear that He has a good future in store for us, if we will only do His will. And yes, it all comes down to doing the Lord’s will. He’s not going to hand out blessings and such to those who refuse to obey Him…although some of us seem to think so.
And ofttimes there are provisos to God’s promises – like if you do this, I’ll do that, or I’ll do that, when you do this. And this is one such case, as the Lord expands on the promise of a future and a hope. ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen ) to you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13) And that’s very understandable, for we do the very same thing when others come to us asking for help, we look for some sincerity and a promise that we won’t be deceived.
So why can’t the Lord, the Creator of the earth and all therein do likewise eh? The problem is that we’re just greedy and selfish and always want something for nothing. But that doesn’t work, especially with our heavenly Father. Oh, He’ll give us oodles of things we don’t deserve, for He’s a most generous God, but He must see some obedience and a light burning in our hearts for Him. Nothing different to our human behaviour.
Then there are these words of promise from Jesus: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7:7-8) There you have it again friends, a great promise, but we have to do something to claim it.
We cannot expect to have all the good things thrown in our lap without any involvement on our part. Life just doesn’t work that way, although some of us seem to think that we can just sit on our lazy, entitled fannies and enjoy the fruits of life, without even lifting a finger. And that’s why so many of us are just wallowing in the mire of this evil world, lost and alone, with no real future or hope.
And yuh know, even God’s greatest gift, that of salvation, comes with something for us to do. Listen as Jesus spells it out for us. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) Yes my people, to get everlasting life all you have to do is believe, simply believe.
But there are many of us who refuse to believe but expect to receive everlasting life. No way! Our God is great and good and kind and LOVING and all those wonderful things, but He’s definitely not a doting grandfather who just throws goodies at us without rhyme or reason., although that’s what many of us think, or believe, or expect.
And in accordance with all that we’ve said, here’s this pearl of wisdom from Cousin Sol. ‘The soul of the sluggard (lazy) desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat (rich).’ (Prov. 13:4) It’s oh so simple and straightforward my people; the lazy will die in poverty, while those who make a diligent effort will prosper! And that’s all the Lord is asking of us; to make a diligent effort in living for Him. It’s all up to us, the goodness of His grace and mercy are waiting for us to come and get them, they certainly won’t come to us without some effort on our part.
Then there’s this great promise from Bruh Paul to the Philippians: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) And that’s the gospel truth, but we also have a part to play; belief and obedience to God’s will! And these words of Bruh Paul to the Corinthians tells us of how it should be. ‘Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.’ (1 Cor. 9:24)
Yes friends, the only way we will ever obtain what’s been promised to us is if we RUN! Not dawdle or take our time, but RUN towards what’s been promised to us! Or as Bruh Paul says to Timothy: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith.’ (2 Tim .4:7) And how do we do that? By following this basic but very wise advice to the Colossians: ‘And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.’ (Col. 3:23-24)
Oh my fellow believers sincerely living for Christ means serving and doing, not just sitting on our laurels and expecting stuff to fall into our laps. So let’s wake up and get going nuh, show the world some serious action on Christ’s behalf! And we’ll begin that action right now, by going home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus!
As one strong and sincere voice! ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure to the very end with Jesus, then He’s promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, hoping to see you there! Much LOVE!
…running to, and for Christ…is the answer to everything…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man of knowledge increaseth strength, a means of restoring faith in you, better examples of Christian living, carnality of the flesh, Christ died for us to have life more abundantly, compassion, dare to die, deeply grieves God, distress, faith, famine was in the land of Canaan, fast fading away, for thy sake, Friday chant, God commendeth his own love toward us, God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, hold a dearer place in our hearts, hope, I am persuaded, in all these things we are more than conquerors, in the last days, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus Christ, joy, LOVE, love of the first order, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, men shall be lovers of their own selves, mercy, my kindness shall not depart from thee, nakedness, nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nothing shall separate us from the love of God, omnipotent help, our hope resides in Jesus, peril, perilous times shall come, persecution, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, should not perish but have everlasting life, steadfast love, summer season, sword, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that neither death nor life nor angels, the covenant of my peace, the error of their ways, the foolish way of the ungodly world, the gospel truth, the Lord that hath mercy, the simmering unrest, tribulation, truth, wake up and and smell the coffee, we are killed all the day long, while we were yet sinners, who shall separate us from the Love of Christ, whosoever believeth in him, wisdom, wise guidance
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.
And just in case you don’t realize it friends, on this sunny Friday morning, we’ve just entered the second half of August 2024! And yes, it’s nice to shout ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ but at the same time the month, and thus our summer season is fading fast away! And you know what comes after August? (smile) Why is it though, that the winter season takes so long to finish, while the summer one just seems to rush by?
Because we enjoy the summer but not the winter. And whatever we enjoy, tends to move along more quickly than things we don’t enjoy. That’s just a simple fact of life. But it doesn’t have to affect us that much if all of our hope and joy and strength resides in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. No friends, with God’s LOVE living in and through us, we don’t have to worry about what seems to be quickly fading away.
So this Friday morning let’s look at a few scripture verses that encourage us in the LOVE of God and our Lord Jesus Christ. And there’s no better verse to begin with than this one that sets the stage for everything. The immortal and indisputable words of Jesus: ‘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)
Wow mih people! What an encouraging verse of scripture showing how great God’s LOVE is, was, and will always be for us, His most important creation. That’s why it hurts His heart, deeply grieves Him when we turn away to the selfish and foolish way of the ungodly world.
Now here’s this other scripture, one of my favourites, which shows just how much God desires us to have fellowship with Him. From the pen of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome: ‘For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his LOVE (demonstrated his own LOVE) toward us , in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:7-8)
That calls for another ‘Wow!’ my brethren! Imagine that nuh. Our Creator caring about us so much, that He sent His One Son to die for us while we were yet mired in our sinful ways, instead of calling on us to change our evil ways before offering any help. Now if that isn’t LOVE of the first order, then I don’t know what is!
And what about this moving and rather encouraging verse from the Old Testament, as spoken through the prophet Isaiah. ‘For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness (steadfast LOVE) shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy (compassion) on thee.’ (Is. 54:10)
Oh my fellow believers, I don’t know how much more we need from God to show His awesome LOVE for us nuh, because He gives it all in His promises and shows it in His marvellous and miraculous actions. And if we would only listen and walk in His holy will and ways, then we’d surely see it all and it would boost our hope, our spirits and our joy to high heaven!
But the carnality of the flesh and the world, seem to hold a dearer place in our hearts, as Bruh Paul said to Timothy: ‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves…lovers of pleasures more (rather) than lovers of God.’ (2 Tim. 3:1-2a, 4b) And that’s the gospel truth in these reckless and riotous days!
However, wise and sensible people will turn to God’s Word with His many wonderful promises and words of LOVE to raise their faith in these terrible times. And although there are many scriptures showing God’s unconditional, undying LOVE for us, we’ll end with these further words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome, words of truth that grip the believer’s heart so firmly that it’s useless to turn away.
Please read and inwardly digest with me, these awesome words of caring and compassion. ‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us. for I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:35-39)
And my fellow saints, if reading that scripture doesn’t refresh and renew your LOVE for our Triune God, then I don’t know what will! But thankfully, through God’s grace and mercy, we have the option of going to Him in prayer for help, so let’s do that right now, through our Friday Chant, seeking His divine aid in these treacherous and turbulent times.
Altogether: Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough … because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land.
We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways.
And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And friends, if we truly desire divine aid, then we have to begin by setting better examples of Christian living than we’re currently doing! Much LOVE!
…God has already shown His LOVE…now He’s waiting for us to reciprocate…to show our LOVE…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Apr 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Bible, Easter Tuesday, except a man be born again, faith, forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, forgiveness, Goat races in Tobago, god, God so loved the world, Good Friday, hatred, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven, he gave his only begotten son, hurry, if ye forgive men their trespasses, in god's eyes, Jesus, Jesus Christ, LOVE, parties galore, quells the spontaneity, raucous, share His love with my neighbours, should not perish but have everlasting life, spontaneous, strife, the abundant life, the beloved of God, the exorbitant price to pay for sin, the Messiah, the ramifications of Easter, to be forgiven one needs to forgive, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, ungodly transgressions, whosoever believeth in him, wisdom, worry
Matthew 6:12. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Then it was Easter Tuesday, time to get back to working for a living, therefore, most of the Easter hoopla has now been toned down. But not the celebrated Easter Tuesday Goat Races in that picturesque, seaside village of Buccoo in sweet Tobago. Ah friends, that’s gotten so big and popular now that in recent years they built a stadium to house those goat races. I remember the days when it used to be just an open field in the village betwixt some houses, with parties galore happening all around, and people standing along the side lines, shouting for their favourite goat or crab.
Obviously the event was much more raucous and spontaneous. But apparently, as things grow bigger, they need to be better handled and managed, thus the building of the stadium. However, to a certain extent that quells the natural spontaneity of the event, making it less colourful. But in some quarters, that’s called progress, (smile) and as it’s still a colourful event, we’ll see you later down in Buccoo at the Goat Races. Party Time!
Now let’s get serious about the real ramifications of this Easter weekend. On Good Friday, Christ sacrificed His sinless life on the cross of Calvary so that our sin debt could be paid in full. That was the exorbitant price required by the Father for that situation to be solved. And Christ paid it without any hard feelings, despite the gross ‘sufferation’ He was forced to endure. As Isaiah so rightly says: ‘All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.’ (Is. 53:6)
Yes my fellow believers, the Lord laid ALL of our abominable sins on the shoulders of Christ that Good Friday day two thousand years ago. Meaning He was totally weighed down with, and made responsible for our ungodly transgressions. That means we now have forgiveness of our sins. However, that doesn’t come automatically or naturally. No! As Jesus said to the Jewish Leader, Nicodemus: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, (or from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God. … Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven.’ (John 3:3, 5)
Now, that means to be forgiven of our sins and thus be able to enter in God’s kingdom we also have to do something. And what’s that, you ask? Listen to Jesus tell it. ‘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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 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 of God.’ (John 3:16-18)
There you have it friends; what we need to do so that we can be saved. It’s simple and straightforward: Believe in Christ Jesus! Believe that He is the Son of God; the promised Messiah; be born again of the Holy Spirit and be baptized in water, as an outward show of our inner sincerity! That makes us saved and eligible to enter heaven. But within that new born again life there are a couple of things that are necessary to live the Christian life; the life Christ died for us to have. As He says: ‘The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10)
So, if we believe in Jesus and live the way He desires of us, we will have an abundant life beginning right down here on earth. But before we move on to heavenly matters, (smile) there is one earthly thing we must remember and get absolutely right, and it deals with the forgiveness of sins. Christ died so that that could be achieved, that we could renew a right relationship with the Father, but there’s one codicil to it, that regarding the sins of the individual. Jesus specifies it quite plainly in His Sermon on the Mount, when teaching His disciples to pray. It’s this simple but ever so important line of what we call the Lords’ Prayer. ‘And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.’ (Matt. 6:12)
Oh my people, that is the most important thing we need to remember and do after we believe in Jesus. Otherwise, He continues: ‘For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’ (Matt. 6:14-15) It could not get any clearer than that my brethren. Forgiveness of other’s sins against us must be meted out, if we want forgiveness from our heavenly Father. But sadly, in this strife-filled, angry and hateful world, unforgiveness is one of the major drawbacks in turning things around.
Our human selfishness is showing up ever so greatly with our refusal to forgive others the way we want the Lord to forgive us. And that’s what causing so much of the negativity in our embattled and turbulent world. Now we all know that a lot of harsh and hurting things are done each and every day to numerous people, and it’s very difficult to forgive some of those trespasses, but the fact is that we must try, through prayer and heavenly help, if we want our own sins to be forgiven and our world to therefore become a better place.
And it’s so sad to realize that much of the strife and hatred now in place began centuries ago, and some of those now involved in the negativity don’t even know what they’re really fighting and hating for. That’s how bad our inhumanity and unforgiveness has become. What more can I say eh friends, when these days, finding a country where there’s no strife or very little, is like searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack. And unfortunately, things will not get better until we begin forgetting and forgiving the sins and trespasses of our individual neighbors and those worldwide.
And if God spares life, tomorrow we’ll continue with the heavenly mattes we spoke about earlier on. (smile) But for those of us who are trying to live the abundant life in these tough circumstances, let’s go home now declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock 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 said that, it now becomes 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!
…to be forgiven…one needs to forgive…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
14 May 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a heart is made for patience and long-suffering, aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, be not conformed to this world, be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, become a more mature believer, celebrity-based society, Christ died for us to have the abundant life, comfort zone, following Jesus is not easy, for God so loved the world, God sent not His Son to condemn the world, he gave his only begotten son, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, LOVE, man's mind is the greatest thing ever made, mankind is never satisfied, minds prevented from changing their opinions cease to be minds, nobody has ever measured how much a heart can hold, not as I will but as thou wilt, organisms that feed off a living body, our friend Anselm, parasites, should not perish but have everlasting life, step out of our comfort zone, sunny summer Saturday, take up his cross and follow me, taking sensible risks, that good acceptable and perfect will of God, the celebrity game, the snake which cannot cast its skin has to die, the world through him might be saved, whosoever believeth in him
Matthew 16:24. If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
And then it was a sunny summer Saturday! Glory be my people! Good days are ahead in the northern climes, and it’s showing already with folks walking about half-naked, and driving around in their convertibles. The sun was actually hot yesterday…and hopefully from now on, it will dispel heat as well as brilliance. Although, when the heat really comes, we’ll start complaining about how it’s too hot.
Yes, mankind is never satisfied. Even when we get what we call for, we’re not happy. When it’s cold we complain, but when it gets hot, we also complain. Before there was Christ, we complained about Satan and his sinful ways, but now that we have Christ and His awesome story of salvation and eternal life, we’re still complaining. Guess man’s dissatisfaction with life will never end until Jesus comes back and sets up His magnificent kingdom of peace, LOVE and contentment.
In the meantime, let’s concentrate on our Saturday task, that of checking out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And this week we only must deal with three quotes because he inadvertently sent us one from last week, namely: ‘Nobody has ever measured, even poets, how much a heart can hold.’ We dealt with that when we talked about Mary, Jesus’ mother, and the many things she held in her heart re the birth, life, death and resurrection of her marvellous boy child, the Son of God.
But believe me, a heart can hold a lot, since it is made for patience and long suffering, but how much, I don’t even think we can measure it, because it’s such a wonderfully made organ, second only to the mind, that it just keeps expanding with whatever is placed in it, be it PAIN or LOVE. Imagine the hearts of Mary and the Father when they watched their Son’s badly beaten and abused body, hanging limply on the old rugged cross nuh! That certainly gives us an idea of the heart’s amazing capacity.
Then we come to this rather interesting quote. ‘Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.’ And that’s the gospel truth friends! We see it happening every day in our celebrity-based society, where you’ll find people fighting to hang around with a celebrity, and usually the latest and/or biggest one in town. And the celebrities themselves are so chocked full of themselves that they encourage these entourages and even seek to compete as to who has the biggest entourage.
But you know what, regardless of how big we get, our flame dies or burns low at some time or the other, meaning we can no longer afford to have all those hangers-on hanging around us. And they usually just drift away to greener pastures, ofttimes without even a backward glance, and angry too that their good thing has ended, because they are only parasites; organisms that feed off a living body until they kill it, it dies from being fed on too much. (smile)
None stay to help you get through the rough times, as you are forced to ride the bus instead of the limo. But that’s the celebrity game! And if you foolishly decide to play it, then you have no one to blame but yourself, if you end up paying the price for your big ego and foolish pride.
Now hear this next quote, which makes a bold statement: ‘You never change your life until you step out of your comfort zone; change begins at the end of your comfort zone.’ That’s oh so true my brethren! Once you stay in the safe confines of your comfort zone, or the place(s) where you are comfortable and refuse to take some risks, then your life will never change. You’ll just drone on in the same comfortable but unexciting and unenthusiastic manner.
Remember life was meant to be lived. Christ died for us to have life abundantly, and that means getting up and doing new and different things, taking risks, not foolish risks, but sensible ones through which you can grow and become a better person and a more mature believer. If you desire change, then you must stretch yourself, because that’s the only way change comes about. You certainly can’t stay in your comfort zone and expect to or acquire change.
And Jesus is the perfect example of that. He could have stayed in His comfortable position in heaven, but He desired to see some changes down here on earth amongst the people, so He left his comfortable heavenly situation and came to earth to do something about it. Remember His famous words: ‘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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
Yes friends, the Father LOVED us so much that He didn’t want to see us go down the wide and destructive path that leads to death and damnation, and because of His justice and righteousness He couldn’t just wave our sins away, so He had to step out of His comfort zone and do something drastic, like send His sinless Son to die and pay our sin debt. Jesus Himself could have refused the Father’s entreaties, but He also decided to step out of His comfort zone, and do something big, something drastic and wonderful, but oh so painful, for mankind, telling the Father – ‘not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Matt. 26:39d)
And it’s the same way He desires us to step out of our comfort zones to do His bidding. He said it in no uncertain terms to the disciples: ‘If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.’ (Matt. 16:24) And to do that, we must certainly step out of our comfort zone, unlike the rich ruler who refused to sell his vast possessions, give the proceeds to the poor and then follow Jesus. (Matt. 19:16-26)
That brings us to this last quote, another interesting one. ‘The snake which cannot cast its skin has to die. As well the minds which are prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be minds.’ True words friends. If an animal, who is supposed to moult, that’s cast of their skins or feathers or change their outer appearance, like a snake, or certain birds, or a caterpillar, then those animals die. The same thing goes for those of us who are prevented from changing their opinions, like in certain dogmatic or dictatorial societies or organizations.
Our minds simply die, because they have been made devoid of life, through the refusal to think other thoughts, or have other opinions. Man’s mind is the greatest thing ever made, but it was made for thinking, for being used in worthwhile pursuits, not just sitting dormant or not being profitably used. So, like all living organisms that don’t keep moving and improving, they eventually die from lack of use.
Please friends, please don’t allow that to happen to our minds. Let’s keep them moving and grooving on the best thing that’s ever happened to us, that’s Jesus! Like Bruh Paul said to the church at Rome. ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’ (Rom. 12:2) In that way, my fellow saints, our minds won’t die an unnatural and unprofitable death. Much LOVE!
…following Jesus is not easy…but it’s adventurous and exciting…because it takes you out of your comfort zone…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
05 Mar 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, be of good cheer, big thinking precedes great achievement, dream lofty dreams, for other foundation can no man lay than Jesus, function efficiently in the Lord's will, gains the whole world and loses his soul, God sent not his son into the world, God so loved the world, greater intimacy with God, he gave his only begotten son, I have overcome the word, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Lenten season, life's no easy matter, look out with a more accurate perspective, LOVE, never give up, no Jesus -no life, no Sunday stroll in the park, not to condemn the world but to save it, nothing happens to you but for you, quotes from our friend Anselm, reflection is looking in, should have everlasting life, the eternal truth, the spirit is willing, to them that love God, we know that all things work together for good, what is a man profited, who are called according to His purpose, whosoever believeth in him, your vision is the promise
Romans 8:28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
It’s a late rising, lazy Saturday morning friends, as you can no doubt guess by the tardiness of the Bit. (smile) The sun’s shining brightly, and though the spirit is willing, the body is tired and needs some rest. And in this busy world too many of us don’t get enough rest, which is essential for our souls, bodies and spirits to function efficiently in the Lord’s will.
Please note that although Jesus was God, as a man He too needed to rest, in all aspects of the word; meaning physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, because our beings are not made to drive on without being recharged. And this Lenten Season is a most appropriate time for us to rest and be recharged through greater intimacy with the God of our fathers. So let’s rest if we must, but please, let’s never give up!
And having made that crucial point, (smile) let’s turn to our usual Saturday doings, that of looking at quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And this first one is certainly a good fit for our current situation. ‘You’re going to go through tough times – that’s life. But I say, ‘Nothing happens to you, it happens for you.’ See the positive in negative events.’
Now that’s the indisputable truth my people! Our world calls for tough sledding, and if some of us didn’t know that before, we surely know it now with all the tough times caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the many other problems our world is currently facing. But if you are a true believer in Christ, you will already know that life’s no easy matter, no Sunday stroll in the park since even our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ faced rough times in His earthly sojourn, and also warned us about it when He said: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
Yes, my fellow believers, that’s a scripture we need to hold on to for dear life if we expect to make it through these tough times in one piece; safe of body and sound of mind! Our Lord and Saviour has already overcome the world by dying and rising from the dead to live forever, and we will do the same thing if we cling to Him and what He stands for. But we need to both believe it and put it into action in the way we live our lives, looking for the positive even in the most negative events, and trusting our Saviour to work it all out in our favour.
And we also have this magnificent scripture in the words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome to back it all up. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) It’s all there friends, written into our faith, we just must develop the ability to handle it, and that can only come through a strong and sincere walk with Christ.
And this next quote is also rather appropriate for our times and this season of Lent. It says: ‘Reflection is looking in so you can look out with a broader, bigger, and more accurate perspective.’ Yes, that’s the purpose of reflection in general, and in particular, the serious inner look we take at ourselves during Lent. Technically speaking, reflection should be an ongoing process, but in Lent we just take time to focus more fully on what’s truly going on within us, re our walk with Jesus, and how we can straighten it out to His satisfaction. Remember, EVERYTHING we do ought to involve God in it, so it follows logically that any time we reflect, God should also be involved therein. (smile)
That brings us to these next two quotes which intertwine, and we’ll thus take as one. The first one advises us to ‘Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. Your Vision is the promise of what you shall one day be. Your Ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.’ And the second says: ‘Big thinking precedes great achievement.’ Now both of them contain aspects of truth, but they leave out the most important aspect of our dreaming and our big thinking; that’s the presence of Jesus Christ in it ALL!
Oh my fellow saints, we can dream as big as we want and have the utmost vision for our lives, but if Jesus Christ and His will are not included in those dreams and big thinking, if He is not the main focus in them, then it will be all for nought! For He is the Only One who can really make the desires of our hearts come true. Remember these marvellous words of advice and encouragement from Bruh David in Psalm 37. ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires off thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him: and he shall bring it to pass.’ (Ps. 37:4-5)
Yes my faithful brethren, that’s the ONLY way to get those big dreams and lofty thinking that we all engage in to be truly successful and last forever. With Satan, you might accomplish some stuff, but you will first have to sell your soul to him. But please note these important questions that Jesus posed on the subject. ‘For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?’ (Matt. 16:26) Now those are questions for us to seriously ponder.
And furthermore, whatever Satan offers is always like a house built on sinking sand, a flimsy structure that will eventually be washed away. Meanwhile, what you get from Jesus is always built on solid rock and is never destroyed. Yes friends, all other ground beside Jesus is sinking sand. As Bruh Paul says in 1st Corinthians: ‘For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor, 3:11) That’s another scripture for us to write indelibly in our souls and spirits this first Saturday in Lent my people.
That brings us to the last quote of this week: ‘It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.’ And that’s totally true. It’s always easier when we begin teaching the children from a young age, inculcating the proper values and teachings of Christ as it were on a clean slate, a clean palette. That means there is no other information or values already planted that we have to first remove before we can plant the new stuff. But that’s what we must deal with when we try repair broken men. We first have to clean them up, remove all the satanic and evil stuff that’s been embedded in their souls and spirits probably for a long, long time.
Now that takes a lot of work. But Jesus can handle it. That’s what He’s equipped to do; to repair us broken human specimens! That’s why He came to earth: to save us, to repair the brokenness that eons of sin had created in us, right from the days of our forefather Adam down to these evil and ungodly times that we are now experiencing.
And what better way to end today than with these magnificent and encouraging words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. ‘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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
Now whether you believe it or not, that’s the truth; the immortal and eternal truth! And my hope for all of us today is that we sincerely believe it and live accordingly. Much LOVE!
…as the song says…NO Jesus…NO life…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
30 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fit of jealousy, adult doubleface, am I my brother's keeper, ambassadors for Christ, amidst all the confusion, anxiety, but to do good they have no knowledge, Cain killed Abel, Christ's Church, confusion, consider your neighbour's needs, controversial weekend, Covid-19 times, embrace your love and compassion, faithful believers, for my people is foolish, Friday chant, God so loved the world, grow in love and understanding, Halloween, handle the situation properly, have everlasting life, havoc, he gave his only begotten son, interested in the welfare of those around us, life rough and tough, make a difference, my heartfelt plea, no more real truth to be had, ole fashion, omnipotent help, our sinful world, racial strife, sacrificing ourselves to help others, serious setbacks, should not perish, stand strong and steadfast, standards falling, stay in my own li'l world, sufferation, suffering from so many maladies, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, they are sottish children, they are wise to do evil, they have none understanding, they have not known me, understand godly love, wake up and smell the coffee, we are our brother's keeper, whosoever believeth in him, wise guidance
Jeremiah 4:22. For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish (stupid or silly) children, and they have none (no) understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
So we finally come down to Friday eh…the last day of the work week, and plenty people happy. That is the ones and them who don’t have to go to work again for the next two days. But what happen to those who didn’t have no work to go to this week eh…and those who have had no work to go to for a long time now eh? And it have plenty people like that about the place. Life certainly rough and tough with them.
Yeh friends, plenty people out there really undergoing ‘sufferation’ in this here Covid-19 time yes. What we doing to help them eh? Remember, we are our brother’s keeper, regardless of what Cain said to the Lord: ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ after he killed his brother Abel in a fit of jealousy, and the Lord asked him of Abel’s whereabouts. (Gen. 4:1-15)
Oh my fellow believers, in Christ’s kingdom, we are our brother’s keeper. We need to spend time and resources looking after, caring for and being interested in the welfare of those around us, be they real family or not, ofttimes placing their needs before our own, in other words sacrificing ourselves to help others.
As the website http://www.ucg.org/good news explains it. ‘To be your brother’s keeper means to consider your neighbour’s needs at all times, whether he is present or not. A brother’s keeper is one who understands godly LOVE as expressed in Christ’s sacrifice (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.’
Yes fellow saints, that means we need to grow in LOVE and understanding for each other and encourage each other as best we can. And remember, Christ’s church, the body to which we belong, is supposed to be helping the poor and needy, the sick and suffering, the lost and weary, being shepherds and ambassadors for Christ, so that they can come to Him and be refreshed and renewed.
Unfortunately, I don’t believe that we are doing as much of that as we ought to, or as we can, but as of today, I am pleading with us to be better representatives of Christ Jesus in our immediate area. We don’t have to go far and wide, just minister to the needs of those in our vicinity, because too many people are suffering, mentally, physical, emotionally and financially. I don’t know if there’s ever been a time when so many have suffered from so many maladies at the same time.
And our job, our bounden duty as believers in Christ Jesus, as Christians, is to help as many as possible in as many ways as possible. So please let’s try and do more than we’ve been doing nuh – I know we can – so that we, Christ’s church, can make a difference. That’s my heartfelt plea today. (smile) And no, I have not forgotten the ordinary workingman’s spiel. I just had a longer and I believe more important one myself. (smile)
So hear him nuh: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! And the weekend is upon us once more. But this is going to be a crazy and disturbing and controversial weekend because is Halloween. Some people want it to go on as normal, others want to make changes, while others just want to ban it completely. Steups! Another instance of ungodly contention in we ranks! How we going to ever get through all this Covid business if we can’t agree on nothing eh? As for me, my children staying home yes!
Yuh don’t want big people outside and visiting others they not in a bubble with, but yuh want young children running around from house to house, in the dark night begging people they don’t know, for candy which yuh been telling them all the time is not good for them. Steups! What foolishness and what adult doubleface eh! Meanwhile the dentists, who themselves pan candy and sugar, going to be laughing all the way to the bank in a few months, after the children eat up all the sugar candy. Hn!
But that is the state of today’s world. Standards falling all over the place. No more real truth to be had, because everybody making up their own truth now. Chuh! That is why I stay in my own li’l world yes, and let them do their thing, because it just too much for me. Call me old fashion if yuh want, but I like it so yes!’
Ah mih people, this new world is indeed a handful to navigate, and not a whole lot of old-timers can do it successfully. But as believers, we are expected make a difference, a good difference, and as we do so, we make Jeremiah’s lament over Judah, less applicable to our society. (smile) ‘For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish (stupid or silly) children, and they have none (no) understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.’ (Jer. 4:22)
And we can begin turning around that rather applicable statement right now, by falling on our knees before Almighty God and offering up prayer in the form of our Friday Chant. All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. Yuh know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and the racial strife causing. We not accustomed to that kind of life Lord, and it really telling on us. And we know we can’t handle it on our own, that 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 both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the sure and wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, so that we can avoid any more serious setbacks.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to also bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. It’s also a good opportunity to introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion because of the way we, your faithful believers, handle the situation. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
So let’s get to it nuh, you faithful believers, let’s handle the situation like Christ desires! Much LOVE!
…remember…we are our brother’s keeper…through Christ our Lord…
24 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a follower of Jesus Christ, aspires to inspire us, awaken to a li'l sunshine, be not afraid, be prosperous, be strong and of a good courage, bountiful blessing, criminals on the other crosses, enjoying our earthly life, Father forgive them, for a better tomorrow, for they know not what they do, forgiveness, gambling for Christ's clothing, God so loved the world, have everlasting life, have good success, have it more abundantly, he gave his only begotten son, I am come that they might have life, I am the vine, I am worthy of love, I'm courageous, I'm in control of how I react, Indian summer, indisputable truth, into the mire of hell, Jesus the titanic force, joyful and strong in Jesus, just how awesome you are, let not your heart be troubled, Love makes the world go round, love sweet love, meditiating on God's word, my peace I give unto you, not just for some but for everyone, our friend Anselm, Peace i leave with you, positive affirmation, religious leaders mocking Jesus, reviling Jesus, Roman soldiers, should not perish, stand up for myself, tell yourself, the crowd blaspheming Jesus, the dark clouds tussling with the sun, the devil cannot defeat us, the joy of the Lord is your strength, the Lord thy God is with thee, the reason Christ was on the cross, the sunshine won the victory, to remind yourself, wait till we get to heaven, what the world needs now, while we were yet sinners, whosoever believeth in him, without me ye can do nothing, ye are the branches
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.
Oh friends, it’s so good to finally awaken to a li’l sunshine after all the wet, dreary mornings of this past week! I believe this is the first time all week, although some of those days have eventually morphed into sunshiny ones. And just for your info, yesterday the sunshine won the victory! Glory be! It turned into a warm and windy day. So warm that I couldn’t sit on my porch in my shirtsleeves in the afternoon for very long because the sun was actually burning me. (smile)
Imagine that nuh, in late October, in these northern climes. I guess it’s what we’d call a true Indian summer’s day. But the rain did come back late in the evening, and the dark clouds are now tussling out there with the sunshine for superiority, so it’s another watch and wait and see, just like we ought to be doing with our faith in Almighty God. (smile) But enough with the weather scene, let’s see what quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
And it seems like Anselm was on a positive affirmation kick this past week, (smile) because every quote begins with the words: ‘Positive affirmation you should tell yourself to remind yourself just how awesome you are,’ which is then followed by the positive affirmation. So we’re not going to repeat the first part, just the affirmation itself. And just as a gentle reminder, you are an awesome being if you are a follower of Christ Jesus, meaning that He is in you, and you are in Him! Glory Hallelujah!
And the first positive affirmation of your awesomeness is: ‘I’m in control of how I react to others.’ Now that should be a very true statement, especially if we’re followers of Christ, because Christ was always in control of His reaction to others, and we need to follow His example. Look at how the Pharisees and other groups mocked and jeered and harassed and finally killed Him. But you never heard Him react with the same venom that they hurled at Him. And what were some of His dying words on that old, rugged cross? ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’ (Luke 23:34)
And these words from the website Gotquestions.org, provide an interesting explanation of that particular situation.‘Jesus looked down from the cross upon a scene that must have been distressing to Him. The Roman soldiers were gambling for His clothing (John 19:23-24); the criminals on the crosses to either side of Him were reviling Him (Matt. 27:44); the religious leaders were mocking Him (Matt. 27:41-43); and the crowd was blaspheming Him (Matt. 27:39).
Surrounded by this most unworthy lot, Jesus prayed for them. “Father, forgive them” is a prayer of unmatched mercy and LOVE. It is important to note that Jesus’ prayer, “Father, forgive them,” does not mean that everyone was forgiven, unilaterally, without repentance and faith. It does mean that Jesus was willing to forgive them —forgiveness was, in fact, the reason He was on the cross. The words “Father, forgive them” show the merciful heart of God.’
Are our hearts as merciful, do we show that forgiving and graceful attitude? That brings us to the next positive affirmation. ‘I’m courageous and stand up for myself.’ Yes, we ought to be courageous and stand up for ourselves. But again friends, we can only do so much on our own. We need Jesus as our backer, our titanic force that stands beside us and victoriously confronts all who come against us. What did Jesus say? ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5)
And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! Without Jesus, there’s not a whole lot we can do successfully. Remember too, the Lord’s admonition to Joshua when He made him leader of the Israelites after Moses’ death. Having told him that only through meditating constantly on His word, could he be prosperous and have success, (Josh. 1:8) He followed it up with: ‘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)
Yes friends, we can stand up strongest and be the most courageous when Jesus is an integral part of our lives. And along with that comes this next positive affirmation: ‘I choose peace.’ Oh Mama Mia people! That’s a glorious truth! For when we are imbued with the spirit of Christ, peace becomes a natural by-product. Yeah! And the peace we find in Christ is not only awesome but also incredible, and it’s a kind of peace that we can’t find anywhere else. Wow! Here how Jesus characterizes it nuh. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:26)
Ah mih people, when the peace of Christ reigns in us, we’re neither troubled nor afraid, we can go through all sorts of troubles, like we doing right now, and yet still be at peace, because Christ’s peace is one that passes all understanding, all human reasoning. It’s a divine peace. And you know what that brings with it? This positive affirmation: ‘I deserve to have joy in my life.’ Yes precious people, joy is the fulfillment of Christ’s promise in our lives. Remember His immortal words? ‘I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10b)
Oh my fellow saints of Christ, having life and having it more abundantly means enjoying our earthly life, hard though it may be at times, and not waiting until we get to heaven to enjoy it. What’s the purpose of Christ sacrificing Himself for us eh, and reconciling us to the Father, if we don’t enjoy that bountiful blessing down here? And remember too these marvellous words: ‘for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) That’s why the enemy is always seeking to steal our joy, cause he knows that without it we can be easily defeated. Like Samson when Delilah cut off his locks became weak, so we become weak when we lose the joy of the Lord.
And all of the above leads us to this last positive affirmation: ‘I am worthy of LOVE.’ And isn’t that the most glorious, awesome, indisputable truth? It surely is! As sons and daughters of God, heirs of God with Jesus, how can we not be worthy of God’s greatest attribute, LOVE, eh? Remember the main reason Jesus gave for coming to earth to save us? ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16)
Yeh mih bredrin! It’s LOVE that moved God’s heart toward us while we were still sinners, and it’s LOVE that makes the world go round, and it’s LOVE that we don’t have enough of in this current world, why our society is in such shambles and steadily going down into the mire of hell. So let’s perk up, be courageous and stand up, for and with Christ, and show LOVE, for the devil cannot defeat us when we’re joyful and strong in Jesus. Much LOVE!
…what the world needs now…is LOVE, sweet LOVE…not just for some…but for everyone…
21 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bright sunshiny day, a fearful heart, all for our benefit, all the prophets witness, be strong, better not to vow, but after this the judgement, Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalme, commanded us to preach, defer not to pay it, egg all over my face, endure until the end, even God with a recompense, ever-faithful God, fear not, fear ye not the reproach of men, give you all the praise, glad to be alive, grace mercy forgiveness loving-kindness, guiding and taking care of us, halfway home, hands fixed securely on the plough, hang in there, he hath no pleasure in fools, he will come and save you, he will save us, hellfire and damnation, I should not reign over them, in whose heart is my law, it is appointed unto men, like a garment, lo this is our God, look like a walrus, looked foolish, LOVE, lowly, much deserved thanks and praise, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my righteousness shall prevail for ever, my salvation from generation to generation, neither be ye afraid of their revilings, not looking back at the past, once to die, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, paid the price for our unfaithfulness, Palm Sunday, pay that which thou hast vowed, promise to try and do better, rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion, rewards, riding upon an ass, see the error of our ways, shall receive remission of sins, suffer not thy mouth, sufficient in Himself, than to vow and not pay, Thank You Lord, the breath of life, the foal of an ass, the Holy One of Israel is our King, the Lord is our defense, the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our king, the Lord is our lawgiver, the moth shall eat them up, the Preacher, the rain is fickle and faithless, the watchwords of the believer, the worm shall eat them like wool, there is one lawgiver, they have rejected me, to a glorious future with Jesus, to be the judge of the quick and dead, to cause thy flesh to sin, to testify, truth, undeserving sinners, unfailingly generous, ungodly times, upon a colt, we have waited for him, we will rejoice and be glad in his salvation, Wednesday Wail, what a wonderful God we serve and worship, when thou vowest a vow unto God, whosoever believeth in him, ye that know righteousness, your God will come with vengeance
Isaiah 33:22. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.
Oh friends, today I’m not going to say anything about the rain falling outside nuh, because yesterday after penning the spiel on it, it made me look like such a walrus. Yes, I looked foolish, because by the time I got upstairs there was no sign of the rainy day that was supposed to be in the offing, but it had turned into a bright, sunshiny day. Steups!
And there I was, with egg all over my face. Hn! Well today it can fall or not fall, do whatever it wants, and I couldn’t care less, because the rain is rather fickle and faithless, like so many of us human beings, including believers. And that’s my spiel for this morning. (smile)
So instead of focusing on the faithless rain, this morning we going to focus on our ever-faithful God, who is so many things to us, re this passage of scripture from Isaiah. ‘For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.’ (Is. 33:22).
Oh my people, what a wonderful God we serve and worship; one who is all things to us! One who is sufficient in Himself, and unfailingly generous to provide everything that we can ever need or want in this great universe that He’s so wisely created! Please give Him some much-deserved thanks and praise nuh.
And all God’s children gave a mighty shout of: ‘Thank You Lord! Thank You ever so much for being our be all and end all! Thank You for your grace, your mercy, your forgiveness, and LOVING-kindness to such fickle, faithless and undeserving sinners like us! We promise to try and do better in the upcoming days, but You know that we can’t do anything worthwhile without Your help, so we plead with You, to keep LOVING and guiding and taking care of us, although we don’t deserve it. We thank You and give You all the praise. We pray this in the name of your glorious Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour! Amen!’
Ah my fellow saints in Christ, let’s hope that we have not just made an insincere vow to our God to be better behaved and obedient in the upcoming days, for you know what Cousin Sol says in his role as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes: ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin…’ (Eccl. 5:4-6a)
And yes my people, those statements hold true even today. It’s best that we not vow at all, than to vow and not pay, an attitude that is rampant in our current world. Oh, how does our mouth cause our flesh to sin in these ungodly times! And the worse thing we can ever do is make a pledge to God and not keep it, although we have been doing it from the beginning of time….but we have also paid the price for our unfaithfulness. No wonder our world is in such an inglorious uproar, with no sign of any improvements soon.
So let’s take our pledge this morning seriously, and with God’s awesome and most generous help, try to do better nuh. Remember, it’s all for OUR benefit, not His! Now let’s check out some scriptures surrounding our Bit: ‘For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.’
And the first scripture , re ‘the Lord is our judge,’ comes from Acts, where Peter is preaching to the Gentiles. ‘And he (Jesus) commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission (forgiveness of sins).’ (Acts 10:42-43) Yeh mih people, Christ will be our judge on that fateful day. For let’s not forget the immortal words of Hebrews: ‘And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement.’ (Heb. 9:27)
Now don’t get all upset and scared, for this judgement will not be about hellfire and damnation, but one for believers, who will give account of their lives before Christ, and receive, or lose rewards for the way they used their God-given talents and gifts down here on earth.
Now, per ‘the Lord is our lawgiver,’ hear Isaiah. ‘Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation,’ (Is. 51; 7-8)
Yes friends, it’s the Lord’s law that will prevail. As James says when he talks about our consideration for a brother. ‘There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy; who art thou that judgest another?’ (James 4:12). Good question that my brethren. (smile)
And finally, re ‘the Lord is our king; he will save us,’ there are several wonderful scriptures depicting just such a situation. Listen first to Ethan the Ezrahite, from Psalm 89 – God’s sure promises to David. ‘For the Lord is our defense; and the Holy One of Israel is our king.’ (Ps. 89:18)
Remember God’s disappointment when the Israelites asked the prophet Samuel for a king, like all the other nations. Hear God’s words to Samuel. ‘And the Lord said unto Samuel, hearken (heed) unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.’ (1 Sam. 8:7) God gave them what they wanted, as He ofttimes does, just so that we can see the error of our ways.
Now hear Isaiah in the song of praise by the redeemed. ‘And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will rejoice and be glad in his salvation.’ (Is. 25:9) And more Isaiah (smile): ‘Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you.’ (Is. 35:4)
And finally this awesome scripture from Zechariah, re Zion’s future king, to which we can all relate. ‘Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just (righteous), and having salvation; lowly (humble), and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.’ ( Zech. 9:9) And we all know that that prophecy was fulfilled when our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Wow! What a mighty God and King and Saviour we serve!
Now let’s go home declaring (steups!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful, unchangeable, everlasting position in Christ Jesus. In strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And we know God’s faithfulness; if we endure until the end, our future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So please hang in there!Much LOVE!
…faithfulness and truth…the watchwords of the believer…
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