08 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a crown of life, a crown of righteousness, a pure heart, abundance, all things work together for good, all to god's glory, be careful to maintian good works, blessed is the man that endureth temptation, called according to His purpose, creativity, curse, faith, faith if it hath no works is dead, favour, finished my course, for our benefit, fought the good fight, God is still controlling things, god is still on his throne, good friends, hang in there for Christ, he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, He is faithful that promised, he that comes to God, he that cometh to God must believe that He is, hold fast the profession of our faith, I have refused him, Jesus Christ, kept the faith, look not on his countenance, LOVE, man looketh on the outward appearance, negative word, omnipotent god, on the height of his stature, our ever-faithful God, receive the crown of life, right motives, sincere hearts, talent, the Lord hath promised to them that love Him, the Lord looketh on the heart, the Lord seeth not as man seeth, the righteous judge, their wake of dust, them that love God, these things affirm constantly, these things are good and profitable, they which have believed in God, this is a faithful saying, Thursday Blessings, to all them who love his appearing, truth, when he is tried, wisdom, without faith it is impossible to please God, without wavering
2 Timothy 4:7. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith:
Oh friends, can you believe that we’re already into the eight day of August? The month just began late last week, and it’s almost a third over already. The days are just whizzing by, leaving many of us (including me) in their wake of dust. But not to worry, our omnipotent God is still on His throne, and He’s still controlling things, and if you’re a follower of His magnificent Son, Jesus Christ, then you can be assured that He has you in the palm of His hand, looking after you, and eventually everything will be okay.
As Bruh Paul promised in Romans: ‘And we know that all things work together for good for them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) So although things aren’t looking so hot now, if we persevere with Christ, stand strong and steadfast throughout the many trials and tribulations, do our best to witness in His name, and live a life that’s overall pleasing to Him, then, in the end, the Lord will make it work out for our benefit.
And if you don’t believe that, then there’s also this magnificent promise that we read in yesterday’s Bit from James. ‘Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried (has been proved), he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that LOVE him.’ (James 1:12) Oh my people, isn’t that a most reassuring scripture? It certainly is! As it encourages us to hang in there for Christ, because in the long run we will benefit greatly.
That leads us to these two other marvellous and true scriptures from Hebrews. The first one says: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) (Heb. 10:23) That means we have to hold on steadfastly to our faith, without ever giving up, despite the highs and lows we will go through, because God is ever-faithful. And you definitely cannot be a sincere believer in Christ unless you believe and live by the faithful promises of our ever-faithful God!
Which brings us to this other noteworthy scripture. ‘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) Yes my fellow saints, that scripture expects two things from us; the first being we cannot please God unless we have faith, we must believe that He exists, and is who He says He is. And it’s not only the talking faith, but also the action kind.
Remember what James says: ‘Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.’ (James 2:17) And that’s a major reason why our world is in such a chaotic state; too many of us supposed believers are talking our faith, but not working it, which does absolutely nothing to bring unbelievers to the kingdom.
And the second expectation of that last scripture from Hebrews is that we must believe God rewards those who diligently seek Him. And that’s ever so important in our faith walk, for if don’t believe that, then we will never put our best foot forward. Not that we’re putting our best foot forward only to get rewards, but it gives us something concrete to look forward to, like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Oh, we were indeed made by God to do good works in Christ, meaning that we’re expected to do good works when we become believers, but with those good works, He’s promised numerous rewards. As these words of Bruh Paul in his letter to Titus acknowledge. ‘This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.’ (Titus 3:8)
And remember we’re not doing good works just to get rewards, but our hearts, our motives must be pure, which brings up what the Lord said to Samuel when he sent him to anoint the next king of Israel from one of Jesse’s sons. When Eliab the first son came in, he looked real good, tall, handsome, strong, etc., like he would make an excellent king. ‘But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature, because I have refused (rejected) him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’ (1 Sam. 16:7)
Now, it’s obvious that we won’t do everything with right motives and a pure heart, and the Lord understands that, because He created us and knows all our faults and foibles, but overall, that ought to be our desire. And to pull it all together, I believe these memorable words of Bruh Paul to Timothy perfectly encapsulate what we’ve been trying to say.
‘For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure (death) is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:6-8)
Wow! What awesome words my brethren! And I know that very few, if any of us can reach the levels of faith and works that Bruh Paul achieved, but we can certainly die trying. (smile) Yes, at the end of our earthly days, it would definitely be nice to say words like those, or words close to them. But we can only do that if we stand strong and steadfast in our heyday and make hay for Christ while the sun shines in our lives! Now let’s go home declaring our Thursday Blessings, so we can activate those undeserved blessings the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work.
Altogether: ‘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 passionate declaration (steups!!!) we must now go out and use those blessings on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…whatever we do…let it be with sincere hearts…all to the glory of God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a double minded man is unstable in all his ways, a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, all things work together for good, ask in faith nothing wavering, Bible, called according to His purpose, christianity, count it all joy, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, faith only grows in adversity, fall into divers temptations, flooding in Toronto, god, God allows to struggle to bring humility, halfway home, hands on the plough, He is faithful that promised, hold fast the confession of our faith, if any lack wisdom, if thou faint in the day of adversity, Jesus, Jesus Christ, life moves in mysterious ways, LOVE, negatively memorable Tuesday, not looking back, spiritual maturity, take all your problems to God, thank God, the breath of life, the Lord doesn't play favourites, the positive work of God, the trying of your faith worketh patience, thy strength is small, to a glorious future with Jesus, to them that love God, truth, unforseen adversity, victory brings spiritual growth, we need God in our lives every day, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, without faith it is impossible to please God
Romans 8:28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.
Well, what a negatively memorable Tuesday July 16 2024 it was in Southern Ontario, especially the Greater Toronto Area. Yesterday we talked about rain in the area and made light of it, although it was really pouring down. Unfortunately though, we eventually had to take it very seriously because quite a lot of rain fell in a short time and with already saturated ground from previous showers, the area, especially the city of Toronto became a flooded mess, with cars floating in the streets, roads closed off, people without power, and all the negative stuff that occurs when something like that happens so unexpectedly.
We’ve been reading about other places like Houston, Texas being recently flooded out, and thought we were lucky or blessed to avoid such disaster. But remember the Lord doesn’t play favourites, (smile) and we will all get our comeuppance eventually. Thankfully my neck of the woods wasn’t badly affected as some other areas, although some nearby houses had their basements flooded. And some of the roads are still closed off because the flood waters have not receded sufficiently to allow safe passage.
And would you believe that by midafternoon the rain had stopped falling and we were greeted by bright sunshine for the rest of the day! Ah Lord eh! It just goes to show how life moves in such mysterious ways that our puny minds cannot understand. But with all the negativity, or because of all the negativity, it’s ever so necessary for us to keep our faith in Almighty God strong and in good working order. For it’s only our faith that will carry us through these times of unforeseen adversity. Remember too that our faith only grows in times of adversity, when we truly have to rely on it.
For as Cousin Sol tells us in Proverbs: ‘If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength (faith) is small.’ (Prov. 24:10) And as the scholars explain: ‘Strength in the face of adversity is the true test of endurance.’ And God does test our endurance with times of adversity. But why does God allow difficult times? This commentary tells us that ‘God allows us to struggle and fail to bring humility and the realization we need Him in our lives all day, every day. Sometimes it is hard to see and understand why God allows us to struggle and experience hardship, but it is because of His LOVE for us and His desire to bring us closer to Him, He allows it.’
That’s why James advises in the opening verses of his epistle: ‘My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (various trials); Knowing this, that the trying (testing) of your faith worketh (produces) patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire (complete) wanting (lacking) nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (not doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double minded man is instable in all his ways.’ (James 1:2-8)
Yes friends, according to the scholars: ‘These “negative” experiences are to be accepted with great joy, not for the sake of the trial itself but because of the positive work God can accomplish through the testing… However, it is not merely one’s presence in such trials but one’s victory over them that brings spiritual growth and maturity. Those Christians whom God can use the most are those whom God has bruised the most.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth! We see it in the Bible from Abraham right through Jacob, Joseph, David, Paul, Jesus and many of the Old Testament prophets. The ones who suffered the most were used the most by God.
So, it’s not just going through the trials that makes us strong, but when we are victorious over them. That takes us back to the last verse of the scripture from James about doubleminded men being unstable. It’s very true. Double minded people cannot be trusted from one minute to the next. That’s why the Book of 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 the writer of Hebrews informs us: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): 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 for sure! We cannot go to God with wishy-washy faith! And we’ll answer a couple of questions re adversity through two commentaries. The first question is, How do you trust God in adversity? The commentary says: ‘Because God LOVES you, you can show your trust in Him by talking about all your feelings and circumstances with Him — the good and bad — through prayer. Don’t let your emotions rule your life; bring them to God so He can help you address them. He is not disappointed or frustrated by your struggles, doubts or pain.’
That’s more gospel truth friends! In fact the Lord desires us to bring ALL of our problems to Him, big, small, medium, whatever, because He delights in helping with our problems; that’s what He’s all about; getting involved in EVERYTHING that concerns us! And the next question is, How do Christians overcome adversity? Per this commentary: ‘If we want to have the faith to overcome adversity there is only one well to draw from, God. He knows the past, present and future. He knows our every step. For us to be where we need to be, get through what we need to get through and enjoy the blessings, we have to put our trust and faith in Him.’
Truer words were never spoken my people! God knows everything about us, and since He’s the fountain, the very source of life and LOVE, then He is the One we should go to for help in ALL of our circumstances. He is our Creator, Controller and Provider; that makes Him very able to handle all of our needs and problems. And we shall tie it all up in this most profound verse of faith. Bruh Paul’s famous words to the Romans. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) Now that’s the clinching scripture for real faith. If you can’t trust God to work it all out in the end, then your faith needs to be seriously upgraded.
Now let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry 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 it’s been promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So let’s be wise and plan to gather at the very end nuh! Much LOVE!
…victory in this ungodly world…can only be achieved…through strong faith in God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Jun 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a free day to look forward to, a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, according to his work, as a thief in the night, be merciful as your Father is merciful, Bible, carry them in his bosom, christianity, diligence, divine aid, do good, faith, faithful believers, faithfulness, feed his flock like a shepherd, Friday chant, gather the lambs with his arm, gently lead those that are with young, god, he that cometh to God must believe that He is, his reward is with him, his work is before him, hoping for nothing again, I come quickly, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lend, living fully for Christ, LOVE, Love your enemies, mercy, my reward is with me, our sinful world, restoring faith in God, return backsliders to your fold, simmering unrest, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the benefits of living for Christ, the children of the Highest, the crown of life, the error of their ways, the Lord God will come with strong hand, the Lord promised to the that love him, the rewards, the throne of grace, the weekend, tired as a dog, to give to every man, traffic jams, true disciples of Christ, truth, unexpected storms, wake up and smell the coffee, when he is tried, wisdom, wise guidance, without faith it is impossible to please God, your reward shall be great
Revelation 22:12. And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give to every man according as his work shall be.
And that distinctive weekly shout has gone out all around the world: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! Just let me at that weekend!’ Ah mih people, we do LOVE our weekends, because they belong to us, not to any employer, and we don’t have to get up early to go to work, nor face frustrating traffics jams to get there, then spend the whole day with people we don’t like, or who don’t like us, then face more irritating traffic jams to get back home, tired as a dog. No, the weekend is ours; sanctified as such. (smile) But we still have to get through Friday. No problem! Apparently since we have a free day to look forward to tomorrow.
How wonderful it would be if we could look forward to Christ and His salvation the same way, meaning, we’d have no problem living fully for Him today! That’s a major problem though with believers; for with Christ we can only look to today, that makes it difficult to live sincerely and fully for Him. But just imagine the rewards and benefits we’ll be having in heaven with Jesus nuh. Remember what He says in Revelation: ‘And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give to every man according as his work shall be.’ (Rev. 22:12)
That means Jesus can come at any time, like the proverbial thief in the night, and when He comes He will be rewarding people for their work on His behalf. So, if we want to get good rewards, then our work must be good. It’s as simple as that! And there is talk of rewards for working on Jesus’ behalf all though God’s Word. Let’s check out a few, like this one from Isaiah, where centuries before he spoke about the Lord’s coming with rewards.
‘Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand (in strength), and his arm shall rule for him: behold his reward is with him, and his work (wage) before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is. 40:10-11) What a beautiful picture my brethren of Jesus’ coming and the work He will do. Doesn’t that just lift your spirits and increase your faith? It ought to, since it was prophesied long before the actual coming of Jesus.
Now, here’s this scripture from Hebrews that speaks directly to our point.. ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): 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) Yes friends, it’s ever so necessary to believe that God exists and He rewards those who diligently seek Him. That’s from the famous chapter on faith, with people like Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joseph not knowing or seeing what lay ahead of them, but nonetheless placing their total trust and faith in the Lord God Almighty when He directed them to do things they knew not how to do, or to go places, not knowing exactly where they were going.
And they were all greatly rewarded by Him for their diligence and faithfulness. The same thing applies to us today, as Jesus says in the gospel of Luke. ‘But LOVE your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again (in return); and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father is merciful.’ (Luke 6:35-36)
However, at this current time in the world’s existence, rather unfortunately, the words ‘mercy and merciful’ are not well known, nor are their fruit much extended like our heavenly Father desires. What a pity! For if they and their fruit were better known and extended, then there would not be as much strife, greed, hatred and selfishness as there currently is on God’s great earth!
And James, Jesus’ brother, adds his two cents worth to the mix, when he writes in his epistle: ‘Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that LOVE him.’ (James 1:12) Ah my fellow saints, all throughout the Good Library, the Bible, the indisputable truth of God’s Word, are deeply embedded promises of rewards, righteousness and all kinds of other goodies for expending one’s time and talents on the Lord’s behalf. Let’s hope that with today’s revisiting of some of those scriptures that our hope and faith will be renewed and lead us to better fulfill God’s plan for our lives.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid to help in these desperate times of need. 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!’
Lastly, let’s remember these very significant words from our prayer: ‘the example, we, your faithful believers set.’ And then go out and be very good examples, so others can see the benefits of believing in Jesus and follow our example. That’s the first step in receiving divine aid! Much LOVE!
…many more salty…light filled…true disciples of Christ…is what our world badly needs…RIGHT NOW…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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
18 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a covenant relationship, a rudderless ship on a stormy sea, a space in every man's soul set aside for God, an intimate relationship with God, calm blue seas, close to God is the place to be, curl up on the couch, divine peace, draw near with a true heart, draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you, drawing near to God gives peace to our souls, frolicking on a sandy beach, God made us in His image and likeness, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, he shall lift you up, humble yourselves in the sight of God, I am with you always, in full assurance of faith, lazy day Saturday, LOVE, make disciples of all nations, negative things reported as news, our biggest dream, our bodies washed with pure water, prayer is communication with God, put the cart before the horse, stretching off into eternity, the Great Commission, the nearness of God, the peace that passes all understanding, the power to dream, the shrill ringing of the alarm clock, ungodly works of Satan, without faith it is impossible to please God
James 4:8a. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you…
So, after all the problems of the work week, we’ve finally gotten back to our beloved lazy day Saturday! Praise the Lord! Isn’t it wonderful to know that there’s one day you don’t have to listen for the shrill ringing of the alarm clock, or whatever device you use to awaken you. And even if it does come on, you can turn it off with a grateful sigh? Of course! And even if sleep eludes you, you can lie in your warm, comfortable bed and just enjoy the laziness and pleasure of a lazy day. (smile)
Some of us might even dare to roll out of bed and roll right on to the living room couch in front of the boob tube and watch the days happenings with bleary eyes. And when you see it’s just the same old, negative things that’s been reported as news, you shut down the annoying, intruding thing, then curl up on the couch under a warm blanket and drift off to some faraway place, where, in your dreams, you can see yourself frolicking on a golden brown, sandy beach, with calm blue seas stretching off into eternity, just inviting you to come and have a salacious dip.
Wow! Now that’s the thing that dreams are made of! And I guess why the Lord, our marvellous and imaginative Creator, gave us the power to dream, the power to use the amazing imagination with which He’s gifted each one of His wonderful creations. But yuh know what, the Lord also desired that we use that power to imagine and dream to come closer to Him, to let our biggest dream be to have an intimate relationship with Him. And why is an intimate relationship with God important eh?
Because, in the first place, that’s why He created us. He wanted to be in a covenant relationship with living beings who bore the same traits and attributes like Himself. That’s why God made us in His image and likeness, with thoughts, minds and ways, that are lower than His but nonetheless above all other living beings. Man is supposed to be His most masterful creation. And please don’t believe that our God was foolish when He created us and gave us free will to do as we choose. No, not all.
That’s why there’s a space in every man’s soul that’s specially set aside for the Lord, and until He comes and sets up shop in that space, man is never happy, satisfied or contented. God’s intention from the very beginning was that all of His creation should come to know and LOVE Him the way He knows and LOVES them. However, when our forefathers, Adam and Eve, fell from grace, and sin became our heritage, we automatically withdrew from that closeness with our Maker and our eyes were turned to the lustful, evil and ungodly works of the enemy, Satan.
But the Lord has never given up on us, He’s lays there ready to hear and help us if we come to Him. That’s why James tells us to ‘Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you… Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:8,10) Yes friends, we need to draw near to God if we want to have the successful life He’s planned for us to have, but we can’t do that with all the sin and evil deeds and thoughts that saturate our souls, bodies and minds.
Oh, we do need to be humble, penitent and sincere, but the beauty of our God is that He will accept us anyway and anytime we come to Him. As Hebrews tells us: ‘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.’ (Heb. 10:22) And I know some of us have questions on the whole subject of why draw close to God, and even more importantly, how do we do that? I guess I put the cart before the horse, jumping into what we need to do, rather than first explaining the why’s and wherefores. (smile)
So, let’s see if we can answer them to your satisfaction. As per why we need to draw close to God, why is it good to do so? One commentary gives us this answer. ‘Drawing near to God gives peace to our souls; peace from the burden of our sins and peace in the midst of the burdens that come to us through others’ sin as well. The nearness of God is our answer. His nearness is our need’ Remember I said that we each have an empty space set aside for God? Well, until He occupies that space, we will never have true peace or contentment.
And that’s not the peace that the world gives us, but the peace that comes from God, the peace that passes all understanding. In other words, the divine peace of God, who’s thoughts, mind and ways are so much higher than ours. And peace is something the whole world is desperately searching for right now. But real peace can only be attained when one draws close to God. And how do we do that? Here’s a list of the basic things we need to do.
The first and most important thing is to receive Jesus. Yes friends, receiving Jesus into your life is the first step to getting closer to the Lord. For as Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6) That sets the stage right there. If you don’t receive Jesus, then you’ll never get close to the Father. That’s all there is to it. Then we need to Study the Bible. Studying the Bible is essential if you want to grow closer to God, because that’s His word, His will for those who wish to follow Him.
Next, we must pray, because prayer is how we communicate with God. That brings up the subject of praise and worship. We need to do those things since He expects them of us. Praise and worship show that we LOVE and glorify the Lord. Then there’s the dire need to trust Him. Yes friends, that’s a must. For without true trust in the Lord, you will be lost, like a rudderless ship floundering in the raging sea. Which brings us to this other very important factor, faith.
Oh my people, without true faith in God, where will we be? Mired in the devil’s world of sin and darkness, sinking ever so slowly to hellfire and eternal damnation! But with trust and faith in Almighty God, our lives take on an entirely different colour, one of light, of salvation and eternal life. That’s why the Bible tells us: ‘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)
And once we’ve done all of that, we then need to get involved. That’s go to church, gather and worship with other believers, encourage each other, and help to spread the Word to all the world as Jesus desired in the Great Commission. ‘Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:19-20)
And that’s it in a nutshell friends! We draw near to God through Jesus Christ, for our good, not God’s. Please, let’s remember that everything God says or does, is essentially for our benefit, not His! Much LOVE!
…in this turbulent world…close to God is the place to be…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
02 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, a strong will, Abraham the father of faith, but of power love and a sound mind, by it the elders obtained a good report, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, Enoch was translated, faith can only be learned by hard experience, faith is the substance of things hoped for, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, God is the potter we are the clay, he that cometh to God must believe that He is, hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, LOVE, negative word, Noah built the ark, supernatural strength, talent, the evidence of things not seen, the relationship between faith and fear, the things which are seen, Thursday Blessings, were not made of things which do appear, without faith it is impossible to please God
Hebrews 11:6. But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is (exists), and is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Now I don’t know what area my weather forecasting computer is talking about when it says 2C Cloudy, but it’s certainly not my neighbourhood because outside of my place it’s a dry, bright and sunshiny as ever Thursday morning in early March 2023. And let’s hope it stays that way, because I’ve got to go out the street later and run some errands. And since it seems that the Lord was most willing for us to see another beautiful day on planet earth, then we have to keep our promise and continue looking at scriptures that tell us about faith and its relationship to fear and Jesus. (smile)
Now, yesterday, we looked at several scriptures that showed where faith is of the utmost necessity if and when we choose to serve God. But first let’s see what exactly faith is. The Bible tells us that ‘Faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds (ages) were framed (prepared) by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear (are visible)’ (Heb. 11:1-3)
Yes friends, faith is basically believing for things we don’t see, yet hoping that if it’s the will of God, it will happen. It’s all about trusting God to do what’s right in our lives. And it’s so important that the author of Hebrews informs us: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is (exists), and is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6) And He goes on to name several men of God, who manifested great faith, like Noah, who built and ark just by God’s say so.
Then there’s Enoch who pleased God so much that he didn’t die, but was simply translated from the earth, simply walked out of it, simply disappeared. (smile) And Abraham, the father of modern-day faith, who picked up his personal family and belongings and went out into the wild, somewhere unknown, simply because a God he did not know told him to do it and made several promises of what would happen if he did. Abraham was even willing to offer up his one son of his old age Isaac, because God told him to, testing his faith. And you can find all those stories of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11.
Now, obviously not all of us will ever reach the level of faith that those heroes achieved, but it’s what we desperately need to work towards if we are to live the victorious life that Christ died for us to have. And the author of Hebrews gives us yet another poignant word on faith, which says: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering (for he is faithful that promised.) (Heb. 10:23) Oh my people we need to steadfastly hold on to our faith in God because our God is ever-faithful, He does not disappoint those who put their sincere trust in Him.
That doesn’t mean that life will be a bed of roses, and everything we want we will get, but it does mean that most things in God’s will, if it’s in His plan for our lives we will get them. God will not allow anything or anyone but us, to stop our destiny. And sometimes He won’t even allow us to do it, He’ll keep applying the pressure so that we eventually give in and do it His way. I can tell you that from personal experience. For if I had had my way, I wouldn’t be writing the Bit today. But His tenacity eventually forced me to capitulate. (smile)
And let’s not forget this most important fact: God is not there to please us and make our every whim and fancy come true. We are in existence to please Him, to do His will, to live out the plan He has in store for every life that He creates. Let’s remember that He is the Master and we the slaves, He’s the Father and we the children, He’s the Potter and we the clay, and He can shape us any which way He desires, and we need to go along with His will through staunch and true faith in Him.
Now here’s this other beautiful scripture on faith versus fear, that comes from the pen of Bruh Paul to his protégé Timothy. He writes: ‘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) Wow! What an amazing scripture. It shows that from the very get go, the Lord has given us a spirit of faith, not of fear, but like all the other stuff He’s given us, we need to then nourish that faith. It’s like the fruit of the Spirit, the seeds of which we all have planted in our inner man, but we then have to water and nourish them so that they can grow and be manifested in our actions.
That means, as Gal. 5:22-23 explains: the seeds of LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering (patience), gentleness (kindness), goodness, faith (faithfulness), meekness, temperance (self-control) were all planted in us the day we accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour, and the Holy Spirit then came to dwell within us. But those fruit of godliness and righteousness can’t, or won’t manifest themselves in our behaviour until and unless we water and nurture them and help them to grow into beautiful fruit of the Spirit. And please note that faith (faithfulness) is one of those fruit that needs to be nourished and nurtured by us, if we expect them to show forth in Jesus’ name.
And I’m chuckling here because time and space have again forced us to close for the day, and we haven’t even spoken about Jesus and the subject of faith in His life yet. But hopefully, if God allows us to see tomorrow, we will get to Jesus yet. That’s a promise! (smile) Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has 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!’
Now, if we were sincere about those declarations, (ah Lord eh!!!) let’s go out and share them just as generously in helping others as Jesus did with us. Much LOVE!
…faith is of the utmost importance in the Christian’s life…but unfortunately…it can only be learned by hard experience…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
15 Dec 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, curse, divine protection, fear not, fearmongering, go ye therefore and teach all nations, good friends, he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, I will not fear, it is better to trust in the Lord, LOVE, Mother Nature, negative word, peace be still, proclaim christ, prosper, put confidence in princes, send faith to answer when fear comes knocking, strife-filled situations, succeed, than to put confidence in man, the devil's stranglehold on the world, the divine storm calmer, the Great Commission, the Lord is on my side, the middle verse of the Bible, Thursday Blessings, thy faith hath made thee whole, what can man do unto me, with God all things are possible, without faith it is impossible to please God
Psalm 118:8. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. (the middle verse of the Bible)
Well friends, today, Thursday, the penultimate day of the workweek is supposed to bring us a big snowstorm. Thankfully though, so far we’ve only seen wind and freezing rain in my area. But if the weather forecast holds true, the evening commute home will be terrible. Let’s hope and pray that they are somewhat wrong about the intensity of the storm. And why would we desire an intense physical storm when we already have so many intense emotional and spiritual ones eh?
No way! However, those latter storms can be lessened and controlled by being in association with Jesus Christ, the divine storm calmer. But the physical ones are a different story. Oh, He can calm those too, if He so desires, like he did back on the sea of Galilee, when ‘He rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. (Mark 4:39) But usually, in those cases, He allows Mother Nature to take her course without interference. (smile)
And I believe the best way to handle that situation is to have Jesus calm our own personal storms, so that we can concentrate on the physical ones around us. But you know another li’l ‘secrat’? Jesus can also help us handle the physical storms around us, help us to stay calm in them and navigate our way safely through them. And all God’s children gave a loud shout of gratitude: ‘All glory and honour be to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who enables us to handle whatever storms come into our lives, be they physical, emotional or whatever!’
Ah friends, Jesus’ reach is infinite, and His awesome power is unimaginable, unstoppable, without end! As Jesus said so clearly when talking about it being easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter heaven. ‘With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:26) That my people, is one of the first things we need to believe when we come to Jesus. As Jesus said to the disciples after calming the storm we spoke of above. ‘Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? (Mark 4:40) But without that staunch faith, everything else is useless.
As the Big Library (smile) clearly spells it out in the book of Hebrews: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): 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) Yes my faithful brethren, we must believe that God exists and rewards those who diligently seek Him. And Hebrews goes on to give us examples of the patriarchs who exhibited that kind of strong faith in God and saw most of their dreams and His promises come true. People like, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, etc. etc.
And in these difficult, evil and turbulent times, it’s that kind of strong faith we believers need to stop the drain of people from Christ’s church, and instead bring them back to His fold, and also bring new believers to Him. But that can only happen if we the current and supposed faithful believers do our jobs; talk about Jesus to others and live the kind of life that will endear them to us and therefore to Him. We have to stop being lazy and lethargic, and override our fear of man and the world, and trust our heavenly Father to take care of us, as He’s so faithfully promised to do.
At this most important time in the annals of history, we believers need to grab the words of Psalm 118 and eat them, let them fill us up with faith. We must be able to unequivocally declare: (steups!!!) ‘I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large (broad) place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? The Lord taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.’ (Ps. 118:5-9)
Wow mih bredrin! That says it all right there! If we sincerely put our trust in Almighty God, we won’t fear what finite and frail man can do to us. And that brings us right to the crux of the problem: fear and faith; their interconnectivity. You simply can’t have both at the same time. It’s either one or the other; for fear kills faith and faith drives out fear. As they say, when faith comes a knocking, send faith to answer the door. And some of Jesus most popular words down here on earth were ‘Fear not.’
Yes friends, He was either telling people to not fear, or complimenting them on the strength and power of their faith. And you can find a great example of the latter in Mark 10:46-52, when the blind beggar Bartimaeus kept crying out to Jesus as He was passing through the streets of Jericho: ‘Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.’ (Mark 10:47) Jesus finally had the blind man brought to Him and asked what he wanted. Without hesitation, he replied ‘Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.’ (Mark 10:51-52)
Now that’s the kind of staunch and believing faith we need today. Unfortunately though, today’s church seems mostly filled with fear and very little faith, otherwise we would be more industrious in working and living for Jesus, and the devil would not have such a stranglehold on the world, especially on our children of this generation. Ah mih people, we can’t allow this fearmongering and strife-filled situation to continue in our world. It’s our job to clean it up. When Jesus comes back, He expects to find a strong, unified, and diligent church.
Has it ever occurred to us that the reason, or one of the reasons He has not yet returned, is that His church is weak, fearful, disunited and lazy? But even in our unfaithfulness, He’s seen it fit to shower us with undeserved blessings which enable us to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings, and they need to be declared (chuh!!!) out loud to be activated. So, let’s do that right now nuh.
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 I’m chuckling here as I think what a nightmare it would be if I had to write ‘declare’ (steups!!!) so often every week. Thanks for the power of copying. But seriously though my fellow saints, we now need to take those blessings and go out into this evil world and sincerely and diligently use them to proclaim Christ’s wonderful name and His magnificent gospel as we have been commissioned to do! Much LOVE!
…go ye therefore…and teach all nations…that’s our Great Commission…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
17 Nov 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a crown of righteousness, a harbinger, bear thee up, by faith, by it the elders obtained a good report, cast thyself down, clear sailing, common sense, courage, creativity, curse, dash thy foot against a stone, endure to the end, faith in a nutshell, faith is the substance of things hoped for, give his angels charge over thee, God is faithful, he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, he that cometh to God, in their hands, it is written, Jesus will always be with you, LOVE, must believe that he is, negative word, no temptation has overtaken you, prosper, rocket science, succeed, such as is common to man, surrender to God, the evidence of things not seen, the Son of God, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God, Thursday Blessings, trust, without faith it is impossible to please God
Hebrews 11:6. But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
It’s Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week, and possibly a harbinger of what our weekend will be like; snow filled! (smile) My computer tells me that snow is in the offing. And if that’s so, then the winter weather is here to stay, meaning we had better get used to it as soon as possible, for we might just be in for a long, cold season.
But as the familiar saying goes, ‘Who cares eh?’ Not us believers in Christ Jesus, for once you have Jesus in your life, it will be clear sailing. (smile) Well that’s not totally true, the sailing will not always be clear, but Jesus will ALWAYS be there to guide and protect you and bring you out safely from any tough times. That’s His promise!
Listen to Bruh Paul in his first missive to the church at Corinth. ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13)
What a marvellous God we serve my people! He will allow temptations to come against us, to test our faith and our backbone, but He will always be there in the wings ready to help us if we falter, either finding a way for us to escape it, or by giving us His divine help to overcome it.
But, as with everything else in the Lord’s kingdom, that requires, belief, faith, trust, surrender and good communication with our God. And also remember what the psalmist said in Psalm 91, subtitled ‘God is a refuge and fortress,’ long before the coming of Jesus.
Read these words of glorious promise with me. ‘Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation (dwelling place); There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in thy ways. They shall bear (lift) thee up in their hands, lest thou dash (strike) thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder (cobra): the young lion and dragon (serpent) shalt thou trample under feet.’ (Ps. 91:9-13)
And if you don’t believe the psalmist, then check out Jesus’ conversation with Satan when He was tempted in the wilderness. That’s the scripture he used to inveigle Jesus to throw himself down from the pinnacle of the temple. ‘And (Satan) saith unto him (Jesus), If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.’ (Matt. 4:6)
Yes friends, Satan knows scripture, better than us to boot, for remember he was once the archangel Lucifer, and probably even had a hand in helping to write it. And that’s why He knows exactly where to strike to get us to do his evil bidding. But like Jesus we must refute his arguments with scriptural refutations. (smile) What was Jesus’ reply to Satan’s entreaty? ‘Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt (test) the Lord thy God.’ (Matt. 4:7)
Now Jesus refutation comes directly from Deuteronomy 6:16, where Moses lectured the Israelites on the sorrows of disobedience to God’s laws. And I like to add to it, ‘neither shall thou tempt (test) the children of God.’ (smile) Oh my people, living for Jesus in this evil, sin-filled world can be difficult, but if we hold strong to our faith, then He will enable us to come through with shining colours and eventually receive that crown of righteousness that Bruh Paul told Timothy awaits all those who endure to the end with Jesus. (2 Tim. 4:8)
And the author of Hebrews tells us thus about faith. ‘Now faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.’ (Heb. 11:1) That simply means we hope for what we don’t see, but by faith, strong trust in God, believe that it will come to pass. And then the author of Hebrews goes on to tell us that it was by faith that the elders received a good report. (Heb. 11:2)
Yes, saints of Christ, it was indeed by faith, strong trust in Jehovah God, that all the forefathers of our faith did what they did, and that set the stage for us. Consequently, the writer of Hebrews can further tell us: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): 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)
And that my fellow believers is our faith in a nutshell. We must believe that Jehovah God exists, and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him and thus obey His laws. Matter fix! And it’s not rocket science, but simple common sense. Although common sense seems to have gone the way of the dodo bird in these current times. (smile)
Now, here is the continuation of that promise from Psalm 91, which ought to lift up our faith even more this Thursday morning at the beginning of winter. ‘Because he hath set his LOVE upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in time of trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.’ (Ps. 91:14-16)
Wow mih bredrin! Yuh see what the Lord promises to do for those who believe that He exists and the rewards He will offer to those who faithfully serve and revere Him! And He’s doing it every day of our lives with the blessings, the mercies and the grace He bestows on us that we don’t deserve. And there’s this particular group of blessings that we call our Thursday Blessings, which we need to activate by declaring (awright!!!) them out loud.
So let’s do that right now nuh. 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 activated those blessings, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and use them for the betterment of our world and to bring others to Christ! Much LOVE!
…life is all about Almighty God…belief in…hope…faith…trust and total surrender to Him…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ
07 Jun 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a light unto my path, but of power love and a sound mind, Christ is the answer, come hell or high water, do we with patience wait for it, faith is the substance of things hoped for, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, he shall strengthen thine heart, he that cometh to God must believe, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, hope that is seen is not hope, I am the beloved of god, I am the light of the world, I had fainted, in god's eyes, LOVE, shall have the light of life, share His love with the world, the deadliest sins don't leap up on us they creep up, the evidence of things not seen, the forgiveness of sins, the glorification of the saints, the hope of the resurrection, the present intercession of Christ in heaven, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to see the goodness of God in the land of the living, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, unless I had believed, wait in faith on the Lord, we are saved by hope, without faith it is impossible to please God
Psalm 119:105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Well, a good Tuesday morning to all you my wonderful Scrip-Bit friends and families! And I sincerely hope that all of us have the wonderful light of Jesus shining in us this day, regardless of the weather we are currently experiencing, which, in my case, is wet and cloudy. (smile) But that’s the good thing about the light of Jesus, it shines whatever the actual state of the weather. Bless His Holy name! Consequently, I can’t understand why many more people are not turning to Jesus in these dark, dreary, confused and strife-filled times, when He is the epitome of light shining in the darkness.
He said it Himself: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) And though the Pharisees didn’t believe Him, because He witnessed to Himself, or blew His own horn, the truth is, He is indeed the ONLY ONE who can light our way when the enemy and his dark and evil schemes come marching, or rather creeping up on us. For let us remember that the deadliest sins don’t leap up on us, but they creep up stealthily like the wily devil, their originator.
That’s why this magnificent, reassuring and poignant verse of scripture should be written deep in our hearts and thus always be at the tip of our tongues when the forces of darkness try to overcome us. So please say it with me, with strong conviction and confidence: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) And yuh better believe it is my friends! For it is only through the grace and mercy of God’s Word can we ever make it successfully through this earthly life.
And if by chance God’s Word isn’t currently a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path, then you’d better make it so real soon, like today, like right now, if you truly desire to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Bruh David said it in so many words. ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ (Ps. 27:13) Yes friends, if we don’t believe in God, His goodness and mercy, His unconditional LOVE and compassionate heart, then there’s little. or no chance, of seeing His goodness in our lives.
Then Bruh David went on to make another monumental statement: ‘Wait (in faith) on the Lord, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14). That’s the other part to the story my people: first we believe, then we wait patiently, that’s in faith, on the Lord ‘s timing. For remember this other scripture which says so explicitly: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6)
That’s why faith is so important in our Christian walk. In fact, it’s the very basis, the Christ-like foundation on which we ought to build our lives. For as the author of Hebrews says about faith at the beginning of that chapter: ‘Now faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.’ (Heb. 11:1) And as the scholars tell us, that isn’t so much a definition of faith, but what faith does. It provides substance and also evidence. That’s assurance and a sense of proof that results in conviction.
And the scholars go on to explain: ‘The difference between assurance and evidence would be minimal were it not for the phrase qualifying each: of things hoped for and of things not seen. The first involves future hope; the second involves present realities that are unseen. The first includes the hope of the resurrection, the return of Christ, and the glorification of the saints (that’s us). The second involves unseen realities, such as forgiveness of sin through Christ’s sacrifice and the present intercession of Christ in heaven. Hope in faith relating to future conviction is faith relating to the present.’
So friends, regardless of whether we’re dealing with, or thinking about the present or the future, hope or great expectations, that lead to faith, is absolutely essential. In fact, in all walks of life, not only Christianity, is hope and faith totally necessary if we are to grow personally, or our organizations are to improve and become successful. And I believe these marvellous words of Bruh Paul in his letter to the Roman church, admirably describes it. ‘For we are saved by hope, but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience (perseverance) wait (eagerly wait) for it.’ (Rom. 8:24-25)
So, life in general, and our Christian walk in particular, calls for certain words and characteristics if they are to be successfully attained. Words like; hope, belief, faith, waiting, patience, perseverance, expectation, and doing them all with a modicum of eagerness even when there seems to be total darkness surrounding us. Life is a challenge friends, and the Christian one even a bigger hill to climb. The Lord didn’t make us to be soft and fragile, spinless and fearful, but full of belly and backbone so we can do His work.
That brings us to these words of reassurance from Bruh Paul to Timothy, which we all know, but obviously don’t invoke, or use as often and as faithfully as we ought. So please declare with me: ‘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) And those are words for us to continually live by my fellow saints! That’s because they reinforce the words we earlier spoke of, that God’s Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.
And with all of that under our belts; that is, written in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, ready to be put into action at a moment’s notice, there is no chance whatsoever for the powers of darkness to cover us and thus block out the light that’s our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! So please, let’s give Him the ultimate praise and thanks that we can ever give, not that from our mouths, but from the way we live our lives in His mighty name!
Now for those of us who are sincerely trying to do that, 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 the world. Amen!’
And having declared that, we must now go out and share that awesome LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, just as generously as He’s shared it with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Why, you ask? Simply because it’s our bounden duty! (smile) Much LOVE!
…come hell or high water…Christ is the answer…
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01 Jun 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a little faith is better than no faith, endure to the end, God is my salvation, great is the Holy One of Israel, how is it that ye have no faith, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I will trust and not be afraid, I'm not looking back, I'm so glad to be alive, Jesus takes us from the classroom to the laboratory, looking forward to a glorious future, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, O Lord I will praise thee, peace be still, stir up fire in our bellies, test our book knowledge in real life, tested and found wanting, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song, the sacrificial death of Christ atoned for our sins, thine anger is turned away and thou comforted me, tho wast angry with me, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, why are ye so fearful, without faith it is impossible to please God
Mark 4:40. And he said unto them, why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
Here it is my people, a somewhat cloudy and rainy first day of June, the sixth month of the year! Can you imagine it, May, which just recently begun, is now finished and we are into June? Brother! The days sure are flying past with speedy wings. The good thing though is that it brings us into some good summer weather! Glory be! But we must realize that the summer days fly faster than the winter ones and try to put the brakes on the next couple of months, because if they fly just as fast as the earlier part of the year, then we’ll soon be back to winter again. And that, we surely want to forestall for as long as possible. (smile)
But come what may, let’s remember, as Bruh Paul so nicely puts it in his letter to the Philippians: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil. 4:13) And that’s the gospel truth my people! Once whatever we need to do is in God’s will, then we will be given the wherewithal to do it. Our part is simply to believe it, then put it into action. Unfortunately though, both believing and activating our belief is not always easy, and it’s only as we go through the tough times of life, which we all face at some time or other, that we are able to understand and acquire the right perspective.
Now, I do believe that the following passages of scripture, where the Good Book opened this morning, were meant for us to read and ponder upon and bring some measure of reassurance to our weary souls. In it, Isaiah talks about ‘Thanksgiving for God’s mercies,’ something we certainly ought to give on a regular basis. So please read with me. ‘And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedest me.
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall we draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings (deeds, works) among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.’ (Is. 12:1-6)
And that’s the indisputable truth my brethren! The Holy One of Israel, the Lord God Jehovah is indeed mighty in our midst! Who else is like unto Him eh? NOBODY! That’s why we ought to LOVE and treasure Him, glorify, worship and exalt His Holy Name! Continually sing His praises, for He alone is our salvation and our strength. Yes, He gave us His salvation through the sacrificial death of His Son Jesus Christ, which atoned for our sins, paid our sin debt in full! For that alone we ought to bow down and worship Him, glorify Him like there’s no tomorrow. And it’s only because of Jesus’ death that we have the option for a tomorrow, and a glorious one at that!
So why do so many of us talk one thing and then do another eh? Why do we talk about faith and then when the time comes to put into action, to prove it, we falter and disappoint our Saviour eh? And I’m talking particularly about the last couple of years when the pandemic and much unrest in the streets were plaguing our world. Where was the church, the supposed body of Christ eh? Where were we the supposed faithful believers, the mighty Christians? Definitely not as front and centre as we ought to have been. Too many of us believers were tested and found to be wanting.
And why was that eh? That’s because we don’t truly believe, we still have too much of the world in us, we don’t fully trust and surrender ourselves to His will, And until we do that, whatever faith we claim to have will be useless. Oh, we do talk a good talk, but when the chips start to fly, and we are required to come up strong, to come up higher for Christ, we run and hide. No wonder one of Jesus’ continual comments was on faith. Some about great faith, some about little faith, some about no faith. But He always homed in on the faith of those around Him.
And this scripture is possibly one of the best examples of that. We talking about the time Jesus and the disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee and a terrible storm arose, battering their boat until it even began to take in water. Obviously, the disciples were afraid, but Jesus slept calmly on a pillow in the stern of the boat through all the commotion.
When they couldn’t stand it anymore, they awakened Him, saying: ‘Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this (who can this be), that even the wind and the sea obey him.’ (Mark 4:38-41)
Oh my people, it could only be the one who created the winds and the seas in the first place. Who else would they listen and react to so quickly eh? And though we decry the disciples for their lack of faith back then, many of us are no better right now, when we know even more than they did. And I like how the scholars describes the passages of scripture from Mark 4:35 to 5:43.
They say: ‘Jesus takes His disciples from the classroom to the laboratory. Having just taught them that God’s power will cause His kingdom to grow to worldwide proportions and influence (4:30-32 – the parable of the mustard seed), Jesus now performs four miracles that demonstrate this divine might. God’s power is seen in overcoming (1) the danger of a storm (4:35-41); (2) demons in a victim possessed (5:1-20); (3) disease in a woman physically ravished (5:21-34); and (4) the death of a little girl (5:35-43).’
And that’s exactly what’s been happening to us in these last troublesome years. Jesus has taken us from the classroom to the laboratory to test our book knowledge in real life. Remember friends, we were born for a time such as this; meaning that we were born to shine bright in this particular time. So please let’s pick it up nuh. I truly believe that none of us have yet realized our full potential, which means that even the best of us can do better. And remember, since we’ve been bought with the precious blood of Christ, that we are no longer working for ourselves, but for Him. That ought to stir up some passion and fire in our souls and bellies. (smile)
Now, for those of us who are indeed trying, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. Altogether now: ‘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!’
Please note too, that if we endure until the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! Now, that ought to put a smile on our faces and give us cause to endure right to the end. (smile) Much LOVE!
…a little faith is better than no faith at all…for without faith…it is impossible to please God…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
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