29 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a successful Christian life, approve things that are excellent, as sheep in the midst of wolves, autumn, be not wise in thine own eyes, between truth and lies, Bible, blessed with rain, Christian, christianity, depart from evil, discernment, do what is pleasing to you, faith, fear the Lord, filled with the fruits of righteousness, foolishness, give me true discernment, god, he shall direct thy paths, holy spirit, hurry, I send you forth, in all judgement, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in god's eyes, in knowledge and discernment, in preparation for winter, Jesus Christ, lean not unto your own understanding, LOVE, morally excellent, more and more, more and more in knowledge, Prayers through the Ages, reject whatever is evil in your eyes, share His love, shedding leaves, spiritually sound decisions, the ability to distinguish between right and wrong, the acquisition of knowledge, the beloved of God, the best solution to pursue, the fruits of righteousness, the glory and praise of God, the goodness and mercy of God, the natural man, the sun's on vacation, the things of the Spirit, this I pray, Thomas a Kempis, till the day of Christ, to judge rightly between things that differ, to know what is worth knowing, to love what is worth loving, to make wise decisions, to praise what delights you most, to values what is precious, trust, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, understanding, ungodly times, who hath known the mind of the Lord, wisdom, wisdom is an applying process, without offence, without the life there is no living, without the truth there is no knowing, without the way there is no going, worry, your love may abound
Philippians 1:9. And this I pray, that your LOVE may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement (discernment);
Ah friends, sorry for the lateness of the Bit, but the ole fella went to bed pretty late this morning and the lulling qualities of the early morning rain kept him abed longer than expected. (smile) Yes, at long last we’ve been blessed with some rain! The sun’s not shining, apparently it’s gone on vacation after such a long spell with us, leaving the day cloudy and dark, as the trees finally grasp that autumn’s truly here and quickly begin shedding their leaves, in preparation for a long, cold, lonely winter.
And I guess we humans should also start preparing for that eventual season. (smile) But today, we won’t worry about winter, for we have the goodness and mercy of God to see us through anything. However, we want to share an interesting prayer from a Pamphlet put out by the Anglican Diocese of Toronto, called ‘Prayers through the Ages,’ highlighting prayers that our ancestors have offered up during the earlier days of Christianity. Today’s prayer comes from the medieval era, from German-Dutch Catholic canon Thomas à Kempis, (1380-1471).
So please pray with me: ‘Grant to me, O Lord, to know what is worth knowing, to LOVE what is worth LOVING, To praise what delights you most, To value what is precious to you, And to reject whatever is evil in your eyes. Give me true discernment, so that I may judge rightly between things that differ. Above all, may I search out and do what is pleasing to you; Through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.’ Now, that’s a simple, but very thoughtful prayer, seeking to know and do what pleases our God; in other words, seeking that most important lesson of discernment, which so many of us so badly need but sadly lack in these turbulent and ungodly times.
Yes my fellow believers, with all the mind boggling information floating around today, it’s difficult to know what is true and what’s not, as well as what is right and what’s wrong, and the only place to find that discernment is through Christ Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, who keeps reminding us that ‘I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) That means to ever access the things of heaven here on earth, and heaven itself eventually, one must go through Jesus Christ.
And this quote from Thomas à Kempis puts those words of Jesus in a most interesting light. He says: ‘Without the way, there is no going; without the truth, there is no knowing; without the life, there is no living.’ And that’s the awesome truth! If you don’t know the way to go, you cannot go. Likewise, if you don’t know the truth, you don’t really know anything; and if there’s no life, then obviously there cannot be any living! And that’s why discernment is so very important in this evil and topsy-turvy world.
And what’s discernment, you ask? In it’s most basic form, discernment, in Biblical parlance, is the ability to distinguish between right and wrong, truth and falsehood, and to make wise and spiritually sound decisions. And there are many scriptures which deal with this most important subject, that’s possibly a blend between wisdom and understanding. But before we get into some scriptures on the subject of discernment, here is some interesting info on wisdom and understanding that I have written down, gotten from where I don’t remember, (smile) but which does enlighten us on those two important topics.
It says: ‘Understanding is based on the acquisition of knowledge. Wisdom is an applying process. Understanding tells us what’s happening. Wisdom tells us why it’s happening. Understanding gives us the facts. Wisdom tells us what to do with those facts, what solution is best to pursue.’ And though that sounds somewhat confusing, if you spend a few moments and think about it, you’ll find that it’s all absolutely true; wisdom and understanding allows us to collect the facts of a situation, then make the wisest decision based on those facts.
Now let’s look a few scriptures that preach or teach discernment. And I guess the best one comes from Cousin Sol’s famous words in Proverbs, that we all know, but don’t always put into practice. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord and depart from evil.’ (Prov. 3:5-7) That’s the best way to get discernment my people! Totally trusting God and turning to Him in every matter, on every occasion, is the surest way to know what decisions to make.
Then in 1 Corinthians, Bruh Paul writes: ‘But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.’ (1 Cor. 2:14-16) In other words, the Holy Spirit, which indwells all believers, is the One who gives believers the ability to discern spiritual truths, whereby we can know truth from lies and right from wrong. However, the unbeliever cannot discern spiritual things, because they don’t have the Holy Spirit indwelling them.
Meanwhile, to the Philippians, Bruh Paul writes it thus: ‘And this I pray, that your LOVE may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement (discernment); That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.’ (Phil. 1:9-11) And as the scholars explain, that basically means Bruh Paul ‘hopes that as the Philippians LOVE increases in knowledge and discernment (vs. 9) they will be able to accurately distinguish the vital and worthwhile things in life from those that are not.’
Another commentary explains: ‘Here, discernment is linked to LOVE, knowledge, and pursuing what is morally excellent.’ And that’s exactly what Jesus expects from all of His followers. And we’ll close with this last quote from Christ Himself on the travails of discipleship. ‘Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore as wise as serpents, and harmless (innocent ) as doves.’ (Matt. 10:16) The scholars tell us, that means ‘a cautious wisdom was necessary in order to deal with the fierce opposition that the disciples would face.’
And the truth is that we’re still facing fierce opposition as we work for Christ, but we do have the tools to handle it, if we pick them up and use it. That’s where our problem lies; not using the tools we have. Anyway, let’s hope that what we’ve said to day will give us a wake up call and get us going in the right direction, with diligence and steadfast faith. Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, we are duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…without discernment from the Holy Spirit…one cannot live a successful Christian life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a light unto my path, another beautiful summer's day, because strait is the gate, blessing and cursing, both thou and thy seed may live, broad is the way that leads to destruction, carnal delights, choose life, duty bound, enter ye in at the strait gate, eternal death and damnation, eternal life, faith, few there be that find it, have it more abundantly, hellfire and damnation, hurry, I am come that they might have life, I am the good shepherd, I am the way the truth and the life, I call heaven and earth, I have set before you life and death, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, lusts, narow is the way that leads to life, no man comes to the Father but by me, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, sinful pleasures, the beloved of God, the difficult one leads to life, the easy one leads to death, the good shepherd gives his life for his sheep, the path to heaven is narrow and easy to miss, the path to hell is wide and easy, the thief cometh not but to steal, the way into the kingdom of heaven, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to kill and destroy, to record this day against you, to whom we belong, topsy-turvy world, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, two paths in life to tread, wide is the gate, wisdom, worry
Matthew 7:13a. Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction,
Oh my people, I’m delirious with the promise of another beautiful summer’s day like yesterday! And was it ever a perfect day: with temps around 25, bright sunshine, you could feel the heat of the sun, and a cool breeze that just set everything to rights. (smile) And it was so good, that last night at around 8.p.m, I was sitting on my porch in just shirtsleeves, watching folks walking by, also in next to nothing clothing.
Now that doesn’t happen very often in the next to last week of October…but we’ll surely give thanks for it right now, because we know that the cold weather will eventually arrive. Of that we can be sure. (smile) And surprisingly, many of the trees are still green, with only a small portion actually changing colour. But who knows what’s happening? Only the Good Lord! Our world is so topsy-turvy and confused that anything is possible.
And that’s why, if we want to succeed in this incomprehensible world, we have to hold on to the ONE SURE THING in it; that’s Jesus Christ, and tread the path that He leads us on; the straight and narrow way. Jesus advises us thus: ‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate (how narrow is the gate), and narrow (difficult or confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt. 7:13-14)
Yes my brethren, the majority of the world walks the wide and winding broad path that leads to hellfire and damnation, or eternal death. However, only a comparative few will be wise and brave enough to follow the straight and narrow path which leads to life eternal with Jesus.
And I like how this commentary succinctly explains Jesus meaning on the narrow path. It says: ‘What Jesus is talking about is the way to salvation. The way into the Kingdom of heaven. He is saying that the path to hell is wide and easy for people to walk, but the path to heaven is narrow and easy to miss. The way that leads to life is the one and only way.’
For sure! And yuh know what else my fellow believers? Jesus is the gate and the way, as He so openly explained to His disciples when they claimed not to know where He was going and the way there. He enlightened them thus: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) Now, unless you believe that and accept God’s call to find that straight and narrow path, crapaud smoke yuh pipe! For as the psalmist so wisely wrote: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105)
And there’s no getting around that statement my people. Because that’s exactly why the Lord had the Bible (His Word) written; so that mankind could know and see the way to travel to come back to Him, after the dreadful mistake by our forefathers Adam and Eve, caused sin to come in and overtake the world.
And sadly, now, our world is so partial to sin that it’s an uphill battle to get even supposed Christians to understand what’s really happening and the wisdom of following Jesus and the good news of His gospel. We’re so addicted to the lusts and the sinful pleasures of the world, that it’s difficult to break free, especially when the enemy is constantly whispering lies in our ears, as to the supposed benefits of such carnal delights.
But as Jesus says of the enemy, that fallen angel Satan. ‘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. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:10-11) And that’s exactly what Jesus did on the cross of Calvary; give His sinless life for ours, take our sins upon His awesome shoulders and pay for them in full, once and for all.
Yes friends, Jesus brings and gives life, while everything that Satan touches is consumed by death and eternal damnation. That shows us, there are only two roads to travel in this earthly life, the straight and narrow one that leads to Jesus and eternal life, or the wide and broad one that leads to eternal separation from God. And the tough part of this whole exercise is that every individual has to choose his or her own path to follow, for even if you allow some one else to choose it, you, personally, still have to live by it. That’s why the Lord gave us free will.
So which path are you going to choose eh? The one that leads to Jesus and life eternal, or the one that leads to Satan and eternal death? And yuh know what my fellow saints, our God is so good and wise, that He even had the wise and right answer to that question written in His Word. Please listen as Moses explains it to the Israelites, recently freed from four hundred years of slavery in Egypt. ‘I call heaven and earth to record (as witness) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and they seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19)
Now, let’s hope we all follow that wise advice and choose life with Jesus. And for those of us who have so chosen, let’s go home declaring (ah Lord eh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, we’re now duty bound to go out and spread the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they can also come to know and LOVE Him the way that we do! Much LOVE!
…two paths in life to tread…the easy one leads to death…but if you desire life…then the difficult one’s the way…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, a ruined and divided country, abundant mercy, all my confidence is in God, anything is possible in Christ, be strong and of a good courage, begotten us unto a lively hope, being able to see light despite the darkness, beloved of God, Bible, by grace are ye saved through faith, calamity, christianity, diligence, excellence, expectation of something tomorrow, faith, fill you with all joy and peace, god, harvest, holy spirit, hope, hope is the key to faith, hope thou in God, hurry, I know the thoughts I think toward you, Jesus Christ, kept by the power of God, later than you sow, let your hopes shape your future, LOVE, more thn you sow, my protector, negative effects, never lose infinite hope, no assets to rebuild with, no incentive so great, no tonic so powerful, overindulgence, power hungry leaders, praise him for the help of his countenance, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, strife, strife mongers, thanksgiving, the daily grind and common task, the God of all hope, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, thoughts of peace and not of evil, through faith, through the power of the Holy Ghost, to give you an expected end, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Un god's eyes, while there is life there's hope, who never abandons those who put their hope in him, Why art thou cast down o my soul, wisdom, worry, ye may abound in hope, you reap what you sow
Romans 15:13. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Oh friends, Monday is dead and buried, and the Thanksgiving celebrations are over now, although I’m sure many of us are still suffering from the negative effects of overindulgence. (smile) But it’s now time to get back to the daily grind and common task, with diligence and excellence, so that next year we’ll have even more to give thanks for. Remember, as Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) was wont to say: ‘You reap what you sow, more than you sow and later than you sow.’ So, if we sow much good seed this upcoming year, we will reap a greater harvest next year, with even more joy and thanksgiving to offer up to our wonderful God.
Yes my fellow Canadians, let’s concentrate on building our country nuh, instead of breaking it down, as so many naysayers want to do. I don’t know what they expect from causing strife and the host of negative effects it brings, because no one benefits from it, not even the supposed winners, for then you have a ruined and divided country to rebuild and little or no assets to do it with.
But unfortunately, from the beginning of time there have been strife mongers and power hungry leaders, who want to have and/or control it all, but none of them have ever been able to do it successfully. Yet, every day a new money grubber and power hungry person rises up falsely believing that they will be the one to do it successfully. But as the old saying goes; ‘Hope springs eternal in the human breast…’ And it all seems to come from Alexander Pope’s 1732 writing ‘An Essay on Man,’ where he writes: “Hope springs eternal in the human breast; Man never Is, but always To be blest. The soul, uneasy, and confin’d from home, Rests and expatiates in a life to come.”
Biblically speaking though, as believers, we are always supposed to have hope. And here are a few quotes on hope from some famous and not so famous people who chained hope and used it successfully in their lives. This first one comes from the late Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa. “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” Then there’s this from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” And Dr. Robert Schuller builder of the Crystal Cathedral, who in doing so, showed what real hope can do, says: “Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future.”
Meanwhile Elie Wiesel, a Romanian-born American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor, wrote: “Hope is like peace. It is not a gift from God. It is a gift only we can give one another.” Then Francois Rabelais, the great French writer and humanist of the sixteenth century said: “I place no hope in my strength, nor in my works: but all my confidence is in God, my protector, who never abandons those who have put all their hope and thought in him.”
And finally, this from Dr. Orison Swett Marden (1848–1924) an American inspirational author who wrote about achieving success in life and founded Success magazine in 1897. “There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something tomorrow.” So my people, we have a wide range of thinking on hope, but it is essential that in this life we have some kind of hope, or we might as well be dead.
That’s why there’s the saying, while there is life there’s hope. And we all need to have it in great quantities, for without hope we cannot even have faith. Yes, hope is the key to faith, to the great expectations and promises of Jesus. That then leads us to look at some of the many scriptures on hope, beginning with this one from Jeremiah, that we all know and quote, although we might not fully believe it and act accordingly. It says: ‘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)
But long before that Moses had encouraged the people of Israel thus. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6) Then we have Bruh Paul writing to the church at Rome, encouraging them to believe in Christ Jesus. ‘Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.’ (Rom. 15:13)
And Hebrews quite definitely declares: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)’ (Heb. 10:23) And we all know these troubling but also uplifting words from the Sons of Korah in Psalm 42: ‘Why art thou cast down (bowed down), O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).’ (Ps. 42:5)
And we’ll end with these marvellous words of hope from Peter that echo down to us through all the ages. He writes: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.’(1 Pet. 1:3-5)
What a wonderful scripture to finish with my people! It contains all that we need to keep our hope and faith in Jesus Christ strong. And for those of us who are doing our best to stay strong, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…if one has sincere hope…then anything is possible…in Christ Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: alive and kicking, became obedient unto death, being found in fashion as a man, being in the form of God, Bible, christianity, diligent servants, don't do the right things, duty bound, even the death of the cross, faith, god, he humbled himself, holy spirit, hurry, hypocrites, if there be any wicked way in me, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, know my anxious thoughts, know my heart, lead me in the way everlasting, LOVE, masquerading as Christians, meditate on the Word, mercy, new mercies and compassions, permeating the land, salvation, search me O God, share His love with my neighbours, sinfulness, the beloved of God, the breath of life, the dustbin of history, the form of a servant, the light of the world, the salt of the earth, to be qual with God, too comfortable, too fearful, too lazy, trust my friend Jesus, truth, try me, Tuesday Mantra, ungodliness, walking our talk, wisdom, without complaining, worry
Philippians 2:8. And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Tuesday, Oh Tuesday! How we LOVE thee! For thou hast pushed that ugly, ole, disruptive, overbearing Monday out of our way! And for that, we give thee much thanks, Oh Tuesday! Yes friends, many of us are happy to see Monday flushed into the dustbin of history, because it brings out too many negative things in us. But that’s just because we don’t do the right things in the first place.
But nonetheless, we’re alive and kicking this Tuesday morning, so let’s give our wonderful God some thanks and praise for that, as well as for all of His new mercies and compassions that He’s poured out on us on this brand-new day, that’s sunny, but a tad cool in my neighbourhood.
Please pray with me: ‘Oh heavenly Father, we thank You for the breath of life to see this new day, and ask that You let Your Holy Spirit lead and guide us in the way You desire us to go, so that we can be good and diligent servants as we engage in our daily walk. Please help us to be the salt of the earth and light of the world that You desire us to be. We pray it all in the holy name of Jesus! Amen.’
Now, that means listening to whatever the Holy Spirit has to say to each of us, then getting up and doing His bidding. And there’s oodles of work to be done, if we ever hope to make something godly and righteous of this sinful world. The point being, that we can only make any worthwhile changes with the help of Jesus and His Holy Spirit.
But there’s so much work to be done, that we cannot only touch the surface with Jesus, but we have to dig deep down in and with Him; study and meditate on the Word like there was no tomorrow, then right away put it into practice. For who knows if there will be any tomorrow? Our biggest problem, I believe, is not so much knowing the word, but putting it into practice, which ofttimes takes more than what many of us are willing to give.
Many of us know the word well enough to make some beneficial changes in our world, but the problem is getting us to make the effort, to put out the energy needed to make the sacrifices required to put those changes into effect. It’s all a matter of us being too lazy, too comfortable or too fearful. Remember, Jesus didn’t have to undergo the sufferation He underwent, but because of the Father’s great LOVE for his sinful creation, that’s us, and Jesus LOVE for the Father, He did it, without complaining too.
As the Bible tells us: ‘(Jesus) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (emptied himself of all his privileges): And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:6-8)
Yes my brethren, that’s what Christ did for us, so why can’t we become a li’l uncomfortable and do His work eh? Because we’re just a bunch of talkative, no good, lazy, compromising, comfortable and fearful hypocrites, masquerading as Christians! Yuh think, with the number of supposed believers in the world, if each one of us would get out into the world and act like we should, not join or compromise with the world, that the sinfulness and ungodliness that’s currently permeating the land would be as bad?
No way! But it’s just that we supposed believers are not prepared to stand up and sincerely fight for what we claim to believe in. And the longer we wait to pull up the reins on the soaring ungodliness, the worst it will become, until we won’t ever have a chance of stopping it. Oh my people, do we really want to see our grandchildren and their children living in a world that’s worse than this one?
Of course not! But to make that happen, we have to stand up strong and fight the enemy RIGHT NOW! It’s high time to stop all the talking, which we’re so good at, like the hypocrite Pharisees of Jesus’ day, and begin walking that talk. That’s the only way we will ever make any serious changes in our current sinful and ungodly world. And what a wonderful world we can bring about if we would just walk our talk a bit more than we’re currently doing.
But it actively requires Christ’s church, that’s His people, not the buildings, to get together and stop fighting against each other, to drop the animosity and petty differences that keep us apart. Christ is depending on us to do His work, and we cannot do it if we’re as divided and uncompromising as we are.
Oh my fellow saints, we desperately need to search our hearts and see what’s there and how we can make the necessary changes. It’s like Bruh David says in that great Psalm 139: ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my (anxious) thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’ (Ps. 139:23-24)
Yes my fellow saints, that’s what we all need to do TODAY, so that we can be on our way to becoming the true salt of the earth and light of the world as Jesus desires. End of Sermon! (smile) Now let’s go home declaring (oh heifer dust!!!) yes, my exclamation was much stronger today. (smile) Let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said all of that, we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…what’s it going to take… for Christians…to get up and truly act like Christians eh…another world war…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sound from heaven, abide in me and I in you, as a rushing mighty wind, Bible, bringeth forth much fruit, buried, Christ lives in Christians, christianity, conquer sin, crucified, crucified with Christ, dead, eteranl life, faith, filled with the Holy Ghost, glorified, he that believeth on me, holy spirit, hurry, I am the vine ye are the branches, I am the way the truth and the life, I can do all things, I live by faith in the Son of God, if any man thirst, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, let him come unto me and drink, LOVE, made alive, no one comes to the Father but by me, nothing is impossible, out of his belly shall flow, Pentecost, quickened, raised, rivers of living water, salvation, seated, share His love with my neighbours, speak in other languages, speak with other tongues, the beloved of God, the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, the life I now live in the flesh, the union of Christ and the believer, the uniqueness of the Christian experience, through Christ who strengthens me, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wisdom, with Christ in our corner, with you we're everything, without me ye can do nothing, worry
John 15:5b. …for without me ye can do nothing.
And we’re moving on, without missing a beat, to this somewhat cloudy Tuesday, the first day of October 2024! Yes friends, it is October! Where has September gone with all those wonderful, warm sunny days? I very much doubt that October will be as nice to us. But be assured that whatever October choses to bring against us, we have the wherewithal to handle it, through the amazing auspices of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
As Bruh Paul so rightly says: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil. 4:13) And that’s the gospel truth! When Christ is in our corner, and we in His, then nothing’s impossible to us, because nothing’s impossible to Him. And all of God’s children said a loud and grateful, ‘Thank You Jesus! Without You we’re nothing, and with You, we’re everything!’
And that’s brought out in most excellent fashion by these words of Jesus from the gospel of John. ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 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: 4-5)
Yes friends, Jesus uses the image of the vine and it’s branches to describe His union with believers. And as the scholars explain: ‘The uniqueness of the Christian experience results from the union of Christ and the believer. This is expressed in the Scripture as Christ being in the believer and the believer in Christ. Ten times Paul uses the Greek preposition sun (together) to describe this relationship. Believers were crucified (Gal. 2:20), dead (Col. 2:20), buried (Rom. 6:4), quickened or made alive (Eph. 2:1-5; Col. 2:13), raised (Eph. 2:6; Col. 3:1) seated (Eph. 2:6), and glorified (Rom. 8:17).
On the basis of this union with Christ, the apostle Paul showed how the successful Christian life can be opened with four key words in Romans 6: know (vs. 6), reckon (vs.11) yield (vs. 13), and obey (vs. 17). The Christian can conquer sin because Christ lives in him (Gal. 2:20) First Ref. – John 7:37-38; Primary Ref. -John 15:1-5; cf. 1 John 5:13).’
Wow! What a whole heap of Scriptures for us to check out my fellow believers. (smile) And if we want to truly understand our relationship with Jesus we ought to make the effort to do so, for it’s only when we truly understand what the Lord’s Word says that we can understand the real depths and uniqueness of our relationship with our Creator and heavenly Father. And the basic purpose of being in relationship with Jesus is for us to conquer sin. His major purpose for coming to earth was to help us do just that.
And here’s the scripture passage that the scholars quoted in reference to believers conquering sin through Christ living in them. ‘I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of (in) the Son of God, who LOVED me, and gave himself for me.’ (Gal. 2:20) Now that’s a scripture we ought to write indelibly in our hearts, souls and minds, for it is the basis of our renewed life in Christ.
Now, let’s look to that First scripture Reference that the scholars gave. ‘In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly (heart) shall flow rivers of living water.’ (John 7:37-38) Jesus was there speaking of the Holy Spirit, which was to eventually come to all those who believed in Him. And it finally came on that great day of Pentecost, when all the then believers were seated together.
The scripture says: ‘And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were siting. And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues (in other languages), as the Spirit gave them utterance (enabled them to do).’ (Acts 2:2-4) And since that auspicious moment in time, the Holy Spirit has been indwelling every believer, though not with the same panache (flamboyant manner).
And here’s the last of those references by the scholars; a verse from the first epistle of John that we ought also to hold dear to our hearts. ‘These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.’ (1 John 5:13) Yes my brethren, we can have eternal life if we believe in Christ!
And please note, that’s the ONLY way to access it! Don’t be fooled by anything different that the enemy and his evil cronies try to tell you. It’s as Jesus says: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) And I strongly advise us to believe that, and furthermore, live it, otherwise we might just end up with the devil and his people in Hades, eternally separated from Almighty God.
So, as always, I’ve spoon fed us some of the salient scriptures, (smile) the remainder is for you to look up yourself. And I plead with us to do that, because it’s all for our benefit. As I said before the more time we invest in the Lord’s Word, the better we will be able to understand our relationship with Him. Now, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Tuesday mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, we are now committed to going out and sharing Jesus’ amazing LOVE and friendship with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…there’s ONLY one way to get to heaven…and that’s through Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: bad things happen, Bible, Christ's yoke is easy, Christiaity, defends the feeble, Dr. S.M. Lockridge, duty bound, faith, forgives sinners, god, God sent not his son into the world, He is my King, heals the sick, his burden is light, holy spirit, hurry, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, Jesus is my King, Jesus is our everything, limitless goodness, lollipops and roses, LOVE, mercy, naive Christians, never-ending faith in Christ, our be all and end all, rewards the diligent, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, something good is going to happen through me, something good is going to happen to me today, the answer to our every prayer, the beloved of God, the doorway of deliverance, the fundamental truth in theology, the highest idea in philosophy, the King of Kings, the king of knowledge, the loftiest idea in literature, the Lord of lords, the prince of princes, the well-spring of wisdom, the world through him might be saved, thwarted expectations, to condemn the world, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, unfulfilled lives, wisdom, with Jesus in our corner, worry
Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 September 2024 John 3:17.
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.
Well it’s another wet and cloudy day in my area, but it’s Tuesday, a new day, which means an expectation of new and good things. Thus the uplifting acclamation: ‘Something good is going to happen TO me today; something good is going to happen THROUGH me today!’ And that ought really to be the basis of our daily thinking; always expecting good things to happen to and through us, all in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.
So what if our dreams and expectations are sometimes thwarted and bad things happen every so often eh? That’s just life in our sinful and ungodly world. However, we do have Jesus to help us handle all those bad things, if we put our never-ending faith and trust in Him. Life won’t always be lollipops and roses, as some of us naive Christians believe, but with Jesus in our corner, we can survive and beat anything that comes against us. And unless we sincerely believe that and practice it in our daily lives, we’ll be forever finding life miserable and unrewarding. End of Sermon! (smile)
Now, last night while going through some papers on one of my desks, I discovered something that I didn’t even know I had, it was some notes by one Dr. S.M. Lockridge, I don’t remember where I got it from or when, but after reading it, I just knew I had to share it with you today. But before we do that, I just googled Dr. S.M. Lockridge and came up with this fantastic information. His real name is Shadrach Meshach Lockridge (1913-2000).
Wow! Like he was meant for ministry from his birth. And he did end up being the Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, a prominent African-American congregation in San Diego, California, from 1953 to 1993, and was well-known for his preaching across the United States and around the world. And what a wonderful fount of information our computers can be if used for good, because I just came across the full text of what I was going to partly share. It all comes from Dr. Lockridge’s sermon on the subject, ‘He is My King.’
So let’s listen to someone who really knew Jesus as His King. “He’s enduringly strong, He’s entirely sincere, He’s eternally steadfast. He’s immortally graceful. He’s imperially powerful. He’s impartially merciful. He’s God’s Son. He’s a sinner’s Saviour. He’s the centerpiece of civilization. He stands alone in Himself. He’s unparalleled. He’s unprecedented. He’s supreme. He’s preeminent. He’s the loftiest idea in literature. He’s the highest idea in philosophy. He’s the fundamental truth in theology.
He’s the miracle of the age. He’s the only one able to supply all of our needs simultaneously. He supplies strength for the weak. He’s available for the tempted and the tried. He sympathizes and He saves. He guards and He guides. He heals the sick, He cleans the lepers. He forgives sinners, He discharges debtors, He delivers captives, He defends the feeble, He blesses the young, He serves the unfortunate, He regards the aged, He rewards the diligent, He beautifies the meek. Do you know Him?
Well, my king is the king of knowledge, He’s the well-spring of wisdom, He’s the doorway of deliverance, He’s the pathway of peace, He’s the roadway of righteousness, He’s the highway of holiness He’s the gateway of glory, He’s the master of the mighty, He’s the captain of the conquerors, He’s the head of the heroes, He’s the leader of the legislators, He’s the overseer of the overcomers, He’s the governor of governors, He’s the prince of princes, He’s the king of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
His life is matchless. His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting. His love never changes. His word is enough. His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Well. I wish I could describe Him to you. But He’s indescribable. Yes. He’s incomprehensible. He’s invincible, He’s irresistible. I’m trying to tell you, the Heavens cannot contain Him, let alone a man explain Him. You can’t get Him out of your mind. You can’t get Him off of your hands. You can’t outlive Him, and you can’t live without Him.
Well. The Pharisees couldn’t stand Him, but they found out they couldn’t stop Him. Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him. Herod couldn’t kill Him. Death couldn’t handle Him and the grave couldn’t hold Him. That’s my king! He always has been, and He always will be. I’m talking about He [who] had no predecessor and He [who] has no successor. There was nobody before Him and there will be nobody after Him. You can’t impeach Him, and He’s not going to resign.
We try to get prestige and honor and glory to ourselves, but the glory is all His. Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, and ever, and ever, and ever. How long is that? And ever, and ever, and ever, and ever, and when you get through with all of the forevers, then ‘Amen’.” “Oh I wish I could describe him to you.”
Mama oh Mama! What a wonderful description of what Jesus is, was, and will forever be! And you can only encapsulate that by saying, Jesus is our EVERYTHING! Our BE ALL and END ALL! Without Him, we’re nothing, and with Him, we’re everything! Yes friends, that’s the kind of mighty God and king we serve and worship! And until we truly come to grips with what a magnificent Deity we are a part of, our lives will remain unfulfilled.
And having read that most worthwhile description of all that Jesus is by Dr. Lockridge, all I can do now is to quote this scripture passage on what Jesus said re His earthly purpose. ‘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)
Oh my fellow believers, Jesus could not have stated His purpose for coming to earth any clearer than that. So please, let’s be wise and believe nuh, so that we won’t be condemned! Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that awesome declaration (yesss!!!) we now are duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Jesus…Jesus…Jesus…Jesus…Jesus…Jesus…He is the answer to our every prayer…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all the days of my life, all ye lands, aspire to be like God, Bible, broke their chains in pieces, brought down their heart with labour, christianity, come before his presence with singing, dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, eternal life, faith, forgiveness, god, God always acts in a righteous manner, God never does what is wrong, goodness, goodness and mercy shall follow me, he made us, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endures to all generations, hurry, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, joy, know how to give good gifts, let the redeemed of the Lord say so, LOVE, make a joyful noise unto the Lord, mercy, new mercies and compassions, O taste and see that the Lord is good, oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, peace, redeemed from the hands of the enemy, salvation, satisfies the longing soul, serve the Lord with gladness, share His love with my neighbours, sit in darkness, teach me thy statutes, the beloved of God, the Lord he is God, The Lord is good, the Lord is good to all, the rubbish heap of history, the shadow of death, the sheep of his pasture, there is none good but one, trust my friend Jesus, truth, we are his people, wisdom, worry
Psalm 100:5. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
So we’ve come to Tuesday, having thrown Monday on the rubbish heap of history! And since it’s a new day, bright and sunshiny in my neighborhood, it means that new mercies and compassions from our great God are also in vogue, (smile) as they are every day that we draw breath. (Lam. 3:22-23) And that’s something to be very thankful for, otherwise our lives would be even more miserable and frustrating than they are already. But God is good, and He doesn’t want to see us destroyed without a chance to come to Him and His Son for salvation, and the eternal life that springs from it.
That’s why Psalm 100 is essential to our prayer life. Please read it with me. ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:1-5)
Oh friends, it’s a short but ever so sweet and comely psalm. It tells us to serve God joyfully because He’s made us, we are His, and He is good; His mercy and truth are everlasting! And what does it mean by God is good? This commentary explains: ‘He never does what is wrong. God always acts in a righteous manner because His nature is holy. The secondary meaning of holy refers to God’s pure and righteous actions. God does what is right. He never does what is wrong.’
No friends. God will always act with goodness in ways that make us better, strengthen us, heal us and restore us. And though being good all the time is impossible for us human beings because of our inherent sin nature, it doesn’t mean we cannot aspire to be like God and do good and right as much as possible. And Psalm 107, titled God’s Redemptive Power, also showcases God’s goodness when it declares: ‘O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hands of the enemy;’ (Ps. 107:1-2)
That’s us my brethren! The Lord has redeemed us from the bondage of sin through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ! That means we ought to be glad and good, for there’s no greater gift than that! As the psalmist later says: ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound (prisoners) in affliction and iron; Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned (despised) the counsel of the most High:
Therefore, he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder (broke their chains in pieces). Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men!’ (Ps. 107:8-15)
There you have it again friends, another reminder to thank and praise the Lord for His goodness and mercy towards the undeserving children of men. When are we going to learn that and keep doing it constantly eh? For it’s only because of the Lord’s mercies and compassions that we are not destroyed.
Meanwhile, Jesus, in His own way shows us that ONLY the Lord is good. When the rich young man comes running and kneels before him, saying; ‘Master (Teacher), what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.’ (Mark 10:17-18) Technically speaking, Jesus was also good, because He was also God, but according to the scholars, ‘Jesus knew that the man addressed Him as only a religious teacher. He reminds him that no mere man merits the title of good, for that term applies only to God. As the Son of God, Jesus does of course merit highest praise.’
That ought to remind us my people, that we cannot attain salvation and eternal life on our own, but we need the sacrificial death and awesome resurrection of Jesus to do it for us. And there are several other instances where the goodness of God is highlighted. So let’s look at a few. First up is this great verse from Bruh David’s majestic Psalm 23 – The Lord is my Shepherd. He ends it thus: ‘Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:6) No better place to dwell my brethren!
Then Psalm 119:68 says: ‘Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.’ And Psalm 34:8 declares: ‘O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.’ Now hear Psalm 145:9: ‘The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.’ And in Matthew 7:11, Jesus reminds us: ‘If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him.’
Oh my fellow believers, it’s essential that we believe in the goodness of God if we intend to follow His Son Jesus Christ, otherwise we will be shortchanging ourselves and not receiving all that He has to offer us. Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, it now behooves us to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the major attributes of God…are what mankind desperately need right now…LOVE, joy, peace, goodness, mercy, forgiveness and salvation that lead to eternal life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: a lively hope, according to his riches in glory, after all these things do the Gentiles seek, all these things shall be added unto you, an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, Bible, blessing and cursing, born again, choose life, christianity, do not worry, dwhat you shall drink, eternal life, eternal separation from Almighty God, faith, god, have life more abundantly, hurry, I am the door of the sheep, I am the good shepherd, in god's eyes, it's foolish to reject christ, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, my God shall supply all your needs, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, set before you life and death, share His love with my neighbours, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, take no thought, take no thought for the morrow, the beloved of God, the good shepherd gives his life for his sheep, the gospel of christ, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, the morrow shall take thought for itself, the parable of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar, trial and tribulation, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, what you shall eat, what you shall wear, wisdom, worry, your heavenly Father knows you need all these things
Deuteronomy 30:19. I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.
So it’s Tuesday, a new day, one filled with lots of new mercies and compassions from our wonderful God, but possibly also much trial and tribulation. However, as Jesus so rightly advised in the Sermon on the Mount re the subject of worry: ‘Therefore take no thought (do not worry), saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow (therefore do not worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil trouble thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34)
Yes friends, it doesn’t make sense worrying about tomorrow, for who knows what tomorrow may bring…some of us might not even be alive on the morrow…possibly given up the ghost because we were so worried about what could happen. (smile) The fact is that each new day brings a new batch of problems that gives us enough cause for concern, no need to add what might happen in the day(s) to come. And anyway, as Jesus says, if we keep God first place in our lives, then all our basic needs will be taken care of.
And Bruh Paul also reiterates that promise to the Philippians: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) And He will, if you truly believe! And if you want more assurance of God’s faithful promise, then listen to this marvellously reassuring statement from Bruh David in Psalm 23, the most well known and beloved psalm. He simply states with heartfelt certainty: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) Or in other words, if I make the Lord my shepherd, I will not lack anything I truly need.
And what greater promise can one desire than that eh? For the natural nature of a shepherd is to provide for all the wants and needs of his sheep. And Jesus made it absolutely clear of His role, when He made these declarations: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 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. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep… I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.’ (John 10:7-11, 14)
Oh my people, what more can we ask of Jesus eh? Nothing really! He came seeking His lost sheep, died for them on the cross of Calvary, so that they could have a better and more abundant life, starting right down here on earth, then morphing into eternal life with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit! That’s the greatest thing that’s ever been done for mankind! And all we have to do to get that gift of salvation and eternal life is believe on Jesus; that He is the Son of God, and He died to repay our sin debt in full.
What’s so hard to believe in that, especially for the rewards that are held in store for us? As Peter puts it: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed at the last time.’ (1 Pet. 1:3-5)
How magnificent is that eh? Through Jesus’s resurrection from the dead, we have new hope, are born again, receive salvation because of our faith in Christ, and are assured of incorruptible and undefiled treasure awaiting us in heaven! Oh my people, what does Satan promise for doing his evil deeds and engaging in some lustful short-lived pleasures eh? Nothing but death and damnation, eternal separation from Almighty God, the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul! And I keep harping on the eternal separation from God, because it is indeed the worst thing that can ever happen to us!
And if you still don’t believe me, then listen to this story as told by Jesus, of the rich man and the beggar. While alive here on earth, the rich man enjoyed the pleasures of the world on his wealth, while the poor man, a beggar called Lazarus, sat at his gate and begged for scraps from his table, while the dogs came and licked his sores. However, when the beggar died, he was carried by angels into the bosom of Abraham, or heaven, to enjoy the messianic feast. But when the rich man died, he descended into hell, where the fires continuously burned hot and tortuous.
And in his torment, he looked up to heaven and saw the beggar ensconced in Abraham’s bosom and begged Abraham to send the beggar to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool his tongue. But Abraham reminded him that in life he received the good things while Lazarus received evil stuff. Now things were turned around, and Lazarus was receiving the good things while he was being tormented in hell. And besides, there was a great gulf, chasm between heaven and hell which no one could cross over.
Then the hell bound soul pleaded with Abraham to send Lazarus to his family still alive on earth to warn them of the torment in hell. But Abraham replied that his family had the words of Moses and the prophets to listen to, and if that could not persuade them to live right, then neither could one who rose from the dead.’ (Luke 16:19-31)
Ah mih people, it can indeed be a rough life, but if we come to belief in Christ and hold on tightly to Him through all the tough times, we will eventually be well rewarded, not necessarily here on earth, but most certainly in heaven. So what’s it to be eh? A life of worry and illicit pleasures that ends in eternal separation, or one of righteous living that ends in eternal life? The answer rests in the heart of each individual, and no one can answer it but you.
But as Moses said to the Israelites: ‘I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19) It could not get any clearer than that my brethren. So let’s go home now declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all the world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that declaration, we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…once you have heard the gospel of Christ…you would be foolish to reject it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a dictatorial agenda, a great cloud of witnesses, as a good soldier of Christ, become discouraged in your souls, but of power love and a sound mind, consider the bigger picture, despising the shame, dictatorial times, equality, expand there sphere of power, exploitative rulers, faith, finished my course, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, for he who promised is faithful, godly traits, holy spirit, human predators, hurry, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I have fought a good fight, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, jusrice, kept the faith, led like lambs to the slaughter, lest ye be wearied and faint, let us hold fast the profession of our faith, LOVE, lust for power, negative emotions, negativity, peace, personal aggrandizement, put on the whole armour of God, restricting rights and privileges, run with patience, Satanic behaviour, share His love with my neighbours, strife, the author and finisher of our faith, the beloved of God, thou therefore endure hardness, too busy seeking our own small-minded interests, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, turn things around, wannabe rulers, wisdom, without wavering, worry
Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; for he who promised is faithful;)
And then it was Tuesday, the day after Labour Day Monday, which means all the partying done for another season, and is only serious business on the mind now. What with all the strife and negative emotions that are currently plaguing our world, it’s about time we got serious and began doing something about it. Oh friends, the negativity and Satanic behaviour in our world are too far flung, widespread and deep for us to just leave them be!
And if we ever hope to turn things around, we must make a sincere and positive effort, starting right now, to combat them with godly traits like peace, LOVE, justice and equality. We need to get rid of the many sick, power-hungry, exploitative rulers and wannabe rulers, who only want to expand their sphere of power and deepen their own pockets with a dictatorial agenda. That’s the only way our world will ever improve!
You know, when I was young and reading the history of so many dictators and crazy rulers, I often wondered how they ever came to be. But now in my old age, I’m living the reality of it, seeing how it actually comes about. And how is that eh? Because too many of us go around like lost or doh care sheep, not paying sufficient attention to what’s happening in the world around us, especially in these times when we have the news from all around the world right at our fingertips.
That’s one of the reasons why dictators are able to arise and thrive; the people don’t take them seriously enough, not realizing the imminent death and withdrawal of many of their God-given rights in the society. We’re too busy seeking after our own small-minded interests to consider the bigger picture, figuring that whatever happens won’t affect us. But that’s a total lie; for whatever happens in a country affects all who live in it!
Consequently we don’t stand up and fight off the predators the way we ought to. Then, when they get in power and begin restricting our rights and privileges, we make a big outcry about it. But then it’s too late. We should have stopped them in their tracks before they got entrenched in power. And unfortunately that reminds me of a line in the scriptures that talks about Jesus and many of his followers being led like lambs to the slaughter. (Is. 53:7, Rom. 8:36)
But the truth is that many more than just followers of Christ are being led like lambs to the slaughter under the rule of greedy, power-hungry, Satan- inspired rulers, who are willing to do just about anything to gain the power and other ungodly things they desire. And it’s only when the people know their rights, and are not afraid to stand up strong, to these human predators, that the society can ever progress in a true, just and godly manner.
And the sad fact is that right now in our strife filled and angry world, there are many rulers who have been able to seize the reins of dictatorial power, and many more wannabe rulers who are doing their best to do the same. It seems like dictatorial times are cyclical; you’ll have several of them for a season, and then it’s followed by a sort of recession as they gradually die off, because most of the power is embodied in only one man.
We saw the rise of the dictator in the last part of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th, then they all died off. However, we’re now seeing the rise of another season of autocratic, selfish, greedy and ungodly leaders, to whom human rights and lives don’t mean a thing in themselves, and are only important as they can be used to feed their lust for power and personal aggrandizement.
Now stopping these human predators is not easy, never was, and never will be, but that doesn’t mean they are unstoppable, just that we have to work extra hard to stop them from rising up, or to topple them after they have attained power. And where do we begin? I believe first of all by receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, then using all the rights and powers we access by His work and that belief to stand strong and fight the greedy powers that be.
We need to use scriptures like: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; for he who promised is faithful;) (Heb. 10:23) Yes friends, the first step is to hold on strong to our faith in Jesus, for with Him we can defeat anybody and anything, as the scriptures say: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:13) But without Him, we cannot do much of anything. As he says: ‘for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
But to help us in our fight, we also need to put on the spiritual armour of God, as Bruh Paul says in Ephesians. ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:11) Then there’s this scripture that further admonishes us to stand strong and look to Jesus. ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us,
Looking unto Jesus, the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:1-4)
Oh my people, that’s the basis for our unending fight; the strength and perseverance of Jesus, who cared not for the hostile opinions and behaviour of others, but concentrated on doing His Father’s work. Likewise, we should be concentrating on doing His work, not letting the opinions or behaviour of the ungodly frighten us into not making a positive, godly difference in the world.
Remember, ‘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) That means we don’t need to be afraid of the enemy, for we have the power, the Spirit and LOVE of God to resist and rebuke him. Thus we need to do like Bruh Paul told Timothy: ‘Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Christ.’ (2 Tim. 2:3)
And if we do that, then we’ll be able to say like Bruh Paul did: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith.’ (2 Tim. 4:7) And that’s all the Lord really expects of us; to put up a good fight in His name. Now, for those of us who are trying our best to do just that, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know whom we belong to, lock, stock and barrel.
As one voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, it now behooves us 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!
…we can only soldier on successfully…with the power, the armour and Spirit of Christ in us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a learned behaviour, affections and lusts, be desirous of vain glory, Bible, bounden duty, Christ in us, christianity, conceited, crucified the flesh, encying one another, faith, faithfulness, goodness, greed, holy spirit, how to abound, how to be abased, hurry, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I have learned, in god's eyes, in whatsoever state I am, jealousy, Jesus Christ, joy, kindness, live humbly, live in prosperity, LOVE, not that we are sufficient of ourselves, our sufficiency is of God, pateince, peace, Praise the Lord, prayer, provoking one another, ready for battle, self-control, selfishness, share His love with my neighbour, speak in respect of want, spiritual armour, suffer need, telling it like it is, the beloved of God, the fruit of the spirit, the mature Christian, the same bringeht forth much fruit, therewith to be content, trust my friend Jesuss, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wisdom, without me ye can do nothing, worry
Philippians 4:13. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Ah friends, this Tuesday, the last one in August, is shaping up to be another glorious summer’s day! Praise the Lord! For, come September, who knows what’s going to happen. But the good thing about being a believer in Jesus Christ is that we know we can handle whatever comes against us, especially if we are wearing His spiritual armour and draped up in prayer! Then we’re ready for battle on all and any front!
Remember these fighting words of Bruh Paul to the Philippians: ‘Not that I speak in respect of want (in regard of need): for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased (live humbly), and I know how to abound (live in prosperity): every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:11-13)
Yes friends, through Christ’s strength flowing in us we can learn how to live both in want and in prosperity. But please note it’s a learned behaviour, it doesn’t just happen automatically or overnight, you have to work at it, and with the strength of Jesus buoying you up. Ah mih bredrin, it’s so wonderful to know that with Christ’s strength behind us we can do any and everything!
But we also need to notice the opposite end of the spectrum as Christ so wisely pointed out to the disciples: ‘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 telling it like it is my people! With Christ we can do anything, but by the same token, without Him, we cannot do anything!
That means Christ is essential, a real necessity in our lives, we’re absolutely nothing without Him. As Bruh Paul adds in 2 Corinthians: ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;’ (2 Cor. 3:5) And that you cannot deny!
That brings us to this interesting remark in that scripture from John where Christ talks about those who believe in Him bearing much fruit. There He’s talking about the fruit of the Spirit which flourishes, or is supposed to flourish in true believers in Christ. And Bruh Paul explains the Fruit of the Spirit thus to the Galatians: ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE (the willing sacrificial giving of oneself to another without thought of return), joy (gladness of heart), peace (tranquility of mind), longsuffering (patience), gentleness (kindness), goodness (generosity), faith (faithfulness), Meekness (courtesy and consideration), temperance (self-control): against such there is no law.’ (Gal. 5:22-23)
Yes friends, there are nine things that are considered the Fruit (not fruits) of the Spirit. And as we’re on the subject, we might as well get some explanations from scholars. (smile) They say: ‘The word fruit is significant for three reasons. (1) It means the result, product, outcome, or effect produced by the Spirit in the believer’s life. (2) Unlike the “gifts of the Spirit” (plural), only some of which are given to a Christian, each believer is to have all nine virtues composing “the fruit of the Spirit” (singular) (3) As fruit on a tree takes time to grow and mature, so the Spirit does not cultivate these virtues in the believer overnight.’
Oh yes my fellow believers, unlike the gifts of the Spirit, like prophecy, the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, the gifts of healing, the interpretations of tongues etc. (1 Cor. 12) of which we might get a few, if we’re truly blessed, (smile) with the fruit of the Spirit it’s expected that all of those nine virtues will eventually blossom in the mature Christian!
And believe me, that’s no easy task, especially when you’re continually hounded by the devil and his evil cohorts to do wrong. But as we said before, with Christ on our side, and our willingness to learn and sacrifice on His behalf, then we can certainly attain that goal of having all nine fruit of the Spirit flourish in us.
Then, Bruh Paul follows up the definition of the Fruit of the Spirit with these poignant and most pertinent words. ‘And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections (its passions) and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory (conceited), provoking one another, envying one another.’ (Gal. 5: 24-26)
Yes my fellow saints, once we’re born again believers in Christ, it is then expected that we’re to throw away all our old satanic vices and adopt the fruit of the Spirit. That means both living and walking in the Spirit, or as the scholars explain: ‘since the Spirit gave us new life at conversion, we then should stay in step with His leading and promptings throughout life.’ And paying sincere and close attention to the guidance of the Holy Spirit is the only way to have that fruit flourish in us, to stop us from being greedy, selfish, materialistic and all the other wrong things that the world considers right.
Now, having refreshed our minds and spirits on those important topics, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that declaration, it then 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!
…only when we’re in Christ…and Christ is in us…are we truly powerful…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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