12 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a modicum of circumspection, above the stars of God, all sinned and disobeyed your word, all who seek to exalt themselves above God, an everlasting king, answer our prayers, ascend above the heights of the clouds, ascend into heaven, at God's wrath, be like the most High, Bitble, call the proud happy, capable of controlling our destiny, challenge God's existence, chaotic state of the world, christianity, company in hell, day and night, disobedient times, divine aid, doubt God, embracing God as Sovereign Lord, eternal death, eternal life, evil world, exalt my throne, faith, fatal error, foolishly follow Satan, from the days of your fathers, gone away from mine ordinances, he is the living God, holy spirit, how art thou fallen from heaven, humble ourselves, I will return unto you, ignore a mother's wisdom, indefensible, infantile rebellion, it is vain to serve God, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keeping the word of God in first place, lead to a catastrophic fall, LOVE, Lucifer, mass confusion, mercy, my tears have been my meat, negative connotations, not able to abide God's indignation, pray, rebellion, responsibilities, Return unto me, revenge against God, revere Satan, robbing God, rumours of wars, said in thine heart, salvation, Satan's deceitful machinations, Satan's evil machinations, Satan's purpose, sincere repentance, sincerely seek God's face, sit upon the mount of the congregation, son of the morning, strife, such motivations, the choice is yours, the consequences of pride and ambition, the created trying to overthrow the Creator, the dark and dangerous abyss, the earth shall tremble, the God who heals, the height of intelligence, the Lord is the true God, the Lord of hosts, the pinnacle of evolution, the wicked are raised up, the wisdom of following God, those who tempt the Lord go free, tithes and offerings, tried to overthrow God, truth, turn from our evil ways, unsavoury conditions, walked mournfully, wars, weak Christian witness, what have we spoken so much against thee, what profit is it to keep his ordinance, where is thy God, wherein shall we return, wisdom, wise guidance, wisely follow Christ
Jeremiah 10:10a. But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king:
Ah mih people, I know it’s tough to get up and get going this Monday morning after all the marvellous celebrations of Mother’s Day yesterday. But one of the many things our mothers taught us is responsibility; that’s ensuring we do what we have to do to the best of our ability. Looking ahead, and not doing stuff that will negatively affect our responsibilities, like going to work. Consequently, we ought to have been careful to exercise a modicum of circumspection in our celebrations. (smile)
But unfortunately, many of us ignore the wisdom of our mothers, and thus end up in unsavoury situations brought on by stubbornness and a kind of infantile rebellion. We mistakenly feel, that as adults, we’re quite capable of controlling and guiding our destiny. (smile) And so often we’re proven wrong. It’s like the Lord said through Malachi to the people of Israel in one of their disobedient and rebellious times. ‘Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?’ (Mal. 3:7)
Oh friends that’s the very same thing the Lord is saying to us today, in the evil, wicked and ungodly society that now prevails over the earth. At the height of our intelligence, the very pinnacle of our evolution, when we should be using our hard bought wisdom and embracing Almighty God as our Sovereign Lord and God, instead, we’ve fallen into the dark and dangerous abyss of Satan’s deceitful machinations, embracing evil and all its negative connotations, which is sadly driving our world on a crazy merry-go-round, of strife, wars, rumours of wars, and all that ungodliness brings.
And though our God is LOVINGLY calling out for us to return to his wonderful fold, we are obstinately ignoring His fatherly call. Just like Israel did, and were summarily punished for it. And we won’t even talk about the robbing of God in tithes and offerings which comes after verse 7. That’s an entirely different sermon for another time, (smile) but we’ll move on to verse 13, where Malachi writes: ‘Your words have been stout (harsh) against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?
Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully (as mourners) before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the proud happy (blessed); yea, they that work wickedness are set up (raised up); yea, they that tempt God are even delivered (go free).’ (Mal. 3:13-15)
And that’s exactly what’s happening today my people! A large proportion of the population doubt God, even challenging His existence. As the Sons of Korah declare in Psalm 42: ‘My tears have been my meat (food) day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?’ (Ps. 42:3) The complaints are also rife re, the wisdom of following Him, with calls to follow other religions with dead gods, while ours is the ONLY Living God in existence. Thus the prophet Jeremiah writes: ‘But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.’ (Jer. 10:10)
Oh friends, we definitely don’t want to experience the real wrath of God, for it is indefensible, as the world found out when He destroyed it all by the flood, except Noah and His family. And so many of us seem to revere Satan, but let’s remember who and what he was and why he’s where he is right now.
Isaiah says of him: ‘How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer (Day Star), son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides (farthest sides) of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.’ (Is. 14:12-14)
And that’s where he made his fatal error. Yes my brethren, once upon a time Satan was Lucifer or the Morning Star, one of the highest ranking angels in heaven, but his pride and greed caused him to try to overthrow God. What a joke! The created trying to overthrow the Creator. He was then kicked out of heaven with the other foolish angels who sided with him, and thus became the epitome of sin and evil. And it’s the same foolishness we’re trying to do today, encouraged by Satan’s evil and deceitful machinations.
And as one commentary so wisely tells us: ‘The Significance of this scripture emphasizes the consequences of pride and ambition, illustrating how such motivations can lead to a catastrophic fall from grace, not only for Lucifer but also for all who seek to exalt themselves above God.’
So friends, let’s wake up to Satan’s purpose nuh, revenge against God, with much company in hell, and therefore ignore him and his evil cronies, by keeping the Word of God and its ordinances in first place in our lives. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these most difficult of times.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And it’s obvious from the chaotic state of the world, that we need to substantially improve our weak Christian witness, if we hope to receive divine aid. Much LOVE!
…you can either foolishly follow Satan…to eternal death…or wisely follow Christ…to eternal life…the choice is strictly yours…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a legacy of saving power, a mother's love is unconditional, a new spiritual family, a shield from every earthly trial, a single mother, a steady anchor, above the world's noise, all one in Christ, always there for her, always there to protect her children, an enthusiastic person, be generous, be responsible, behold thy mother, calm assurance, Christ's love for his mother, created another human, every waking hour, faith, God's tender caring, God-given strengths of a mother, good bad or indifferent, guide me still today, Happy Mother's Day, heartfelt version, her caring ways, her hugs feel like home, her source of inspiration, her words calm our fears, holy spirit, honour thy father and mother, I hear my mother's voice, I reach to feel God's grace, in each challenge, in god's spiritual image, Janice Kapp Perry, Jesus Christ, keep God first place, live in my soul, LOVE, loving hands, mankind can never repay their debt, mercy, mind boggling, misfortunes, moments of despair, my mother's faith, my mother's voice, my reaching soul, painful task, prayers of earnest pleading, sacrifices go unnoticed, salvation, soothed my fevered brow, taught me, the august privilege, the bsasis of everything good in her life, the challenging cycle of giving birth, the disciple Jesus loved, the essence of her being, the Lord thy God giveth thee, the only commandment of promise, the power of her teachings, the safe place we run to, the world feels too big, those united by faith are family, through my darkest days, thy days may be long upon the land, timeless words of wisdom, to Christ and their mothers, to forget all the pain, to turn to God in prayer, trials, truth, turned me to God, wisdom, Woman behold thy son
Exodus 20:12a. Honour thy father and thy mother:
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY.
Well, a Happy Mother’s Day to all you mothers out there in God’s great universe, be you good, bad or indifferent! But on this bright, warm, sunshiny Sunday, the important thing is that you’re a mother, and you’ve behaved somewhat like God; created another human being in His spiritual image. Only mothers can do that! And you’ve felt the pain and discomfort that came with that august privilege, (smile) and sincerely promised yourself NEVER to do it again. But after seeing the beautiful creation to which you gave life, you forgot that promise and did it over and over again.
Now that’s one of the God-given strengths of being a Mother; to be able to forget all the pain and discomfort and go through the challenging cycle of giving birth again. Men think that they’re the stronger sex, and in a physical sense they might be, but when it comes to emotions and the things involved in bringing a child into this world, they can never hold a candle to a mother’s power, patience and perseverance. And if only for that, mothers ought to be treated with much more respect and reverence for being able to handle such a mind boggling and painful task without going crazy.
Well, in honour of Mother’s all over the world, today we’re going to sing a wonderful song written by Janice Kapp Perry (born October 1, 1938) an American composer, songwriter, and author, in honour of her mother Ruth. When she was asked to write a new Mother’s Day song, her source of inspiration had to be her own mother, because she was a good mother.
And according to Perry, her mother’s LOVE was the basis of everything good in her life. She was always there for her. A very enthusiastic person, energetic, she LOVED projects played in a dance band with their father, wrote musicals for the community. As far as her children were concerned, she was just a cheerleader. She LOVED everything they did. Made them feel like they could do things.’
Now that’s what a Mother’s LOVE is all about! So, let’s stop talking and sing the song ‘MY MOTHER’S LOVE,’ in a soulful, scintillating, heartfelt version, showing true appreciation for all those good mothers so many of us, like me had, and fortunately some still have.
Singing: ‘My mother’s voice, the power of her teachings, Live in my soul and guide me still today. her caring ways, her timeless words of wisdom Come forth to help me through each day.‘
In each challenge, each choice, Above the world’s noise, I hear my mother’s voice. My mother’s faith, her prayers of earnest pleading, Turned me to God in moments of despair. Her calm assurance of His tender caring Taught me to turn to Him in prayer. Through my darkest of days I reach to feel His grace. Such was my mother’s faith.
My mother’s hands that lifted and protected, Those loving hands that soothed my fevered brow Were as a shield from every earthly trial, And still, the memory helps me now. And my heart is aware, the strength that I now share Came from my mother’s hands. My mother’s voice will live in me forever. A steady anchor for my reaching soul,
As generations climb the path together to sweet eternities untold. My mother’s LOVE, the essence of her being, Flows in and through me every waking hour. A quiet strength grew from her constant caring, A legacy of saving power. By her words and her touch she strengthened me so much. I felt my mother’s LOVE… I felt my mother’s LOVE.”
What beautiful words in honour of Mothers! And some of them do resonate with me towards my mother Molly. Like the opening words of the song: ‘My mother’s voice, the power of her teachings, Live in my soul and guide me still today. Her caring ways, her timeless words of wisdom Come forth to help me through each day.’ And that’s a veritable fact my brethren, because she was also a strong, enthusiastic self-reliant, woman, despite the many trials and misfortunes she suffered, being a single mother.
But in my formative years, she taught me a few basic lessons about life: to keep God first place, to be responsible and to be generous. She not only taught me them, but also lived them out in her life, although it’s only as I got older, I realized the truth in all those lessons. (smile) Oh friends, we cannot put a price on a Mother’s LOVE, because like God’s LOVE for us, it’s unconditional, no matter what! She will always LOVE her children and shower them with care.
As one commentary describes it: ‘Mom’s LOVE: Often characterized as unconditional, maternal love is typically nurturing, protective, and self-sacrificing. A mother’s LOVE is generally focused on the well-being and development of her child, often prioritizing their needs above her own.’ Yes, that’s what Mothers do.
And why is a mother’s LOVE so powerful? This commentary answers it thus: ‘Because she’s the one who LOVES us before we even take our first breath. She’s the safe place we run to when the world feels too big. Her hugs feel like home, her words calm our fears, and her sacrifices often go unnoticed but never unfelt. Mothers aren’t perfect, but their LOVE is powerful.’
And that’s the gospel truth my fellow believers. The only LOVE stronger than a mother’s is that of the Lord! That ought to tell you how strong a mother’s LOVE is. You see it even in the animal kingdom, where mothers are ever so protective of their young ones, they will fight a bigger and more powerful animal to protect their children. No wonder, the Lord in issuing His Ten Commandments placed within them this one: ‘Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.’ (Ex. 20:12)
Yes my people, that’s the ONLY commandment with a promise at the end, so it must truly be important in God’s eyes to honour your parents. Please note, He didn’t say like or LOVE them, but simply to honour them, and I guess that means even if they are not what we consider worthwhile parents. And what better way to end today’s Bit on Mother’s Day than with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ showing His LOVE for His mother.
The Bible tells us that while hanging on the cross in the throes of death, ‘Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he LOVED, (John), he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.’ (John 19:26-27) Now that was very thoughtful and considerate of Jesus! And what does it signify?
One commentary says: ‘This act is interpreted as Jesus providing for his mother’s care and establishing John as her guardian. It also highlights the concept of a new spiritual family within Christianity, where those united by faith are considered family, even without biological ties.’
More gospel truth my people! As Bruh Paul would say, be we Jew or Gentile, we’re all ONE in Christ! So let’s not only celebrate our mothers today, but try to remember them more all through the year, as we ought to! Much LOVE!
…mankind can never repay the debt they owe…to Christ…and to their mothers…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beautiful lazy-day Saturday, be bond or free, be Jews or Gentiles, believers united with Christ and each other through faith, blessed from birth, building bridges, by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, calming influence, Christ is the head of the church, Christian disunity, christianity, Christians, Christians are all one in the body of christ, Christians are united in Christ, Christians don't live as one body, Christians rely on Christ for guidance and strength, deepen my breath, devotion to traditions nullifies God's word, different parts of the body are necessary for it's functioning, each believer contributes uniquely to the whole, each believer is essentail for the church's growth and mission, faith, false worship, feel the heat of the sun, function as a single organism, holding on to old traditions, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, in vain they worship me, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the source of life and direction for the church, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees, keep your own tradition, laying aside the commandment of God, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, made to drink into one Spirit, mercy, moving too far away from the old traditions, negate all of Jesus' sacrifices, neglecting the true essence of their faith, outwardly adhering to rituals, Pope Leo XIV, prioritizing human traditions over god's commandments, quiet my soul, reject the commandment of God, relax my muscles, religions and petty differences separate them, salvation, sincerity, slow my thoughts, sun-tanning, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men, Thank the Lord, thank you for this tenderness, the BIBLE, the body is not one member, the body is not one member but many, the church of Christ is one body, the first U.S born Pope, the Information Age, the people honour me with their lips, the unity of all believers in christ, their heart is far from me, truth, under the umbrella of Christ, unexplored territory, wisdom, with a great naTURAL COLOUR, you can't be contained, you hypocrites, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
1 Corinthians 12:14. For the body is not one member, but many.
Oh my bredrin, what a beautiful lazy-day Saturday it is in my neck of the woods! I went outside just now and could actually feel the heat of the sun on my face! Wow! And that’s a big something in these northern climes, when, at this time of year, you can actually feel the heat of the sun. I guess a lot of the fair skinned populace will be out sun-tanning today, to get some much-needed colour on their ever so fair skin. (smile) It’s a good thing I don’t need to do that, because I’ve been blessed from birth with a great natural colour. Thank the Lord!
But enough of whatever that is, let’s get around to offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with the utmost of sincerity and truth. As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And as always, if your prayer was sincere, you’ll soon be on the receiving end of some of the best calming influence in the universe; that of our great God! And by now you all know that a new Pope was recently appointed, a U.S. Cardinal who took the name of Leo XIV. And I was most surprised that Brother Donald did not claim he orchestrated that move. But he was on his good behaviour and merely said that it was a great honour to have the first U.S born Pope appointed on his watch.
Surprisingly too, the old men Cardinals’ Club only took a little more than a day to come to a decision. I don’t know if its ever been done so quickly, what with all the politicking that usually goes on in the election of a Pope. But the important thing is that we have a new Pope, one who seems to be on the side of ‘peace and building bridges.’ Let’s hope that He puts his words into serious and sincere action, for we need to remember that the Body of Christ, His Church, is ONE Body.’
As Bruh Paul wrote to the Corinthians in his first missive. ‘For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond (slaves) or free; and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.’ (1 Cor. 12:12-14) Now what does that mean eh? Basically, that despite our race or religion, Christians are all ONE in the Body of Christ.
Or, as this commentary puts it: ‘The concept of the Church as “one body” signifies the unity and interconnectedness of all believers in Christ. This metaphor, found in the New Testament, highlights that Christians, though diverse, are united in Christ and function as a single organism, with Christ as its head. Each believer is a member of this body, contributing uniquely to the whole.’
And Bruh Paul gives an example of that to the Corinthians when he describes the church as the human body, with different parts playing different roles, but all as important to the proper functioning of the whole body. So too do the members of the church have different roles and different gifts, but they are all important to the smooth running of the church as Christ desires it. And you can find Bruh Paul’s explanation in (1 Cor. 12:14-30)
And the commentary further details. As per ‘Unity in Christ: The Bible emphasizes that believers are united with Christ and with each other through faith. This unity is not a mere physical gathering but a spiritual connection in Christ. As per Christ as Head: Jesus is the head of the Church, the source of life and direction for the body. All believers are members of this body, relying on Christ for guidance and strength. And as per Interdependence: The body metaphor emphasizes that each member has a unique role and function, contributing to the well-being of the whole. Just as different parts of a body are necessary for its functioning, each believer is essential for the Church’s growth and mission.’
Unfortunately though, we Christians don’t live as ONE body, but as several different bodies. We allow our religions and petty differences to separate us, and thus Christ’s church cannot grow as it ought to. We’re fighting each other on so many different levels, that it’s become a major setback for the church. Some churches are growing, while others are dying. Why is that eh? Perhaps too many of us are holding on to the old traditions which aren’t cutting it in this technological and information age. Perhaps too, some of us are moving too far away from the old traditions and getting into new and unexplored territory that doesn’t seem right. Who knows?
But the problem can only be solved if we, as supposedly faithful believers let go of some of our differences and stick to the real thing that binds us, that’s Jesus Christ. It’s possibly like Jesus said to the Pharisees: ‘Well hath Esaias (Isaiah) prophesied of you hypocrites (pretenders), as it is written, This people honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots (pitchers) and cups: and many other such like things ye do. Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.’ (Mark 7:6-9)
And this commentary gives us an overview of the situation. ‘Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for prioritizing human traditions over God’s commandments, highlighting how their devotion to these traditions actually nullifies God’s word. Jesus criticizes their hypocrisy and calls them out for outwardly adhering to rituals while neglecting the true essence of their faith. He points out that their traditions, while seemingly religious, often contradict or disregard God’s commands, ultimately leading to a false worship.’
Now, might that be a problem in our church(es) today? It certainly can be. However my fellow believers, this is a time when we simply cannot afford to let petty differences and traditions keep us from uniting to become the ONE Church under Christ’s authority,. Why? Because with our disunity, right now the devil is running away with the world, and we cannot allow that to happen. It would just negate all the sacrifices Jesus made for us, making them a complete waste of time and effort.
Is that what we desire? Hopefully not. So please, let’s take some time on this fine lazy-day Saturday and ponder our individual responses to Christ’s commandments, and see how we can improve them and help make Christ’s Church, the ONE Body it’s supposed to be! Much LOVE!
…the word Christians means…being ONE…in all respects…under the umbrella of Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, a new flock of believers, backsliders, be of good courage, both hope and wait quietly, by the example your faithful believers set, Christian witness, christianity, Christians, divine help, error of their ways, faced with challenges, faith, for the salvation of the Lord, Friday chant, gospel truth, great grief of soul, he shall strengthen your heart, holy spirit, I am vile, I had fainted, I will hope in him, in times of difficulty, it is good, it is good for me to draw near to God, it is good that a man, Jesus Christ, lay my hand upon my mouth, lean on God in total confidence, LOVE, mercy, Mother's Day weekend, my flesh and my heart faileth, omnipotent help, our sinful world can wake up, perfect peace, persevere in one's faith, problems escalating, put my trust in the Lord God, resilience, salvation, shalom, smell the coffee, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the BIBLE, the Lord God Jehovah, the Lord is my portion saith my soul, the object of Faith, the simmering unrest, the throne of grace, thou will keep him in perfect peace, to see the goodness of God in the land of the living, true courage comes from relying on God, trust in the Lord for ever, trusting faith, truth, unless I had believed, wait in faith on the Lord, waiting for Christ is action oriented, whose mind is stayed on thee, wisdom
Lamentations 3:26. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.
And it’s a bright, sunshiny Friday, though only about 12 degrees Celsius, but that didn’t stop all the ‘Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here!’ shouts from rising to heaven. Now, everybody’s excited about this weekend, especially the merchants, because this is another celebratory occasion on which we spend big bucks. Yes friends, this is the Mother’s Day weekend, so you know all the attention will be on Mom, and she will be showered with flowers, cards, and all kind of other gifts, to celebrate this her special Day.
But unfortunately, the rest of the year we don’t seem to appreciate, or even remember her as much. How hollow and ungrateful is that eh? Forgetting, or not paying sufficient attention to the one who spent nine long months carrying you in their womb, much to their own pain and discomfort, then bore the maddening pain of childbirth, suckling you at her tender breast, then enduring the even more maddening years of raising you to be the godly person you are today. Please, let’s not only remember our Mothers on this one day of the year, but every single day, because what she did for us was a God-given task, that no one else could ever do for us. End of Sermon! (smile)
Today, the Good Library opened unto the Book of Lamentations, to some interesting and important scriptures that the prophet Jeremiah wrote in his time of sadness and despondency. Although he was going through a rough time seeing Jerusalem destroyed and his own imprisonment, yet when he sat and thought about it all, he was still able to come up with these most encouraging and true words. ‘The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:24-26)
And all that’s the gospel truth my people, as corroborated by many other people of God who while going through their own trials and tribulations still adhered to and extolled the hope and faithfulness found in Almighty God. And the scholars agree when they say, ‘Jeremiah’s observation resembles those of other saints who have experienced great grief of soul.’ And we have some great examples like this one from Job, who having first challenged God, then the Lord turned the tide and asked him,
‘Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth (rebukes) God, let him answer it. Then Job answered the Lord, and said, ‘Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.’ (Job 40:2-5) And as the scholars inform us. ‘Job’s reply is one of humble submission in the face of an omnipotent and omniscient God.’ Oh, how I hope and pray that many more of us would come to such a wise conclusion and be so humble before our Creator and heavenly Father!
And we all know of Isaiah’s famous encouraging words. ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH (Yahweh) is everlasting strength (the Rock of Ages).’ (Is. 26:3-4) And the scholars explain all of that thus: ‘Israel is promised perfect peace (shalom, shalom). This emphatic expression indicates a peace that goes beyond human comprehension (cf. Phil. 4:7). To have one’s mind…stayed means to lean on God in total confidence and security. Trust is the ultimate expression of that confidence. Notice that the object of one’s faith is as important as the act of trust. Here the object of faith is the Lord JEHOVAH.’
Then we have these very humbling words of the psalmist Asaph, after understanding that being worried about the prosperity of the wicked is not worth it. At the end of Psalm 73, he writes: ‘Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee (that are unfaithful to thee). But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ (Ps. 73:25-28)
Truer words were never spoken my people. But we cannot talk about waiting and trusting in God without these most poignant verses of Bruh David’s from psalm 27: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of God in the land of the living. Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:13-14) And this commentary breaks down the phrase ‘wait on the Lord’ for us. As per the ‘Meaning of “wait on the Lord”: This phrase doesn’t imply idle waiting. It signifies a state of expectancy, seeking, and relying on God’s guidance and provision. It’s a posture of faith and trust in His promises.
As per Courage and Strength: The verse emphasizes that while believers wait on the Lord, they should also be of good courage. God promises to strengthen their hearts, providing them with resilience and strength in times of difficulty. And as per Relevance for believers: The phrase encourages believers to persevere in their faith, even when faced with challenges. It reminds them that true strength and courage come from relying on God, not from their own abilities.’
And having heard all of that encouraging scripture, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, to find divine aid in these most difficult times. Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land.
We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And friends, having offered up that prayer for divine help, we now need to improve our faithfulness as believers in Christ, because we all know that our Christian witness is not as good as it ought to be, otherwise our world would not be in such chaos. Much LOVE!
…waiting for Christ is not a passive situation…but an active one…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a disgusting weed, a dramatic effect, a positive outlook on life, abundance, between Satan and God, blinded him, both feet must be in one kingdom, christianity, Christians, come and follow me, courage, creativity, curse, dandelions, divine protection, early bloomers, faith, favour, give to the poor, go and sell that thou hast, God's supernatural wisdom, holy spirit, if thou wilt be perfect, indebted to share blessings with others, inward nature, Jesus Christ, lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, losing our earthly treasure, LOVE, loved himself more than he loved God, loved himself more than he loved his neighbour, mercy, meritorious benefits, minimal dress, more people walking dogs than children, negative word, not necessary to sell possessions to become a Christian, outward demands, outward duties, promotion, prosper and succeed, rewards for faithful service, salvation, see nature being reborn, self-righteousness, sitting on my front porch, stick dancers, straddle the fence, success, such a beautiful flower, talent, the accumulation of things, the BIBLE, the dandelions turning from yellow to white, the lilies of the field, the season of spring, the seriousness of true discipleship, the weeds are sprouting too, thieves break through and steal, thieves do not break through and steal, thou shalt have treasure in heaven, to his real weakness, truth, valuable advice, vibrant with new life, where moth and rust doth corrupt, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, wisdom
Matthew 6:19a & 20a. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth… But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…
Oh friends, what a joy it is these days to finally look out my bedroom window and see life; see nature being reborn in the green, yellow or cherry coloured leaves of the trees, instead of the dark and dreary lifeless branches I’ve been seeing for the last six months. But surprisingly, there are some trees that still look like stick dancers, with nary a leaf, not even a bud on them. I don’t understand that, when so many others quite close to them are beautifully blooming. And don’t think that it’s only the trees that are vibrant with new life… not at all!
The grass looks as green as ever with the rain over the last couple of days, the weeds are sprouting too, including the gloriously yellow dandelion. And every time I see those dandelions spread out so beautifully in the grass, I remember the first time I saw them some fifty something years ago, and thought they were such a beautiful flower, only to learn later that they were a very disgusting weed. And brother when they turn from yellow to white, the effect is certainly dramatic.
Oh, let’s not forget those other early bloomers, the lilies of the field, dressed even more gloriously than Cousin Sol at his best, as Jesus so effectively characterized them in Matthew 6:28-29. And the Duchess has a couple at both the front and side of her garden that are indeed rich in colour. The only problem with the lilies though is that they don’t last as long as we would like then to. So, in other words, I guess I’m saying that spring is finally here, with a bit of summer weather thrown in for good measure, as I got to sit on my front porch yesterday in minimal dress.
I can’t’ wait for the time when I can sit there every afternoon and watch the folks of the neighbourhood go by, walking and running. There’s a serious disappointment in that though, for these days, many more people are walking dogs than children. Chuh man! I just get disgusted seeing so many dogs, with only a handful of children out enjoying the good weather. For whatever reason, this generation seems to be more interested in dogs than children! I wonder who’s going to walk those dogs, or live in those fancy houses when the old folks die? But who am I to tell others whether to have children or dogs eh? (smile)
And that brings us to an interesting scripture where Jesus warns us about our treasures and where we secure them. Unfortunately, many of us know it, but like so many other scriptures, simply ignore it. So, one more time, please listen closely to Jesus’ most valuable advice. ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through and steal.’ (Matt. 6:19-20)
Now we cannot find any fault with that advice, because many of us have experienced or know of someone who has experienced the loss of their earthly treasure though rust and earthly decay, as well as through others stealing it, but none have ever complained about losing their heavenly treasure, since there are no moths or decay or thieves in heaven. (smile) Seriously though, Jesus is trying to say that the accumulation of earthly things can be lost quite easily, but whatever you have stored up in heaven will never be lost.
And the scholars further enlighten us when they say: ‘The attention of the believer is directed toward treasures in heaven. The term treasures implies the addition or accumulation of things. The two kinds of treasures are conditioned by their place (either on earth or in heaven). The concept of laying up treasures in heaven is not pictured as one of meritorious benefits but rather of rewards for faithful service, as is illustrated elsewhere in the teaching of Jesus.’
And we have a very good example of that when later on a rich young man approaches Jesus and asks what he should do to have eternal life? Jesus basically told him to keep the Ten Commandments. To which he answered, ‘All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.’ (Matt. 19:20-21) Unfortunately the young man went away quite sorrowful because he had much wealth.
But as the scholars explain, ‘The list of commands that Jesus gave him in verses 18 and 19, centres on outward duties, rather than inward nature, which was the young man’s real problem. He protests that he’s kept these outward demands. His luxurious wealth and self-righteousness blinded him to his real weakness. To expose this, Jesus tells him to go and sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor, then come back and follow Him. But he refused to do it.
Jesus thus shows him that he had not kept the commandments at all. He LOVED himself more than he LOVED his neighbour (the poor), and he LOVED his possessions more than he LOVED God (refusing to follow Jesus). This passage teaches the seriousness of true discipleship, but it in no way teaches that the average man must sell his possessions in order to be a Christian.’
And that can never be true, otherwise why would the Lord bestow our undeserved Thursday Blessings on us eh? Blessings that can make us healthy, wealthy and wise. (smile) Because He LOVES us and knows that we need tools to do His earthly work. So let’s declare and thus activate them 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 made that declaration (yesss!!!), we are now indebted to go out and use those blessings on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…you cannot straddle the fence between Satan and God…have one foot in both kingdoms…you must have both feet…in one or the other…preferably God’s…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abstain from fleshly lusts, all about glorifying God, among the Gentiles, as newborn babes, ask what you will, baptizing them, be sober minded, bring glory to God not shame, by your good works, Christ's ambassadors, christianity, Christians, desire the sincere milk of the word, endure to the very end, envies, evil speaking, faith, glorify God, glorify your father in heaven, go ye therefore and teach all nations, godly behaviour, good works, gravity, growing in spiritual maturity, guile, halfway home, hands on the plough, having your conduct honest, having your conversation honest, he that is of the contrary part, herein is my Father glorified, holy spirit, hypocrisies, I am with you always, I have commanded you, if ye abide in me and my words abide in you, immersing ourselves in the word, improve our standard of spiritual maturity, in doctrine, in living for christ, in the day of visitation, in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost, incorruptibility, it shall be done for you, Jesus Christ, laying aside all malice, Let your light so shine before men, LOVE, make disciples of all nations, making any productive headway, may be ashamed, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not turning back, perpetrating the ungodly deeds and views of this evil world, practical advice, restore our salty flavour, reverence, salvation, second wind day, showing integrity, showing thyself a pattern of good works, sincerity, so glad to be alive, so shall ye be my disciples, sound speech, speak against you as evildoers, teaching them to observe all things, thank God, that cannot be condemned, that ye may grow thereby, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Christian life, the Great Commission, the holy priesthood, the light of the world, the salt of the earth, the stranglehold evil has on the world, they may see your good works, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, turn up our lights, unto the end of the world, war against the soul, Wednesday Wail, whcih they shall behold, wisdom, ye bear much fruit, your opponent may be ashamed
John 15:8. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
And after Tuesday comes Wednesday, a bright sunshiny day with temps around the 20 degrees Celsius mark. It’s also the day we supposedly catch our second wind. Yes, we’re already halfway into the work week, which seems to be flowing by quite quickly. However, the question we must ask, is, are we making any serious and productive headway in living for Christ, growing in spiritual maturity and having a positive effect on the unbelieving majority of our world? And judging from the way it seems more people are turning away from Christ, than are turning to Him, and the stranglehold that evil has on our world, I’d venture to say that the answer to our question is a resounding NO!
Then the next question will be, what are we waiting for to go out into the world and fulfill Christ’s Great Commission? That was the last thing He desired of us: ‘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)
Oh my people, Jesus’ desire for us on the earth could not be made any plainer and clearer than that! We’re supposed to go out and teach others what He taught us, as well as living a life that resonates with the things we teach. Like being the salt of the earth and the light of the world. As Jesus, so simply but very astutely puts it: ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven,’ (Matt. 5:16) And we need to remember that everything we do down here on earth ought to bring glory to God and not shame, as so many of us are doing, perpetrating the ungodly deeds and views of this evil and ungodly world.
And later on Jesus, when talking about the vine and the branches, said to the disciples: ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto (for) you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.’ (John 15:7-8) Ah friends, it’s made very clear there again, that we’re supposed to be doing good works, bearing good fruit so that the Father can be glorified. But the only way to do that is by abiding in Christ and have His words abide in us. And obviously we are not doing that to any sufficient degree, otherwise our world would not be in such a chaotic and lawless state.
And Peter also said the same thing, when he wrote to the Christian diaspora, spread all over the world. ‘Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere (pure) milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.’ (1 Pet. 2:1-3) Yes friends, we need to lay aside all that negative, ungodly stuff that’s so prevalent in our world today. And we can only do that by immersing ourselves in the pure milk of God’s Word, the ONLY thing that can keep us safe and secure from the evils of the world, so that we can become the Holy Priesthood we are meant to be.
And here’s some practical advice from Peter on how to do that. ‘Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation (conduct) honest (honourable) among the Gentiles: that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.’ (1 Pet. 2:11-12) There again my fellow believers we’re entreated to live a life that’s worthy of Christ and do works that will glorify our heavenly Father! How much more do we need to hear for us to get out there and live a Christ-worthy life eh?
Titus also specified the great need for good behaviour from believers, when he wrote: ‘Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness (integrity), gravity (reverence), sincerity (incorruptibility), Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part (an opponent) may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say to you.’ (Titus 2:6-8)
What more can I say eh friends? And those aren’t all the scriptures that speak of good conduct and good behaviour. There are many more throughout the Bible, which shows how important the subject is, for it’s only with our good behaviour and kind words will the unbeliever even consider turning to Christ. And it’s obvious we’re not doing such a good job, or, as we said earlier, our world would not be in such a disastrous state. That’s also why it’s ever so important, that RIGHT NOW, we need to make some changes, some improvements to our standard of spiritual maturity and living, so that the heathen can see the goodness and godliness in us, and want what we have.
Otherwise, our world will keep on sliding down the steep and slippery slope to hell fire and damnation. And I know we don’t want that happen, for it will show that we didn’t do such a good job as Christ’s disciples and ambassadors. So, let’s turn up our lights nuh mih people, make them shine as bright as ever, and restore the salty flavour to our lives, so that many others will desire to come to know and LOVE Jesus like we do. Now, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus!
As one strong voice, in all sincerity and truth. ‘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 the good news is that if we endure to the very end with Jesus, the future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So, let’s be wise and endure to the very end nuh, that we can enjoy that glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…the Christian life is all about glorifying God…through good works…and godly behaviour…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a stream bubbling down to the open sea, a time of testing, acknowledge God's Lordship, apologies, because he delighted in me, becomes second nature, brought me forth unto a large place, caught him by his beard, christianity, Christians, confidence in the strength and faithfulness of God, courage, crying out to God for help, defied the armies of the living God, delivered me from my strong enemy, do it over and over again, encouragement, face adversity, faith, focus on the problems before m, from pillar to post, from them which hated me, go and the Lord be with thee, God's presence is a powerful fortress around you, hold God close to our hearts, holy spirit, hurry, I am strong, I can face anything, I fix my gaze on you, I will call upon the Lord, in god's eyes, in whom I will trust, its own merry way, Jesus Christ, lock stock and barrel, look to you with confidence, LOVE, mercy, my god my strength, my heart would fail, not persistent enough, nothing takes you by surprise, out of the hand of this Philistine, rejoice in God's might, salvation, saved from my enemies, share His love with my neighbours, smoet him, strong and confidence only comes from experience, thank you for giving me courage, the ability to stand strong in the face of unbeatable odds, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the consequences of disobedience, the day of my calamity, the experience of going through difficulties, the Lord is my deliverer, the Lord is my rock and my fortress, the Lord moved heaven and earth to save him, the Lord was my stay, the Lord was my support, the Lord will deliver me, the struggle between faith and courage, the train to glory, this uncircumcised Philistine, through all the twists and turns of life, thy servant slew both the lion and bear, time isn't waiting on anyone, too strong for me, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, went out after him, wisdom, with you to steady me, words of wisdom, worry, worthy to be praised, you are a great God, you surround me in every challenge, you're my rock, your plans never fail
Psalm 18:2a. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
Prologue: Please accept my apologies for the lateness of the Bit, but I had an appointment with the dentist this morning, and spent longer than I expected. Thanks for understanding. (smile)
Now, what began as a somewhat wet and cloudy Tuesday morning, has thankfully turned into a dry one of more sunshine than cloud. Thank the Lord! And it’s certainly amazing and amusing that we are already into the sixth day of May, when the month only began a few days ago. But time is not waiting for lazy procrastinators, it’s moving forward on its own merry way, like a stream bubbling down to the open sea, and who doesn’t get on the train to glory, then they’ll be simply left behind. (smile)
Ah friends, there’s a lesson in there for all of us, we either get with Christ or get left behind to suffer the pangs, the consequences of disobedience and disbelief. And we know that living for Christ is not always easy, but it’s certainly doable if we use all the props the Lord has given us. And today we’ll focus on one of those props, that of Courage; the ability to stand up strong in the face of seemingly unbeatable odds. Now, to help us in this exercise, we’ll offer up a prayer on the subject from the Prayer Cards recently put out by the In Touch Ministry.
So, please pray with me. ‘God, thank You for giving me courage. If I were to focus on the problems before me, my heart would fail. But when I fix my gaze on You, I am strong. Help me remember that You surround me in every challenge. With You to steady me, I can face anything. You’re my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. Nothing takes You by surprise, and Your plans never fail. I will look to You with confidence through all the twists and turns of life. You are a great God!’
Words of wisdom, truth and encouragement, my fellow believers. But it all begins with our belief, our confidence in the strength and faithfulness of God! However, that belief and confidence doesn’t come without a price, that’s the experience of going through difficulties and crying out to God for help, and that struggle between faith and courage in one’s problems are shown most readily in the psalms, especially those of Bruh David. He went through many unfortunate trials and tribulations, through no fault of his own, but the confidence he developed with the Lord while out in the fields shepherding his father’s sheep, gave him the courage to keep on keeping on, even when crying out to the Lord for help.
When king Saul refused to let him go out and fight Goliath, Bruh David calmy informed him that while keeping his father’s sheep a lion and a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, ‘And I went out after him, and smote (struck) him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.’ (1 Sam. 17:34-37)
Oh friends, what more could Saul say to Bruh David after making such a good argument on God’s help and strength. But sadly, that kind of courage and confidence only comes from experience. And yes Bruh David went out and defeated Goliath, but he never realized that one day he would be up against a greater and more persistent enemy, the same king Saul, who spent many years trying to kill him. And although Bruh David was still confident and believed in God’s promise that he would be king of Israel, he never thought he would have to face so much adversity over such a long period of time, before it happened.
But that’s how our God works. He gives you a promise of greater things to come, then He puts you through a time of testing, to see if you can handle the promotion. And many of us fail the test simply because we’re not persistent enough; we don’t hang in there till God judges that we can handle the promotion. One thing our God does not encourage is giving up. And we see that in Bruh David’s life, where although Saul harassed him from pillar to post, he never gave up, even foregoing a chance to kill Saul.
And finally with deliverance from the hand of his enemies, including Saul, Bruh David wrote thus in Psalm 18: ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my strength (lit. my rock)), in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold). I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps. 18:1-3)
Now friends, those are sentiments that we also should be putting forth, but it takes much more than just mouthing the words, although sincerely mouthing them might give us a smidgen of courage. (smile) We have to sincerely believe them and then act upon them. And we have to do it over and over, until it becomes second nature. That’s the only way to get that courage and strength that our Lord provides, to sink deep into our souls. So please, when the trials and tribulations of life come upon us, before we do anything else, let’s turn our minds to Almighty God, then cry out to Him for help. As Bruh David writes later in Psalm 18: ‘In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of (from) his temple, and my cry came before him, even unto his ears.’ (Ps. 18:6)
Unfortunately, we don’t have time nor space to review all that Bruh David said then, but the gist is that the Lord moved heaven and earth to save him. (Ps. 18:7-16) And at the end of it all, he joyfully proclaims: ‘He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. They prevented (confronted) me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay (support). He brought me forth also unto a large (broad) place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.’ (Ps. 18:17-19) And that’s what the Lord will do for all of us if we hold Him close to our hearts and sincerely acknowledge His Lordship.
Now, let’s go home declaring 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, 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!
…God’s presence is a powerful fortress around you…rejoice in His might…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a foundation of trust and reliability for believers, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a roof over our heads, a solid foundation for faith, a source of comfort and assurance, according to his riches in glory, all I have needed thy hand hath provided, all sinned and disobeyed your word, all these things shall be added unto you, better examples to the unbeliever, christianity, Christians, Christians are not putting their best foot forward, Christopher Rice, clothes on our body, comes down from the Father of lights, divine aid, ease the pain, establish His covenant, every good and every perfect gift is from above, faith, food on our table, For I am the Lord I change not, God doesn't change, God is immutable, God is steady and stable like a rock, God is the original source of everything, God's consistent character, God's constant presence in our lives, God's essence love and covenant, God's sovereignty over the universe, God's steadfastness, God's unchanging nature, God's unchanging reliability, God's unwavering commitment to his promises, great is thy faithfulness, hath gotten me this wealth, hear and answer our prayers, his compassions fail not, holy spirit, humble ourselves, indisputable truth, it is God who gives you the power to get wealth, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, morning by morning new mercies I see, my God shall supply all your needs, my power and the might of mine hand, neither shadow of turning, not subject to change or fluctuation, placed the Lord first in our lives, praise the Lord for his wonderful benefits, pray, returned to the dust from whence we came, salvation, seek ye the kingdom of God and his righteousness, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, strong faith in Christ, the BIBLE, the Father would meet our needs, the God who heals, the Immutability of God, the Lord's faithfulness, the Lord's mercies, the many suffering from negative situations, the mass confusion in our world, the power to solve our problems, the throne of grace, they are new every morning, thou say in thine heart, thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, through Christ Jesus, to alleviate our problems, to those who believe in Jesus Christ, trials and tribulations, truth, turn from our evil ways, we have a job, wisdom, wise guidance, with whom is no variableness, ye sons of Jacob are not consumed
Lamentations 3:23b. … great is thy faithfulness.
Monday, oh Monday! How glad we are to see you again, because it means we have a job to go, and can thus keep a roof over our heads, food on our table and clothes on our body. Praise the Lord for His wonderful benefits to those who believe in His Son, Jesus Christ!’ Jesus promised that the Father would meet our needs if we placed Him first in our lives. He said it thus: ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
Yes friends, our God knows that we need, food, clothing and shelter and has faithfully promised that we won’t lack for anything if He is Number One in our lives. And Bruh Paul also corroborated that statement when he wrote thus to the Philippians: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) Now that’s another powerful verse highlighting the Lord’s faithfulness.
So what’s this about the Lord’s faithfulness eh? Jeremiah ever so wisely reminds us in his Lamentations: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3: 22-23) And that’s the indisputable truth my fellow believers, for if our God wasn’t merciful and faithful, then we’d been long ago returned to the dust from whence we came.
That brings us to these marvellous words from the hymn ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness,’ by author Christopher Rice. The second verse sincerely proclaims: ‘Great is Thy faithfulness, great is Thy faithfulness Morning by morning new mercies I see All I have needed Thy hand hath provided Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.’ More indisputable truth my brethren!
And what, you ask, does the Bible mean when it says great is thy faithfulness? This commentary explains. ‘The phrase “Great is Thy faithfulness” comes from the Bible, specifically Lamentations 3:23. It is a declaration of God’s unchanging reliability and constant presence in our lives. The term “faithfulness” here refers to God’s steadfastness, His unwavering commitment to His promises, and His consistent character.’
What a steadfast and reliable God we serve my people! That’s why James, the brother of Jesus, could also confidently proclaim: ‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness (variation), neither shadow of turning.’ (James 1:17) That means that God doesn’t change, He is immutable (unchangeable). He’s steady and stable like a rock. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to the Lord Himself as He makes that fact known through the prophet Malachi. ‘For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ (Mal. 3:6)
Now what does that statement mean? It signifies that God’s character, promises, and nature remain consistent and unchanging, providing a foundation of trust and reliability for believers. And this commentary breaks it down further for us. As per ‘God’s Unchanging Nature: The verse emphasizes that God’s essence, LOVE, and covenant are not subject to change or fluctuation.’ Then, as per ‘Comfort and Assurance: This immutability of God is a source of comfort and assurance for believers, knowing that His character and promises are steadfast.
And as a ‘Foundation of Faith: God’s unchanging nature provides a solid foundation for faith, allowing people to trust in His character and promises throughout their lives. And in it’s ‘Application to the Descendants of Jacob: The verse specifically mentions the descendants of Jacob, signifying that even though they may have experienced trials and tribulations, their preservation is due to God’s unchanging nature.’
Yes friends, without a doubt, we’re still around because of God’s LOVE, mercy, forgiveness, grace and faithfulness. And if we will only stop taking those things for granted, but pay serious attention to them, bind them sincerely to our hearts and put them into practice, our lives would be a great deal more enjoyable than they currently are. And it all boils down to one thing my fellow believers, understanding God’s continued sovereignty over the universe He created, and that He is the One, who, in the long run causes us to get whatever we have, regardless of how we get it, for He is the original source of everything in the universe.
As Moses, said to the Israelites, in warning them not to forget God when they became prosperous in their new land. ‘And thou say in thine heart, my power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.’ (Deut. 8:17-18) Oh my people, let’s remember that all we have, comes from Almighty God, our Creator and Controller!
Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle hymn, seeking divine aid in these very troubled and difficult times. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And what we learn from our prayer, is that until we believers start being better examples to the unbeliever, divine aid will not be forthcoming. Much LOVE!
…the world is filled with so much evil…because Christians are not putting their best foot forward…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a day of final reckoning, a new covenant, all my praise for this I bring, all my righteousness, almost all things are purged by the law with blood, an eternal covenant, as by one man's disobedience, as by the offence of one, bearing his reproach, Bible, by his own blood, by the obedience of one, by the righteousness of one, by this I'll overcome, by this I'll reach my home, Christ's death and resurrection, Christ's deeds at Easter, christianity, Christians, confessing his name, delaying the inevitable, don't forget to share, eternal life, faith, fellowship, fellowship one with the other, for my cleansing this my plea, for my pardon, forever and ever, forgiveness of sins, from dead works, giving thanks to his name, go forth unto Jesus, God is well pleased, God's fullness of time, gratitude, heartfelt sincerity, holy spirit, it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to takae away sin, Jesus Christ, Jesus entered in once into the holy place, Jesus shed blood at the cross of Calvary, Jesus suffered outside the gate, judgement came upon all men, justification of life, LOVE, many were made sinners, mercy, naught of good that I have done, neither by the blood of goats, no other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus, nothing can for sin atone, obtained eternal redemption for us, offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, offered himself without spot, only the blood of Jesus can atone for human sin, outside the camp, precious is the flow, purge your conscience, repeated animal sacrifices, righteousness came through Jesus, Robert Lowry, salvation, sanctifies to the purifying of flesh, shall many be made righteous, sin came through Adam, sincere sacrifices of praise, sprinkling the unclean, sweet sacrifices of praise, Thank you Jesus, that he might sanctify the people, that makes me white as snow, the ashes of an heifer, the biggest change in the story of man since the creation, the blood of animals only covered sin, the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin, the eternal Spirit, the free gift came upon all men, the fruit of our lips, the great significance of, the just penalty for sin is death, the old covenant, the shed blood of Christ also offers sanctitication, the sinful disobedience of Adam and Eve, this I see, this is all my hope and peace, to do good, to serve the living God, truth, walk in the light, we have no continuing city, what can make me whole again, what can wash away my sin, wisdom, with his own blood, with such sacrifice, without blemish, without the shedding of blood is no remission
Hebrews 9:22. And almost all things are by the law purged with (cleansed by) blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission (forgiveness) of sin.
And then it was the Third Sunday after Easter; more time to celebrate God’s awesome goodness to the disobedient children of men, through Christ’s sacrificial death and magnificent resurrection. And all God’s children said a loud and very grateful; ‘Thank You Jesus!’
But yuh know what, some of us still don’t understand the great or the full significance of Christ’s death and resurrection in regards to our having the option of salvation and eternal life, and no longer headed straight for hell fire and eternal separation from God. Many of us don’t take it as seriously as we ought to, and consider it a trifling matter. But the truth is my brethren, Christ’s deeds at Easter produced the biggest change in the story of mankind since creation and the sinful disobedience of our forefathers Adam and Eve.
And the resounding truth is as Bruh Paul writes to the Roman church: ‘Therefore as by the offence (false step) of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one (by one righteous act) the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.’ (Rom. 5:18-19)
And that’s the unalterable fact; for as sin came to mankind through Adam, so did righteousness come to man through Jesus. And to kick of today’s fellowship we have a hymn detailing possibly the most important fact of Jesus’ sacrifice. It’s a hymn we know quite well, and oftentimes invoke it’s contents, though without the seriousness it deserves. It’s a traditional American hymn titled ‘Nothing but the Blood of Jesus,’ written by Robert Lowry, a hymn writer who was a Baptist minister and professor at Bucknell University.
The hymn was published in 1897, and deals with the blood atonement and propitiation for sin by the death of Jesus as explained in Hebrews 9. So without further ado, let’s raise our sweet sacrifices of praise to high heaven in an upbeat version of the song, with true heartfelt sincerity and gratitude, because without the shed blood of Christ we’d all be hell bound.
Singing: ‘What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus; What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain: Oh! precious is the flow That makes me white as snow; No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.) For my pardon, this I see, Nothing but the blood of Jesus; For my cleansing this my plea, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain) Nothing can for sin atone, Nothing but the blood of Jesus; Naught of good that I have done, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain)
This is all my hope and peace, Nothing but the blood of Jesus; This is all my righteousness, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain) Now by this I’ll overcome; Nothing but the blood of Jesus; Now by this I’ll reach my home, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain) Glory! Glory! This I sing; Nothing but the blood of Jesus, All my praise for this I bring, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain) Nothing but the Blood…Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.’
And that’s for certain sure my fellow believer’s: Nothing but the Blood of Jesus can cleanse us from sin! And let’s note, that it’s not simply Jesus’ blood that brings forgiveness, but His shed blood at the cross of Calvary. That’s what paid for our sins. Because, as Hebrews tells us: ‘And almost all things are by the law purged with (cleansed by) blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission (forgiveness) of sin.’ (Heb. 9:22)
Now, in the Old Testament the blood of animals was used to offer sacrifices for sins, but that blood only covered them for a while, it could not completely wash away their sins. And the high priest had to enter the Holiest of Holies every year to make renewed sacrifices for their sins. But as Hebrews tells us: ‘Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he (Jesus) entered in once into the holy place (the Most Holy Place), having obtained eternal redemption for us.
For if the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth (sets apart) to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot (blemish) to God, purge (cleanse) your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.’ (Heb. 9:12-14)
That’s why John in his first epistle could quite unequivocally claim: ‘But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin.’ (1 John 1:7) And I like how this commentary explains the overall situation.
‘Because the just penalty of human sin against God is death (Romans 6:23), the death of sanctioned animal sacrifices, through the presentation of their blood, stood in temporarily for the requirement of death for sinners. Yet the high priest had to return year after year, “repeatedly” (Hebrews (9:7; 9:25), because “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). The repeated animal sacrifices were delaying the inevitable, waiting on God’s fullness of times.
One day a final reckoning for sin must come. Christians, of course, believe and celebrate that now in Christ, and under the terms of a new covenant, the reckoning has come. Jesus willingly “offered himself” (Hebrews 9:14) by “once for all” shedding “his own blood” (Hebrews 9:12), bringing to its intended completion the temporary covenant that came before (the old covenant) and inaugurating in its place an “eternal covenant,” (Hebrews 13:20), which we call the new covenant.’
That shows how important, precious and valuable the shed blood of Christ is to us. It’s the covering that allows us to enter into the presence of a perfect and holy God. And let’s also note that the shed blood of Christ not only offers us forgiveness of sin, but also sanctification, as Hebrews tells us. ‘Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify (set apart) the people with his own blood, suffered without (outside) the gate.’ (Heb. 13:12)
And I believe it is most fitting for us to end with the verses that come after that one. ‘Let us go forth therefore unto him without (outside) the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks (confessing) to his name. But to do good and to communicate (share) forget not: for with such sacrifice God is well pleased.’ (Heb. 13:13-16)
Yes my fellow saints; hopefully we offered up sincere sacrifices of praise today, and we’ll not forget to do good and to share with our fellow believers in the upcoming week! Much LOVE!
…only the blood of Jesus…yes…only the blood of Jesus can atone for human sin…forever and ever…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Christian life begins with total commitment, a great day to be alive, a living sacrifice, a new way of thinking, a time of renewal, a time to renew our passion for Christ, acceptable unto God, and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, As God for christ's sake forgave you, be kind to one another, be not conformed to this world, be ye angry and sin not, be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, blindness of heart, changing your thought patterns, christianity, Christians, closer intimacy with God, conduct of the world, created in righteousness and true holiness, deepen my breath, Easter Season, embracing biblical principles, engaging in creative activities, eternal life, evil speaking, faith, flowers sprouting, forgiving one another, good to the use of edifying, greed, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, if any man love the world, ignorance, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, justifying, laciviousness, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let him labour, let him that stole steal no more, Let no corrupt communication proceed out of thy mouth, let not the sun go down upon your wrath, living lives that honour Christ, LOVE, love not the world, making us righteous, members one of another, mercy, minister grace unto the hearers, Mother Nature, neither give place to the devil, neither the things that are in the world, perseverance, practical advice, practicing new habits, prayer, prsent thinking, put away all bitterness anger wrath and clamour, put off the former conversation, put on the new man, putting away lying, quiet my soul, reading scripture, rebirth, reflection, relax my muscles, renewed in the spirit of your mind, resist being poured into the mold of the world, resurrection, salvation, sanctifying, sealed until the day of redemption, sincere effort, sincerity and truth, slow my thoughts, speak truth with your neighbour, spring, tenderhearted, thank you for this tenderness, the BIBLE, the help of the Holy Spirit, the Lord's calming presence, the love of the Father is not in him, the old man, the passion of our souls, the sacrificial death of Jesus, the season of rebirth, the thing which is good, the truth is in Jesus, to align with the truth of God's word, total commitment, transform our minds, trees budding with green leaves, truth, value systems, vanity, wisdom, with all malice, working with his hands, your love both surrounds and fills me, your reasonable service
Romans 12: 2a. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,
Oh, this first lazy-day Saturday in May is a somewhat damp and cloudy one, but it’s oh so good for lazing around! (smile) And besides, that wonderful season of spring is in the air. The season of rebirth, of renewal, of all things being made new, and once again the trees are budding green leaves and flowers are sprouting in the gardens. What can be nicer eh, especially in this Easter Season, one of resurrection, of salvation and of eternal life! That means it’s a great day to be alive, so let’s give thanks to our wonderful God for that li’l fact nuh, by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer.
As one voice, in all sincerity and truth: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ And as always, if our prayer was sincere, we can soon expect to receive a calming presence from our heavenly Father, for desiring to be with Him in greater intimacy is His favourite desire, and He cannot help but grant our wish.
And just as spring is a time of renewal and rebirth for Mother Nature, I believe it can also be a time of renewal and rebirth for us, a time to strengthen our faith, to renew our belief in Christ Jesus, a time to reignite the passion in our souls, having recently suffered through His sacrificial death on our behalf, and then witnessed His miraculous and amazing resurrection. That’s certainly a time to renew our passion for Christ. so let’s begin with this foundational scripture from Bruh Paul to the Romans.
‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (rational) service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’ (Rom. 12:1-2) Yes friends, in honour of all that God has done for us, justifying, sanctifying, and making us righteous, among other things, then we need to show some appreciation and respect by living lives that honour Him. And according to the scholars: ‘This shows that the Christian life begins with total commitment and irrevocable presentation.’
Now, the first step in this renewal of our minds is to stop being conformed to the ways of the world, which are mostly opposite and opposed to those of Christ. As per the scholars, we are to ‘resist being poured into the mold of the present thinking, value systems, and conduct of this world.’ And John, in his first epistle, tells it perfectly: ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him.’ (1 John 1:15) It could not be more explicit than that!
Then, we are to transform our minds, transition them to a new way of thinking, that supplied by Christ and His values. And I like how this commentary explains the process of transforming our minds. ‘Renewing your mind, often used in a spiritual context, involves actively changing your thought patterns to align with truth and God’s will. This process can be achieved through reading scripture, embracing biblical principles, and setting aside time for reflection and prayer. Practicing new habits, engaging in creative activities, and even taking a break from routine can also contribute to a renewed perspective.’
Yes, it’s not easy, especially if you were deeply involved in the ways of the world, and it does take time, but with a sincere heart and the help of the Holy Spirit, that transformation can be accomplished. And Bruh Paul, as is his habit, gives us some practical advice per transforming our minds, in his letter to the Ephesians. Having talked about the Gentiles being alienated from Christ, with their vanity, ignorance, blindness of heart, uncleanness, lasciviousness and greed, (Eph. 4:17-19) he then writes:
‘But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to hm that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying (educational), that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day or redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:20-32)
And that’s the practical manner in which we go about transforming our minds and putting on the new man in Christ! And yes, it’s a lot to learn and do, but that’s why we’ve been given the Holy Spirit as our guide and helper. And please remember that nothing happens overnight, but it takes sincere effort and perseverance on our part. If we do our part, the Lord will surely do His. So on this damp and cloudy first lazy-day Saturday in May, let’s do like Mother Nature does in springtime, and get to renewing our minds and bodies in the new man that resembles Christ Jesus! Much LOVE!
…you cannot be in Christ…or He in you…unless your mind’s been transformed…and you’re a new man…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries
SCRIP-BITS 