25 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a most important characteristic of our faith, a positive outlook on life, a strong will, above all these things put on charity, abundance, and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, and with what measure ye mete, anger, as far as the east is from the west, As God for christ's sake forgave you, as the elect of God, based upon prejudicial information, be ye kind to one another, christianity, clamour, come to know and love christ like we do, courage, creativity, curse, delivered him unto the tormentors, divine protection, do also unto you, don't care who we hurt, don't condemn the inner motives of another, don't use yourself as the standard of judgement, even as Christ forgave you so also do ye, evil speaking, faith, for our benefit, for with what judgement ye judge, forbearing one another, forgive not every one his brother their trespasses, forgiven of a huge debt, forgiveness, forgiving one another, God's love in action, hath shewed no mercy, holy and beloved bowels of mercies, holy spirit, humbleness of mind, if any man hath a quarrel against any, if ye forgive men their trespasses, if ye forgive not men their trespasses, if ye from your hearts, it shall be measured to you again, Jesus Christ, judge not that ye might not be judged, judged by the law of liberty, judgement without mercy, kindness, let all bitterness, likewise shall my heavenly Father, living in an evil and ungodly society, longsuffering, LOVE, malice, meekness, mercy, mercy rejoiceth against judgement, mercy triumphs over judgement, negative word, neither will your heavenly Father forgive your tespasses, no need to worry, pay all that was due to him, Praise the Lord, refuses to forgive a small debt, remorse, render a verdict, salvation, self-discipline, so far hath he removed our transgressions, so little remorse over the wrondoing, so much wrongdoing in our world, so speak ye and so do, supernatural strength, talent, tender mercies, tenderhearted, the BIBLE, the bond of perfectness, the gospel truth, the parable of the unforgiving servant, through Christ who strengthens us, true judgement will come from God, truth, use our blessings to help others, we can handle anything that comes against us, wisdom, wrath, wrath clamour anger be put away from you, ye are sealed unto the day of redemption, your heavenly Father will also forgive you
Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 June 2026 Matthew 6:14.
Matthew 6:14. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
And we’ve come to Thursday, the second to last day of our work week, a day that begun with some cloud and a little sun, but has now morphed into total cloud and some drizzle. But there’s no need to worry, for we can handle anything that comes our way through the amazing power of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who strengthens us. And all God’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Praise the Lord!’
And today we’ll look at a very interesting aspect of our faith, that’s forgiveness. Jesus made it very clear that forgiveness is one of the most important characteristics of our faith. But unfortunately, today, it’s not something that we practice as much as we ought. Now it all stems from Jesus coming to earth to die on the cross so that the Father could forgive us our sins. And consequently, Jesus clearly stated what the Lord desired of His people, in terms of forgiveness. ‘For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses.’ (Matt. 6:14-15)
Oh my brethren, it’s oh so clear that the Lord forgave us of our trespasses, as the psalm says, ‘As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.’ (Ps. 103:12) Now He desires us to forgive each other in the same spirit that He forgave us. But our current society is so evil and ungodly, with so much wrong being done against each other, that it’s sometimes difficult to forgive the wrongdoers, especially when they don’t appear to have any remorse over the wrong they committed. And believe me, like forgiveness, remorse in today’s society is almost non -existent. For we knowingly commit wrongs and don’t give a care who they hurt.
But the covenant still stands, as Jesus says: ‘Judge (condemn) not, that ye be not judged (condemned). For with what judgement (condemnation) ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete (use), it shall be measured to you again.’ (Matt. 7:1-2) In other words, we are not to judge or condemn the inner motives of another, or render a verdict based upon prejudiced information, neither are we to use ourselves as the standard of judgement, because it will be the same standard of judgement used against us. The only true judgement will come from the Lord on the day He chooses.
Jesus also bore down on the subject of forgiveness when He told the parable of the unforgiving servant; one who owed his master a lot of money and when he couldn’t pay it, begged for forgiveness, and the master forgave him the debt. But then the same servant had a fellow servant owe him a much smaller sum and when he couldn’t repay the debt, he refused to forgive him, and had him cast into prison until he could pay. However his fellow servants on seeing such unforgiveness went and told the master about it.
The master called him and said to him; ‘O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst (begged ) me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth (angry), and delivered him unto the tormentors (torturers), till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.’ (Matt. 18:32-35)
Yes friends, our God is very serious about our forgiving each other, because He forgives us. As I heard one preacher recently ask, when has the Lord refused to forgive you of a sin eh? And the answer is NEVER! That’s the point the Lord is trying to drive home to us. If he could forgive us, so can we forgive our fellow human beings.
It’s as Bruh Paul wrote to the Ephesians: ‘And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of 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. 4:30-32) Yes my people, we grieve the Spirit of God when we refuse to forgive each other.
Then to the Colossians, Bruh Paul wrote almost the same thing: ‘Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies (tender mercies), kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing (bearing with) one another, and forgiving one another, if any man hath a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity (LOVE), which is the bond of perfectness.’ (Col. 3:12-14)
It could not get any clearer than that my brethren. James though adds a perfect ending to our discourse, when he writes: ‘So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgement without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against (triumphs over) judgement.’ (James 2:12-13) And that’s the gospel truth friends, mercy triumphs over judgement every time! So please, let’s practice it nuh, as it’s all for our benefit.
And just to show how generous and forgiving is our God, let’s declare our Thursday Blessings, undeserved blessings bestowed on us to help do His earthly work. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help 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!
…forgiveness…God’s LOVE in action…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new flock of believers, always more loving, an intolerant attitude, and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, anger, anxiety and confusion, As God for christ's sake forgave you, at the pinnacle of our growth, be better witnesses for Christ, be responsible and stay safe, be ye kind one to another, by the example, celebrate the incarnate birth of Christ, crying out for your help, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, discontent, dissatisfaction, evil speaking, faith, forgiving one another, Friday chant, grieve that my attitude is so often intolerant, hold Jesus near and dear in our hearts, holy spirit, how long you've waited for me, hypocritical actions, ideal time, impatient society, impress me, Jesus Christ, keep fresh the imprint, learn from past mistakes, let all bitterness, LOVE, make me more flexible, me myself and I, mentally enlightened, mercy, more understanding, my fretful impatience, my own need to grow, my own slow progress, no longer a spring chicken, often inclined to ask, omnipotent help, One Year Book of Bible promises, our motto for Christmas, our sinful world, problems are escalating, restoring faith in you, return backsliders to your fold, Ruth Harms Calkin, Slow Growth, stand strong and steadfast, stretched patience, superficial kindness, technologically advanced, tenderhearted, the error of their ways, the essence of selfishness, the poor are getting poorer, the rich are getting richer, the throne of grace, think and act like God, to turn things around, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, ungodly times, wake up and smell the coffee, why can't she change, why is he always so slow, wisdom, wise guidance, with all malice, wrath clamour anger be put away from you, ye are sealed unto the day of redemption
Ephesians 4:32. And be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
It’s down to six my people… six days before the big celebration of Christmas Day when all the world will ring out with joyful song, celebrating the miraculous, incarnate birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Yes, it’s that marvellous fact that has us busy with all sorts of preparations, but let’s make sure that the most important preparation takes place in our hearts, as we hold Jesus near and dear, and remember all that He’s done for us.
Sadly though friends, today we’re on an even later bus than yesterday, because I had to go out early for some tests and then run an errand that I could not do yesterday, so by the time I got back home, I had to rest, remember the ole fella is no longer a spring chicken, (smile) but today for sure, we’re going to be shorter than ever. So let’s get to this interesting and most appropriate poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin titled ‘Slow Growth.’ Who knows if I’ve ever shared it before, but I know that it relates to many of us in this greedy, busy and impatient society.
Please read with me. ‘In my fretful impatience I am so often inclined to ask “Why can’t she change?” “Why is he always so slow?” “Will they ever learn from past mistakes?” And then You begin to impress me With my own slow progress upward. I see your stretched patience. I remember how long You’ve waited for me. And I grieve that my attitude Is so often intolerant. O God, keep fresh the imprint Of my own need to grow And make me more flexible More understanding And always more LOVING.’
Yes my brethren, all of us can learn from those few words about the intolerant society we now live in. We’ve possibly never been this intolerant, although we are at the pinnacle of our growth; the richest, as well as the most technologically advanced, and mentally enlightened. And you’d think that that would guide us to share more of all that our new world has provided. However, that’s not true, for the rich are getting richer as they get greedier, the poor are getting poorer as they have what little they possess taken away from them, and rich nor poor seem to care about their fellow brethren as much as they ought.
The essence of selfishness, the picture of Me, Myself and I, has unfortunately taken over our world. There’s so much in our world that nobody ought to be starving or suffering from serious want, as so many are today, even in the supposedly rich and generous countries. That’s why this Christmas season is the ideal time to try and turn things around, as there’s so much giving and kindness, although a lot of it is hypocritical and superficial.
And the best way to begin is by following this wonderful advice from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. ‘And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of 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 to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:30 -32) And for your information, that last verse is the Bible Promise of our poem ‘Slow Growth.’
So please, let’s use those words as our motto for this Christmas season nuh, opening our arms and hearts to others with the kindness and forgiveness that God has so generously bestowed on us through the sacrifices of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant to ask for divine help to do just that.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And with all the confusion and wrongdoing in our world, it’s now time for us to wake up and be better witnesses for Christ… if we desire His help. Much LOVE!
…let’s think and act like God….showing…LOVE, peace, forgiveness, kindness, mercy and justice…to each other…
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
18 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: an empire on which the sun never sets, As God for christ's sake forgave you, be in the world but not of the world, be kind one to another, be renewed in the spirit of your mind, Bible, christianity, communication, corrupt communication, deceitful lusts, deepen my breath, Ephesians, faith, forgiving one another, good to the use of edifying, greed, grieve not the holy Spirit of God, holy spirit, increase my awareness of you today, intimacy, jealousy, Jesus Christ, know you all the more, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let him that stole steal no more, LOVE, lying, peace, practical advice for living the Christian life, put off the old man, put on the new man, quiet my soul, resentment, sealed unto the day of redemption, selfishness, slow my thoughts, smell the sweet perfume, spiritual improvement, stray from God's will, tenderhearted, the roses in Christ's garden, truth telling, Victoria Day holiday, wake up and see the light, wisdom, wrath, your peace and love are present, your unceasing nearness
Ephesians 4:30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Well, it’s a somewhat cloudy but warm lazy-day Saturday, on this first long weekend of the summer. And it’s a holiday in honour of the powerful Queen Victoria, who in her long reign (1837-1901) saw Britain through its ‘great age of industrial expansion, economic progress and, especially, empire building. At her death, it was said, Britain had a worldwide empire on which the sun never set.’ And although comparatively few people know of her, or why there’s a holiday named in her honour, I can guarantee that many of us will be aggressively celebrating her holiday this weekend. (smile)
But before we get to the celebrations, let’s show a li’l wisdom, a modicum of circumspection if you will,, and offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer to help quiet and refresh our tired souls. 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 our prayer was sincere, we know that we will receive our requests, because our wonderful God never turns down those kinds of requests. Yes friends, whenever we ask God for more of Himself, for greater intimacy with Him, He’s only too glad to give it to us, because it’s what He created us for; constant communication and intimacy. And it saddens His heart, grieves the Holy Spirit when we turn away from that communication and intimacy. Remember Bruh Paul’s words on the subject to the Ephesians? ‘And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.’ ((Eph. 4:30)
Now we do that quite easily when we allow the devil to get into our hearts and minds and cause us to do things we know are wrong. That’s why Bruh Paul, in speaking about putting on the new man, was giving the Ephesians practical steps to avoid that kind of behaviour. And I like how this commentary explains it in simple, practical everyday terms. ‘When we, deliberately or inadvertently, behave in a way that is inimical to our spiritual improvement it grieves the Holy Spirit; in the same way that a LOVING parent is grieved when his or her child behaves in a self-destructive manner.’
Yes, it’s the same way our heavenly Father is saddened when we stray from His will and word. And I guess while we’re here, we might as well check out those practical applications that Bruh Paul talks about in the putting on of that new man. Just to remind us of some inappropriate behaviour on this long weekend. (smile) So He writes: ‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be ye 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 of one 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 him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of 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 to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:22-32)
Now there’s very good practical advice for living the Christian life, and thus not grieving the Holy Spirit. But it’s not always easy to do, especially when faced with all the temptations and trials of this evil and ungodly world. That’s why we need to remind ourselves of them every so often. And if you find it all a bit much to comprehend, (smile) then the scholars have broken it down very nicely for us. They say: ‘This section gives practical guidelines as to how “the old man” (vs. 22) can be laid aside and how the “new man” (vs. 24) can be assumed in daily living.
The passage specifies five sins to be discarded, the virtues that are to replace them, and the motive for such exchange: (1) Lying is to be replaced by truth-telling, since Christians are fellow members (vs.25). (2)Sinful anger is to be replaced by (briefly held) righteous indignation, that the Devil may not be given an opportunity (vs. 26-27). (3) Theft is to be replaced by honest work, in order that one may have the means to meet the needs of others (vs.28). (4) Foul language is to be replaced by gracious speech, that it may edify others and not grieve the Spirit (vs. 29-30). (5) Resentment and wrath are to give way to kindness and forgiveness, since God has forgiven us (vs. 31-32).
So there we have it friends, both in the very words of Bruh Paul, and in the simplified explanations of the scholars. (smile) That means we have no excuses for not putting those practical suggestions into action in our own lives. And why won’t we do it eh? We all know that it most definitely makes for a better life, but because the greed and envy, the jealousy and selfishness innate in our spirits, with the encouragement of the world system, too many of us still insist on living like the “old man”, refusing to put on the new one that characterizes Christ and His true followers.
Ah friends, we’re only hurting ourselves and those we LOVE, for our beliefs and actions don’t only reverberate or boomerang back on us, but also on those around us. So please, let’s wake up and see the light nuh, smell the sweet perfume of the roses that exists in the beautiful garden of Christ! Much LOVE!
…as Christians…we should be IN the world…but not OF the world…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Apr 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: against the knowledge of God, all things are become new, anger, As God for christ's sake forgave you, be ye angry and sin not, be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind, Bible, bitterness, Casting down imaginations, christianity, climate change, coloured our days, deceitful lusts, endure to the end, every high thing, faith, forgiving one another, given themselves over unto lasciviousness, god, God-given wisdom, greediness, halfway home, hands on the plough, he is a new creature, holy spirit, I will do a new thing, if any man be in Christ, invite Jesus, Jesus, Jesus Christ, long term residents, LOVE, make a way in the wilderness, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, neither give place to the devil, not turning back, now it shall spring forth, old things are passed away, put off the former conversation, put on the new man, remember ye not the former things, rivers in the desert, shadowed our nights, shorts and t-shirts, spring, thank God, that exalteth itself, the blindness of their hearts, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the cellars of fear, the crux of the matter, the neighbourhood of our thoughts, the sun of his love, throw out our old baggage, to a glorious future with Jesus, uncleanness, walk not as other Gentiles walk, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, worrisome thoughts, wrath
2 Corinthians 5:17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Oh friends, if I didn’t know that we were still officially in the season of spring, I’d believe that today was a grand summer’s day. Yes, this Wednesday, has blossomed bright and sunshiny with temps in the high teens! And people are already out in their shorts and t-shirts. But this temperature is possibly an abnormality, and we will soon revert to true spring time temps. Anyway, who doesn’t like a summer’s day eh, at any time of the year! And with the climate change business making things topsy turvy and eccentric, we’ll take a good day whenever we can, be it spring, summer, winter or fall! (smile)
Now, let’s cool the enthusiasm a tad, with this snippet from the In Touch Devotional for this month, titled ‘Consider This.’ Please read with me: ‘Worrisome thoughts aren’t always intrusive – sometimes they’re long-term residents. In fact, we may not remember a time before they coloured our days and shadowed our nights. What would life be like in their absence? It’s hard to know. And not knowing is one of the most fearful things of all. But when we invite Jesus into the neighbourhood of our thoughts, He speaks gently to our worries – He calls us out of the cellars of fear and into the sun of His LOVE. All we have to do is reach out. And then let Him do what He does: make all things new.’
And isn’t that the gospel truth my fellow believers? Christ makes all things new when we turn to Him, when we entrust our very lives to Him in true surrender. And there’s no better scripture that details that fact than this one from Bruh Paul’s second missive to the Corinthians. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ (2 Cor. 5:17) Yes friends, when we become believers in Christ we need to throw out all our old baggage, for we’ve become new people, and old stuff will tempt us back to our old way of life.
But we must also allow Christ to do new things in us, that He dearly desires to do. It’s like the Lord promised the Israelites through the prophet Isaiah. ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ (Is. 43:18-19) And that’s exactly what Christ will do in our lives – make a new and godly person out of us… if we let Him.
It’s also as Bruh Paul wrote to the Ephesians, re putting on the new man. He writes: ‘This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity (futility) of their mind. Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through (because of) the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness (hardening) of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness (licentiousness), to work all uncleanness with greediness.’ (Eph. 4:17-19)
Now that’s how most of us lived before we accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour, and it’s how the other unbelievers still live, with hardened hearts and a stubborn will, adhering to fleshly lusts and licentiousness, that’s caused them to be separated from God. And Bruh Paul continues: ‘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 the deceitful lusts;
And be ye 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 of one 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 him that needeth.
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister unto hearers. And grieve not (don’t make sad) the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of 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)
There you have it my brethren; some valuable practical steps we can all take to put on the new man, and then to keep him on! And keeping him on is the crux of the matter; keeping him on the rest of our earthly lives, because the devil will try mightily to make us go back to our old way of living. Yuh see how Bruh Paul also warned about not giving the evil one an opportunity to get into our heads and thus our hearts. And he wrote about that in more detail to the Corinthians: ‘Casting down imaginations (arguments), and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.’ (2 Cor. 10:5)
And what does all of that mean. Check out this commentary. ‘Casting down imaginations (not accepting the devils thoughts, suggestions, visions) is a spiritual weapon that you must use to be victorious over the enemy. You must learn to actively fight to maintain God’s vision for you. You must only accept imaginations (thoughts) that line up with the Word of God.’ Yes my people, let’s remember that this earthly life is an ongoing battle with the devil, who fights with spiritual weapons, but we have already won the victory through Christ Jesus, we now only have to maintain it; not allow the wicked one to steal it back. And no, it’s not easy, but we have all the tools and weapons to do it, if we so choose.
Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail letting the whole world know of our most wonderful position in Christ Jesus. Altogether: ‘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!’
Then there’s this proviso; if we endure right to the very end with Christ, that end will be even more glorious than we can either ask or imagine. So please, let’s use our God-given wisdom and plan to meet there nuh! Much LOVE!
…in Christ…we are all new creations…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
27 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adding fuel to the enemy's fire, As God for christ's sake forgave you, be ye kind one to another, Christ died to pay for our sins, Christian actions, Christian talk, draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, Easter Sunday, endure to the end, enquired early after God, eternal life, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, for all this they still sinned, forgiving one another, gave them their own desire, glad to be alive, God was their rock, greed, grieve not the holy Spirit of God, halfway home, hands on the plough, holy spirit, Holy Week, honoureth me with their lips, Jesus Christ, LOVE, make the Spirit sad, not looking back, quench not the Spirit, resurrection, sacrifice, sealed until the day of redemption, selfishness, talk is cheap, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men, tenderhearted, thank God, the breath of life, the high god their redeemer, the wrath of God came upon them, their days did he consume in vanity, their heart is far from me, their years in trouble, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, while their meat was yet in their mouth, wisdom, ye hypocrites
Matthew 15:8. This people draweth nigh (near) unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
And Holy Week keeps rolling along. It’s Wednesday; only two more days before the sadness and pain. But as we all know the good goes with the bad, and if we don’t have the negative, we won’t appreciate the positive; in other words, if we didn’t have the Good Friday ‘sufferation’ we would be able to have the triumphant Easter Sunday resurrection! And believe me, in most cases, especially this one, the good far outweighs the bad. For Jesus’ death and resurrection are the very foundation of our Christian faith! He died to pay for our sins, then rose from the dead so that we could have eternal life! And all God’s people said a loud and grateful ‘Thank You Jesus!’
The problem though is that we mostly talk the gratitude but don’t walk it as we ought. And that’s why our world is in such a dreadful state of strife, hatred and all the negative attributes; there’s not enough true Christian ministry to repel the evil. As Jesus said to the Pharisees: ‘Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias (Isaiah) prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh (near) unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.’ (Matt. 15:7-10)
Yes friends, Isaiah prophesied about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees in Is. 29:13, where the religious leaders only worshipped with their mouths but not their actions, and merely taught the rules and traditions of men and not of God. Unfortunately, life hasn’t changed that much and today we’re doing the very same thing; we talk a good Christian talk, but our hearts and our walk are far from God, more set on the cares and material things of the world. There is still so much poverty and insincerity in our world, with more than enough to satisfy everybody’s needs, but the greed and selfishness, jealousy and envy of our current society, prevent the haves from sharing God’s provision with the have nots.
The result being all sorts of strife, sickness, despair, economic uncertainty and poverty. And in Asaph’s great Maschil or Contemplation, Psalm 78, titled, ‘Teach the Children God’s Law,’ he recounts the words of Isaiah, and Jesus. The Jews were ungrateful for God’s provisions of water and food in the wilderness and turned away from God. And speaking of the quail avalanche they received for their desire for meat, (Num. 11), Asaph writes: ‘So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire; They were not estranged from their lust (deprived of their craving). But while their meat was yet in their mouths, The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest (stoutest) of them, and smote down the chosen (choice) men of Israel.
For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works. Therefore their days did he consume in vanity (futility), and their years in trouble (sudden terror). When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early (sought diligently) after God. And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer. Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. For their heart was not right (steadfast) with him, neither were they steadfast (faithful) in his covenant.’ (Ps. 78:29-37)
Ah friends, as supposed believers in Christ Jesus we are doing the same thing right now, we’re guilty of supreme hypocrisy in our Christian walk, merely talking the Christian talk, but not walking the Christian walk. And we all know what we’re guilty of, but we harden our hearts and move on in our unchristian way, despite the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit that indwells us, and desires to lead us to do the good works of the Lord. As Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus: ‘And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed -unto the day of 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. 4:30-32)
And what do we mean by grieving the Holy Spirit? Basically it means making the Holy Spirit feel grief and sorrow by doing what He tells us not to do. As this commentary explains: ‘In short, believers can make the Spirit sad by our sinful actions. This ties together several critical ideas. First, it means saved Christians are still capable of sin. Second, it means that God does, in fact, care about how we live our lives once we are saved.’ This brings up another question concerning the Holy Spirit; quenching it, which Bruh Paul talks about in 1 Thess. 5:19: ‘Quench not the Sprit.’
And what does that mean? This commentary gives us an example of quenching the Holy Spirit. ‘One way to quench the Spirit is to treat with contempt the message that the Spirit delivers to us, either through people or the Scripture. Treating that message with contempt would essentially be to reject it. To say that it was not from the Spirit. Or by choosing to ignore it.’ And what’s the difference between grieving and quenching the Holy Spirit? ‘We grieve the Spirit by what we do to Him. We quench the Holy Spirit by what we refuse to let Him do through us.’
Oh my fellow believers, sadly, in this evil age, we are both grieving and quenching the Holy Spirit by our ungodly talk and behaviour, and that’s just adding fuel to the enemy’s fire. So please let’s stop it nuh. Let’s return to a true covenant relationship with our heavenly Father, for that’s the only way for us to see good days and long life. Now, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus!
As one voice! ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we desire to see an even more glorious future than we can ever think or imagine, then we need to endure right down to the end with Christ. It’s truly going to be marvellously splendiferous (smile) when Jesus comes in all His glory and splendour! Let’s hope we’ll be there to see it together. Much LOVE!
…talk is cheap…but Christian actions require sacrifice…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
22 Jan 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a hypocritical world, and with what measure ye mete, As God for christ's sake forgave you, be ye kind one to another, blame others, evasive tactic, faith, forgiving one another, hiding from God, holy spirit, humble servants, I did eat, I was afraid, I was naked, irresponsibility, it shall be measured to you, its easier to cast blame than to accept it, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, judge not, LOVE, mercy, mincing words, minister grace unto the hearers, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, not complaining, our nemesis, praise Your Holy Name, promote our interests, salvation, sincerely seek your face, social media, the antidote to all hypocrisy, the beam in thine own eye, the blame game, the God who heals, the mote in thy brother's eye, the serpent beguiled me, the throne of grace, thou hypocrite, truth, turn from our evil ways, wisdom, wise guidance
Genesis 3:13b. And the woman said, The serpent beguiled (deceived) me, and I did eat.
Aye mih people, our nemesis, Monday is on tap! Yes, the day we all LOVE to hate has come around again, as it does after every Sunday! (smile) And if we can’t beat it, then we need to join it, use it to promote our interests, which means not complaining about it, but being ready for it when it shows up and putting our best foot forward. And we very well know that if Sunday happens, then Monday also will happen. So it’s time to stop giving Monday the bad rap it has accumulated down through the ages, simply because we are not properly prepared for it.
We know the weekend will end, and that work will commence on Monday, but we’re always trying to push the envelope on the weekend, burn the candle at both ends, then when Monday shows up and work calls, we’re tired and miserable from too much partying and/or not enough rest, and unfairly lay the blame at Monday’s feet. But what else is new eh? That’s one of the things we do best in our modern society; that’s blame others for our problems, even when they are caused by our own irresponsibility.
Yes, taking responsibility for our actions is not a strongpoint of today’s world. It’s so much easier to blame others than ourselves. And I guess one of the earliest examples of the blame game happened right at the beginning, when in the Garden of Eden, the devil tempted Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit. Then, when the Lord came looking for Adam and Eve, they hid from Him. And when the Lord asked why they were hiding, Adam said: ‘I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and hid myself.
And he (the Lord) said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man (Adam) said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord said unto the woman (Eve), What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled (deceived) me, and I did eat.’ (Gen. 3:10-13) So, I guess we can blame our very first forefathers for starting the blame game. (smile)
Now, the scholars have some rather interesting comments on those verses. As per verse 10, they say: ‘Adam heard the ‘sound’ of the Lord God and was afraid (as most men are afraid of God today), and began the age long process of “hiding himself” from his Maker. And re verse 12, they write: ‘Adam blamed the woman and God, since God was the one who brought her to Adam in Gen 2:22.’ Then, per verse 13, they agree: ‘Eve was beguiled as 1 Timothy 2:24 confirms (cf. 2 Cor. 11:3). But she did not take responsibility for eating either. Blame shifting is another evasive tactic employed by fallen man.’
That we all know is gospel truth! And just to stir up the pot some, (smile) I’ll quote the verse from 2 Timothy. Bruh Paul writes: ‘And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.’ (2 Tim. 2:14) Now, I’m not going to touch that one with a ten-foot pole. (smile) Instead, we’ll turn to some wise words of Jesus on the subject of judging and being judged, which come from the Sermon on the Mount. He taught them: ‘Judge (condemn) not, that ye be not judged (condemned). For with what judgement (condemnation) ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete (use), it shall be measured to you again (the same measurement will be used against you).
And why beholdest thou the mote (speck) that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam (plank) that is in thine own eye? Or how will thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote (speck) out of thine eye, and behold a beam (plank) is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam (plank) out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote (speck) out of thy brother’s eye.’ (Matt. 7:1-5) Jesus wasn’t mincing words there at all!
But nonetheless, we do that all the time in this society! It’s a very hypocritical world we live in Dr. Jack! We know everybody else’s mistakes and foibles, but refuse to look at our own, which are ofttimes greater or more damning than those of the people we criticize. And with the dubious help of social media, everybody nowadays is a critic, and can spread our unfair, unjust criticism worldwide without much fear of retribution. But sadly, that’s the kind of world we live in nowadays!
Now, we have time and space for one more exhorting and admonishing set of scriptures, and that from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, where he emphasizes: ‘Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of 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. 4:29-32)
Yes friends, that’s the basic antidote to all the hypocrisy, complaining, deception and irresponsibility that’s currently engulfing our world. And being agents and ambassadors of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, that’s how we are supposed to live! So please let’s get our act together and start doing it nuh. In the meanwhile, we need to go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine help for our many problems. 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 if we truly desire to see divine help, then we’d better humble ourselves, pray and sincerely seek God’s face! Much LOVE!
…it’s so much easier to cast blame…than to accept it…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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