The Absolute Necessity of Christians Consciously Moving Forward to Spiritual Maturity, if We expect to see Positive Change!

23 Dec 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Philippians 3:14.       I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Christ Jesus.

And then it was Monday; the eve of Christmas Eve, and all the last-minute Christmas parties, shopping, cooking, baking etc. are in full swing. But in the middle of all that confusion, let’s not forget who’s responsible for all the joy, peace, kindness and LOVE on earth, Jesus Christ! Let’s also remember that there’s no greater gift than LOVE, which this Christmas season is all about. No friends, we can’t say it too often, that without LOVE, mankind is nothing but a wild animal! It’s the attribute of God’s LOVE in him that transforms him into the worthwhile image of his Creator. 

So, on this Monday before Christmas, let’s keep LOVE first place in our hearts nuh. Let it be the barometer of everything we do, with everybody we come into contact with. Let’s promise to allow the LOVE of Christ to shine forth in us, as we venture forth into the world today, for our world badly needs to see real LOVE in action after all the strife and disasters, both natural and manmade, that we’ve been recently experiencing. End of sermon! 

And that brought my writing to a standstill. (smile) But as they say, when in doubt, search the Psalms, and so I did, and came up with this winner that I believe many of us are not familiar with. It’s Psalm 101, the words of Bruh David titled, ‘Walk with a Perfect Heart.’ So, let’s read it together. ‘I will sing of mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS) and judgement (justice): unto thee, O Lord, will I sing (sing praises).’ (Ps. 101:1) 

And like all good prayers, Bruh David begins with praise and gratitude, humbly acknowledging God’s sovereignty and majesty. Then he promises: ‘I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect (blameless) heart. I will set no wicked (worthless) thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave (cling) to me. A froward (perverse) heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person (wickedness).’ (Ps. 101: 2-4) 

Now there’s nothing in those statements that ought to surprise us, for those are all promises that the believer ought to make, ought to be working towards, because they are the basis, the foundation of our faith, and moves us forward towards spiritual maturity. Yes, a believer ought to have as blameless a heart as possible, not look at things that are not worthwhile, dislike the work of those that turn aside from the faith, give up all the perverseness of heart that he had before He was saved, while not associating with those who practice wickedness. 

The problem though, is how successful are we in those areas of our Christian faith? We are all at different levels, but we should all be reaching forward to the things that are ahead of us. Or as Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Philippi: ‘Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended (laid hold of it – perfection in following Christ): but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth (forward) unto those things which are before (ahead). I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 3:13-14) 

Now that’s how all good and true believers ought to be; leaving those things that are behind, behind, and instead, pressing forward towards spiritual maturity! That brings us back to the psalm, where Bruh David continues: ‘Whoso privily (secretly) slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off (destroy): him that hath an high look and a proud heart will I not suffer (endure). 

Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect (blameless) way, he shall serve me. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry (be established) in my sight. I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers (workers of iniquity) from the city of the Lord.’ (Ps. 101: 5-8) 

So what is that all about eh? Besides being a very good example for us to follow, the scholars tell us that ‘Psalm 101 describes the perfect king. It expresses David’s own aims but, at the same time is a picture of Christ, his descendant, who will in fact fulfil this ideal picture. The ideal king sings to the Lord (vs. 1), keeps his personal life pure (vs. 2-4), and administers social justice (vs. 5-8).’ 

And sadly, only Jesus Christ in all His majesty and power can ever fulfil that ideal role, for we humans don’t have the wherewithal to do so. But that doesn’t excuse us from trying to do our best, from reaching forward to the things ahead and above and leaving the past in the past. 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 desperate 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!’ 

However friends, I must remind us that however much we plead with God, we won’t receive any divine aid until we clean up our act; turn from our evil ways, repent and sincerely seek God’s face! Much LOVE!

…the eyes of believers…ought always to be focused…on the heavenly prize ahead…not the moral corruption we’ve left behind…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Christians are IN the World ONLY to pursue Christ’s Mission, not to be OF the World!

21 Dec 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

John 17:16.       They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

And it’s a sunshiny, but cold lazy-day Saturday with clean streets and a modicum of the white snow on the banks and roof tops. What more can we ask for in this winter and Christmas season eh? Only the arrival of Jesus, which is only four days away…and then…Wow! The whole world will go crazy with excitement, celebrations, joyful worship and thanksgiving, peace, LOVE and goodwill to all men! Even the non-believers will join in the merriment and have a modicum of LOVE towards their neighbours. 

That’s the beauty and power of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Even the unbeliever is affected by His glorious coming to earth, through our celebrations. Our task is then to take that receptiveness of the unbeliever and show them the benefits of truly believing in Jesus, the One and Only Saviour of the World, and without whom they don’t stand a chance of spending eternity in the wonderful realm of heaven with Him. 

Ah my fellow believers, this Christmas season where so much LOVE and true brotherhood abounds, is the time when we need to up our witness for Christ, because our world is fast going to hell in a bucket and that’s not why He underwent so much ‘sufferation,’ to see it lamely fall into the hands of Beelzebub! 

No! Jesus sacrificed His sinless life so that we could take it back from the devil through our spreading of the good news of His gospel and living the life that it mandates. So, while we are celebrating Christ’s birth, please, let’s throw in some comments, some remarks, some examples of His goodness and mercy, that will hopefully touch someone’s heart and make them give it to Him, as they ought to. (smile)

 Now, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer in all 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!’ 

Yes friends, I can feel the peace and presence of the Lord increasing, and there’s a big smile on His face as He welcomes our desire for greater intimacy with Him. As I keep telling us, there’s nothing that warms the cockles of God’s heart more than the desire of His people for greater intimacy with Him, because that’s exactly why He created us in the first place! It’s like when our young children come and desire to sit in our laps, to cuddle up there and just fall asleep in our warm, LOVING embrace and presence. It warms our hearts with joy. 

Well, it’s the same way the Lord feels when we go to Him seeking fellowship and greater intimacy. And I can’t understand why many more of us don’t do it, because it brings such joy and peace to all parties. But then again, I’m just a mere mortal and my mind is not attuned to the whys and wherefores of other mortals. I can just do what I believe I ought to do, and offer simple advice to others, who will have to make their own decisions, with their own free will. 

Ah friends, I’m chuckling here because I don’t know how we got to this point, the words just kept flowing. (smile) The important thing though, is that the sentiments are wise and true, and surely worth following. And with only four more days to go to Christmas Day, I hope we are all ready for it, with all the shopping, the wrapping of presents, the baking, the cooking, and all the other things we seem to do at Christmas time completed and just waiting to explode at the given time. 

But that would indeed be a miracle, for many of us are never finished with all the stuff we need to do even on Christmas morning. Anyway, let’s hope that the LOVE for Jesus is imbued in everything we do, and it’s not simply a matter of lust for worldly things.  For remember Jesus’ fateful words about our association with this world, in His prayer to the Father. 

‘And now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from evil (the evil one). They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.  And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.’ (John 17:13-19) 

Yes my fellow saints, Jesus went out of His way to ensure the Father would keep us in the world, but not as a part of the world! To sanctify or set us apart to do His mission, like Christ came to do the Father’s mission. We are here to do Christ’s bidding, of spreading the truth of His word, not getting ourselves entangled with the evil and ungodliness of this world. And as this Christmas season progresses, with all the hoopla and hullabaloo it brings, I believe it would do many of us some good to remember those words. We are  in the world, but not a part of the world. This is not our home. We are merely pilgrims passing through, on our way to heaven…our real home. 

So, on this lazy-day Saturday before Christmas, please, let’s take a moment and ponder, compare our actual lives to those words, and with the Lord’s help, make any necessary adjustments! That’s my prayer for us today! Much LOVE!

…everything that glistens is not gold…but the world tries to fool us…with a lot of glistening stuff…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 December 2018 Luke 1:34.

14 Dec 2018 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Luke 1:34.   ​Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man (I am a virgin)?
 
So it’s a tad wet, and cloudy and still a li’l snowy from yesterday…so what? What’s the big deal eh? It’s Friday, that’s all we’re concerned about! And Friday in the Christmas season to boot! That means plenty shopping, baking, cooking, singing Christmas songs, plenty lights on trees and all over the place, hugs and kisses a plenty, plus a whole lot of pleasant greetings like: ‘Merry Christmas!’ and ‘Happy Holidays!’ etc. etc. 

But hopefully friends, underneath all that joyfulness, let’s hope the real reason for Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ surfaces and makes a true difference, not only in outward affection, but also through sincere internal appreciation and true godliness. Amen! 

And there’s nobody singing louder and more joyfully than the ordinary workingman! He’s been on his soapbox from the beginning! ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday in the Christmastime! Blow me down! Christmas is just around the corner! And I don’t care about the shopping and the gifts nuh…cause I have no money to buy any! But who want to put themselves in debt…let them go right ahead yes! 

Me, I only concerned about the food and drink, and the nice time when we playing music, singing and dancing! I might even go to church for the Christmas…if I sober enough. Hn, hn, hn! But putting all joke aside, Christmas is the best time of the year oui: yuh see all yuh friends and family who you ent see for ages…and yuh nice to even the ones and them yuh doh like! Heh, heh! 

Wish it could be Christmas all year round yes! And this year it going to have plenty holidays too, because Christmas and Boxing Day on a Tuesday and Wednesday. Mama Yo! Ah can’t wait to celebrate them two days off from the massa work nuh, where he have to pay we for not working! He face going to be sour like a lime! But thank God for Fridays, weekends and Christmas time oui!’ 

Ah mih people, the workingman does have a way with words and thoughts yes. But he does have a couple of good points, like we even nice to people we don’t like, and oh…if the atmosphere, not necessarily the festive aspect, but the peace and good tidings could be present in our awful society all year round…what a wonderful world this would be! But I guess that’s just wishful thinking. No reason though why we can’t hope for it and have faith that Jesus one day will provide it. 

 Anyway, let’s sing our weekend song nuh, our Friday Chant. It might not be as colourful and imaginative as the workingman’s but it does suit our Christ-like purposes admirably. As one now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. 

Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’ 

Yes my Christian brethren, we need to remember that even in our joyful times not to go too far out on the limb, to stay within the borders of rationality, so that we don’t open up ourselves to attacks from the enemy; physical, spiritual and emotional, because he’s just waiting like a beast of prey to attack us on any level he can.

But enough of all of that, let’s get back to one of the most wonderful stories ever told; that of the angel Gabriel informing Mary, Jesus’ future mother, of what was going to happen. 

Remember yesterday Gabriel gave her the whole spiel about; ‘she’d found favour with God,’ she’d have a son. ‘His name would be JESUS,’ ‘called the Son of the Highest,’ ‘given the throne of his father David,’ ‘reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.’ (Luke 1:30-33) 

Now how would any of us good, strong, mature Christian folk, in these modern times, react to that information eh? Either by laughing or being scared to death. But Mary didn’t even bat an eyelid. She merely asked a simple but very practical question to all that info: ‘Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man (I am a virgin)?’  

Yeh friends, a very sensible and mature answer and question from a teenage girl in a backwater town in very ancient times! How could she get pregnant and bear a child without knowing a man eh? And though her faith seemed strong, she obviously hadn’t expected to be dealing with the Creator of the universe. 

And in like fashion, the angel Gabriel gave Mary a simple and straightforward answer to her million…no billion-dollar question. That’s how expensive and controversial the situation would have been back then. 

‘And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest (Most High) shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (one) which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And behold, thy cousin (relative) Elisabeth (John the Baptist’s mother), she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ (Luke 1:35-37) 

Now friends, a lot of us spout that line, but how many of us really believe it and try to action it eh? Not very many! But hear Mary’s response to the whole contrary, mixed up situation: ‘And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord: be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.’ (Luke 1:38) 

Now that’s why I LOVE Mary! After Jesus, she’s my most favourite character in the Good Book. From the get go she was mature and faithful about the very preposterous situation. She didn’t hem and haw like so many of us would have done…even those of supposedly great faith. Even knowing the horrific situation those things would cause in her life, she said bring it on without a fuss. 

Oh my people, my people, I sure hope we can use Mary as a shining example when the Lord calls us to do something that seems difficult and overwhelming. Remember He NEVER gives us more than we can bear, and ALWAYS helps us to complete the task. So there’s no need to be afraid or worried whenever He calls! Much LOVE!

…when the Lord says jump…it’s best to say…how high Lord…the very first time…