08 Nov 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crown of life, a dreaded task, a good soldier of Christ, a song of worship, against principalities, and having done all, anti-slavery stance, be a light in this dark world, be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, be able to withstand in the evil day, be brave, be never wanting there, be strong, be strong in the Lord, Carlene Davis, Christ is Lord indeed, cower with fear, danger, despite our many failings, Dudley A Tyng, each piece put on with prayer, evangelical revival, faith, feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, finished my course, finished my race, forth to the mighty conflict, fought a good fight, from victory unto victory, George Duffield Jr, God loves us, God's faithfulness, his army he shall lead, holy character, holy spirit, in the power of his might, in this evil and ungodly world, it must not suffer loss, Jesus Christ, Jesus' disciple, kept the faith, knowledge of the truth of God's Word, let courage rise with danger, lift high his royal banner, loins girded with truth, LOVE, mercy, moral conduct, more importantly, our duty, our world would not be plagued with, plenty prayer, put on the Gospel armour, put on the whole armour of God, putting it into action, quench the fiery darts of the wicked one, quit you like men, refuse to become uncomfortable, refuse to sacrifice for Christ, reggae riddim, reign eternally, rocking good, salvation, salvation and eternal life, serve him against unnumbered foes, sincere appreciation, so many evil and ungodly actions, soldiers of the cross, spiritual armour, spiritual wickedness, spread the good news of Christ's gospel, stand fast in faith, stand in his strength alone, stand up for Jesus children stand up, Stand up Stand up for Jesus, standing on Christ my Saviour, standing on the promises of Christ my Saviour, Standing on the promises of God, standing up for Christ is an honour, standing up steadfastly for Christ, strength to strength oppose, take unto you the whole armour of God, take up our cross daily, tell them to stand up for Jesus, the arm of flesh will fail you, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel truth, the helmet of salvation, the Lord's sanctuary, the next the victor's song, the rulers of darkness, the shield of faith, the spiritual battle is real, the strife will not be long, the sword of the Spirit, the trumpet call obey, the Word of god, this day the noise of battle, this his glorious day, thou therefore endure hardness, till every foe is vanquished, to give thanks and praise, to him that overcometh, to stand, to stand strong for Jesus, truth, warlike imaagery, watch ye, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, where duty calls, wisdom, with the king of glory, ye dare not trust your own, ye that are men
Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 November 2026 Ephesians 6:11.
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (schemes) of the devil.
Here we are again my fellow believers, gathered in the Lord’s sanctuary on this sunshiny autumn day in November, to give thanks and praise for His wonderful kindness and faithfulness to us, the ofttimes rebellious and disobedient children of men. But that’s the wonderful God we serve; He LOVES us despite our many failings, because He created us and knows what we are capable of. So, let’s show some sincere appreciation by opening with a beautiful song of worship, titled ‘Stand Up Stand Up for Jesus!’
The song was written by American preacher George Duffield, Jr. (1818 – 1888). One commentary tells us that ‘Duffield was apparently inspired to write the song after hearing the dying words of a Presbyterian colleague, Dudley A. Tyng, who having been ousted from his own congregation for his strong anti-slavery stance, preached to large crowds in weekday meetings sponsored by the YMCA. His work spearheaded an evangelical revival in Philadelphia early in 1858.
At Tyng’s deathbed, caused by a farm accident in which he lost an arm, Duffield and others asked if he had any final message. Tyng replied, ‘Tell them to stand up for Jesus!” At Tyng’s memorial service on April 25, 1858, Duffield preached on Ephesians 6:14 and concluded his sermon by reading his new hymn text, “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus.” Several lines in that original text referred to Tyng’s words and ministry.’
And having heard of the remarkable origins of the song, let’s now offer it up with sweet sacrifices of praise in an easy rocking sincere, heartfelt, reggae riddim version, as per that done by the renowned Jamaican Gospel Artiste, Carlene Davis. Singing: ‘Stand up, stand up for Jesus ye soldiers of the cross; lift high his royal banner, it must not suffer loss: from vict’ry unto vict’ry his army he shall lead, ’til ev’ry foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the trumpet call obey; forth to the mighty conflict in this his glorious day: ye that are men now serve him against unnumbered foes; let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose. (Chorus: Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus, children stand up. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus children stand up. Yes we are standing on Christ my Saviour, standing on the promises of God. Standing on the promises of Christ my saviour, standing on the promises of God.)
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in his strength alone; the arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own: put on the gospel armor, each piece put on with pray’r; where duty calls, or danger, be never wanting there. Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long; this day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song: to him that overcometh a crown of life shall be; he with the King of glory shall reign eternally.
(Chorus: Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus, children stand up. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus children stand up. Yes we are standing on the promises of Christ my Saviour, standing on the promises of God. Standing on the promises of Christ my saviour, standing on the promises of God. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus, children stand up. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus children stand up.)’
That was rocking good my people! However, we shouldn’t be only singing it, but more importantly putting it into action in this evil and ungodly world. Remember, as Jesus’ disciple it’s our duty to take up our cross and follow Him every day. To stand strong for Him, to be a light in this dark world and spread the good news of His gospel which offers salvation and eternal life. Unfortunately though, not enough of us supposed Christians are standing up steadfastly for Christ, otherwise our world would not be plagued with so many evil and ungodly actions.
We obviously are not following Bruh Paul’s exhortation to the Corinthians. ‘Watch ye, stand fast in faith, quit you like men (be brave), be strong.’ (1 Cor. 16:13) Neither the one to Timothy. ‘Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Christ.’ (2 Tim. 2:3) That’s very obvious when so many of us cower with fear, or refuse to become uncomfortable or sacrifice anything for Christ. But nonetheless, here’s how we begin standing up for Jesus.
As Bruh Paul says to the Ephesians: ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (schemes) of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities (rulers), against powers (authorities), against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual wickedness (wicked spiritual beings) in high places. Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph. 6:10-13)
Yes friends, putting on our spiritual armour is the first action necessary in standing up for Jesus, for you cannot defeat any enemy unless you are first secured from personal attack. And why after doing all, do we still have to stand? Because the devil will keep on attacking us, and if we’re not armoured up, then we have no chance of defeating him. And there’s no time to get into a full description of the spiritual armour, but here’s a quick basic breakdown of our spiritual armour.
They are our loins or waist girded with truth (a knowledge of the truth of God’s word); the breastplate of righteousness protecting our upper bodies (holy character and moral conduct), our feet shod with the preparation of peace, (special shoes allowing an eagerness to advance against the enemy), the shield of faith to quench all the fiery darts of the enemy (believing God’s promises and thus limiting doubt), the helmet of salvation (the certainty of salvation), the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, and finally prayer. Yes my people, all that spiritual armour is of little use unless it’s accompanied by plenty prayer.
So, now that we know what it takes to be able to stand up for Jesus, let’s get out there and do that nuh! It’s imperative that we do something to quell the terrible negativity that’s spreading all around us, for as this commentary so wisely states: ‘The challenge of “Stand Up for Jesus” is proclaimed through the military metaphors Paul uses in Ephesians 6:10-18. Although some decry the warlike imagery, the spiritual battle that Christians must fight is very real. Christ’s victory is assured even if we do not always move “from victory unto victory” in our earthly lives.’
And that’s the gospel truth. We must stand and fight, so that at the end, we can all say like Bruh Paul: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (run my race), I have kept the faith:’ (2 Tim. 4:7) Now that’s how we all ought to go out! Much LOVE!
…for all Jesus has done for us…standing up for Him should be an honour…not a dreaded task…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a guiding principle, a proactive forward looking attitude, actively discard the negative past, as a man thinks in his heart so is he, be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, be enthusiastice about the success of others, be not conformed to this world, be so strong, be strong in the Lord, be too large for worry, be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, Bible, change your behaviour by changing your mindset, Christian D Larson, christianity, come to know and love christ like we do, don't look back at your sinful experience with Satan, draw spiritual strength from God's boundless power, duty bound, evil schemes of Satan, external circumstances, faith, focus on faith prayer and daily devotion, focus on future goals and spiritual growth, for the prize of the high calling of God, forget the mistakes of the past, forgetting past mistakes, forgetting those things which are behind, give everyone you meet a smile, God's mysterious movements, holy spirit, hurry, I count not myself to have apprehended, in god's eyes, in the power of his might, Jesus Christ, laid hold of Christ, leave all negative baggage behind, look at the sunny side of everything, looking forward to a glorious future with Christ, looking towards the future, LOVE, maintaining integrity over mere outward appearances, make all your friends feel there is something in them, make your optimism come true, mercy, move forward to the wonderful stuff Jesus offers, not that which goeth into the mouth that defiles a man, nothing can disturb your peace of mind, one's internal mental and emotional state ultimately manifests outwardly, personal willpower, press on to future achievements, press toward the mark, pressing on toward a higher purpose, promise yourself, prove what is that good and acceptable perfect will of God, put on the whole armour of God, reaching forth unto those things that are before, reignite a passion in our hearts for Christ, rely on god for inner empowerment, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, spiritually impure, talk health happiness and prosperity to everyone, the beloved of God, the importance of managing thoughts, the indisputable truth, this one thing I do, to withstand trials and fight spiritual battles, too happy to permit the presence of trouble, too many of us still live in the past, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, urging individuals to release past mistakes regrets or achievements, we become what we think, what comes out of a man defiles him, wisdom, worry
Philippians 3:14. I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Christ Jesus.
And after a rainy start, this Tuesday morning has become somewhat sunshiny, although a bit of cloud cover still remains at midday. It should be another fairly warm day like yesterday, with temps in the high teens or low twenties, but again somewhat windy. And we cannot complain about a li’l wind and rain when we have such high temps. (smile)
Anyhow, today I want to share an interesting article, written a long time ago by someone called Christian D Larson. And it’s both amazing and amusing how I came across it again. Last night while putting some stuff in one of the drawers of my file cabinet, I espied this small newspaper clipping taped to the top drawer, and it must have been there for ages, because the paper is now yellowed. Obviously I didn’t know what it was about, since I had not perused it in a long while, and was I surprised when I read the title ‘Promise Yourself,’ and the information that followed.
Now, I wonder if anyone else is like me; has a lot of stuff posted all around their office with supposedly good advice and information, but never sees them, just comes into the office every day, does whatever, then leaves again without paying any attention to those pictures and bits of paper decorating the office walls and elsewhere. I seem to do it all the time, and last night I smiled as I read the article, because deep down I just knew that it was one of God’s mysterious movements to have me renew it in my own mind, as well as share it today.
So please read with me: ‘Promise Yourself: To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet. To make all your friends feel there is something in them. To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements of the future. To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile. To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.’
Wow! Now doesn’t that sound as though the author was referring to Christianity, for we are supposed to do all those things mentioned in the article? Like being so strong that nothing can disturb our peace of mind. Well there’s only one way to accomplish that, and it’s as Bruh Paul writes to the Ephesians. ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:10-11)
And I like how this overview explains it: ‘Be strong in the Lord, is a call to draw spiritual strength from God’s boundless power rather than personal willpower. It requires relying on Him for inner empowerment to withstand trials and fight spiritual battles by putting on the “armor of God,” focusing on faith, prayer, and daily devotion.’ And that’s the indisputable truth.
Then, there’s this other interesting promise about forgetting our past mistakes and looking towards the future that bring to mind these powerful and wise words of Bruh Paul to the Philippians. ‘Brethren, I count not myself not to have apprehended (laid hold of 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)
And that’s exactly how we ought to be my fellow believers; looking toward a glorious future with Christ, and not back at a miserable sinful existence with Beelzebub. The problem though is that too many of us still live in the past; we allow our past mistakes, and disappointments to control the way we now live, instead of leaving all that negative baggage behind and moving forward with all the wonderful stuff that Jesus offers.
It’s like this commentary tells us: “Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead” is a guiding principle from Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV), urging individuals to release past mistakes, regrets, or achievements to focus entirely on future goals and spiritual growth. It highlights a proactive, forward-looking attitude, often described as “pressing on” toward a higher purpose.’
But to accomplish that goal, we have to actively discard the negative past, not just talk about doing it. And how do we do that? Bruh Paul offers this advice to the church at Rome. ‘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. 12:2) Yes friends, the only way to change our behaviour is by first changing our mindsets, for as Cousin Sol in his great wisdom explains in Proverbs. ‘For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he:’ (Prov. 23:7a)
In other words, you become what you think, for our thoughts control our behaviour. Or as this overview declares: “As a man thinketh in his heart so is he” means a person’s true character, actions, and destiny are shaped by their innermost thoughts, beliefs, and desires. It emphasizes that one’s internal mental and emotional state ultimately manifests outwardly, highlighting the importance of managing thoughts and maintaining inner integrity over mere outward appearances.’
It’s like Jesus says: ‘Not that which goeth into the mouth that defileth a man: but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.’ (Matt. 15:11) Again, it’s our words and actions that stem from our thoughts that cause us to be spiritually impure, rather than external circumstances like not washing our hands before eating.
Ah friends, I do hope that these promises to ourselves reignite a passion in our hearts and souls for Christ, because they are all Bible based. Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
That now makes us duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…only true believers can be…too large for worry…too noble for anger…too strong for fear…and too happy to permit the presence of trouble…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bounden duty, a more opportune time, after ye have suffered a while, as a roaring lion, be sober be vigilant, be strong in the Lord, bounden duty, called us into his eternal glory, christianity, Christians, come to know and love christ like we do, departed from him for a season, destroy the faith of believers, don't let your guard down, don't take anything for granted, eternal separation from Almighty God, experienced by your brethren, faith, God's protection is greater than the devil's threat, gotten our feet wet, he shall lift you up, holy spirit, humble yourselves in the sight of God, hurry, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, lurking in the shadows, maintain a sober and vigilant mind, make you perfect, mercy, muddy the waters of our lives, put on the whole armour of God, rely on God's strength, resist steadfast in the faith, resist the devil and he will flee from you, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, share the awesome love and friendship of Jesus, stablish strengthen settle you, stand against the evil schemes of the devil, stand firm in faith, submit yourselves to God, successfully fought round one, targeted by the devil, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the devil is a deceptive enemy, the devil is a toothless lion, the devil is not passive, the devil targets the weak and defenceless, the devil uses intimidation, the devil's roar can frighten you into submission, the enemy is a constant presence, the God of all grace, the same afflictions are accomplished by your brethren, the spiritual armour of God, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, to unleash his evil wiles and lies, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, waiting for an opportunity, walketh about seeking whom he may devour, we have all the tools to assure us of victoryu, worry, your adversary the devil
James 4:7. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
So we’ve successfully fought round one of this new work week; Monday, now it’s on to round two, Tuesday. And Tuesday ought to be a li’l easier than Monday, since we’ve already gotten our feet wet in the workaday world. But let’s not take anything for granted because the enemy doesn’t, he is a constant presence. Yes, even if he’s not doing anything to us at the present time, he’s always there lurking around in the shadows waiting for an opportunity to unleash his evil wiles and lies on us. Remember what the Bible says about the devil and the temptation of Jesus? ‘And when the devil had ended all the temptation (testing), he departed from him for a season (until a more opportune time).’ (Luke 4:13)
That’s why Peter warns us: ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished (experienced) in your brethren that are in the world.’ (1 Pet. 5:8-9) Now, I don’t know how much comfort it gives me to know that my fellow believers are also being targeted by the devil, (smile) but for my own benefit, I need to stay strong and resist the loud mouthed enemy.
And I like what the overview of this commentary says on the subject. ‘The devil is described as an adversary prowling like a “roaring lion,” actively seeking to devour, intimidate, and destroy the faith of believers. This metaphor highlights his role as a dangerous, loud, and deceptive enemy, prompting calls for Christians to remain sober, vigilant, and firm in their faith.” And is that ever so true, for the enemy’s avowed purpose is to turn us away from God and the things He desires of us.
And the commentary is further broken down into the ‘Key Aspects of the “Roaring Lion” Metaphor: Active Pursuit: The devil is not passive; he “prowls” or “walks about” actively looking for vulnerabilities. Intimidation: Similar to a lion’s roar, the devil uses fear, loud accusations, and persecution to terrify and overwhelm. Targeting Vulnerability: He often targets those who are defenseless, weak, or isolated. Goal of Destruction: The ultimate aim is to “devour”—to disrupt, tempt, and render believers ineffective in their faith.’ And we have all experienced those aspects of the devil’s behaviour time after time, but hopefully we have not given into or fallen for them.
And as protection from those devilish tricks, the commentary offers this ‘Biblical Advice for Response: Be Vigilant and Sober: Maintain a clear, alert, and watchful mind, not allowing your guard to be let down. Resist and Stand Firm: Resist the devil by standing firm in faith, relying on God’s strength rather than one’s own. Use Spiritual Armor: Utilize the “whole armour of God” to withstand attacks. Confidence in Victory: The devil is described as a defeated foe, and believers are encouraged that God’s protection is greater than the threat.’
Yes friends, we possess all the tools necessary to resist the devil, but we need to put them into action. First of all, there is the spiritual armour of the Lord. As Bruh Paul wrote to the Ephesians: ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:10-11) And please note the active tense there, for us to ‘PUT ON’ the armour. It doesn’t get into our souls and spirits automatically. No. We have to make the definitive effort to put it on, like when we’re putting on our clothes every day.
Oh my faithful believers, we must remember that although Satan is a disarmed and defeated foe by Christ’s work on the cross, the final nail has not yet been driven into his coffin, He is still alive and operates in his evil manner, though with limited power. But such power as he has is still sufficient to muddy the waters of our lives and have us going down the wide and destructive path that leads to eternal separation from Almighty God, something we surely don’t want to experience. That’s why we must always be diligent, and remember scriptures like this one from James: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.’ (James 4:7)
Yes friends, the first act in resisting the devil is submitting ourselves to God, for it’s in that devotion we find the strength to resist the awful enemy. And in correlation to that scripture, James also advises: ‘Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:10) So, if we want to successfully fight the devil, we must stay close to God in all righteousness and sincerity, and also believe like Peter says: ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 5:10-11)
Ah mih brethren, living for Jesus is all about faith and belief. You need to have sufficient faith to believe the scriptures and all the promises that have been made for those who sincerely believe. It’s not always easy, but the Lord is so wonderful, He’s given us all the tools we need to assure ourselves of victory in His mighty name! So please, for our own benefit, let’s make the effort to put those tools into positive action and thus keep the enemy at bay. Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And now, it becomes our bounden duty to go out and share the awesome LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the devil is a toothless lion…but if you’re not careful…his roar can frighten you into submission…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a disciplined mind, a strong will, a very present help in trouble, abundance, all these things shall be added unto you, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, an abundantly available help, as generously as the Lord shared them with us, be brave, be strong, be strong in the Lord, bear our sins on His sinless shoulders, but of power love and a sound mind, Christians think too much about tomorrow, come to know and love christ like we do, come unto me, curse, divine protection, enough to drive a body crazy, faith, favour, find rest unto your souls, gentle and humble, give us this day our daily bread, go out and use those blessings, God has not given us the spirit of fear, God is our refuge and strength, grace for trials, help from above, holy spirit, I am meek and lowly in heart, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I will give you rest, in the name of Jesus, in the power of his might, Jesus Christ, Jesus loved us enough to die for us, Jesus walked the walk, learn of me, light for the way, living in the northern climes, LOVE, manna, mercy, mount up with wings as eagles, my burden light, my yoke is easy, negative word, not enough about today, promotion, quit you like men, rely on God's provision for our daily needs, rest amid labour, run and not be weary, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, snow, stand fast in the faith, strength for the day, success, supernatural strength, take my yoke upon you, take one day at a time, taking the Great Invitation to heart, talent, the cross of Calvary, the great invitation, the joy of the Lord is your strength, The Promises and Non-Promises of God, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, truth, undying LOVE, unfailing sympathy, walk and not faint, watch ye
Matthew 6:11. Give us this day our daily bread.
Oh brother! Am I ever tired of this snow already. We had snow yesterday, then this morning we had some more. Granted not a lot today, but any amount of snow whatsoever is hazardous and dangerous to human life. (smile) I remember going to bed at minutes after four this morning and my driveway was clean, as my maintenance man had cleaned it during the night. Now, imagine my angry surprise when I got up this morning around eight, and although the sun was shining brightly, saw more snow in my driveway.
The foolish snow has been keeping me from going out and doing some things I want to do. And to make matters worse, the Duchess tells me that they are forecasting snow for today and also tomorrow. Mama Mia! It’s enough to drive a body crazy! (smile) But rest assured I won’t allow it to do that, for once there’s no urgent reason for me to go out, the snow could fall day and night as far as I’m concerned. And I hope you realize that’s a lie! (smile) But enough of my ranting about the snow. As the Lord tells me, if I didn’t want to encounter that beautiful, fluffy white stuff, I should not have come to the northern climes. And as usual, He’s right.
And today, I want to again address that poem we looked at yesterday; ‘The Promises and Non-Promises of God,’ in particular the last verse that concerns God’s promises. It says: ‘But God hath promised strength for the day, rest amid labour, light for the way; grace for trials, help from above, unfailing sympathy, undying LOVE.’ Now, let’s see what scriptures we can find that articulate those promises. And there are many scriptures that promote the first one ‘strength for the day,’ but I want to begin with this particular verse from the Lord’s Prayer, where Jesus gave the disciples, and consequently us, an example of accepted prayer.
And the verse I want to centre on is ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ (Matt. 6:11) Yes friends, as both the poem and Jesus say, all we really need is bread and strength for each day. It’s like when the Lord fed the Israelites with manna in the wilderness, He instructed them to pick up only enough for ONE day, unless it was for the Sabbath, then they could pick up for two. And anything left over one day spoiled immediately. (Ex. 16) It was a way of teaching them to rely on God’s provision for their daily need. It’s also something we have to learn today; take one day at a time, and God will provide all that’s necessary. As Jesus says: ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
Then there are other verses which magnify the Lord’s strength like this one we all know and like to quote: ‘But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:31) And what about these reassuring words from the Sons of Korah from Psalm 46: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble.’ (Ps. 46:1) Then Bruh Paul gives us this magnificent assurance in his letter to the Philippians. ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:13) And this one from Nehemiah is one we must always bear in mind: ‘…for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10)
And I’m chuckling here friends, because I’m now realizing that this is a two day task and not a one day like I had imagined, for there are so many scriptures that we can quote, and leaving out any, seems like a travesty of justice. (smile) So here are a couple more on God’s strength for the day. ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.’ (Eph. 6:10) Then Bruh Paul exhorts the Corinthians: ‘Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you (be brave) like men, be strong.’ (1 Cor. 16:13) Then finally, this reassurance of Bruh Paul to Timothy, one we all know but don’t action fully. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) And there are many more you can check out for yourself. (smile)
Now turning to the promise of ‘rest amid labour,’ I believe there’s only one scripture needed to cover it all, that’s the Great Invitation, where Jesus invites all and sundry to: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Oh my people, anyone who doesn’t take advantage of that glorious invitation from Jesus is a fool! And that’s putting it mildly. For who else offers such and invitation, or who else can ever deign to do so, for nobody else has the wherewithal to do it but Jesus!
So let’s remember that today and place our trust in the One and Only, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour; the One who didn’t just talk the talk, but more importantly walked it, and LOVED us enough to die on the cross of Calvary and bear our sins on His sinless shoulders. Now let’s go home declaring and thus activating our undeserved Thursday Blessings that the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. Altogether: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (awright!!!) 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!
…sometimes we Christians think too much about tomorrow…and not enough about today…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a constant battle against, a spiritual battle, a Sunday walk in the park, against principalities, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, all for our benefit, all-out war, an opportune time, avail ourselves of God's provision, aware Christians, be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, be able to withstand in the evil day, be strong in the Lord, brings evil schemes to pass, cessation of hostilities, demonic onslaughts, destroy our Christian witness, difficult and discouraging life, disobeyed your word, divine aid, dressed in the spiritual armour of God, eternal destiny, faith, fight the good fight for Christ, fighting for supremacy over human souls, God's impenetrable armour, having done all to stand, holy spirit, humble servants, incomparable rewards, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, living for Jesus, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, no cease-fire, no quarter given, powers, pray, put on the whole armour of God, salvation, same ole same ole, sincerely seek God's face, spend eternity with Christ, spiritual wickedness in high places, strong faith in Christ, the enemy of darkness and evil, the fallen angel Satan, the God who heals, the power of God's might, the power to solve our many problems, the spiritual armour of God, the throne of grace, the way of life, truth, turn from our evil ways, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, wicked spiritual foes, wisdom
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.
Here we go again friends, another cold, dreary Monday morning of a new work week. And I know some of us must be tired of them, especially if we’ve been doing the same ole, same ole for many years. But that’s just the way of life on this earth. We’re born, we live and work, and then we die, and hopefully go to spend eternity with Christ. Yes mih bredrin, what makes this life worth living, is living it for and with Christ. It’s not a Sunday walk in the park, but it’s always interesting and the rewards are marvellous and incomparable!
And our Jesus is so thoughtful and considerate He gives us all sorts of protection and equipment to live this, at times very difficult and discouraging life. And one of the things the Lord provides to help us is His protective, impenetrable armour. And you ask why we need armour? Well because we are in a constant battle against the enemy of darkness and evil, with the fallen angel Satan as it’s leader. It’s not a physical but spiritual battle, where each side is fighting for supremacy over human souls.
As Bruh Paul explains it to the Ephesians: ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities (rulers), against powers (authorities), against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual wickedness (wicked spiritual beings) in high places.’ (Eph. 6:12) That means fallen angels, demons, and Lucifer himself. So, knowing what we are fighting against, Bruh Paul then warns us: ‘Finally, my brethren be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:10-11)
And the scholars explain that ‘Finally can be rendered “from now on.” In other words, the spiritual battle Christians are engaged in exists “from now on” until the Lord’s return: there is no quarter given, no cease-fire, no temporary truce, no cessation of hostilities. “From now on’ till the end there is all-out war. The rest of the verse may be paraphrased, “Let yourselves constantly be strengthened by the Lord, more precisely by His mighty power.”
So friends, you see how serious this war is. It’s a fight to the death, with no let up on either side. Satan’s trying to turn us around, and we ought to be trying to turn the unbelievers to Christ. And it’s only dressed in the spiritual armour of God that we can even expect to stand strong against our wicked spiritual foes, and their evil schemes and devices, much less win the battle against them. Thus, Bruh Paul continues his warning: ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up, put on) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph. 6:13)
And per the scholars, that verse is explained thus: ‘Wherefore means, because we face such a formidable foe, we must avail ourselves of God’s provision lest the enemy destroy our Christian witness and ministry. The evil day refers to the periodic demonic onslaughts and Satanic assaults. Having done all includes both dressing oneself in God’s armour and resisting Satan. Having done all these, be ready for the Devil to attack repeatedly.’
And that friends is one thing we can be sure of; the devil will never give up trying to turn us away from God. He will take the occasional break, but he will keep on coming back once the breath of life runs through our bodies. And we have a good example of that when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan. The Bible tells us: ‘And when the devil had ended all the temptation (testing), he departed from him (Jesus) for a season (an opportune time). (Luke 4:13)
Now that’s the very same way the devil behaves with us. When we stand up strong to him, he leaves us alone until another opportunity or moment of weakness, presents itself, and like the slithering viper he is, he will strike again. So, we must constantly be on our ps and qs, and also dressed in our full spiritual armour, otherwise he will be able to make footholds, or even strongholds in our souls and totally confuse us. Therefore, let’s hope we have all dressed in all of our spiritual armour before we left home this morning so that we can have its total protection all day long, as we fight the good fight for Christ.
And tomorrow, if God spares life, we’ll continue talking about the spiritual armour of God, but this time delving into the specifics, checking to see what it really entails, for if we did that today, the Bit would become way too long, and the information way too cumbersome and plentiful to take in in one sitting. Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help us in these critical 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 we don’t need to be rocket scientists to know what will bring divine aid, just be aware Christians, and basically humble ourselves before Almighty God, pray and sincerely seek His face. So friends, let’s get with the programme nuh, because it’s all for our benefit, not God’s! Much LOVE!
…spiritual battles might not kill our bodies…but they can certainly decide our eternal destiny…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a refresher course, a sense of urgency, able to withstand, against principalities, avail ourselves of God's provision, be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, be strong in the Lord, common sense, conquer Monday, demonic onslaughts, demons, departed from him for a season, destroy our Christian witness, divine aid, efficient weapons, evil schemes of Satan, face a formidable foe, faith, faithfully promised, fallen angels, flesh and blood, flex our muscles, hand to hand combat, have the victory through Christ, having done all to stand, holy spirit, humble servants, immediate action, in the evil day, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep the ball rolling, life-saving obligation, logic, LOVE, meat and potatoes, mercy, never give up, never say die, powers, pray, proper protection, put on the whole armour of God, resist the enemy, salvation, Satan himself, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, sinned and disobeyed your Word, spiritual warfare, spiritual wickedness in high places, strong faith in Christ, the church's adversary, the devil had ended all the temptation, the devil's strategy, the God who heals, the individual nature of spiritual warfare, the lion of the work week, the Lord's armour, the mass confusion in our world, the milk of the word, the power of his might, the power to solve our problems, the power to tame lions, the rulers of darkness, the throne of grace, the wiles of the devil, to alleviate our problems, to hear and answer our prayers, tools to fight, truth, turn from our evil ways, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, wisdom, wisdom for the ages, wise guidance
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.
Welcome to Monday friends; the lion of the work week! But please remember that through Jesus Christ, we have the power to tame even the most ferocious lion, which means we can conquer Monday, without any trouble, if we put our minds to it. So, let’s do just that nuh; by getting out there and showing Monday that we have it all together, and there’s nothing it can throw at us that we cannot handle.
However, before we can flex our muscles on Monday, we need to fulfill one important, life-saving obligation; that’s putting on the Lord’s armour before we go out to battle with Monday, for if we don’t, he will certainly come out victorious, since it’s the Lord’s armour that keeps us protected and gives us the tools to fight. Consequently, it will do us a lot of good to have a brief refresher course on the armour of God. (smile) And we find that master fighter, Bruh Paul, talking about it in his letter to the church at Ephesus.
This is what He says to them: ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph. 6:10-13)
That my people is the general why of the situation. The fight is not against human flesh but against spiritual wickedness, especially those in high places, that are controlling our world. And the scholars give us some interesting and important explanations, like ‘Put on, denotes a sense of urgency, demanding immediate action.’ And we do need to get the ball rolling with no hesitation whatsoever.
Then, ‘to stand, means to resist the enemy and hold a critical position in the battle. While the wiles of the devil (the Devil’s strategy): means that Satan carefully devises schemes and tactics against believers. And as per ‘wrestle, used of hand-to-hand combat, emphasizes the personal and individual nature of spiritual warfare waged against each local church and Christian. Flesh and blood refers to humanity.
Such is not the church’s adversary. Instead, she opposes principalities (rulers), powers (authorities), rulers (world rulers), spiritual wickedness (wicked spiritual beings), that is fallen angels, demons, and Lucifer himself.’ So friends, you see the powerful consortium of evil and wickedness that we are up against.
That’s why Bruh Paul wrote ‘Wherefore, meaning because we face such a formidable foe, we must avail ourselves of God’s provision lest the enemy destroy our Christian witness and ministry. The evil day refers to the periodic demonic onslaughts and Satanic attacks. Having done all includes both dressing oneself in God ‘s armour and resisting Satan. Having done all these, be ready, for the Devil will attack again and again.’
Yes mih bredrin, that’s one thing about Satan and his evil cronies, they don’t ever give up, they keep coming back again and again. It’s like when the Devil tempted Jesus unsuccessfully, the Bible says: ‘And when the devil had ended all the temptation (testing), he departed from him for a season.’ (Luke 4:13) That means he did not go away forever, but just to recover himself and come up with some more evil schemes.
And that’s the way we Christians ought also to be, never give up, never say die, especially when we know that we already have the victory though Jesus Christ, but we do need to protect it. And please note that Bruh Paul keeps talking about putting on ‘the whole armour of God.’ Yes, that’s all of it, not bits and pieces, because it’s only with the complete armour that we can ever fight any battle victoriously.
Now that was the milk of the armour of God, (smile) understanding why it’s necessary to be protected, and from what. And I believe that we will leave the meat and potatoes of the situation for tomorrow, if God spares life, because we have enough heavy stuff to understand today, and the rest of it is also difficult to understand and will only make the Bit long and unwieldy. So, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help in these evil and ungodly 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 as we can see from our prayer, there are things we first need to do before divine aid is forthcoming; like turn from our evil ways, pray, humble ourselves, and sincerely seek the Lord’s face. So why don’t we concentrate on doing those things eh my people, beginning right now, so that heaven will shower down blessings on us. It’s wisdom for the ages! Much LOVE!
…it’s simple logic and common sense…one cannot go into battle without proper protection and efficient weapons…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a critical position, a fight for life and death, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a new work week, alleviate our problems, be strong in the Lord, Bible, caught napping, cessation of hostilities, Christian, Christian witness, christianity, crapaud smoke we pipe, demonic onslaughts, departed from him for a season, disobeyed your word, divine aid, eternal death, eternal life, eternal separation from God, eternity, evil weapons, faith, God's guidebook, grace, having done all, holy spirit, in the power of his might, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mass confusion, meditate on God's Word, mercy, mickey mouse affair, negative situations, no cease fire, no quarter given, pain, pay a horrendous price, powers, pray, principalities, put on the whole armour of God, put the word into practice, renewed confidence, resist the enemy, rest, salvation, Satanic assaults, sincerely seek your face, sinned, spiritual foes, spiritual wickedness, stand against the wiles of the devil, strengthened by the Lord, strong faith in Christ, temporary truce, the God who heals, the rulers of darkness, the spiritual battle, to stand, truth, turn from our evil ways, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, wisdom, wise guidance, withstand in the evil day
Ephesians 6:10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Here we go again with a new work week, hope we are all prepared for it, with sufficient rest and renewed confidence and faith over the weekend, for the enemy is raising the level of spiritual warfare that’s taking place, daily putting more evil weapons and people into the fray. And if we are not aware and alert, we will certainly be caught napping and made to pay a horrendous price.
That’s why it’s ever so important for believers to get down with the Word, be much more acquainted with it; read it, study it, meditate on it, and put it into practice in our lives. For that’s the only way we will ever defeat the enemy. Remember, the Bible is God’s Guidebook for our earthly lives, and if we don’t know what it says, or how to put it into action, then crapaud smoke we pipe!
Friends, the enemy is not joking, this is not a friendly war… No! It’s a fight for life and death! If we lose it, then we’ll be facing eternal death and separation from Almighty God, and if we win, we’ll be spending eternal life with Him. And that’s the most important aspect of this whole earthly life; where we spend eternity!
And at the start of this new year, we cannot go wrong by examining some of the weapons we have to fight this spiritual warfare. Some of which are outlined by Bruh Paul in his epistle to the Ephesians, where he talks about the whole armour of God which is necessary for us to have, if we intend to fight and win the spiritual battle. He begins with this exhortation: ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.’ (Eph. 6:10)
And the scholars explain that verse thus: ‘Finally may be rendered “from now on” or “henceforth.” The spiritual battle Christians are engaged in exists “from now on until the Lord’s return: there is no quarter given, no cease-fire, no temporary truce, no cessation of hostilities, “From now on” till the end there is all-out war. The remainder of the verse may be paraphrased, “Let yourselves constantly be strengthened by the Lord, more precisely, by His mighty power.”
Oh friends, yuh see this is a most serious and deadly affair, not some li’l mickey mouse matter, where we playing childlike games. Bruh Paul then makes another most significant statement. ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:11)
Now the scholars tell us that the words used for ‘Put on in the Greek language, denotes a sense of urgency, demanding immediate attention,’ and that’s a very crucial fact right now as the battle lines are narrowly drawn. Meanwhile ‘To Stand has military overtones. This verb was used in classical Greek meaning to resist the enemy and hold a critical position in battle.’
That ought to bring home the seriousness of the situation to us. In other words, we cannot stand against the wiles or evil schemes of the enemy unless we’re dressed in the full armour of God. And believe me, Satan carefully crafts schemes and tactics against believers. So please don’t think that He’s just fooling around. He’s more serious about our destruction that ever.
Then Bruh Paul goes on to give us some idea of whom we’re fighting against. ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual wickedness (spiritual hosts of wickedness) in high places.’ (Eph. 6:12) So we’re not fighting against flesh and blood, but against spiritual foes.
The scholars explain that ‘Wrestle, used of hand to hand combat emphasizes the personal and individual nature of spiritual warfare waged against each local church and Christian. Flesh and blood refer to humanity. Such is not the church’s adversary. Instead, she opposes principalities (rulers), powers (authorities), rulers (world rulers), spiritual wickedness (wicked spiritual beings), that is, fallen angels, demons, and Lucifer himself.’
Then Bruh Paul reemphasizes the importance of God’s armour in our fight. ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.’ (Eph. 6:13) And the scholars explain that means ‘because we face such a formidable foe, we must avail ourselves of God’s provision lest the enemy destroy our Christian witness and ministry. The evil day refers to the periodic demonic onslaughts and Satanic assaults. Having done all includes both dressing oneself in God’s armour and resisting Satan. Having done all these, be ready, for the Devil will attack again and again.’
Now that’s something we have to be very cognizant of; the devil never stops for good. Every so often, he will take a break, especially if he is not getting anywhere with you, possibly to devise new strategy, but he will always come back while we’re alive, it’s his reason for living. We can clearly see that in the scriptures. After Satan unsuccessfully tempts Jesus, the Word says: ‘And when the devil had ended all the temptation (testing), he departed from him for a season (until an opportune time).’ (Luke4:13)
Yes my fellow saints, the devil doesn’t tempt us willy- nilly, but has very deep and deceptive strategies in place to encourage us to fall. However, we will not do that today, because we will go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help us overcome his evil schemes.
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!’
But let’s remember that before divine aid can be granted, we need to humble ourselves, pray and sincerely seek God’s face. In other words, turn from our evil ways! Much LOVE!
…to fight God’s fight successfully…one must have His protective armour…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: .praying always in the Spirit, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a sense of urgency, against the wiles of the devil, an opportune time, answer our prayers, be strong in the Lord, Bible, christianity, defeat the enemy, demonic onslaughts, divine aid, dressed in spiritual armour, faith, fight to the death for Christ, for a season, God's provision, having done all to stand, holy character, holy spirit, humble ourselves, in the power of his might, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, LOVE, moral conduct, negative situations, powers, pray, principalities, put on the whole armour of God, quench the fiery darts, ready for the challenge, repentnace, resisting Satan, Satanic assaults, sincerely seek your face, sitting ducks, spiritual battle, spiritual wickedness in high places, supplication for the saints, the best defence is offence, the breastplate of righteousness, the enemy destroy our witness, the God who heals, the helmet of salvation, the individual nature of spiritual warfare, the preparation of the gospel of peace, the rulers of darkness, the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, the throne of grace, the truth of God's word, the whole armour of God, truth, waging spiritual war, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, wisdom, wise guidance, withstand in the evil day, ye may be able to stand, your feet shod, your loins girt about with truth
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (carefully crafted schemes) of the devil.
Come on down Monday…the followers of Jesus are ready for your challenge! We’re dressed in our spiritual armour just rearing to get out on the battlefield and fight to the death for Christ! Ah friends, those are easy words to spout, but much harder to put into real, live action. And now is as good a time as any to review and remember what we mean by our spiritual armour.
Bruh Paul spells it out very nicely for us in his epistle to the Ephesians. He writes: ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (carefully crafted schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:10-11)
Oh my fellow believers, as the scholars tell us, those words ‘Put on,’ denote a sense of urgency, demanding immediate action.’ We cannot wait to see what the enemy is up to we have to be ready asap. And any soldier going into battle must secure protective equipment before they hit the battlefield, otherwise they will be sitting ducks for the enemy. And although we’re not waging a physical but spiritual war, we still need protective armour to assist us in our fight.
Now what’s this spiritual war, you ask? Listen to Bruh Paul tell it: ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.’ (Eph. 6:12)
And the scholars explain it thus: ‘Wrestle, used of hand-to-hand combat, emphasizes the personal and individual nature of spiritual warfare waged against each local church and Christian. Flesh and blood refers to humanity. Such is not the church’s adversary. Instead, she opposes principalities (rulers), powers (authorities), rulers (world rulers), spiritual wickedness (wicked spiritual beings), that is, fallen angels, demons, and Lucifer himself.’
Yes, the spiritual battle is not only against the church, but also against individuals, which means, each and every believer needs that spiritual protective armour. That’s why Bruh Paul writes: ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.’ (Eph. 6:13)
And per the scholars, that means ‘because we face such a formidable foe, we must avail ourselves of God’s provision lest the enemy destroy our witness and ministry. The evil day refers to the periodic demonic onslaughts and Satanic assaults. Having done all includes both dressing oneself in God’s armour and resisting Satan. Having done all these, be ready, for the Devil will attack again and again.’
Of that you can be very sure my brethren. The devil will never stop completely, as the Bible tells us re the temptations of Jesus. ‘And when the devil had ended all the temptation (testing), he departed from him for a season (until an opportune time).” (Luke 4:13) So when he stops tempting you, he’s not gone forever, but only until he sees another opportunity.
And we finally come to the big question, what is this armour of God that we’ve been talking about. Let’s listen to Bruh Paul again from his letter to the Ephesians. ‘Stand therefore, having your loins girt about (your waist girded) with truth (the knowledge of the truth of God’s word), and having on the breastplate of righteousness (a holy character and moral conduct): And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace (an eagerness or willingness to advance against the Devil, and take the fight to him).
Above all taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked (one). That means ‘taking God at His word believing His promises. Such trust will protect one from doubts induced by Satan.’ And take the helmet of salvation (the hope or assurance of salvation), and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (selected verses of Scripture):
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for the saints.’ Meaning that ‘prayer is indispensable; without prayer God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. And we must be vigilant in the matter of prayer, praying always when Satan attacks, not only for ourselves, but for all saints, with the help of the Holy Spirit.’ (Eph. 6:14-18)
Now that’s how we’ll be able to handle Monday and whatever the devil decides to throw at us. But we have to be proactive, not wait for the devil to come, but take up the Lord’s armour and go after him. As they say, the best defence is offence! Oh friends, I do hope this brief review on God’s protective spiritual armour reawakens our spirits and our desire to fight for Christ. And if we’ve gotten off-course, sets us back on course, keeps us on the straight and narrow road that leads to heaven and Christ.
And having said all that, let’s go the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid. 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 a word to the wise; the only way we’ll ever see divine aid is if we humble ourselves, pray, sincerely seek God’s face, and turn from our evil ways. Much LOVE!
…without God’s protective spiritual armour…the believer cannot defeat the enemy in spiritual battle…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Jul 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a challenge to get on our horses and ride, a crying shame, a personal desire to sacrifice for Christ, able to stand against the wiles of the devil, after one time is two, artificial intelligence, be strong in the Lord, bounden duty, but of power love and a sound mind, endure to the end, evil doers are bullies, evil is ruling the roost, eyes fixed straight ahead, fighting the good fight, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, girding your waist with the truth of Christ, hands on the plough, in the power of his might, life's basic behaviour does not change, LOVE, mano a mano, more pervasive and distrustful, not turning back, prayer the vital umbrella, put on the whole armour of God, putting ourselves out for Christ, ride for Jesus, sacrificing, so glad to be alive, spiritual battles, take advantage of their physical strength, the breastplate of righteousness, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the gospel of peace on your feet, the Great Commission, the helmet of slavation, the loud voices of Christians, the shiled of faith, the sword of the Spirit, the Word of god, there is no new thing under the sun, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, without proper regulations
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.
Oh friends, this Wednesday is going to be another glorious summer’s day! It might not be boiling hot, but it’s sunny, nice and cool, just the way I like it! (smile) After being in this climate of changing seasons for so long, it seems like I can’t handle the heat as well I use to it. I guess it’s like the old people would say; after one time is two. And isn’t it amazing that for almost every scenario in our lives today, we can quote something from our fathers and forefather’s generations that tie in so nicely with them. It just goes to show that the basics of life don’t change that much from generation to generation.
As Cousin Sol so wisely said, writing as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes: ‘The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.’ (Eccl. 1:10) And that’s basically true, for though we might have some new inventions, our basic behaviour and the things we do through this life are just like the ancients did. Get up, work, eat, sleep, party, be sinful, and hopefully praise God, while LOVING each other, then die.
It’s only the how, not the why, that’s been changed down through the ages. We have invented ways to live better, but also ways to be more sinful and ungodly, and, unfortunately, the latter behaviour is what’s currently ruling the roost in our world, which is a crying shame! One would have thought that by now, with all of our enlightened accomplishments and vast learning, mankind would have realized that godliness is ever so much better than evil doing and sinfulness. But no, the devil has gotten his evil claws into so many of us, that godliness is running in second place in our world, and a far second place too.
This however is wholly unacceptable my fellow believers. We cannot allow the evil doers to control our world, especially after all the sacrifices our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ made on our behalf! No! We have to get up, put away our fear, or whatever is holding us back, and attack the enemy full force, mano a mano, not run away from him like scared rabbits, as so many of us are now doing. Jesus stood up staunchly for us, it’s now our turn to stand up staunchly for Him, and He’s already given us all the tools to do the job, the great Commission, that He desires of us.
And it’s all so easy; tell people about Him and the good things He wants to share with them, and live in a manner that will cause others to want what we have, the intimate relationship with Him. But it does mean putting ourselves out, sacrificing and not always living the easy, carefree, doh care life. And that’s what so many of us supposed believers shy away from. With all the wonderful amenities in our world, it’s become so easy to just relax on our lollies and do almost nothing, but still exist.
And with the recent upgrade and breakthrough in Artificial Intelligence, brother, we’ll be doing even less than before, because this new invention will even think for us. Are we on our way to obsolescence my people? Who knows, but it ought to give us definite cause for concern, when our society is already filled with all sorts of fakes and untruthfulness, now we’re going to be even less sure if a real person was involved in a particular situation or thing, or whether it was the work of Artificial Intelligence.
It’s already such a big part of our world, and without proper regulations, it’s only going to get bigger, more pervasive and more distrustful, like all of mankind’s inventions, especially with the evil and untrustworthy minds that are currently at the forefront of our world. And if any serious and worthwhile changes are going to be made in our world, it will have to be through the loud voices of Christians, because we are the only group who seem to want goodness, mercy and the LOVE of God to flourish.
But that’s our very problem; our voices aren’t being heard, because they’re not plentiful or loud enough to make a difference, and until we make them loud and plentiful, nothing will ever change! That’s why I’m calling on us to rise up today, as one solid and unified body of Christ, His marvellous church, and dare the evil doers to stop us from taking over our heavenly Father’s world! It’s well known that evil doers are basically bullies who take advantage of their strengths, but are basically cowards underneath, and this is indeed a challenge for us believers to get on our horses and ride, ride for Jesus, like we should have been doing long ago!
And it’s important that we don’t just rush in willy nilly without a proper plan and proper safeguards. That means before we go into battle, we must put on the whole armour of God! As Bruh Paul wrote to the Ephesians: ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:10-11) Then in verse 12, he goes on to explain that it’s not a physical battle we’re fighting, but a spiritual one. However, we still need protection even in spiritual battles, just a different kind. And what’s that you ask?
Briefly speaking, it’s the truth of Christ girding your waist; the breastplate of righteousness guarding your chest; the eagerness of the gospel of peace on your feet; the shield of faith with which to divert the fiery arrows of the enemy; the helmet or hope of salvation to protect your head; the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God to fell your enemies, and finally prayer, which brings everything under its vital umbrella and without which no battle can be won!
So we have all that we need to fight the enemy, except the courage and desire to do it. But please, let’s remember that our great ‘God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) That means the only thing holding us back is our desire to engage the enemy, because we have everything else. And, sadly, that desire must come from deep within each of us, it must be a personal desire to sacrifice on Christ’s behalf. No one can make us do it.
And for those of us who are willing to put up that fight, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful, irreversible position in Christ Jesus. Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So let’s promise ourselves to see it nuh! Much LOVE!
…fighting the good fight for Christ…is the believer’s bounden duty…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
26 Jun 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: anuual church picnic, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, at the sign of triumph, be in the world but not of the world, be strong in the grace that's in Christ Jesus, be strong in the Lord, bringing into captivity every thought, Casting down imaginations, Christ the royal master leads against the foe, glory laud and honour unto Christ the king, in the wilds of nature, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise, LOVE, marching as to war, Onward Christian soldiers, put on the whole armour of God, Satan's host doth flee, spiritual hosts of wickedness in high places, stand strong and steadfast for Christ, that ye may stand against the wiles of he devil, the believer's greatest joy, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the sandals of the gospel of peace, the sword of the Spirit, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, thou therefore endure hardness, though we walk in the flesh, to fight to the death for Jesus, to the obedience of Christ, we do not war after the flesh, with the cross of jesus going on before
2 Timothy 2:4. Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
Come Sunday morning, we’ll be singing and praising our wonderful God on His day! And that’s just the way it ought to be, believers gathered together, be it physically in a sanctuary, by technological means, or outdoors in the wilds of nature, as my church will be doing today at our annual outdoors church service and picnic in a nearby park, the first for about three years. Now that’s all predicated on the weather staying warm and sunny like it’s been for the last number of days. But knowing how persnickety and contrary the weather can be these days, nothing can be taken for granted.
And for today’s song of praise, we have an oldie but goldie; one of our long time favourites, aptly titled ‘Onward Christian Soldiers,’ with lyric written by Sabine Baring-Gould in 1865, and the music by Arthur Sullivan in 1871. It’s become one of our ‘favouritest’ processional hymns, but underneath, it bears a strong incentive and encouragement to stand up strong and fight for Christ like we are in His army. So now, let’s raise our voices in sacrificial praise in a powerful, scintillating, sincere up-tempo version.
‘Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before! Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe; Forward into battle, see his banner go! (Refrain: Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before!) At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee; On, then, Christian soldiers, on to victory! Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise; Brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise! [Refrain]
Like a mighty army moves the church of God; Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod; We are not divided; all one body we, One in hope and doctrine, one in charity. [Refrain] Onward, then, ye people, join our happy throng, Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song; Glory, laud, and honor, unto Christ the King; This thro’ countless ages men and angels sing. [Refrain: Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before! With the cross of Jesus going on before!’
Yes friends, that was indeed rich and scintillating! And I do hope we truly meant every word we sang, and that those words will encourage us to go out today and in the upcoming week to stand strong and steadfast for Christ! Because we are in a war, a spiritual war, as Bruh Paul said to the Corinthians: ‘For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after (according) to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (of the flesh) but mighty through God (spiritual) to the pulling down of strongholds. Casting down imaginations (arguments, thoughts), 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. 10:3-5)
It means, that anything that doesn’t coincide with God’s word, we have to take spiritual authority over it and cast it out with the Lord’s help, because our mind is the battlefield where the spiritual war is being fought. Satan wants to take control of it, but we must use Christ’s power to withstand his evil machinations. That’s why Bruh Paul advised the Ephesians thus: ‘Finally my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:10-11)
Oh my brethren, we desperately need to be armoured up with God’s protection then stand up strong against Satan, for he carefully devises evil schemes and strategies against Christ’s people. And Bruh Paul continues to enlighten the Ephesians on the matter. ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood (we don’t fight against human beings), but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual hosts of wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you (take up, put on) the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the day, and having done all to stand.’ (Eph. 6:12-13)
Yes, my fellow saints without God’s armour, Christ’s church cannot fight the spiritual battle against the forces of evil that is currently being waged in our world. And some of you must be wondering what’s this armour of God. Well just like the battle we are fighting, the armour is spiritual. It consists of the loin cloth of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of the gospel peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And then praying always in the Spirit for all the saints.
Now, that’s basically God’s spiritual armour, but it’s very effective if we keep it on and use it right. And it’s the only way we are going to win the spiritual battle in which we are currently engaged. We must be good soldiers for Christ if we hope to make any headway against the enemy.
It’s like Bruh Paul said to Timothy on the subject. ‘Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.’ (2 Tim. 2:3-4)
There you have it friends! If we want to be good soldiers of Christ, we cannot afford to get tangled up with the affairs of this world. Remember Jesus expects us to be in the world, but not of the world. It’s not going to be easy, for the life of a soldier is never easy. In our personal discipleship we will suffer affliction and hardship which we need to overcome through the help of the Holy Spirit in conjunction with our spiritual armour and our own conviction in and LOVE for Jesus! And I do hope that our song today will indeed offer us some encouragement in our ongoing battles, both internally and against the evil forces of our evil world. Much LOVE!
… to fight to the death for Jesus…is the believer’s greatest joy…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
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