28 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid, abdicated our position, afraid of speaking up for Christ, become contented with the easy life, Bible, busy doing our own work, by the example we set, cause our passion to rise up, chaotic times, Christian shortcoming, christianity, Christians are not activating their saltiness, Christians are not shining, crying out for help, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, disastrous times, discontent, dissatisfaction, divine aid, divine help, faith, flavourless, Friday chant, glorify your Father which is in heaven, go to hell in a handbasket, good for nothing, have salt in yourselves, heralds the beginning of the weekend, holy spirit, if any man desire to be first, if the salt has lost it s flavour, if the salt have lost it saltiness, introduce a new flock of believers, it giveth light unto all that are in the house, Jesus Christ, Let your light so shine before men, lit a fire in some hearts and souls, living up to the expectations of Jesus, LOVE, major goal, make it through the week, mercy, neither do men light a candle, not good enough witnesses for Christ, not injecting enough salt into society, not making the kind of difference expected of us, omnipotent help, our basic problem, our earthly purpose, our sinful world, peace with one another, pride, problems are escalating, put it under a bushel, restoring faith in God, return backsliders to your fold, rise in the negative schemes of the evil one, salt is good, salvation, Satan's darkness, see your good works, self-centredness, shine in the world's darkness, show the suffering hordes, simmering unrest, stand strong and steadfast, TGIGF! Thank God it's Good Friday, the error of their ways, the fate that awaits our progeny, the generation that gifted the world to Satan, the God-sent day if Friday, the gospel of Jesus, the light of the world, the same shall be last, the servant of all, the throne of grace, the way to truth light and salvation, their bright freeing light, to be cast out, trodden under foot of men, truth, unexpected storms, unsalted, wake up and smell the coffee, wherewith will ye season it, wisdom, wise guidance, wouldn't look good on our resume, Ye are the light of the world, ye are the salt of the earth
Matthew 5:13a & 14 a. Ye are the salt of the earth … Ye are the light of the world.
And though Friday’s opened somewhat damp and cloudy, the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ still go up, because it heralds the beginning of our long-expected weekend. Yes, our major goal, from the time Monday rolls around, is to make it through the week, until that God-sent day of Friday. But truthfully, we ought to have a bigger and better perspective than that, like making a positive difference in our workplaces, our homes and wherever else we may go. In other words, living up to the high expectations of Jesus for His disciples.
Expectations like this one: ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ (Matt. 5:13) Oh my people, there’s no doubt that too many of us have lost our salt, no longer have that salty flavour we need to make a difference for Jesus!
Why? Who knows? Possibly because we don’t have time to do God’s work since we’re too busy doing our self-centred work. Or we are afraid of the possible consequences from speaking up for Christ? Or, we’ve simply become fat, lazy and contented, from the good earthly life we’re living. But whatever the reason(s), it’s obvious that we’re not making the kind of difference expected of us, we’re not injecting into our society enough of that most important substance, salt, or the gospel of Jesus, and the amazing LOVE that flows from it, otherwise our world would not be so angry, hateful, and strife-filled.
It’s truly sad to see so many supposed Christians behaving just like the non-believers. Oh, we might get righteous when we go to church on Sundays, but on Mondays we go right back to the same worldly, unchristian behaviour. Remember friends, we’re supposed to be in the world, to show the heathen how to live for Christ, not of the world; that’s to be living like them. And I like how the gospel of Mark reports Jesus’ comments on the subject. ‘Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltiness (its flavour), wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and peace one with another.’ (Mark 9:50)
And the scholars explain that ‘Salt from the Dead Sea contains impurities and becomes easily stale and unpleasant in taste. Salt in yourselves is the distinctive quality that marks the person devoted to God. The reference to peace ties in with verse 33, which precipitated this whole discourse.’ That’s the argument the disciples were having about who would be the greatest amongst them, while journeying through Galilee to Capernaum, which led Jesus to clarify the matter in His kingdom: ‘If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.’ (Mark 9:35)
Now, that should also be something we believers pay close attention to, for in this age, pride and self-centredness are rampant and no one wants to be a servant but to be served continually. And that flows very nicely into our next Christian shortcoming. Yes, being unsalted and flavourless is not the only one. (smile) No! We’ve also abdicated our position of being the light of the world as Jesus expects us to be. When He was here on earth, He was the light of the world, (John 8:12) but when He left, He transferred that designation to His followers, so that they could shine in the world’s darkness and show the suffering hordes the way to truth, light and salvation.
As He so clearly puts it: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14-16)
Yes my brethren, that’s what we ought to be doing; lighting our lamps for Jesus and proudly showing them to the whole world, so that they can be relieved of the restricting darkness that Satan desires to contain them in. It’s like Jesus said, a city that is built on a hill, cannot hide it’s light. Consequently, we ought to have our light shining brightly to all and sundry, as though it was situated on a hill, so that it can be seen far and wide. That’s our earthly purpose!
Oh my fellow saints, can’t we see how our world is suffering so terribly because of the sudden rise in the negative wiles and schemes of the evil one? And are we going to simply leave it to go to hell in the proverbial hand basket? I certainly hope not! Just think of the fate that awaits our progeny if we allow that to happen. And it certainly won’t look good on our resumé as being the generation that gifted it to Satan because of our lazy, fearful and ungodly behaviour. Nuff said! But I do hope that we’ve lit a fire in the hearts and souls of at least some of us, that will cause our passion to rise up and help us do better. (smile)
Now, if it’s divine help we need to improve, then let’s go to the throne of grace through our Friday Chant, seeking it, in these chaotic and disastrous times. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Ah friends, we all know our basic problem is that we’re not good enough witnesses for Christ, and until we improve in that area, divine aid will not be forthcoming! So, let’s get a move on nuh! Much LOVE!
…like the weather…the devil is turning our world dark and fearful…because Christians are not activating their saltiness…nor shining their bright freeing light into Satan’s darkness…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new flock of believers, better safe than sorry, breaking a mirror, by the example we set, call upon his name, Christmas is all about Jesus, Christmas shopping, crossing paths with a black cat, dire times, divine aid, embrace your love and compassion, error of their ways, faith, Friday chant, Friday the thirteenth, giving thanks always for all things, Happy Holidays, he is the Lord our God, hs judgements are in all the earth, in the fear of God, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the reason for the season, learn righteousness, let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord, LOVE, make known his deeds among the people, make me to understand the way of thy preccepts, making melody in your heart to god, meditate on thy wondrous works, O Give thanks unto the Lord, old wives' tales, omnipotent help, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, seek his face evermore, seek the Lord and his strength, seven years of bad luck, sinful ways, sing psalms unto him, sing unto him, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns, spilling salt, submitting yourselves one to another, talk about Christ and Christmas, talk of his wondrous works, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, The Christmas season, the inhabitants of the earth, the judgements of his mouth, thy face Lord will I seek, truth, ungodly world, wake up and smell the coffee, walking under a ladder, wisdom
Psalm 105:7. ‘He is the Lord our God: and his judgements are in all the earth.’
And then it was Friday, Friday the thirteenth! But since our total trust is in our Saviour Jesus Christ, we don’t pay any attention to the old wives’ tales which surround such a date. Tales like breaking a mirror, which brings seven years of bad luck, walking under a ladder, spilling salt, and crossing paths with a black cat. We do our best to ignore them because that’s not what Jesus teaches, but what’s interesting though, is if we realize in time that one of those things is about to happen, we’ll most likely do our best to avoid it. (smile) As the old adage says, better safe than sorry.
Anyhow, on this sunny but chilly Friday morning, we’ve already sent up our shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ We have the time to catch up on our Christmas shopping, baking and all the other things we do in the Christmas season. However, let’s remember that those things are merely the result of the season, not the cause of it. Jesus is the reason for the season of Christmas.
So, all the foolishness about Happy Holidays and whatever terminology is used by the unbelievers to describe it, is pure hogwash, for if Christ had not been born, there would have been no holidays or anything else resembling it at this time. Therefore, in our daily lives, let’s make sure we talk about Christmas and Christ being the reason for all the festivities, and not leave Him conveniently out of the mix. End of Sermon.
And today we’ll look at a few of the opening verses of Psalm 105, titled – God’s Wondrous Works, which gives a historical account of Israel and its association with Almighty God. We are first admonished: ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.
Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgements of his mouth; O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen. He is the Lord our God: his judgements are in all the earth.’ (Ps. 105:1-7)
Ah friends what wise advice, especially in this festive season of Christmas, where we are celebrating God’s greatest gift to us, the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and Deliverer! How could we not give Him much thanks and praise for all He’s done for us, and make His awesome deeds known to the people far and wide. As Psalm 119 says: ‘Make me to understand the way of thy precepts (my duties in your name): so shall I talk of (meditate on) thy wondrous works.’ (Ps. 119:27)
And consequently, we ought to be singing joyful songs of praise unto Him, or as Bruh Paul writes to the Ephesians: ‘Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to God. Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph. 5:19-21) Now that’s exactly what we ought to be doing this Christmas season on a much greater scale, while leaving the gifts, the shopping and the food preparation to take a lesser role.
Yes, we ought to be glorying much more in the name of Jesus than we’re currently doing, and letting our hearts rejoice as we seek the presence of our wonderful God. Unfortunately, believers are not doing enough of those things, even at this Christmas season, we’re still more focused on the worldly than the spiritual things. As the psalm so rightly tells us: Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.’ (Ps. 105:4)
Oh my people, there is no way we could ever go wrong if we do that from the sincerity of our hearts! But if we don’t, we’ll keep on going in the wrong direction, just like the world is right now. It’s like Bruh David says in Psalm 27 – My Heart Shall Not Fear. ‘When thou saidst, Seek my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face Lord, will I seek.’ (Ps. 27:8) So why are we not seeking God’s face much more in these times of dire need eh?
Because we’ve gotten too big for our britches; we feel with all our knowledge and technological inventions, we have become a god unto ourselves. But friends, let’s not go down that road any longer, or further, for we are simply deluding ourselves by thinking that we can run our own lives. In this strife-filled, evil and ungodly world, it’s oh so important that we remember, ‘He is the Lord our God: and his judgements are in all the earth.’ (Ps. 105:7)
Yes my fellow saints; it’s like Isaiah says: ‘With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgements are in the earth, the inhabitants of the earth will learn righteousness.’ (Is. 26:9) And we all know that the judgements of the Lord are in the earth, otherwise it would not be such a chaotic and disastrous scene, so let’s do our best to learn righteousness nuh. And we can begin right now, by going to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, asking for divine aid in these dire times.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Let’s remember now, that we will only see divine aid, if we wake up from our sinful ways and begin being much better witnesses for Christ Jesus in this ungodly world! Much LOVE!
…whatever you may think…Christmas…is all about Jesus…
08 Dec 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: as unto the Lord and not unto men, be responsible, become faithful believers, by the example we set, change our evil ways, Christ-like character, crying out for help, diligence, do anything to escape wor, do it with thy might, embrace your love and compassion, excellence, faith, fervent in spirit, Friday chant, handle the unexpected storms, high level of entitlement, humility, intregirty, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus Christ, LOVE, not slothful in business, of the Lord, our society despises work, receive the reward of the inheritance, repent of our sincs, return backsliders to your fold, serving the Lord, simmering unrest, stay safe, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the error of their ways, there is no work device knowledge nor wisdom in the grave, truth, wake up and smell the coffee, whatsoever thy had findeth to do, whatsoever ye do do it heartily, wisdom, wise guidance, ye serve the Lord Christ
Colossians 3:23. And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men.
And then it was Friday, that magical day we all long for and pray to see, so that we can joyfully declare: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ And we don’t care so much what the weather is like once it’s Friday and our work week is winding down. And by the way, today will be mostly cloudy, though somewhat warmer than normal.
But what a way our society doesn’t treasure work eh! Some of us will do anything to get away from it, even when doing nothing is more difficult than working. I’ve seen people go to a job and spend the entire 8 or twelve hours trying to shirk the li’l work involved. But come quitting time and payday, they’re brazen enough to find fault, although they haven’t performed their duties to the best of their abilities. But that’s the way of life these days!
The level of supposed entitlement is dreadfully high in today’s wasteful and lazy society. Don’t know how we got to that awful stage, but hopefully though, true believers in Christ, who are expected to do their best under all circumstances, will not fall into that trap of Satan. And yes, sometimes that’s difficult, especially when you see others continually lazing around with no adverse consequences, and receiving the same remuneration as yourself.
Let’s remember though my brethren that in the long run, we are working for Almighty God, not for men, and He expects us to put our best foot forward at all times, even when it’s difficult and/or unfair. As Bruh Paul writes so emphatically to the Colossians, in the passage where he describes some of the duties and responsibilities of husbands and wives, fathers, children and slaves: ‘And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men. Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.’ (Col. 3:23-24)
Yes friends, whatever we do, whatever kind of work we are doing, we ought to work heartily at it. In other words ‘with all your heart and all the different ways that plays out in scripture, with Christ-like character, with honesty, with diligence, with integrity, with humility.’ And why is that you ask? The second verse answers the question. We know that if we do as the Lord desires, we will receive an inheritance of reward from Him, for we are serving Christ.
And then this last verse in the passage confirms the wisdom of working as for the Lord and not for man. ‘But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.’ (Col. 3:25) There we have it my brethren; however we do our work, there shall be consequences involved, either good or bad, but that depends entirely on us.
And not only Bruh Paul encourages us to work diligently, but Cousin Sol, as he is won’t to do, (smile) also has a take on the subject. Writing as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes, in a passage where he extols his readers to live joyfully, he exhorts: ‘Live joyfully (enjoy life) with the wife whom thou LOVEST all the days of the life of thy vanity (empty life), which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest (performest) under the sun. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.’ (Eccl. 9:10)
Trust Cousin Sol to say it like it is. We ought to enjoy our lives, for that’s our portion granted to us by God. Whatever we’re doing then, we ought to do it well, for there’s no work where we’re all going to end up eventually; that’s the grave. That reminds us of another scripture, where Bruh Paul is writing to the church at Rome, telling them about overcoming evil with good. Part of the passage exhorts believers to ‘Be kindly affectioned (be affectionate) one to another, with brotherly LOVE, in honour preferring (giving preference to) one another; Not slothful in business (lagging in diligence), fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.’ (Rom. 12:10-11)
There we have it again my people; the importance of doing whatever we do well, because it’s ultimately in the Lord’s service! And earlier in Colossians chapter 3, where Bruh Paul talks about putting on the new man, he ends with these encouraging words. ‘And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’ (Col. 3:17) So we see my fellow saints, that it’s not only our work we should be diligent in, and do it as unto God rather than men, but whatever we say or do in this life ought to be done in Christ’s name, so that the Father can get the thanks and glory, He so well deserves.
And having said all of that, let’s now go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine help to do all that we’ve spoken about. Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And as we all know, the first rule in receiving divine help is to repent of our sins and change our evil ways, and become truly faithful believers. So let’s set about doing those things nuh! Much LOVE!
…Jesus expects diligence and excellence…in ALL things…from His followers…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
17 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new flock of believers, all good things end sometime, assured faith in Christ, be of good cheer, be strong and steadfast in our faith, by the example we set, faith, faith only grows through suffering, Friday chant, God is faithful, He is faithful that promised, holy spirit, i have overcome the world, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the only one we can totally trust, let us hold fast the profession of our faith, live the abundant life Jesus died for us to have, LOVE, make a way to escape, nothing good or bad lasts forever, omnipotent help, our sins could be forgiven, Praise the Lamb that was slain, restoring faith in you, simmering unrest, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the Christian life is tough, truth, with the temptation
Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast to the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).
Well, the beautiful sunny days look like they have ended on this last day of the work week, as we shout: TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ Yes, friends, it cloudy and windy and the presence of some kind of precipitation is in the air. But as we know, all good things must end sometime or the other, no good nor bad thing lasts forever. That’s why we have such strong belief and faith in Christ Jesus, because He has promised to be always with us in our every circumstance, and to eventually work them all out for out good! And the Good Book tells us that He who promises is faithful to deliver on His promises.
Wow! That’s why the author of the Book of Hebrews so candidly laid it out for us, when he wrote: ‘Let us hold fast to the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).’ (Heb. 10:23) Yes my people, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is indeed faithful to His every promise, He has never reneged, and will never renege on even one! That’s why we need to be strong and steadfast in our faith and hope in Him, for He is the ONLY ONE in whom we can put our total trust, and surrender our entire being to. Praise His holy name you faithful saints! Praise the Lamb that was slain so that we could be forgiven of our abominable sins! May He reign in glory for ever and ever! Amen!
Ah mih bredrin, the Christian life is tough, for it’s not easy to have strong and steadfast faith in Christ and then grow more faithful and righteous like Him every day, because that’s what discipleship calls for, and it’s what the Father expects of us. And the sad part of it all is that we only grow in faith through suffering and hardship, through trials and tribulation. That means to be a lifelong believer, you will always be faced by some problem or the other. Life will NEVER be clear sailing all the time, in due course, inclement weather will undoubtedly arrive at your doorstep. And only when we have that assured faith in Christ, will we ever be able to handle it.
The truth of the matter is that the more problems you encounter, the more your faith grows and the easier it gets the next time around. And I know that’s no consolation, but it’s the truth! (smile) But these encouraging words of Jesus do make things a tad easier. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
Yes my fellow saints, Jesus has indeed overcome the world, by defeating hell, death and the grave and rising on the third day, and thus has also given all believers the victory. We now just have to endure the tough times this world has to offer, and to assist us in that endeavour, He’s generously given us His Holy Spirit to be our Guide, Comforter, Helper and Reminder of His truth, so that we can live the abundant life that He died for us to have, beginning right here on earth.
Give Almighty God the praise for all He’s had Jesus do on our behalf! That’s why Bruh Paul in his first letter to the church at Corinth, could write thus: ‘God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (1 Cor. 1:9) And later in that same letter, he wrote these words of encouragement: ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13)
The problem with that verse though is too many of us focus on the word ‘escape.’ However, in the Lord’s vocabulary, ‘escape’ doesn’t always mean literal escape. Many times it means, enabling us to go through the tough circumstances, not bypassing them completely. Yes, sometimes, God will allow us to escape certain things completely, but more often than not, He will give us the strength and the wherewithal to bear the temptations, because in doing so we will grow and mature in our faith, and that’s His plan for each and every one of His born again children.
And since we’re not doing as well as we ought to in these difficult and ungodly times, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, and ask for divine help to do better. Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land.
We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And my fellow saints, I’m sure the Lord sometimes chuckles when He hears our prayers for help, prayers which include the very thing(s) we need to do to get it. Like above there where we say: ‘And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set.’ Now that’s exactly what we need to get divine help, set a better example than we’re currently doing! Much LOVE!
…faithful is he that calleth you…who also will do it… (1 Thess. 5:24)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
24 Feb 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a mature manner, attain mature spirituality, be responsible, beholding as in a glass the glory of God, being confident of this very thing, bring backsliders back to your fold, by the example we set, changed into the same image, Christian walk, Christlikeness, embrace your love and compassion, forgive our sins, Friday chant, from glory to glory, greater intimacy with God, he also did predestinate, he which hath begun a good work in you, introduce a new flock of believers, it takes two to tango, justified, lead us on the right path, Lent, live the abundant life, LOVE, made righteous, omnipotent help, reconciled to God, sanctified, see Christ as He is, show them the error of their ways, simmering unrest, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the cost of discipleship is high, the fall of Adam, the firstborn among many brethren, the Holy Ghost, the workhorse of the Trinity, to be conformed to the image of his Son, whom he did foreknow, will perform it until the day of Jesus, wine roses and song, wise guidance, with open face
Philippians 1:6. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.
Oh boy, it’s Friday! Cold but sunny! That calls for a ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here!’ Yes, it’s all well and good to thank God that it’s Friday and the start of the weekend, but please remember we’re in the Lenten season now, and we’re not supposed to get into all the partying and the other things of the flesh that we usually lust after. It’s a time for serious introspection, seeing where we’re falling down, or falling short in our Christian walk, then turning to God and asking for His divine help to correct our mistakes, forgive our sins, and lead us once more on the right path in a more intense and mature manner.
Oh my people, Lent is a great time to grow up in Christ, to attain a more mature spirituality, as we read, study and contemplate God’s word and get into closer, more affectionate contact, greater intimacy with Him. Remember His basic goal is for all of us to become more Christ-like, as Bruh Paul wrote to the Roman church. ‘For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.’ (Rom. 8:29)
Now isn’t that wonderful? It surely is! The Lord wants a family of brothers and sisters like Christ, who will be the elder brother, the first-born sibling. And you can only become like Christ if you study about Him and try to do what He says, do as He did and still does. God’s purpose, from the fall of Adam, has always been to bring us back to Him, back to Him in the likeness of Christ. He preordained that. And this scripture from Philippians ensures it. Bruh Paul writes: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6)
Wow! What an awesome reassurance! Once God has embarked on changing us to Christlikeness, that is slowly, from glory to glory, He will NEVER stop until Christ returns. We can bet our bottom dollar on that! Then there is this associated scripture: ‘But we all with open (unveiled) face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed (being transformed) into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.’ (2 Cor. 3:18)
Ah friends, the Spirit of the Lord is the enabler in our changing into the likeness of Christ. Yes, the Holy Spirit is the workhorse, so to speak, of our Holy Trinity. He does all the work now that Jesus has done His part; dying for us and having us being reconciled to God, justified, sanctified, made righteous and all the other good stuff we receive through His sacrificial death. The Holy Spirit is now in charge of leading, guiding and changing us.
The only problem though in this whole scenario is that we have to be willing to follow the dictates and leading of the Holy Spirit, to go the distance, the extra mile, to endure the difficulties and whatsoever stumbling blocks that crop up along the way. And yuh better believe they will. Jesus said it quite plainly: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
There again is reassurance from Jesus. Although we will certainly endure problems and trials, we can always find the peace and fortitude to bear them through His grace and mercy. But we have to believe all of that. And it’s ofttimes a problem for many of us when the world seems to be falling down around us, but please remember that Jesus died so that we could live, that we could live the abundant life, and it will not always be wine, roses and song, because that’s not the face of the real world.
And above all, Christianity is not for cowards. If we want to follow Christ, then we must stand tall and courageous like He did. Remember the cost of discipleship is high. Jesus said it thus: ‘If any man, will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) Yes my people, that’s what it takes to truly follow Jesus; sacrificing one’s own will for His, and doing it on a daily basis too. Nothing less will do.
But we should not allow that to scare us from becoming true disciples of Jesus, for it’s not every day we are actually called on to sacrifice something big, neither do we have trials and tribulations every day. It’s just that when the occasion calls for us to come up higher, we must be prepared and willing to do so.
And remember too that Jesus never asks us to do stuff and doesn’t give us the wherewithal, or the anointing to do it. So although life can be very difficult at times when we sincerely want to follow Christ, overall, it’s not a bad as it sounds, and very interesting and rewarding, for with Jesus, you’ll go places and do things that other humans will never go or do. And besides, if we follow the leading of the Holy Ghost, we won’t find ourselves in as many tough spots as if we don’t. (smile)
Now here is this other verse that falls in well with our transformation to Christ-likeness. John says in his first epistle. ‘Beloved, now are we the sons (children) of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.’ (1 John 3:2) Yes my fellow saints, we know we are changing, becoming more like Christ in discipleship, but until He shows up the next time, our transformation will not be complete, and then we’ll see who He really is, see Him face to face, and truly become like Him! All glory be to God my people!
Now, let’s go home with a word of prayer, our Friday Chant, placing our entire life and world in God’s capable hands. As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land.
So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to return backsliders to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set.
Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, to achieve all we desire, it’s imperative that we keep our part of our covenant with God. And we all know what that entails; basic obedience to His holy will. Much LOVE!
…it takes two to tango…God has already done His part through Jesus…it’s now our time to get on the floor…..and show our stuff…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
06 Jan 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: afterwards it yields, be responsible and stay safe, by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, by the example we set, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, divine help, embrace your love and compassion, fed thee with manna, Friday chant, God's the same yesterday today and for ever, introduce a new flock of believers, it is written, LOVE, man shall not live by bread alone, no chastening for the present seems joyful, our God doesn't change, pandemic, practice living by God's word, return backsliders to your fold, show them the error of their ways, stand strong and steadfast, suffered thee to hunger, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the materialistic ways of this evil world, the peaceable fruit of righteousness, them which are exercised (trained) by it, to humble thee, to prove thee, trusting faith, wake up and smell the coffee, whom the Lord loves he chastens, wondered in the wilderness for forty long years, wrong and strong
Matthew 4:4. It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
And then, finally and thankfully, it was Friday! And though the rain has stopped in my area, the day is still damp and cloudy, but it didn’t stop people from joyfully shouting: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ Some are glad that they can rest their tired souls and bodies after the Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations, while others are just dying to continue those celebrations. (smile) However, let’s remember that although Jesus participated in several feasts as His Jewish faith required, when tempted by Satan, He still rebuked him thus: ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’ (Matt. 4:4)
And it will surely do us a wealth of good this year of 2023 if we practice living by God’s Word rather than the materialistic ways of this evil world. Now all Jesus did when He rebuked Satan was quote the word of God to Him. and that quote is actually written in Deuteronomy. Listen, as Moses triggered the Israelites memories of God’s care in the wilderness.
‘And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the Lord doth man live.
Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee (thy clothing did not wear out), neither did thy foot swell, these forty years. Thou shalt also consider in thine heart (know), that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee. Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.’ (Deut. 8:2-6)
Now my brethren, there’s a lot we can learn from those scriptures. First of all, the Lord allowed His chosen people to suffer so He could test them. And that ought to remind us that since we declare that our God doesn’t change, He’s the same yesterday, and today, and forever, (Heb. 13:8; Mal. 3:6) that means He’s still testing those who call themselves His people. That’s us. And yuh know what? Like the Israelites, we’re not taking the testing too well. (smile) We’re complaining all the way to the Promised Land.
That’s why some of us are having more difficult lives than others although we seem to live the same lifestyles. Complaining will kill us every time my people, especially if we claim to believe in God’s LOVE for us, and His faithful intent to work out all that happens for our eventual good. (Rom. 8:28) That’s why the Israelites wondered in the wilderness for forty long years: because of disobedience and distrust. Why would our lives today be any different eh?
The next thing we should note is that although the Lord chastens His people, He never totally leaves them to suffer. Yes, although the Israelites had it rough in the wilderness, their clothes never wore out, their feet didn’t swell and they always had food, heavenly manna, which they didn’t know and didn’t like, but it kept them healthy. (smile) But it was all due to the Lord’s compassion. And it’s the very same way the Lord deals with us today. He chastens us, but does not set us adrift, or apart from Him. His continuing to bother with us proves that He LOVES us unconditionally, as He’s said from the very beginning.
That brings us to these everlastingly important verses of scripture, especially in these turbulent and unprincipled times. The timely words of the author of Hebrews. ‘For consider him that endured such contradictions (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (discouraged) in your minds (souls). Ye have not resisted unto blood (bloodshed), striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children (sons),
My son, despise not thou the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked by him. For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then ye are bastards (illegitimate), and not sons.’ (Heb. 12:3-8)
It’s simple friends; just like our earthly fathers discipline us when we do wrong (vs. 9-10), likewise, if we disobey God’s word, He disciplines us. The problem though is that none of us like to be disciplined even when we’ve done wrong, and that’s very emphasized in our current society where the state of entitlement is so prevalent. Meaning that we desire to sin as we want and to not be chastened for it. But as the Bible further enlightens us: ‘Now no chastening (discipline) for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised (trained) thereby.’ (Hebr. 12:11)
Oh my people, it’s just a natural part of life; if you do wrong, then you have to pay the price. It’s like Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) likes to say: ‘You reap what you sow; more than you sow and later than you sow.’ And that’s the gospel truth, it’s a life principle we ought not to forget. And as we look around our strife-filled and sinful world today, let’s remember that our saving grace is to live by the Word of God, and be determined to do that, this year of 2023!
Now let’s go to God, through our Friday Chant, for divine help to do it. As one sincere voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to return backsliders to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now friends, it’s up to us live those promises so that God can answer us in a positive manner. Much LOVE!
…you can’t expect to live wrong and strong…all the time…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
30 Dec 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: above all these things put on charity, be responsible, bowels of mercies, by the example we set, divesting oneself of the old, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, embrace your love and compassion, envy and jealousy, forbearing one another, forgive as Christ forgave us, forgiving one another, Friday chant, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him, heartfelt compassion, joyful expectations, leave our old behaviour behind, LOVE, New Year's Eve, pandemic, petty bickering, put on the new man, simmering unrest, singing with grace in your hearts, spiritual maturity, stay safe, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the bond of perfectness, the church is fertile soil for blessings, the need for forbearance and forgiveness, when peace reigns among God's people, wise guidance
Colossians 3:14. And above all these things put on charity (LOVE), which is the bond of perfectness.
And so we come to Friday…and the shouts of TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ are even louder than usual, because this is another long weekend, and a more party going one too; New Year’s Eve! What a time of celebration the end of 2022 will be! It’s been a tough, unexpected, uncontrollable year, but we’ll make sure and close it off with joyful expectations for 2023. (smile) But please my people, don’t expect 2023 to be any better than 2022 unless we work to make it better. It’s going to be another tough year, but hopefully not as tough as this past one.
And it’s only going to improve if we believers do as Bruh Paul warned the Colossians way back when. As we said yesterday, we have to actively put on the new man, leave all our old behaviour behind and put our sincere trust in Christ Jesus: ‘Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond (slave) nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.’ (Col. 3:11) Yes friends, that’s the attitude we believers need to adopt in this new year.
And as always, after giving us the theory, Bruh Paul gives us the practical lessons. (smile) In this case, he says: ‘Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies (tender mercies), kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering (patience); Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.’ (Col. 3:12-13)
Oh my people, that is the only way our lives and that of Christ’s church will ever improve, regardless of what kind of year we have! We absolutely need to take on those virtues and qualities that lead to peace and ‘bowels of mercies’ or heartfelt compassion. None of us has arrived, or become so mature that we don’t need these lessons.
And thus, the scholars explain: ‘As the believer is developing these virtues, he must be forbearing and forgiving toward his fellow church member. For his Christian brother is also in the process of acquiring the virtues of verse 12 and therefore retains some flaws, deficiencies, and weaknesses. Hence the need of forbearance and forgiveness.’
And that’s all so true my brethren! We all still have flaws and some residue from the old man; therefore we all need to have patience and forgiveness towards each other as we all are in the growing and maturing process of Christian living. Without that forbearance and forgiveness, it will all fall back into the shambles it currently is! And please remember how Christ forgave us! That alone should encourage us to be patient with and forgiving to others! Now that’s not all, for Bruh Paul continues the lesson in putting on the new man. (smile) ‘And above all these things put on charity (LOVE), which is the bond of perfectness.’ (Col. 3:14)
And is it ever! Here’s how the scholars explain that verse. ‘Charity is LOVE, here called the bond of perfectness. LOVE is the crowning grace completing the list of virtues required for perfectness or spiritual maturity. As a “bond” it binds all other virtues together in harmony and unity.’ Wow! And it’s the gospel truth! No wonder we say that LOVE makes the world go round! And the lack of LOVE in our world today is what’s making it not go round as smoothly as it ought.
Therefore, in Bruh Paul’s words: ‘And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.’ (Col. 3:15) Yes friends, ‘the peace of God is the harmony and concord created by God among His people. And when that rules in our hearts, it means that whatever course of action that brings peace and harmony is the course to be taken by disagreeing believers.’ Then too, Bruh Paul highly recommends: ‘Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.’ (Col. 3:16)
Oh what wonderful advice my faithful brethren! And the scholars tell us that ‘When believers are forbearing, forgiving (vs. 13), and LOVING (vs. 14) toward one another, when peace reigns among God’s people (vs. 15), then the church is fertile soil for the blessings produced by the word of Christ.’ There’s so much truth in that my people! And it’s one of the main reasons why today’s church is so infertile; too much petty bickering, envy and jealousy, which makes for a divided and therefore weak church!
Meanwhile, Bruh Paul closes this section with these words. ‘And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’ (Col. 3:17) That’s the clincher my fellow saints! Doing all we do in Christ’s name, with thanks to our heavenly Father! Without that, nothing will work! And the scholars reinforce that by saying: ‘The beneficial influence produced by the indwelling word of Christ is not only to affect public and private worship (v.16), but it is also to control all areas of Christian life.’
Glory be my people! That tells us that the Christian life is a complete entity in itself. It does have different parts, but all must be lived out before one can claim perfectness or spiritual maturity. And that’s what we’re aiming for in the upcoming year of 2023 my fellow saints; a heightened maturity! We might not get to be perfect, but we must improve our level of Christ-like behaviour, if our world is to become any better than it currently is. Matter fix!
Now, let’s go home declaring (yeah!!!) our Friday Chant asking the Lord for His divine help to do all that we said needs to be done. As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to return backsliders to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And all our pleading will be useless, unless we get serious and do what we know we need to do! Much LOVE!
…one can only be a new man…by divesting oneself of the old…and putting on the new…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
25 Nov 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, all that go a whoring from thee, be responsible, be well fed, Black Friday, bring backsliders back to your fold, by the example we set, confusion, Cyber Monday, depart from me ye that work iniquity, doorcrasher sales, dwell in the land, embrace your love and compassion, Fret not thyself over evildoers, Friday chant, havoc, I was envious of the foolish, introduce a new flock, it is good to draw near to God, LOVE, my feet were almost gone, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity, omnipotent help, our sinful world, reason for living, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the true state of the wicked, the workers of iniquity do flourish, then I understood their end, they shall soon be cut down like grass, trust in the Lord and do good, until I went into the sanctuary of God, utterly consumed with terrors, wake up and smell the coffee, wither as the green herb
Psalm 37:1. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
So finally it’s Friday, and everyone has already shouted: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here!’ But many others have also shouted: ‘Thank God Black Friday is here, and the stores are filled with all kinds of sales, sales to die for!’ And believe me, over the last few years that this greedy, merchant invention on the Friday after Thanksgiving, has been in progress, several people have died when violence has broken out over stuff in the stores or in the lines outside the stores with the door crasher nonsense. But the merchants don’t care, because they are getting more foot traffic through their businesses, which means more money for them, their prime reason for living.
And the sad part is that many of the supposed sale items are not really on sale, but just appear to be, or there are only a few on sale, which they use to draw unsuspecting customers into the store, knowing that once in there, you will buy other stuff at regular or even inflated prices. But yet still we fall for the lies and deceptions of the merchants, iniquity workers, the devotees of Satan. And then comes this Monday, or Cyber Monday, another recently invented shopping day, when the stuff is online and all the computers and servers are going a mile a minute.
I have to laugh yes, because some people have been bugging me all week about Black Friday sales and I’ve just checked out the stuff I might have been interested in, but they are all the same prices pre the Black Friday Sale. So the great Black Friday hype is of no use to me. Once upon a time there was nothing between Halloween and Christmas, but now we’ve found a way to increase our shopping days at Thanksgiving. Hn! How ingenious are our merchants! And what does the Good Library, the Bible, tell us about iniquity workers? A whole lot my brethren.
Bruh David said it so well in Psalm 37, that famous treatise on ‘The true state of the wicked.’ He wisely advises: ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.’ (Ps. 37:1-2) And that’s wisdom in spades my people! If you are a child of God, then you don’t have to worry about evildoers for the Lord has faithfully promised that they will get their comeuppance in due time. And there are numerous scriptures that describe the eventual demise of the wicked.
Let’s check out a few. Psalm 92 declares: ‘O Lord how great are thy works! And thy thoughts are very deep. A brutish (senseless) man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this. When the wicked spring (up, sprout) as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed forever: But thou Lord art most high for evermore. For, lo, thine enemies, O Lord, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered. But my horn (strength) shalt thou exalt like a unicorn (wild ox): I shall be anointed with fresh oil.’ (Ps. 92:5-10)
Yes friends, the Lord will destroy the wicked but exalt the righteous in His own time. Then there are these knowledgeable and wise, warning words form Asaph in his famous psalm – The mystery of prosperous wickedness. He says: ‘Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean (pure) heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone (I had almost stumbled); my steps had wellnigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.’ (Ps. 73:1-3)
Oh my brethren that’s what envy of the prosperous wicked does to us. And if a supposed holy and righteous man like Asaph could be tempted to be envious of iniquity workers, we ought to pay close attention to ourselves too. And please note that although he knew of his folly, he had a hard time getting rid of that envy (vs. 12-16) he only found solace from that envy ‘Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end.
Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction, How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors…For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed them all that go a whoring from (are unfaithful to) thee. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ (Ps. 73:17-19, 27-28)
And that’s exactly how it ought to be my faithful brethren! Now listen to this last scripture, words from Jesus Himself, when talking about false prophets who at the end times will be calling out to Him for mercy, claiming that they had casted out devils (demons), prophesied, and done many wonderful works (miracles), all in His name. But Jesus declares: ‘And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (lawlessness).’ (Matt. 7:23)
Oh friends, I know it’s difficult watching the wicked and greedy grow from strength to strength, while you in your righteousness are not progressing as the world understands progress, but please don’t let the prosperity of the evildoers bring you down to the point where you want to join them, because their prosperity is only for a short time here on earth, while the prosperity of the righteous shall go on right down through eternity, if we don’t give up. And it all comes together, through strong faith, ceaseless prayer and plenty thanksgiving. So let’s indulge in all of that right now nuh, through our Friday Chant.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the several viruses and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the viruses and the simmering unrest in our land.
So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways.
And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land that’s threatening to boil over, as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
That means we must now devote ourselves to having a clean heart and right motives, so that the Lord can positively answer our prayer. Much LOVE!
…let’s trust in the Lord…and do good…so that we shall dwell in the land…and be well fed… (Ps. 37:3)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ
26 Aug 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: anxiety, be responsible and stay safe, bring backsliders back to your fold, by the example we set, confusion in our world, cowering in fear of the world, embrace your love and compassion, except your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, faith without works is dead, Friday chant, full of dead men's bones., God's mercies and compassions, introduce a new flock, laughing in the face of Christianity, listing towards the devil, LOVE, nothing but a show, of all uncleanness, omnipotent help, show them the error of their ways, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the leadership realm, to do nothing is to do something, wake up and smell the coffee, we only have ourselves to blame, whited sepulchres, within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity, ye outwardly appear righteous unto men, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven
Matthew 23:28. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (lawlessness).
And what do we say on this cloudy Friday morning, the last one in August of 2022? ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! The weekend’s here and we’re alive and kicking!’ Yes friends, we are ever so glad to be alive on another momentous day, where a brand new batch of God’s mercies and compassions have been formulated and dispensed once again for us to enjoy. (smile) What a wonderful God we serve my people!
However, I don’t believe we show Him enough LOVE and gratitude for all that He’s done, is doing, and has promised to do for us, otherwise our good ship, namely our world, would not be listing so badly towards the devil and his dark and evil ways. The name and wonderful ways of Jesus Christ ought to be leading the world instead of Satan’s evil ugliness. And we only have ourselves to blame for that, since we don’t do His work, and sincerely proclaim His name as much as we ought to.
And this most appropriate verse jumped out at me just now when I went looking for a scripture to prove my point. It’s Jesus talking to the multitudes during the Sermon on the Mount, where He declares to them, in no uncertain fashion: ‘For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case (by no means) enter into the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. 5:20).
Now, In Jesus’ day, that was a very damning remark against those groups of leaders, since they were looked upon as the most religious people in all of Israel. However, their religiosity was largely outward show, with little or no inward sincerity. That’s why Jesus also had more scathing words for them: ‘Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited sepulchres (tombs), which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (lawlessness).’ (Matt. 23:27-28)
Wow! I believe those are some of Jesus’ most vitriolic words, and imagine that nuh, they were spoken to the religious leaders of the day. And if Jesus says it’s so, then it was obviously so! (smile) But before we continue, here’s an interesting tidbit on the subject from the scholars. They say of the term ‘Whited sepulchres: Since contact with a dead body rendered a person unclean under the Mosaic Law, graves were customarily painted white to make them conspicuous and give the opportunity of avoiding contact with them.’
So, we see where Jesus got the concept from, and how appropriate it was to the leaders, as well as understandable to His listeners. Now, getting back to the hypocrisy and iniquity of the scribes and Pharisees, we are currently seeing the same sort of hypocritical behaviour from a large portion of the supposed Christian population, especially in the leadership realm. Every day there’s some sort of scandal about a religious leader, and not of any one denomination either, but in almost all of them.
Now how can that kind of scandalous behaviour work for the benefit of Christ eh? It certainly can’t! That’s why so many people are turning away from Christ and laughing in the face of Christianity. And we the ordinary congregants are no better than our leaders, because we also talk a good spiritual talk, but our actual walk is also rather hypocritical; we don’t do what we say, or what we advise others to do. We put on a good show, but almost always, that’s all it ever is, nothing but a show!
That means we are no better than the scribes and Pharisees of old. and that’s why Christ’s movement is not further ahead than that of Satan! We supposed believers ought to be standing up strong and steadfast against the world’s evil doers and doings, but more often than not, we are instead cowering in fear of what the world can do to us, or in cahoots with the world, enjoying its lusts and pleasures, or we simply don’t care and thus do nothing. But please remember that to do nothing IS to do something, just not something useful for whatever cause you believe in!
And just think about this for a moment nuh…what kind of people are we, how can we claim to believe in Christ Jesus and yet do so little to acclaim His name, but so much to bring shame and disgrace to it? And yet we still expect Him to positively answer our prayers and problems. Hn! It seems we believe that our God is there to placate our every whim and fancy, but the truth is, we have been made to satisfy His desires, and if we don’t, then we’ll pay the consequences. It’s as simple as that. And believe me, there will be serious, life changing consequences for our hypocritical, two-faced behaviour, unless we smarten up right away and begin doing what we know we should be doing. End of sermon!
Now let’s go to God through our Friday Chant and ask for His divine help and forgiveness. As one sincere voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets.
So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways.
And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, for our sakes, but more so, those of our children, let’s wake up and do the right things nuh, because our progeny will pay the price for our unrighteousness. Much LOVE!
…instead of talking our faith…let’s show it instead by our sincere works nuh…for faith without works is dead…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
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