09 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: about the tough rows I've hoed, according to his riches in glory, all at once, all things work together for good, and was dead, appreciate what we have, battle to the death, be in good health, be of good cheer, Bible, called according to His purpose, christianity, Christians are not pushovers, consider one another, courage, don't know our right hand from our left, don't worry about that much, Drinking from my Saucer, earthly sojourn, eternal second death, ever-faithful, exhorting one another, faith, fellowship, fight the enemy, giving up is never an option, go along life's journey, God never fails, God will provide for all of our needs, God's strength is made perfect in my weakness, gospel truth, have the keys of hell and death, He is faithful that promised, hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, holy spirit, I am alive for evermore, I am he that liveth, I encourage you today, i have overcome the world, I pronounce a blessing on your life, I shall not want, I thank God for all his blessings, I'm already blessed enough, I'm happy anyhow, I've got a friend in jesus, I've never made a fortune, I'll not ask for other blessings, if God gives me strength, in Jesus economy, in me ye might have peace, in the name of Jesus, Jabez, Jesus Christ, learn to be contented, like clockwork, living in LOVE, Lord help me not to grumble and complain, LOVE, mano a mano, may I never be too busy, mercy, my faith wore somewhat thin, never never give up, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, our cup is overflowing, our Triune God, reaping better than I sow, remain steadfast in faith, salvation, sometimes the going's rough, staying faithful, stop complaining, sweet sacrifices of praise, thanks be to God who gives us the victory, that makes me rich enough, the dark clouds broke, the last days, The Lord is my shepherd, the mercies he's bestowed, the sun peeped through again, times things went wrong, to go on living, to help others bear their loads, to provoke unto love and good works, to them that love God, too late now, trials and tribluations, truth, upon your family, We can do all things through Christ, when the way grows steep and rough, wisdom, you must prosper, you see the day approaching
Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Oh friends, if there’s one thing we know it’s that one day follows the next like clockwork, because that’s the way God made it. That means Sunday always follows Saturday, which further means that it’s time for true believers in Jesus Christ to gather in His sanctuary, or wherever possible, to engage in fellowship with Him and with each other. And we’ll open today’s fellowship with a true and sincere song by Jamaican Gospel Artiste Jabez, titled ‘Drinking From My Saucer, from his album God Never Fails!
And we all know that as gospel truth! So let’s offer up some sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid tempo, soulful rendition of this truth-laden song. But before we sing, we pray: ‘We Worship You Lord, we worship You with all of our hearts, souls, bodies and minds.’ Then, singing: ‘I’ve Never Made A Fortune, And It’s Probably Too Late Now, Oh, but I Don’t Worry About That Much, Cause I’m Happy Anyhow. And As I Go Along Life’s Journey, I’m Reaping Better Than I Sow. I’m Drinking From My Saucer, Because My Cup Has Overflowed.
I haven’t Got A Lot Of Riches, And Sometimes The Going’s Rough, But I’ve Got a friend in Jesus, And That Makes Me Rich Enough. I Thank God For all His Blessings on me, And The Mercies He’s Bestowed. I’m Drinking From My Saucer Because My Cup Has Overflowed. I Remember Times When Things went Wrong, And my Faith Wore Somewhat Thin, But All At Once The Dark Clouds Broke, And the Sun Peeped Through Again,’
(Monologue:) ‘You know, right now you may be going through some rough times in your life, but I’m here to encourage you today, not to give up. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP! I pronounce a blessing upon your life, upon your family. You must prosper and be in good health in the name of Jesus. I believe it with all my heart.’
(Singing:) ‘So Lord, Help Me Not To Grumble and complain About The Tough Rows That I’ve Hoed. I’m Drinking From My Saucer Because My Cup Has Overflowed. And If God Gives Me Strength And Courage to go on living, When The Way Grows Steep And Rough I’ll Not Ask For Other Blessings Jesus, For I’m Already Blessed Enough, And May I Never Be Too Busy, To Help Others Bear Their Loads, Then I’ll Keep Drinking From My Saucer Lord, Because My Cup Has Overflowed! Yes, I’ll keep drinking from my saucer Lord, Cause my cup has overflowed, Oh my cup has overflowed…. Yes My cup has overflowed… Thank You Lord, that my cup has overflowed…’
Ah mih people, almost all of us believers can agree on the truth of those words, encompassing the many trials we’ve experienced, but also the many blessings that the Lord has bestowed on us during our lifetime, especially in those times when we didn’t know our right hand from our left, or what step to take next. And that’s the beauty of our Triune God, He saves us, just when we’re about to go under. And though we might never accumulate many riches, we will always be contented if we walk with the Lord, for as Bruh David says in Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.’ (Ps.23:1)
Now that should stop all worries, but He’s also promised that we can do all things through His strength, (Phil. 4:13) and will provide for all our needs, (Phil. 4:19), as well as His strength is made perfect in our weakness. (2 Cor. 12:9) And we all know one of His many names is Ever-Faithful, so what’s there to be worried about eh?
Remember what the author of Hebrews also writes: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:23-25)
Yes friends, that’s what we ought to be doing: staying faithful, living in LOVE, gathering to celebrate our faith and encouraging each other to do good works. And that’s especially important in these evil and ungodly times, when it seems like the last days are upon us. Now, more than ever, we need to be strong and take on the enemy, mano a mano and let him know that we Christians are not pushovers, but mighty in Christ Jesus, willing to battle him to the death!
And although many of us are still finding the going tough, believe me, we’re living better than most of the world, so let’s stop complaining and appreciate all that we have, for compared to may others, our cup is truly overflowing, so that we must drink from our saucer. Let’s also remember, that in Jesus’ economy, giving up is never an option. Those words don’t occur in His vocabulary.
And we need to hold on to this awesome promise found in Romans: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) That assures us that although things might go wrong during our earthly sojourn, in the end, the Lord will make it all right. Remember how Cousin Sol said it in Ecclesiastes: ‘Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.’ (Eccl. 7:8)
In other words, ‘The end of a matter being better than the beginning highlights the importance of perseverance. We are encouraged to remain steadfast in our faith and actions.’ And that’s what following Jesus is all about; remaining steadfast and strong, true and faithful, despite the trials and tribulations we will undoubtedly face. And what better words to end with than these most reassuring one from Jesus, where He encourages the disciples thus: ‘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)
And we know that’s true because Bruh Paul says it in his first letter to the Corinthians: ‘But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor, 15:57) Meaning that ‘Jesus broke the power of sin and its relationship to death. His death on the cross paid for our sins so that believers will not face the eternal second death. His resurrection from the dead conquered death.’ And if you don’t believe Bruh Paul, you might believe Jesus Himself when He says to John in Revelation: ‘I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell (hades) and death.’ (Rev. 1:18)
Now, if you can’t believe Jesus, then something’s seriously wrong with your faith, and you’d better check it out immediately. Much LOVE!
…though trials will come…if we stand steadfast and true…the faithful promises of God…will help us triumph over them…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: added joy, all these things shall be added unto you, choose life, christianity, Christians, cleanse your hands ye sinners, communion with god, crowns thee with lovingkindness, deepen my breath, delight thyself in the Lord, draw nigh to God, enjoy the comforts of home, faith, for your unceasing nearness, forget not all his benefits, forgives thine iniquities, give thee the desires of thine heart, God so loved the world, God will abundantly pardon, he gave his only begotten son, heals your diseases, holy spirit, humble yourselves in the sight of God, I call heaven and earth, I may know you all the more, I praise you, I will hearken unto you, if from thence, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, Lord I want to be with you now, LOVE, mercy, my neck of the woods, out frolicking, pray unto me, purify your hearts, quiet my soul, receive our love in return, redeems thy life from destruction, relax my muscles, resist the devil, return unto the Lord, salvation, satisfies thy mouth with good things, search for me with all your heart, seek me and find me, seek the Lord thy God, seek the Lord while he may be found, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, set before you life and death, should not perish but have everlasting life, shower us with love, slow my thoughts, stay inside, submit yourselves to God, tender mercies, thank you for this tenderness, that you and your seed may live, the BIBLE, the breaks you get, the choices you make, the quality of life, then shall ye call upon me, thou shalt find him, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, to witness against you, trust in the Lord and do good, truth, under the mighty hand of god, whosoever believes in him, wisdom, with all sincerity and truth, you can't be contianed, your peace and love are present
Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 March 2025 Deuteronomy 4:29.
Deuteronomy 4:29. ‘But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him, with all thy heart and with all thy soul.’
And it’s another sunshiny, clear, dry day in my neck of the woods, although some snow fell during the midnight hours. But that’s all gone now. So, we can be out and about frolicking on this lazy-day Saturday, or simply stay inside, and enjoy the comforts of home, with the added joy of knowing that it’s beautiful outside. (smile) And to ramp up our joy even further, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth.
As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And there’s nothing more pleasant or desirous than having God’s peace and presence increased in our souls! And it’s assured when we pray sincere prayers like those, because our God LOVES nothing more than to hear us asking Him to come deeper and more plentiful into our lives, spirits and souls. For that’s why He made us; to have good and strong communion with us; to shower His LOVE on us, and receive our LOVE in return.
Now that’s why there are so many scriptures in the Lord’s Word about seeking Him. So, let’s check out a few today nuh, starting with this one from Jeremiah that we all know. ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13) It could not be any clearer or more straightforward than that my fellow believers!
And, earlier on, Moses told the Israelites the very same thing when cautioning them about repentance of sin. ‘But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him, with all thy heart and with all thy soul.’ (Deut. 4:29) Then Isaiah, in his reminder that God abundantly pardons, tells his people: ‘Seek the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Is. 55: 6-7)
Oh my people, that is exactly what our evil and ungodly world desperately needs RIGHT NOW! A return to God and acceptance of all the good things He has to offer. As Bruh David so sincerely and truly puts it in Psalm 103: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVINGKINDNESS and tender mercies. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:2-5)
Wow mih bredrin! Who wouldn’t want all those wonderful benefits eh? Well, they are readily available by simply turning to the Lord God in repentance and becoming the new man that requires, with the awesome help of His Holy Spirit. And if you’re wanting more scripture about getting good things from God, listen to these two nuh. The first from Isaiah, from that scripture on God’s continual strength and unsearchable understanding: ‘But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:31)
We all know it, but do we practice it? Now that’s another quandary, or difficult position in which we find ourselves; there’s something that we want, but apparently are not willing to do what it takes to get it. The same goes for this scripture from Psalm 37, titled Trust in the Lord. Bruh David writes: ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass.’ (Ps. 37:3-5)
And that’s only a few of the things we can do to get the desires of our heart from God! So who’s to blame if we don’t get them eh? No one else but us! But let’s get back to some more modern scriptures that blatantly tell us to seek the Lord. Here’s this one from James, where he admonishes us: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded….Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-8, 10)
And Peter echoes the same sentiments: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 6-7) And we spoke about that early on when we said that God created us to LOVE us, and be LOVED in return. That’s because He cares the whole world about us. Why else would He send His Son to earth to die for our sins eh? The basic reason was LOVE for his sinful, disobedient creation, as Jesus so eloquently puts it. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16)
That’s as good as it gets my fellow saints, and why Jesus therefore strongly advised us; ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) The long and short of the story then is we have all the information and tools before us, it’s our choice how we choose to use them. But please, please hear this last admonition from the scriptures; where Moses tells the Israelites as they are preparing to enter the Promised Land. ‘I call heaven and earth to record (witness) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19)
I offer this same admonition to us today my people. Why? ‘Because the quality of your life isn’t determined as much by the breaks that you get, as its determined by the choices that you make.’ Much LOVE!
…one can only find God….when one seeks Him diligently and sincerely…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all places of his dominion, all scripture is given by inspiration of God, all things work together for good, angels who excel in strength, anxiety and confusion, assurance, be responsible, Bible, bless the Lord, called according to His purpose, christianity, crying out for help, divine aid, do his commandments, do his pleasure, equipped with all good works, everlasting doors, faith, gathered together, gives it to whomsoever he will, God is on his throne, God is the king of all the earth, God reigns over the heathen, God's in total control, God's kingdom rules over all, God's kingship is universal, good news, grace, hearkening unto the voice of his word, holy spirit, instruction in righteousness, Jesus Christ, lift up your heads, LOVE, mercy, miracle working power, Nebuchadnezzar's dream, o ye gates, omnipotent, omnipotent help, problems escalating, profitable for doctrine reproof correction, salvation, servants of god, sets up over it the basest of men, sinful world, sing praise to God, sing praise unto our King, sovereign, stand strong and steadfast, stay safe, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the affairs of men, the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the gospel truth, the King of glory shall come in, the living may know, the Lord of hosts, the man of God may be perfect, the most High rules in the kingdom of men, the people of the God of Abraham, the princes of the people, the real McCoy, the rhone of grace, the shields of the earth, the shields of the earth belong to God, the simmering unrest, the throne of his holiness, the unexpected storms, the verity of scripture, the world, the world and they that dwell therein, these ungodly times, thoroughly furnished unto all good works, time's whisking by, to those who love God, trusting faith, truth, understanding, wake up and smell the coffee, wannabe believers, who is the king of glory, wisdom, wise guidance
Psalm 103:19. The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
Wow! It’s Friday already! The first week in March is finished. Time is simply whisking by, waiting for no one, so we had better pay close attention to it, if we don’t want to get left behind, inhaling its flying dust! (smile) But be that as it may, it’s a beautiful sunny day in my neighbourhood with temps a tad on the lower side, still above freezing, but not as cold as it’s been the last couple of days. And after all the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ we have an interesting weekend to look forward to with mostly sunshine promised by the weather people.
And is that ever good news, because we need some sunshine and clear skies after enduring the damp and cloudy weather for a while. But here’s some even better news: the Lord God Jehovah is still on His throne, sovereign and omnipotent, in total control of the affairs of men. Thus, we can be assured of this most encouraging verse of scripture: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28)
Now, if God is not in total control, then that verse is without any assurance whatsoever. However, since we know for a fact that our heavenly Father sits upon His throne on high and runs things to suit His plans and purposes, we can most definitely rely on the truthfulness and assurance of that mighty verse of scripture. And how do we know that the Lord is omnipotent and in control?
Listen to these words of that great prophet, Bruh David. He writes in Psalm 103: ‘The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers (servants) of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion.’ (Ps. 103:19-22)
Yes friends, as Bruh David says earlier on in Psalm 24: ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers).’ (Ps. 24:1-2) More assurance that the Lord did establish the world and all therein and still controls it with the power of His mighty Spirit. Satan, or no other demon can ever take it from His hands, for they are all pretenders, but the Lord our God is the real thing, the real McCoy!
As Bruh David ends Psalm 24 with these awesome proclamations: ‘Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.’ (Ps. 24:7-10) Now that’s who is the mightiest in this universe!
And if perchance you don’t believe Bruh David, then listen to the Sons of Korah from Psalm 47 titled – Exalt the Lord Most High. They totally proclaim: ‘Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding. God reigneth over the heathen (Gentiles): God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted.’ (Ps. 47:6-9)
And the scholars inform us that the last verses of the Psalm, 7-9, reveal that God’s kingship is destined to be universal. And they speak prophetically of the time when the Lord Jesus will reign on earth. Now we all know that the Bible, especially the Book of Revelation promises that. So my fellow believers, how can we not accept the verity of the scriptures eh, when Bruh Paul loudly declares: ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto (equipped with) all good works.’ (1 Tim. 3:16-17)
Now, if you’re a true believer, you will know that’s the gospel truth! The Word of the Lord was given to us as a Guidebook for earthly living, and if we don’t follow it as closely as possible, then we will not live the abundant life that Christ died for us to have. And if you still don’t believe that our God reigns supreme over the universe He created, then listen to these two snippets from the Book of Daniel where he interprets the dream of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar.
In the first verse Daniel tells him the dream is a doing of God; ‘that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest (lowest) of men.’ (Dan. 4:17b) And the next snippet from verse 25 tells Neb because of his disobedience and pride, he will go mad and behave like wild beasts for seven years, before he recovers, ‘till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.’ (Dan. 4:25b)
Oh my fellow saints, that should make us all think twice about our God’s sovereignty and power. And since, in these ungodly and evil times we need His help so badly, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking as much of that miracle working power as possible. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And per our prayer, divine aid will come when we stop behaving like wannabe believers and truly become faithful believers. Much LOVE!
…If God is not omnipotent and in total control…then our faith is worthless…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cold and windy day, a compassionate heart, a living wage, a modicum of circumspection, a natural human emotion, a wrathful man stirs up strife, abundance, allow the devil to breach our spiritual armour, an albatross around one's neck, anger does not produce the righteousness of God, anger must be tempered, anger rests in the bosom of fools, be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, be ye angry and sin not, better is the end than the beginning, better than he that takes a city, better than the mighty, better than the proud in spirit, christianity, curse, divine protection, duty bound, faith, favour, fools are predominant in our world, God's supernatural wisdom, grin and bear it, he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly, he that is slow to anger appeases strife, he that is slow to wrath, he that refrains his lips is wise, he that rules his spirit, house ownership, in the multitude of words, Jesus Christ, leaking basements, let every man be swift to hear, let it all hang out, let not the sun go down upon your wrath, LOVE, mercy, negative aspects of house ownership, negative word, neither give place to the devil, of great understanding, promotion, salvation, slow to speak, slow to wrath, spiritual armour, success, talent, the BIBLE, the lead and guidance of Jesus, the patient in spirit, the wrath of man, there wanteth not sin, this fallen world, truth, wisdom, worketh not the righteousness of God
Ecclesiastes 7:9. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
Well, this second day of Lent, Thursday, has opened cold and wind and somewhat cloudy. But that’s fine by me, because that means the rain’s stopped falling and the snow has stopped melting and consequently my basement has stopped leaking, for however long the dry and cold weather continues! Glory Be!
Ah friends, this owning a house racket is the biggest scam in our country. They tie you to a mortgage for umpteen years, at prices you can barely afford, and give you all the glowing accounts of house ownership, but never tell you a word about the many negative aspects, like the fast-risinginsurance premiums, ever increasing taxes and ever diminishing returns on those taxes, the untimely repairs and the numerous unforeseen things involved in owning a house. And sometimes I think it’s good that house prices have skyrocketed so that young people cannot afford them, and consequently don’t get shackled with a lifelong albatross around their necks.
But that’s just my take on the subject, having been an owner of several homes, both old and new over the years. And believe me, even the new ones have unforeseen problems that can be both expensive to fix and also frustrating, because when you buy something brand new, you don’t expect to have any more layouts of time and money for a while.
And it wouldn’t be so bad if most of us were making a living wage, meaning one that we can afford the necessities of life without too much hassle. But that’s not true for a majority of the population. However, that’s life in this fallen world my brethren, and we just have to grin and bear it as best we can, sincerely following the lead and guidance of Jesus’ Word and His Holy Spirit which indwells us.
Enough of my complaining though, let’s check out some interesting and very appropriate words from Cousin Sol, writing as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes. He declares: ‘Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.’ (Eccl. 7:8-9)
Excellent words of wisdom my people! And how I wish our world would hear those words and take them to heart, because right now it’s filled with an overabundance of proud, egotistic, entitled, angry, dissatisfied and vengeful humans. And if you follow Cousin Sol’s logic, then fools and foolishness are indeed predominant, because anger now has such a deep-seated position in today’s society. And it’s sad that there are so many scriptures that reject and rebuke that kind of attitude and behaviour, yet we persist in making it so predominant in today’s world.
So to help us get a better perspective on the problem, and hopefully turn things around, let’s check out a few scriptures that detail the folly of anger and pride, beginning with this poignant one from James, where he talks about being hearers and doers of the word. ‘Wherefore my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not (does not produce) the righteousness of God.’ (James 1:19-20)
It could not be said any clearer and more straightforward than that my fellow believers. And we all know it, because whenever we get angry, we do and say things that don’t mix and mingle well with the Lord’s expectations. And that’s why we ought to not get angry too quickly, always try and instill a modicum of circumspection. (smile) But if we do get angry, let’s keep these words of Bruh Paul to the Ephesians in mind. ‘Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.’ (Eph. 4:26-27)
Yes friends, the scripture acknowledges that anger is a natural human emotion, but it must be controlled and not lead to sin. The scholars put it thus: ‘Sinful anger is to be replaced by (briefly held) righteous indignation, that the devil may not be given opportunity.’ Oh so true! But unfortunately, not enough of us, both believers and unbelievers, ever tend to follow that route. Instead, we let it all hang out, and thus give the devil lots of space to breach our spiritual armour.
But getting back to the scriptures on anger and pride, Cousin Sol has several in Proverbs. Let’s check out a few of them. This first one says: ‘In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth (restrains) his lips is wise.’ (Prov. 10:19) In other words, when you talk too much you run a much higher risk of committing sin than when you keep your words few.
Then there’s this: ‘He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit (impulsive) exalteth folly.’ (Prov. 14:29) That’s self-explanatory. And what about this one? ‘A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife (contention).’ (Prov. 15:18) That’s also self-explanatory. (smile) And we’ll finish with this one: ‘He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.’ (Prov. 16:32) Yuh see mih people, being slow to get angry is much better than being a mighty warrior. (smile)
And to help us do His earthly work properly, our good God has bestowed showers of undeserved blessings upon us. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (awright!!!!) we’re now duty bound 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!
…anger comes naturally…but like fire…it must be tempered…lest it cause serious and unnecessary damage…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a deep desire for personal righteousness, a fool, a new work week, a two way partnership with God, a word to the wise is sufficient, an evildoer, answer our prayers, anyone seeking to do evil against believers will fail, as a bride adorned for her husband, be of good cheer, be their God, burdensome, christianity, coming down from God out of heaven, confidence, conquering power, ease the pain, even our faith, every tongue that rises against you shall be condemned, evil and ungodly times, faith, faithfully keep your promise, find favour with God, God assures us of the victory, God himself shall be with them, God is sovereign, God shall wipe away all tears, God will dwell with them, have access to God, he that believes Jesus is the Son of God, his commandments are not grievous, holy spirit, humble ourselves, I am persuaded, i have overcome the world, I heard a great voice out of heaven, I John saw the holy city, in all these things, in me ye might have peace, in the world, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus' power over the world and the devil, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, mercy, neither sorrow, New Jerusalem, no more crying, no more death, no more pain, no weapon formed against us shall prosper, nor height nor depth, nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nothing shall separate us from the love of God, of the many suffering from negative situations, or any other creature, our daily attitude, place our sincere trust in Jesus, pray, responsibilities, salvation, show them your awesome grace and mercy, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, strong faith in Christ, strong trust in Christ, Thanks be to God, that neither death nor life nor angels, the BIBLE, the former things are passed away, the God who heals, the heritage of the servants of the Lord, the power to solve our many problems, the tabernacle of god is with men, the throne of grace, these things I have spoken unto you, they shall be his people, this is the love of God, through our Lord Jesus christ, to alleviate our problems, to prosper us, truth, turn from our evil ways, we are more than conquerors, we can handle whatever comes against us, we keep His commandments, whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, who gives us the victory, who is he that overcometh the world, wisdom, wise guidance, you shall have tribulation
1 Corinthians 15:57. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
Aye mih people, it’s a new Monday and a new work week, and who knows what joys and sorrows we will encounter this week, but be encouraged that with Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we will be able to handle whatever comes against us with a strong trust and confidence in the One who strengthens us and provides for all of our needs! How did Bruh Paul put it in his first missive to the Corinthians? ‘But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!’ (1 Cor. 15:57) And that’s a mighty big thanks my faithful brethren!
It’s such a big deal that there are several scriptures that attest to it. Verses like this magnificent encourager from Isaiah. ‘No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of (from) me, saith the Lord.’ (Is. 54:17) Now doesn’t that just your get your dander up and make you feel like you could face the world and beat it with God on your side! Of course! (smile)
But what does that mean? This commentary tells us: ‘Simply put, God was stating that anyone who is seeking to do evil against believers will fail. Though for a time it may seem that we are defeated in a situation, God assures us the victory.’ And that’s an attitude we need to walk around with every day my fellow believers.
Why? Because it plays right into this other well-known scripture, where Bruh Paul in writing to the Romans, about persecution befalling believers, states in no uncertain terms: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus.’ (Rom. 8:37-39)
Now that’s another noteworthy scripture that should be amongst our go to ones in times of doubt, trial and worry. Then John in his first epistle steadfastly proclaims: ‘For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (burdensome). For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.’ (1 John 5:3-5)
Wow! What an uplifting scripture! And the scholars explain those verses thus: ‘Whatsoever refers to every believer born of God. There is conquering power through this confession because God is sovereign over the world, and only through the Son of God does man have access to and find favour with God.’ And who wouldn’t want to have access to God and find favour with Him eh? Only a fool or an evildoer.
Now we cannot go home without featuring these revolutionary words from Jesus Himself, that He issued when warning the disciples of coming persecution and hard times. ‘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) Yes friends and fellow believers, when we place our sincere trust in Jesus, then we can have peace and calm despite the trials and tribulations we might face, because His authority and power over the world and the devil, enables us to do it.
And we’ll close this Bit on the victories of God on our behalf through Christ Jesus, with the one that we’re all looking forward to. In the prophetic words of John the Revelator: ‘And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ (Rev. 21:2-4)
It could not get any better than that my fellow saints! And after what I’ve been through these last few months, I for one am looking forward to the day when there will be no more pain! Yuh better believe it! (smile) Now, let’s go to the throne of grace in humble confidence seeking help to handle all that ails us 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!’
But please, let’s remember that we’re in a two way partnership with God; He has responsibilities, and so do we, and to get His help, we need to better carry out ours. Nuff said! Much LOVE!
… a word to the wise is sufficient…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a work in progress, an analogy for the Holy Spirit, ask and it shall be given to you, being confident of this very thing, Bible, but can't tell where it comes from, call unto me and I will answer thee, call upon God through prayer, casting all your care upon him, chill you to the bones, christianity, cleans eyour hands, cold, communication with God depends on us, deepen my breath, divinely continued, draw nigh to God, elementary requirements, eternal security, faith, faithful, God cares for you, God has a purpose in view, God reassures us of His favourable response, God will not abandon His purpose, God's reinvigorating presence, he may exalt you in due time, he which hath begun a good work in you, hearts and souls opened wide, heaven's 911, holy spirit, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, in every circumstance, in every time of trouble, increase my awareness of you, Jesus Christ, knock and it shall be opened, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, mercy, Nicodemus, obedient, opened like a lion, purify your hearts ye doubleminded, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, resist the devil, salvation, seek and ye shall find, shew thee great and mighty things, sincerity and truth, slow my thoughts, so is every one born of the Holy Spirit, submit yourselves to God, thank you for this tenderness, the gospel truth, the presence of God, the wind bloweth where it listeth, the work of grace, thou hearest the sound thereof, truth, until Jesus returns to earth, we want to know you, we want to see your glory, will perform it until the day of Jesus, windy, wisdom, wither it goes, you are here with me, you can't be contained, your love both fills and surrounds me, your peace and love are present
Jeremiah 33:3. Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty (inaccessible) things, which thou knowest not.
And the month of March has opened like the lion it purports to be; cold, windy and with bright sunshine! And truthfully, it’s always been the winter month that I’ve least liked because of the cold, biting, icy winds that it stirs up; winds that get into your clothing, no matter how much you have on, and still chill you to the bones.
It’s like Jesus says of the wind in the gospel of John while talking to the Jewish leader Nicodemus, when He uses it as an analogy for the Holy Spirit. ‘The wind bloweth where it listeth (wishes), and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and wither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.’ (John 3:8)
Now, that basically means, as this commentary explains: ‘You can’t see the wind directly. But you can see it move tree tops and hear it when it rustles through the leaves. It’s similar to the Spirit. You can’t see it directly either, but you can see through the way it changes people when it’s there.’ And once you’re born again, the Holy Spirit is always with you, working to bring you to the place that the Lord desires, that’s as close as possible to Jesus in both behaviour and outlook. (smile)
That reminds us of this interesting scripture, where Bruh Paul writes to the Philippians: ‘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) Yes friends, in other words, we’re a work that’s always in progress, until whenever Jesus comes back.
The scholars say that ‘Paul is convinced that the work of grace that God began in the Philippians at conversion will be divinely continued until the day of Jesus Christ. That is, the Lord will keep working in these believers until Jesus returns to earth, at which point He will finish His work, bringing it to completion. This speaks of the Christian’s eternal security. For God had a purpose in view when He began His saving work in the Philippians, and that purpose will neither be abandoned nor unrealized.’
And the same goes for all those who put their trust in Christ Jesus as Lord and Saviour. The Lord will keep working His saving grace in them through His Holy Spirit until Christ returns. So, we don’t have to worry about a thing, the Lord’s at work, just be obedient and faithful the best we can. (smile) And don’t think that I’ve forgotten our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. No, not at all! It’s just that the other stuff got in the way. (smile)
Then, let’s offer it up right now in all sincerity and truth nuh. ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And as always, that prayer just brings the presence of God ever nearer, with a heightened sense of peace, calm and grace, because the Lord just cannot deny us His amazing presence when we come to Him in such sincerity and truth. In fact, that’s how He would always like us to come to Him, with hearts and souls opened wide to receive His reinvigorating and regenerating presence. But that’s entirely up to us, because He’s always there waiting for our call.
Remember the Lord’s promise to Jeremiah the second time, while he was locked up in prison. ‘Thus saith the Lord the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord (Jehovah) is his name; Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty (inaccessible) things, which thou knowest not.’ (Jer. 33:2-3) Oh friends, we are to call upon God through prayer, in every time of trouble, in every circumstance – knowing He hears us and will be there.
And I like how this commentary puts it. ‘One of the most profound promises in the Bible during times of crisis is Jeremiah 33:3. Some aptly refer to this verse as heaven’s 911—an emergency line to call when we are in distress. The Lord implores us to call to Him and reassures us of His favorable response when we do.’ And that’s the gospel truth my people, when we call from a sincere heart, the Lord will hear and respond. We just need to remember that most of the communication depends on us, because God is always hovering over us waiting for us to call, so that He can show us wonderful things that we don’t know.
Meanwhile, this other commentary configures verse 33 thus. ‘Shows Us the Great and Hidden Things About God. You will tell us great and hidden things we’ve not known in your word and by your spirit. God, we want to know you. We want to see your glory. Lord, we want to see great things in you.’
And do we ever my faithful brethren! But as James so rightly says: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded. (James 4:7-8) And Peter admonishes: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-7)
Now, my fellow saints, those are the elementary requirements for being in God’s calming and peaceful presence. So please, let’s spend a part of this cold and blustery lazy-day Saturday in March, doing just that nuh; seeking God and all the good things He has to offer and tell us about! Much LOVE!
…Jesus said it very simply…ask, and it shall be given you…seek, and ye shall find…knock, and it shall be opened unto you… (Matt. 7:7)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a great family, a sense of shame or remorse, a tooth for a tooth, abundance, all scripture is given by inspiration of God, an eye for an eye, angry attitudes, avenge not yourselves, basement leak, be not overcome of evil, be tenderhearted, be ye all of one mind, christianity, clear direction for my life, courage, courteous, creativity, curse, duty bound, equipped to do good works, faith, favour, give place unto wrath, give way to anger, go two miles when asked to go one, God has the right to avenge, God's supernatural wisdom, good freinds, good heallth, good will always prevail over evil, haing compassion on each other, have regard fro good things, heap coals of fire on his head, holy spirit, if he thirst give him drink, if thine enemy hunger feed him, in the sight of all men, inherit a blessing, instruction in righteousness, Jesus Christ, like manna from heaven, live peacefully with everybody, LOVE, love as brethren, make the right choices, mercy, negative word, not rendering evil for evil, overcome evil with good, profitable for doctrine reproof correction, prosper, provide things honest to all men, recompense to no man evil for evil, salvation, self-control, snow raining down, strive to be kind, succeed, talent, the BIBLE, the Lord shall reward thee, the man of God may be perfect, truth, turn the other cheek, vengeance is mine saith the Lord, when it's not one thing it's another, wisdom
Romans 12:21. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Oh friends, I woke up this morning, looked outside and saw snow raining down like manna from heaven and thought the balmy weather was over. But a short while later the snow stopped and it began melting. And therein lies the source of my biggest problem this Thursday morning. Ah Lord eh! But as the old people would say, when it’s not one thing in this life, it’s certainly another!
I came down to write the Bit about an hour ago, only to discover an unknown leak in the laundry room of my basement that the melting snow was seeping through, apparently for some time now, because all the stuff on the ground around it was wet, and water was flowing down to the furnace. We thought that the furnace was leaking, and called the furnace people, but I’m not so sure about that now nuh. (smile) So I obviously had to move things around and clean it all up, plus set some preventive measures in place so that the new leak would not spread water all over the laundry room floor.
By the way, the furnace repair man eventually came, wasted a half hour more of my time, only to reaffirm my suspicion, the furnace was not leaking, it was the water from the leak on the wall finding its way down to the drain at the bottom of the furnace. No wonder the Bit keeps getting delayed. (smile) Anyway, as promised, today we’ll continue with the words of Bruh Paul from Chapter 12 of Romans. And my fellow believers, these are some very important ones pertaining to our behaviour between good and evil.
So please read and inwardly digest with me. ‘Recompence (repay) to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest (have regard for good things) in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in (depends on) you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not your selves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:17-21)
Ah mih people, those instructions are indeed godly and good, but very difficult to maintain in this evil and vengeful world. Nonetheless, as believers in Christ we have to try our best and live up to them. Not repaying evil for evil seems to be the same thing Jesus teaches on forgiveness in Matthew 5:38 42., about not giving an eye for an eye, or a tooth for a tooth, turning the other cheek and going two miles when asked to go one. It’s just not a natural human reaction. But the truth of the story is that Jesus’ kingdom and ways are different to normal human reactions.
And Peter also weighs in on the topic. ‘Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, LOVE as brethren, be pitiful (tenderhearted), be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing (reviling) for railing (reviling): but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. (1 Pet. 3:8-9)
Next comes the admonishment to live peacefully with all men. Now that’s truly difficult to do with the angry, hateful and resentful attitudes that are now running rampant in our world. Then there’s the big one, where we are advised not to give way to anger and take vengeance in our own hands, for that is the Lord’s jurisdiction. The scholars say that ‘Paul quotes Deuteronomy 32:35 to show that only God has the right to avenge, and he certainly will avenge.’
As per heaping coals of fire on an enemies head by treating him good, the scholars believe that Bruh Paul might have been referring to ‘a sense of shame or remorse engendered when we treat an evildoer kindly. Paul is discussing personal, not national enemies. He is not teaching pacifism.’ And it’s interesting to note that Bruh Paul might have gotten those words of being kind to our enemies and heaping coals of fire on an enemy’s head from the wisdom of Cousin Sol. In Proverbs 25, he solemnly states: ‘If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee.’ (Prov. 25:21-22)
Now, isn’t it interesting that throughout the Bible you have different people reiterating different things from by gone times to reinforce the stuff they want to get home to their readers and/or listeners. That’s why the Bible is such a wonderful Book, it gives encouragement, wisdom and spiritual understanding all the way through, from the first page to the last. That’s why Bruh Paul could attest to these facts to Timothy: ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’ (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
And one of the most important of those facts that are good for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness is this last one that Bruh Paul wrote in our scripture passage for today: ‘Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:21) Once again, that’s a hard nut to crack, especially with all the evil that’s floating around in our current world. However, we are required to do our best, obviously with God’s help. And to show how our God is a good and wonderful God, He’s generously bestowed on us all kinds of tools to help us do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So, let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh.
As one strong voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
Now, we’re fully equipped to do God’s work, and therefore duty bound to go out and share those blessings with 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!
…Let us always strive to be kind and make the right choices…for in the end…good will always prevail over evil…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a balmy spring day, a genuine and unfeigned love, a hunger for power, a sad reflection of today's world, abhor that which is evil, admonishments, associate with the humble, basic foundation of Christianity, be kindly affectioned one to another, be not wise in your own conceits, be of the same mind, Bible, bless and curse not, bless them which persecute you, boiling over, brotherly LOVE, Christian denominations, christianity, Christians, church hierarchy, church unity, cleave to that which is good, cliques, condescend to men of low estate, cry tears of sorrow, despite the response received, difficuly in expressing unity, distributing to the necessity of the saints, divorce, don't set your mind on high things, endure to the end, enjoy it while we have it, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fervent in spirit, getting on in age, given to hospitality, giving preference to one another, halfway home, hands on the plough, holy spirit, hope, hypocrisy, incomparable position in Jesus, Jesus Christ, lagging in diligence, let love be without dissimulation, LOVE, Love makes the world go round, loving faithfully, Martin Luther, mercy, mind not high things, negative vibes, not slothful in business, not turning back, patient in tribulation, persevering, personal faith, petty differences, Protestantism, real love in the church is lacking, Reformation, rejoice with those who rejoice, rejoicing in hope, rfits in the Catholic Church, selfishness, serving the Lord, solidarity, steadfast in prayer, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, unworthy gossip, voluntary caring, weep with those who weep, wisdom
Romans 12:9. Let LOVE be without dissimulation (hypocrisy). Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
Aye friends, it’s almost like a balmy spring day in my neighbourhood this Wednesday morning! It’s around plus 5 degrees, and the sun’s mostly overpowering the clouds, and one can walk around without too much fear of icy patches on the ground. However, although the snow has melted some, and thankfully slowly, the mounds are still there, not as big as they were, but big enough to remind you of what we recently went through. How long this comparatively balmy weather will last is anyone’s guess, so we’d better enjoy it while we have it.
By the way, let me apologize for an incorrect reference yesterday. I mistakenly referenced the verse that our poem was based on, as Rom. 3:12. It should have been Rom. 12:3. I don’t know if I was in a rush or simply forgetful, but you have to excuse the ole fella sometimes for those mistakes, because He’s getting on in age and possibly not all of his faculties are functioning properly. (smile)
And yuh know what, today I think we should just continue with Bruh Paul’s words to the Romans in the rest of Chapter 12, beginning with this ever so important admonishment about church unity. So please read and inwardly digest with me: ‘Let LOVE be without dissimulation (hypocrisy). Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.’ (Rom. 12:9)
And right there we have the basic foundation of our Christian faith, especially to our church brethren. Or as the scholars explain: ‘The Christian’s conduct in the local church toward fellow believers is to be a volitional (voluntary, on purpose) caring for others, LOVING faithfully in spite of the response received. The LOVE is to be genuine and unfeigned.’
Now, that makes me want to cry tears of sorrow because the basic or real LOVE in Christ’s church is almost non-existent, and what little there is, is oftentimes hypocritical. We speak and talk kindly to each other, but underneath there are so many negative vibes, with cliques and unworthy gossip floating around, that it destroys the little good there is. And this most important failing isn’t only exhibited in the local churches, but in ALL of Christianity! Just look at the petty differences that are keeping one supposed denomination from working sincerely and faithfully with each other.
A 2024 worldwide survey has estimated that there are more than 45,000 Christian denominations worldwide. Wow! Now why should there be a need for so many eh, when we’re supposedly teaching the same gospel and worshiping the same Triune God? It’s basically because petty differences have gotten in the way over the years, plus selfishness and a hunger for power. That recalls the serious rifts in the Catholic Church which was then the main body of Christianity.
Some happened in the fifth century, but very notable is the one where England broke away because King Henry V111 wanted to divorce his current wife and the church would not allow it. So, He broke away and formed the Protestant Division. That was further split during the 16th century when German priest, Martin Luther began what we call the Reformation Movement by writing his 95 Theses. His theses emphasized personal faith and the Bible as the ultimate authority, rather than the church hierarchy.
And so it goes on, even today. Every day you hear of some congregation splitting up and becoming two rather than one. And just for our information, a Christian denomination is noted as a religious organization that combines local congregations into a single administrative body. Members of the same denomination share similar beliefs, worship practices, and work together to preserve shared enterprises.
And what are some examples of Christian denominations you ask? These are some of the largest; Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Baptist, Apostolic, Methodist, Anglican, Moravian, Plymouth Brethren, and Quaker. However, each one can have different cliques and groups operating under the overall umbrellas of those names but doing some different things in the way they worship. And there are also a lot of Independent Churches, which don’t come under any of the basic Christian headings, simply doing their own thing.
Therefore, with that kind of unilateral, autonomous, independent behaviour, it’s no wonder that down through the ages Christians have had much difficulty in expressing unity and solidarity. And that’s why Bruh Paul was so adamant about our volitional caring behaviour to each other. He then continues thus: ‘Be kindly affectioned (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 (lit., boiling over); serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient (persevering) in tribulation; continuing instant (steadfastly) in prayer; Distributing to the necessity (needs) of saints; given to hospitality.’ (Rom. 12:10-13)
Yuh see friends, that’s basically how Christ’s church ought to operate, at least on the local level. But most of us would agree that even in the local churches that tight reign of brotherly LOVE seldom exists. Therefore, how can we expect it to exist on the higher levels eh? And Bruh Paul’s not done with his admonishment nuh. He continues: ‘Bless (speak well of) them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not (do not set your mind on) high things, but condescend to men of low estate (associate with the humble). Be not wise in your own conceits (estimation).’ (Rom. 12:14-16)
There again my brethren, we’re taught not to think too highly of ourselves, which in itself, is a sad reflection of today’s world. Now Bruh Paul goes on to say more, but we’ll leave that until tomorrow, if God spares life, because it would just make today’s Bit too long, and we have enough fodder today to contemplate and meditate on. (smile) So let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry and sundry know of our wonderful, incomparable position in Christ Jesus.
In strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And isn’t that just dandy? It surely is, but it gets even better, because we’ve also been promised that if we endure with Christ right down to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! So, let’s do our best to stay the course nuh, so that we can enjoy that everlastingly glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…LOVE makes the world go round…that’s our heavenly Father’s greatest desire…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a disciplined mind, a good day's work, a great cloud of witnesses, alleviate our problems, ambassadors of Christ, be cast out, be discouraged, be your best, Bible, but of power love and a sound mind, christianity, compassed about, complaining, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, despising the shame, disciples of Jesus, divine aid, do your best, endured such hostility of sinners, endured the cross, faint in your minds, faith, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, follow the example of Jesus, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, for the joy that was set before him, freedom from sin, glorify your father in heaven, good for nothing, heroes of the faith, hold our heads high, holy spirit, humble servants, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, joy, lay aside every weight, lest ye be weary, Let your light so shine before men, live up to a high standard, look your best, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, mercy, negative vibes, nothing fazed Jesus, originator, perfector, pray, put your best foot forward, repentance, resentment, run with patience, salt lost its flavour, salvation, see your good works, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, sincerely seek your face, sinned and seriously disobeyed your word, spoil our witness, strong faith in Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, the God who heals, the light of the world, the race set before us, the revolutionary feat, the salt of the earth, the sin that doth easily so beset us, the slavery of sin, took it in stride, trodden underfoot, truth, turn from our evil ways, under a basket, ungrateful sinners, wisdom, wise guidance
Hebrews 12:2a. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith;
Another Monday’s on the agenda friends, but I know that we can and will handle it with the quiet aplomb and efficiency that we’ve learned from the masterful example of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Nothing that came against Him fazed Him, He just took it in stride. Not even the excessive cruelty He faced on our behalf, caused Him to lose sight of His heavenly Father’s goal; accomplishing the amazing and revolutionary feat of earning freedom from sin’s abject slavery for a bunch of ungrateful sinners.
And that’s how He expects us, His followers, ambassadors and agents on this evil and ungodly earth to behave. Now He doesn’t expect perfection either, because He knows we’re not perfect and will never be until He comes to take us home and changes us, but nonetheless He expects us to always put our best foot forward. As the late Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) used to say: ‘Look your best, do your best and be your best!’
That says it all my people. For as the author of Hebrews so vividly explains it: ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses (those heroes of the faith that went before us), let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us,
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds (become discouraged.’ (Heb. 12:1-3)
Yes friends, that’s the example we’re supposed to follow. As disciples of Jesus we’re expected to live up to a high standard; so high, that when the unbelievers see us in action, they’ll hold their heads in awesome wonder and want what we have that makes us so joyful, peaceful, LOVING and calm. (smile) So as this new Monday rolls around, and we go out to do the same banal, every day, ofttimes boring tasks, let’s hold our heads high and get on with His business without any complaining, resentment and negative vibes to spoil our witness.
All the time, remembering Jesus’ strong admonitions: ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith (by what) shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an 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. 5:13-16)
Of course my fellow saints, that’s the kind of strong witness expected of us true and faithful believers of Christ especially in these rather ungodly and sinful times! However, unfortunately, we don’t seem to be doing such a great job of witnessing for Christ, otherwise the devil would not have such a stranglehold on the affairs of the world and Christians would be filled with much more faith, LOVE and joy, not with the fear and anxiety that so many of us now project.
But let’s remember this other admonition from Bruh Paul before we foolishly throw in the towel and give up in the face of the enemies evil strategies. That’s one of the reasons Bruh Paul wrote these telling words to Timothy: ‘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)
Now that’s a most important scripture for us to remember today, as we step out into the world, clothed in God’s armour to continue the fight for Jesus’ righteous and just army. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking help in this time of dire need.
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 all of that simply means; to get divine aid, we must improve our godly behaviour! So let’s get out there and do it today nuh! Much LOVE!
…all Jesus expects of His followers…is a good, faithful day’s work…everyday…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new flock of believers, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, ashamed, Bible, burdened, by the example that we set, choosing the cross, Christ died to free us, christianity, come to the realization, come unto me, condemning ourselves, Consider This, desperately crying out for help, divine aid, does not impact God's love, easier to feel guilty, embrace your love and compassion, faith, faithfulness, falling short, feel inadequate, fellowship, find rest for your souls, for your fellowship in the gospel, free us from the slavery of sin, Friday chant, from God our Father, from the first day until now, gentle and humble, God's awesome hel, grace be unto you, holy spirit, I thank my God, I will give you rest, if the Son sets you free, In Christ I am enough, in every prayer, in every prayer of mine for you all, in His own way and time, inhabit God's rest, introudce a new flock of believers, It is finished, Jesus Christ, Jesus declared striving is over, Jesus paid it all, learn from me, LOVE, making request with joy, meditating on god's word, meek and lowly in heart, mercy, my burden is light, my yoke is easy, nothing left to do, omnipotent help, peace, peace and communion with God, problems are escalating, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, simmering unrest, sinful world, source of spiritual truth, sticking with me, take Jesus at His word, take my yoke upon you, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the error of their ways, the great invitation, the Lord will bless you, the servant to sin, the throne of grace, there's' no achieving our way to God, through thick and thin, too good to be true, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, upon every reemembrance of you, wake up and smell the coffee, whatever we've done, whatever we've left undone, wisdom, wise guidance, you are free indeed, your faithfulness will not go unrewarded
John 8:36. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be indeed.
A Good Friday Morning to all you my faithful Scrip-Bits friends and families. And as Bruh Paul would say, ‘Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.’ (Phil. 1:2-5)
And that’s the truth, friends. I thank the Lord for your journey with me every time I remember you, for I could not have done it without your continued faithfulness and God’s awesome help. Thank you ever so much for sticking with me through thick and thin. Your faithfulness will not go unrewarded, the Lord will bless you in His own way and time.
So, on this bright, sunshiny, cold winter’s day, after all the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at last!’ have gone up to high heaven, down here on earth there’s something I want to share with you from the February In Touch Devotional, it’s titled ‘Consider this:’ Please read with me. ‘As believers, we know that whatever we’ve done or left undone does not impact God’s LOVE at all. There is no achieving our way to God. Our peace and communion with Him simply are. So why do we sometimes still feel as if we’re falling short?
Maybe it’s easier to feel guilty than to be truly free. Or perhaps condemning ourselves feels more familiar. It could even be that Jesus’ freedom seems too good to be true. There must be a catch somewhere, right? But there is no catch. By choosing the cross, Jesus declared our striving is over, so take Him at His word. Anytime you feel inadequate, ashamed, or burdened, remind yourself, “In Christ, I am enough” or “It is finished.” Inhabit God’s rest – that’s what He wants for you.’
What wisdom my fellow believers! Because all of us feel at some time or the other that we’re not worthy, etc., etc., and some of us don’t feel right unless we feel guilty, and as they say, some of us feel it’s too good to be true. But friends, this is one time when it feels like it’s too good to be true, that IT IS TRUE! Christ died to free us, to relieve us of our earthly burdens and give us a heavenly attitude and concept. Why therefore these scriptures.
Jesus spoke to the people saying: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant (slave) to sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: But the Son abideth ever (forever). If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be indeed.’ (John 8:34-36) And it’s the gospel truth friends, because whom the Son sets free is indeed free, for Jesus died to free us from the slavery of sin.
As this commentary tells us: ‘Jesus is explaining the enslaving nature of sin, as compared to the freedom He offers in salvation. Jesus has already claimed to be the one and only source of spiritual truth (John 8:12), and that accepting this truth would rescue a person from sin and spiritual slavery (John 8:31–32).’
So why can’t we simply accept it and be done with all of our doubts, anxieties and fears eh? Because we’re still somewhat enslaved to sin and the foolishness of this ungodly world! And the only way to successfully let that go, is by growing in faith in Christ Jesus, which means plenty meditating on His Word and then putting it into practice in our lives. And as per the burdens of this world, please remember Christ’s Great Invitation, where He offers solace and peace to one and all.
‘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) Yes mih people, that’s what Christ offers if you take Him seriously, take Him at His word! And the only way to find out if it’s true is by accepting him as Lord and Saviour! For all that’s promised in the Lord’s word depends on accepting Christ!
If you don’t accept him as the pre-eminent person in your life, then none of what He says will apply to you. It’s like some of the slangs we have in the world; like ‘the taste of the pudding is the eating,’ ‘if you don’t jump in at the deep end you’ll never learn how to swim,’ and how can you know if the water is hot, unless you feel it.’ It’s the same way with Jesus ; if you don’t check him out seriously, you’ll never know what He’s really about, and won’t know how very much you’re missing. It all comes down, like most things in life, to personal experience!
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking God’s aid in these turbulent and ungodly 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!’
Oh friends, it certainly is time that we all come to the realization of how sinful and ungodly our world has become and be convicted that we do something serious about turning it around! That is, if we truly desire divine aid! Much LOVE!
…when Jesus said, “It is finished,” (John 19:30)…he meant there was nothing else to do, nothing left to pay…He paid it all—totally, completely, permanently…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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