17 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a magnificent day, a perishable crown, acceptable unto God, achieve glory, always abounding in the work of the Lord, an awesome greeting, an imperishable crown, an incorruptible crown, an indisputable fact, be a castaway, be disqualified, be not conformed to this world, be of good cheer, be rewarded with glorious victory, be transformed by the renewing of your mind, be ye steadfast, bondaged to Satan, bought with a price, bring it into subjection, but one receiveth the prize, by the mercies of God, children of the Most High God, Christ's sacrificial death, Christians, clothed by freedom in Christ, competes for the prize, conquering power, constantly bombarded by the enemy's evil schemes, disciplining our minds and bodies, divine aid, does man have access to God, don't allow the world to contaminate you, enter thou into the joy of the Lord, even our faith, every man that striveth for mastery, expect to come out victorious, face the music of the working world, faith, faithful over a few things, fill us with steadfast faith, find favour with God, finished my course, finished my race, fought a good fight, furthering your glorious kingdom, getting serious about living for Jesus, give me at that day, glorify God in your body and spirit, go out to meet the enemy in battle, God is sovereign over the world, God's presence within us, he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God, holy, holy spirit, honour God with how we live our lives, humble servants, humbly ask, I beseech you therefore brethren, I discipline my body, i have overcome the world, I have preached to others, I keep under my body, I therefore so run, in a practical manner, in me ye might have peace, in our endeavours for Christ, in the world ye shall have tribulation, into the evil and ungodly world, invincible, irrevocable presentation, Jesus Christ, jobs that serve a useful purpose, keeping lives and families together, kept the faith, know ye not, lest that by any means, LOVE, make thee a ruler over many things, make worthwhile inroads into the enemy's ranks, mercy, my beloved brethren, not as one that beateth the air, not to me only, on Christ's behalf, one more Monday, one more time unto the breach, only through the Son, present your bodies a living sacrifice, prove what is that good and acceptable perfect will of God, put on the new man, rejuvenation of spirit, rewarded with a crown of righteousness, run not as uncertainly, run that ye may obtain, sally forth with confidence, salvation, self-control, so fight I, sure conquerors, take off the old man, temperate in all things, thankful for jobs, thanks be to God who gives us the victory, the BIBLE, the christian life begins with total commitment, the indwelling of the Holy spirit, the joy of the Lord, the judgement day, the parable of the five talents, the renewed vitality and enthusiasm, the righteous judge, the righteousness of God is manifested, the throne of grace, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, these things I have spoken unto you, they which run in a race run all, this is the victory that overcometh the world, through him that loved us, through our Lord Jesus christ, to lead and guide all your servants, to obtain a corruptible crown, trials and tribulations, truth, unmoveable, unto all them that love his appearing, we surrender our all to you, we're not afraid, wearing your powerful protective spiritual armour, well done thou good and faithful servant, whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, who is he that overcometh the world, wisdom, ye are not your own, you've wrought in our weary souls, your body is the temple of the holy Ghost, your incredible aura of love, your labour is not in vain, your reasonable service
Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 August 2026 1 John 5:5.
1 John 5:5. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.
One more Monday, one more time unto the breach dear friends, one more time to face the music of the working world! And though we may experience numerous trials and tribulations in our endeavours for Christ, we fully expect to come out victorious because we are the children of Most High God, and thus sure conquerors through him that LOVED us. And that’s an indisputable fact! If we diligently pursue God’s will for our lives, then we will eventually be rewarded with glorious victory!
As John so rightly states in his first epistle: ‘For whatsoever is born of God (every believer 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 5:4-5) And I like the scholars’ explanation of that last verse. ‘There is conquering power through this confession because God is sovereign over the world, and only through the Son does man have access to and find favour with God.’
Jesus Himself also spoke about overcoming the world when He said to the disciples, and consequently to us. ‘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) So John’s words are gospel truth.
And Bruh Paul corroborates John’s words with his own testimony to the Corinthians: ‘But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain (futile) in the Lord.’ (1 Cor. 15:57-58)
And that’s for sure! The Lord will never give us work to do, then not reward us if we do it diligently and excellently. It’s like Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy in his last letter. ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (my race), I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:7-8)
Yes, my brethren, all who LOVE the Lord and faithfully do His bidding will be rewarded with a crown of righteousness come the judgement day. It will be just like the Jesus describes it in the parable of the five talents, where one of the servants did a good job with the duties given to him, and the Master rewards him thus: ‘Well done thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee a ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of the Lord.’ (Matt. 25:21)
Wow! What an awesome greeting, and what a magnificent day that will be when we receive it from Jesus! And how do we achieve that glory in a practical manner? Listen to some practical advice from Bruh Paul contained in his first letter to the Corinthians, which ties in very nicely with his comment to Timothy about running his race. ‘Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control).
Now they do it to obtain a corruptible (perishable) crown; but we an incorruptible (imperishable crown). I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under (discipline) my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (be disqualified).’ (1 Cor. 9:24-27)
Yes friends, it all begins with disciplining our minds and bodies, getting serious about living for Jesus. As Bruh Paul further advocates: ‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (rational) service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’ (Rom. 12:1-2)
Now that’s not easy to do, but if we are to truly serve Christ, then we must do our best and don’t allow the world to contaminate us, neither in soul, body or mind. And according to the scholars, ‘This means that the Christian life begins with total commitment and irrevocable presentation. And our bodies are now to be presented to God as a channel through which the righteousness of God is manifested.’
For as Bruh Paul spells out in 1 Corinthians. ‘What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye were bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are Gods.’ (1 Cor. 6:19-20) Yes mih bredrin, we no longer belong to ourselves, but to God who paid a rather high price for us, through Christ’s sacrificial death, and with the indwelling Holy Spirit, or God’s presence within us, we are now called to honor God with how we live and treat ourselves.
And for divine aid to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise and thank You this Monday morning for our jobs; jobs we sometimes don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank You Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm You’ve wrought in our weary souls over the weekend. It’s that rejuvenation of spirit which now allows us to sally forth with confidence into the evil and ungodly world, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s evil schemes. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing Your powerful, protective spiritual armour!
We surrender our all to You, and humbly ask that You allow Your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit to lead and guide all Your servants, as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, thereby furthering Your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And having our prayers answered, let’s now go out and do sincere battle with the enemy on Christ’s behalf! Much LOVE!
…take off the old man…bondaged to Satan…and put on the new one…clothed by freedom in Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: an incorruptible crown, anger, anxiety, be disqualified, be renewed and refreshed, blasphemy, bring it into subjection, but one receiveth the prize, by the good example we your faithful believers set, Christian faith, christianity, competes for the prize, confusion, covetousness, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, desire, discipline my body, divine aid, encompassed about with, every man that striveth for mastery, faith, filthy communication, fornication, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, God's omnipotent help, God's generous help, help us to be responsible, heroes of faith, holy spirit, I have preached to others, I keep under my body, I myself should be a castaway, idolatry, if God spares life, if you want to eat you must work, imperishable, is temperate in all things, Jesus Christ, lack of a strong work ethic, lackadaisical attitude, lay aside every weight, lay aside whatever impediment that weighs us down, lie not one to another, lighten our load, LOVE, malice, mercy, mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, not as one that beats the air, our faith keeps us rooted and grounded in God, out faith is being seriously challenged, passion, persihable, poor witness for Christ, problems are escalating, put off the old man with his deeds, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, run our faith race with endurance, run that ye may obtain, run with patience, salvation, self-control, stand strong and steadfast, successful in our race of faith, surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the children of disobedience, the end of the work week, the endurance of a long distance runner, the race set before us, the race that is set before us, the sin which doth so easily beset us, the sin which so easily beset us, the sinful world, the weekend is here at last, the wrath of God, they which run in a race run all, to obtain a corruptible crown, trusting faith, truth, undisciplined, unexpected storms, ungodly times, wake up and smell the coffee, wisdom, wise guidance, withstand the constant temptation, witnesses, wrath, you can't win if you're not prepared
Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 June 2026 Hebrews 12:1b.
Hebrews 12:1b. 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.
And then it was that blessed day of Friday, another hot and sunny one, and all the shouts of the Friday Mantra gloriously rose up to heaven: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ Our society has become so obsessed with Friday that we don’t give much thanks for any other day. I guess it’s because Friday has become associated with the end of the work week, and our society does not have a great work ethic, so working is not something we like to do.
But as the saying goes; if you want to eat, and have a roof over your head, you have to work. Bruh Paul even went so far as to tell the Thessalonians, that the busybodies and gossipmongers among them, who refused to work, should not be given food. (2 Thess. 3:10-11) Now, that seems a fair reckoning, but doing it is an entirely different story. (smile)
And today we’re going to talk about one of the most precious things we have, but also one of the hardest to keep on the right trail. That’s our Christian faith, which in this evil and godly world of today is being seriously challenged at every turn, but needs to be strong enough to endure and withstand the constant temptation and bombardment that’s thrown at it. For it’s our faith that keeps us rooted and grounded in the goodness, mercy and LOVE of our ever-faithful God.
And this passage in Hebrews 12, gives us an interesting explanation and path to follow. ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are encompassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, 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.’ (Heb. 12 :1) Ah friends, that’s a tough requirement, but it needs to be done, if we are to be successful in our race of faith.
There are a lot of heroes of the faith, witnesses, who have gone before us and who are looking on at our progress. We also need to stand strong like they did, but there’s only one way to do that. As the author of Hebrews says; we need to lay aside every weight, or whatever impediment that keeps us weighed down, the scholars suggest stuff like clothing and body weight. But for the diligent runner or the faithful Christian, those things must be removed, so it can lighten our load.
We also need to put aside every sin which so easily ensnares us. And what sins ensnares us eh? The scholars seem to think that refers to the one sin that is uppermost in our lives; the one sin that defeats us above all others. And there are numerous sins that ensnare us. It’s like Bruh Paul wrote the Colossians: ‘Mortify therefore (put to death) your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection (passion), evil concupiscence (desire), and covetousness, which is idolatry:
For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds:’ (Col. 3:5-9) Now that gives us some idea of the kinds of sins we ought to put aside as we run our faith race.
Then the author of Hebrews states that we should run our faith race with patience, that’s perseverance, or better yet endurance. We need to have the endurance of a long distance runner because our faith race is indeed a long one, and those short of breath will never win it. And we have another good example of how we should run that race from Bruh Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. He writes: Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain.
And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control). Now they do it to obtain a corruptible (perishable) crown, but we an incorruptible (imperishable). I therefore so run , not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under (discipline) my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (be disqualified).’ (1 Cor. 9:24-27)
Yes mih bredrin, this race of faith that we’re running is one for our very life, therefore we need to be serious about it, have discipline and self-control, while working hard to keep our endurance going strong, for endurance and self-discipline are two important aspects of our race, that we badly need if we hope to win that imperishable crown promised to us by the Lord.
But sadly, endurance and self-discipline are two of the least recognized and practiced attributes in today’s society. Not many of us can stick with anything or project for a long time, or have the discipline to do the tough things needed to accomplish success. No wonder our society has become lackadaisical and undisciplined, wild and unruly. Unfortunately though, time and space have run out on us, so if God spares life tomorrow, we’ll continue looking at this race of faith that we are required to run.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid to help us run our race. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. 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 please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good 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 we Christians also need to wake up and smell the coffee, because our work and witness for Christ is definitely not good or strong enough, otherwise our world would not be in the terrible state it’s currently in! Much LOVE!
…everyone who runs a race…runs to win…but you can’t win if you’re not prepared…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a corruptible crown, a crown of righteousness, a free-for-all society, a joyful summer, a means of restoring faith in you, a new flock of believers, accidents, amidst all the anxiety and confusion, an incorruptible crown, be responsible, being able to stand strong, bring it into subjection, but one receives the prize, by the example that we set, Christian Liberty, competes for the prize, crying out for your help, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, divine help, embrace your love and compassion, endurance, every man that striveth for mastery is temperate, exercise a modicum of circumspection, faith, faithful believers, finished my course, for a long duration, forfeiting rewards, fought a good fight, Friday chant, get a move on, God's omnipotent help, holy spirit, I am now ready to be offered, I have preached to others, I keep under my body, I myself should be a castaway, I should be disqualified, imperishable crown, increase our Christian witness, indiscipline, Jesus Christ, Jesus was the best example of endurance, keep our bodies and minds under self-control, kept the faith, lack of self-control, laid up for me, lest that by any means, LOVE, mercy, not as one that beateth the air, not uncertainly, perform an activity, perishable crown, problems are escalating, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, self-control, so fight I, so run, so run that you may obtain, spiritual growth, stand strong and steadfast, stay safe, sticking to the task at hand, take the bull by the horns, temperate in all things, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the ability to withstand adversity, the believer must discipline themself, the error of their way, the essence of perseverance, the righteous judge, the simmering unrest, the sinful world, the throne of grace, the time of my departure is at hand, these ungodly times, they which run in a race run all, to avert being disqualified from Christian ministry, to handle the unexpected storms properly, train like runner, trusting faith, truth, unto all them that love his appearing, use the discontent, Victoria Day weekend, wake up and smell the coffee, we don't falter when times get rough, wisdom, wise guidance, with God's help
1 Corinthians 9:25. And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate (has self-control) in all things.
And finally it’s Friday, a good looking day too, after some early morning rain, with highs in the upper twenties. So the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ have obviously risen to heaven, especially as we also celebrate the Victoria Day long weekend, the first long weekend of the summer. Now, Victoria Day is a Canadian statutory holiday celebrated on the Monday preceding May 25, in honour of the late Queen Victoria. This year it’s been celebrated on Monday May 19, the upcoming Monday, so you can imagine all the stuff that’s going to be happening, especially up in cottage country, as the homes are opened once again for a joyful summer.
And there’s nothing wrong with celebrating, but we’ve got to be sensible and exercise a modicum of circumspection, because so many accidents and other unwanted things happen when we’re not careful. So, with that warning for circumspection, (smile) let’s turn to the topic of endurance that we promised to continue today, if God spared life. And it’s obvious He did! So thank You Lord!
And to get us back into the topic, let’s reiterate the commentary of yesterday that described endurance. ‘Endurance, in general, refers to the ability to withstand hardship, adversity, or stress, particularly the ability to sustain a prolonged effort or activity. In a physical context, it refers to the body’s ability to perform an exercise or activity for a long duration, encompassing both cardiovascular and muscular endurance.’ So it’s basically being able to stand strong, despite problems and finish any task we’ve undertaken. And we know that Jesus was the best example of that, as we saw from the scriptures yesterday in Hebrews 12:1-3.
Now, Bruh Paul was also big on the point of endurance or sticking to the task at hand, which we see from many of his writings. And one of the most popular is this one to the Corinthians. ‘Know ye not they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate (has self-control) in all things.
Now they do it to obtain a corruptible (perishable) crown; but we an incorruptible (imperishable). I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.’ (1 Cor. 9:24-27)
And that’s the essence of perseverance my brethren! One has to practice it, train like a runner or a fighter, keep your bodies, souls and minds under self-control, so that you don’t falter when the times get real tough. And believe me, they will at some stage or stages in our earthly lives.
And the scholars offer an interesting explanation of that last line: ‘Lest that by any means … I myself should be a castaway.’ Literally meaning “So that … I myself will not be disqualified.” Paul was not afraid of losing his salvation: his subject is still Christian liberty. The point is that the believer must discipline himself to avert both being disqualified from Christian ministry, and forfeiting the rewards for such service.’
It’s obvious therefore, that although we might have freedom to do as we please, self-control and self-discipline are still very important in our Christian ministry. And sadly, that’s not something that our current world is famous for, or even tries to implement. Instead we live in a free-for-all society, where selfishness, greed and arrogance are the order of the day. That means it’s left up to the induvial believers and churches to instill self-discipline and self-control, which is not such an easy task, when all around you is indiscipline and lack of self-control. However, with God’s help, if we’re serious, we can do it.
But getting back to the subject of endurance, we also have these marvellous words of Bruh Paul to Timothy, when he believes his life is on the line. ‘For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure (death) is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:6-8)
Now, those are the kinds of statements we as true believers, as Christ’s representatives here on earth, ought to be able to make when we’re about to be taken home. But we cannot do that unless we’ve had self-control and endurance and leaned heavily on the examples of Bruh Paul and Jesus, two of the best at enduring hardships without complaints. And for divine help to do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant.
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 my fellow believers, praying for aid is good, but at the same time, we too have to increase our Christian witness. We just cannot sit back and wait on the Lord to do it all. A lot depends on us. So please, let’s take the bull by the horns, and get a move on nuh! Much LOVE!
…to grow spiritually…one must be able to control one’s body and mind…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great cloud of witnesses, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a true disciple of Christ, a warning, absolutely necessary, an incorruptible crown, be disqualified, bring it under subjection, business, Christian celebrations, compassed about, competes for the prize, corruptible crown, denying the spirituality of the situation, despising the shame, disicpline our bodies, disobeyed your word, disqualified from Christian ministry, divine aid, earthly spiritual journey, ease the pain, Easter celebrations, Easter Monday, encouraged by the enemy, endured the cross, eternal life, every man that striveth for mastery, faith, fall by the wayside, finished my course, flails helplessly, food, for the joy that was set before him, forfeiting rewards, fought a good fight, frustrations, gifts, grace, greed of the world, have a part to play, he that abideth in me, heavenly help, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, I am the vine, I in him, I keep under my body, I myself should be a castaway, I therefore so run, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus' miraculous resurrection, Jesus' sacrificial death, keep Jesus uppermost in our minds, kept the faith, know ye not, lay aside every weight, lest that by any means, looking unto Jesus, lose sight of the essential facts, LOVE, mass confusion, material selfishness, mercy, not as one that beateth the air, not that we are sufficient of ourselves, one receives the prize, our sufficiency is of God, parties, peace and calm, personal sacrifice, practical advice, pray, run not as uncertainly, run with patience, salvation, self-control, selfless sacrifice of Jesus, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, share a partnership with Christ, sin, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, so fight I, so run that ye may obtain, spiritual strength, spirituality, steal our joy In Jesus Christ, strong faith in Christ, suffering from negative situations, surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, ta perishable crown, temperate, temperate in all things, Thank you Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, the giver of life, the God who heals, the joy of the Lord is your strength, the material world, the race of life, the race that is set before us, the same bringeth forth much fruit, the sin which doth so easily beset us, they which run in a race run all, throne of grace, to think anything of ourselves, traffic jams, trainig for a marathon, truth, turn from our evil ways, we have all sinned, when I have preached to others, wisdom, wise guidance, without me ye can do nothing, work diligently, ye are the branches
1 Corinthians 9:24b. So run, that ye may obtain.
And the Easter celebrations continue unabated on this somewhat cloudy Easter Monday! And why not eh, when we were given the greatest presents ever; salvation and eternal life through Jesus’ sacrificial death and miraculous resurrection! And the other good thing about today is that many of us don’t have to face the traffic jams and all the other frustrations involved in going out to work. And all God’s children said, a loud and grateful, ‘Thank You Jesus!’
However, there’s always a warning needed in these Christian celebrations, a warning to not let the material selfishness and greed of the world to make us lose sight of what the celebration is truly about; the LOVE and selfless sacrifice of Jesus! For if we allow them, the material world, staunchly encouraged by the enemy, would just make it all about business, gifts, food, and parties, while denying the spirituality of the situation. So, as we celebrate, let’s keep Jesus uppermost in our minds today and every day, for He is the giver of life, health, wealth, LOVE, mercy, grace…in fact of everything that we enjoy!
Now, to always keep Jesus first place is no easy task, especially when the enemy’s main goal is to steal our joy in Christ, since, as the Bible says: ‘for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) That means if we lose our joy in Christ then we’ll lose our spiritual strength and won’t be able to make the wise decisions we ought to, or have the peace and calm we desire.
And how do we do that? We have to work sincerely and diligently at it. But obviously not by ourselves, for as Bruh Paul writes: ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor. 3:5) And Jesus corroborates that when he declares (yesss!!!) that well known statement: ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5)
But unlike what some might think, that does not stop us from working towards the goal of spiritual maturity, for we share a partnership with Christ, meaning we both have a part to play. If we do our part, He will do His. But if we don’t do our part, neither will He do His, and we’d be left in the lurch. And what’s our part in all this eh? Here’s one practical bit of advice from Bruh Paul. He writes thus in his first missive to the Corinthians: ‘Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.’ (1 Cor. 9:24)
Yes friends, Bruh Paul is likening our earthly spiritual journey to a race, and in his last communication with Timothy, he uses that same imagery. ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith.’ (2 Tim. 4:7) Likewise, the author of Hebrews views our earthly journey as a race, when he writes: ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witness, 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.’ (Heb. 12:1-2)
So Jesus is our example for living this earthly life. But yuh know what, if we want to obtain anything positive and/or substantial from this race of life, we have to put out something. Therefore, Bruh Paul continues to the Corinthians. ‘And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate (has self-control) in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible (perishable) crown, but we an incorruptible (imperishable). I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air (flails helplessly): but I keep under my body (discipline my body), and bring it under subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (disqualified).’ (1 Cor. 9:25-27)
Ah mih people, like a runner training for a marathon, we too have to discipline our bodies and exert ourselves so that we will do well in the race of life. If not, we’ll fall by the wayside and lose the promised imperishable crown that Christ has laid aside for us. As the scholars explain: ‘The point is that the believer must discipline himself to avert being disqualified from Christian ministry, and forfeiting the rewards for such service.’ So we see that running this earthly race is not easy, but with the help of our wonderful God, we can do it, if we put out the necessary effort. And to help us do so, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, pleading for divine assistance.
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 from our prayer, we see that there are some necessary steps we must take before divine aid is granted; humble ourselves, pray, sincerely seek God’s face with sincere repentance. So please, let’s get to them right now nuh, so that we’ll get heavenly help asap! Much LOVE!
…as a true disciple of Christ…personal sacrifice is absolutely necessary…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a corruptible crown, a crown of righteousness, an incorruptible crown, and every man that striveth for mastery, be a castaway, Bible, but one receives the prize, christianity, competes for the prize, endure afflictions, endure hardship, faith, fight the good fight of faith, fought a good fight, god, good soldiers, good soldiers are not born, grace and mercy, holy spirit, humble ourselves and pray, I discipline my body, is temperate in all things, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kept the faith, life is hard, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, one that beateth the air, pick up your cross daily, put on the armour of god, repercussions, run not as uncertainly, sacrifices, self-control, seriously disobeyed your word, sincerely seek your face, stale like day old bread, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the God who heals, the helmet of salvation, the medium of prayer, the righteous judge, the shield of faith, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the spiritual armour of God, the sword of the Spirit, the throne of grace, the time of my departure is at hand, the two edged sword, the Word ofGod, they which run in a race run all, tough times, unto all them that love his appearing, when I have preached to others, wisdom, wise guidance
1 Corinthians 9:25a. And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control).
Awright friends, it’s Monday…and there’s no birthday celebrations today. No. This is the start of a full work week, so please, let’s be up and about Christ’s business as we ought to, as good soldiers in His powerful army. And I guess there’s’ no better day to talk about fighting the good fight than on a Monday, when we’re supposed to be at our freshest and best, but so many of us seem uninterested and stale like day-old bread.
That’s why Bruh Paul exhorted Timothy with these words of valour: ‘Fight the good fight of faith…Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship) as a good soldier of Christ… But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the works of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure (death) is at hand.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge shall give at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that LOVE his appearing.’ (1 Tim. 6:12a, 2 Tim. 2:3, 4:5-8)
Oh my people, that’s the kind of buzz we need to make in this world. A stand for Jesus so strong that few can refute it. So that we can receive that crown of righteousness from the Lord when our time on earth is up. And no it’s not an easy stand to make, but we have all the tools to do it, beginning with the powerful Holy Spirit that indwells each of us.
Then there’s the proctection of the spiritual armour of God that Bruh Paul talks of in Ephesians: The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, or the Word of God, that mighty two edged sword, all banded together with the equally powerful medium of prayer. (Eph. 6:14-18)
Yes friends, with all of that firepower available to us, we cannot be defeated if we put it to good use. But it doesn’t happen automatically, we have to first put on the armour, then go out and fight the good fight. But before we fight that good fight, like all good soldiers, we also have to train, to practice, so that we can become efficient and effective on the battlefield. And that’s why Bruh Paul sets out this tough but sensible and oh so necessary training regime in his first letter to the church at Corinth.
‘Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control). Now they do it to obtain a corruptible (perishable) crown: but we an incorruptible (imperishable). I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air (throws wild and unconnected blows): But I keep under (discipline) my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (be disqualified).’ (1 Cor. 9:24-27)
Now that, my fellow believers is how we ought to be training to be good disciples and tough soldiers of Christ! Unfortunately though, too many of us supposed believers are not interested in taking up that training regime because they claim it’s too hard. But however you live life, it’s hard, and the only way to fight life is by being tougher than it, and you can only get tougher by long hours of practice and training.
Too many of us are too enamoured with the wonderful amenities and entitlements the world has to offer and thus refuse to take up their armour, go into training and fight, but they still expect to receive an imperishable crown of righteousness come the day of judgement. Unfortunately though, I’m afraid those lackadaisical, apathetic soldiers will be sorely disappointed when those crowns of righteousness are handed out.
If you refuse to pick up your cross daily and follow Christ as a good disciple, then Christ will leave you behind when he comes into His kingdom. It’s as simple as that my fellow saints. There’s no easy or simple way to cut it. Working for Jesus implies sacrifices and tough times, which we all have the wherewithal to handle, but we’re just too bloody lazy and only desire to live the easy life.
But let’s remember that anything that’s comes too easily, will later on have serious repercussions. Life was just not meant to be easy. Whatever you want, you have to work for it. So if you truly desire that imperishable crown of righteousness, then you’d better get up off your fat, lazy fanny and work for it! Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help us with our earthly problems.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And the best way to encourage divine aid is by humbling ourselves, praying and sincerely seeking God’s face. Much LOVE!
…good soldiers are not born…but are developed…through discipline and serious training…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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