03 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a forward-looking perspective, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a new work week, accomplishing his redemptive purpose, adopt Jesus' selfless attitude, ambassadors, an example of self-control, as much as humanly possible, assurance of his heavenly Father's guidance and protection, came down from heaven, come back to haunt us, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, despising the shame, disicples, disobeyed God's word, divine aid, earth's corrupt treasures, earthly purpose, ease the pain, endured such hostility of sinners, endured the cross, eternal life, faith, faithfully promised, for eternity, fulfilling God's redemptive purpose, fulfilling God's Will, give his life for a ransom, give to all who love his appearing, God-given purpose, handle them with great aplomb, highlighting his obedience, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, if thou be willing, in the face of immense suffering, in the face of numerous difficulties, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus handled his earthly life, Jesus' ability to endure extreme suffering, Jesus' human struggle and distress, Jesus' primary focus, joy, laying up treasures in heaven, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, life with Christ will be forever, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, mass confusion, material things, mercy, my meat is to do the will of him who sent me, never be discouraged, not my will but thine be done, not to do mine own will, our lives should be governed by the will of Jesus, poise, pray, reflecting the way, remove this cup from me, resolute obedience, salvation, self-confidence, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, shame, sincerely seek God's face, sinful pleasures, sought a reprieve, spreaing the good news of Christ, steadfast devotion, strong faith in Christ, sufferation of the cross, the author and finisher of our faith, the bread of life, the crown of righteousness, the Garden of Gethsemane, the God who heals, the joy that was set before Him, the many suffering from negative situations, the obedient attitude of Jesus, the righteous judge, the sacrificial nature of Jesus' purpose, the Son of man came not to be served, the throne of grace, the travails of Jesus, the ultimate joy, the will of him that sent me, to finish his work, to hear and answer our prayers, to serve, truth, turn from our evil ways, unwavering commitment, waiver from his purpose, welcome thou good and faithful servant, wisdom
John 4:34. ‘My meat (food) is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.’
Awright my people, Monday and a new work week has come back to haunt us one more time. But let’s remember that we have the wherewithal through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to handle them both with great aplomb, that’s amazing poise and self-confidence. Reflecting the way Jesus handled His earthly life with the assurance and certainty of His heavenly Father’s guidance and protection. All the trials and tribulations, the abuse and denial of His holy person, did not make Him turn back or waiver from His purpose.
And there are several scriptures that point out, as this commentary puts it: ‘The unwavering commitment to His earthly purpose and the will of the Father, highlighting His obedience, focus, and determination, even in the face of immense suffering.’ And was Jesus ever a marvellous example of self-control in the face of numerous difficulties. And why is that you ask? Listen to Him explain it to the disciples after speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well and refusing the food they offered. ‘My meat (food) is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.’ (John 4:34)
And the commentary tells us: ‘This verse clearly demonstrates that fulfilling God’s will was Jesus’ primary sustenance and focus in life.’ Oh, how I wish that many more of us would adopt that selfless and obedient attitude, and do the work that Jesus expects of us as His disciples and ambassadors. (smile)
Then there’s this other time, after accusing the multitude of only following Him because they ate of the bread He provided, and telling them that He is the bread of life, (John 6:26-35), Jesus then informs them: ‘For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.’ (John 6:38) And according to the commentary: ‘Jesus explicitly states that His mission was defined entirely by the Father’s will, not His own desires.’ So should our lives be entirely governed by the will of Jesus.
And when we talk about Jesus being the perfect example for us to follow, Hebrews tells us loud and clear: ‘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 in your souls).’ (Heb. 12:2-3)
And per the commentary; ‘These verses point to Jesus’ ability to endure extreme suffering and shame by maintaining a forward-looking perspective on the ultimate joy of accomplishing His redemptive purpose.’ And don’t we have a purpose that ought to also bring us joy? Yes, that of spreading the good news of Christ and living like He desires of us. And what’s the joy we should look forward to? That’s salvation and eternal life with Jesus, being greeted with the words ‘Welcome thou good and faithful servant,’ (Matt. 25:21) and ‘the crown of righteousness that the righteous judge, (the Lord) will give to all who LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:8)
Now, isn’t that a big enough reward to encourage us to do Jesus’ will? I believe it is. And let’s remember that our earthly lives and all the material things we covet and the sinful pleasures we so avidly desire down here only last for a short while. But life with Christ will be for eternity…that’s forever…without end. So, it’s certainly not wise to expend so much energy and use up what little time we have here on earth running down its corrupt and rust-driven treasures, but ought to be laying up treasures in heaven that don’t rust or spoil.
But getting back to Jesus’ serious focus on His God-given purpose, listen to what He tells the disciples after the argument that erupted when John and James asked for one of them to sit on His right and the other on the left hand in His glory. (Mark 10:35-41) ‘For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto (be served), but to minister (to serve), and to give his life as a ransom for many.’ (Mark 10:45) And the commentary explains that verse thus: ‘This highlights the sacrificial nature of His purpose, to which He remained committed.’
And we see that commitment further displayed in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus in His human form was terribly weighed down by the whole situation and pleaded: ‘Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done.’ (Luke 22:39) The commentary tells us: ‘This shows His human struggle and distress, but ultimately, His resolute obedience to the Father’s plan, which included the cross.’ Yes friends, though Jesus was undergoing a lot of ‘sufferation’ and sought a reprieve from His heavenly Father, deep down He knew that it could not happen if the Father’s overall plan for our salvation was to be successful.
And we’ll close with a final word from the commentary. They say: ‘These scriptures collectively demonstrate Jesus’ singular and steadfast devotion to fulfilling God’s redemptive purpose on earth, despite the personal cost and suffering involved.’ And though we all know it’s not easy to do, that is the same singular and steadfast devotion that we need to show in fulfilling Jesus’ purpose for us here on earth. Now, let’s use one more benefit we acquired through the travails of Jesus, that’s the ability to go directly to the throne of grace and ask for divine aid in times of need. Let’s do that right now, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
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 what’s the answer we received? ‘Begin by turning from your evil ways, humbling yourselves, and sincerely seeking my face.’ So, if we truly desire divine aid, then it’s up to us to put those demands into action! Much LOVE!
…as disciples of Jesus…our lives ought to reflect His steadfast devotion and commitment…as much as is humanly possible…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a disciplined mind, a second wind, according to his riches in glory, because of your unbelief, become discouraged, but of power love and a sound mind, come to grips with our faith, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, despising the shame, endure to the end, endured the cross, faith, faith can move mountains, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, for the joy that was set before him, get my head around, glad to be alive, hands on the plough, holy spirit, how is it that ye have no faith, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I have not found so great faith in Israel, I'm halfway home, if thou faint in the day of adversity, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, in accordance with God's will, in the tough times, it shall remove, Jesus Christ, lack of faith, lay aside every weight, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, looking unto Jesus, lose our faith to fear, LOVE, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my God shall supply all my needs, not turning back, nothing shall be impossible to you, o thou of little faith, O ye of little faith, our faith needs to be the greatest, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, remove hence to yonder place, run with patience, salvation, say unto this mountain, searching the Good Library, seeing we are compassed about, send faith to answer it, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, so great a cloud of witnesses, stand up strong in faith, thank God, the author and finisher of our faith, the awesome help of Jesus, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the naked truth, the qiality of faith is more important than the quantity, the race that is set before us, the sin which doth so easily beset us, thy strength is small, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, unseasonal days, Wednesday Wail, whare there's a will there's a way, when fear comes calling, wherefore didst thou doubt, why are ye so fearful, wisdom
Proverbs 24:10. If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.
Aye friends, it’s Wednesday, and we on the late bus. (smile) But hopefully we didn’t have to catch any second wind, because so far we’ve only worked one day for the week. However, knowing that some of us overdid it this past Thanksgiving weekend, it’s to be expected that that group would need to catch their second wind. (smile) And although it’s somewhat cloudy and a touch chilly, Wednesday is still a beautiful day for this time of year. Let’s hope and pray that we see more of these wonderful, unexpected, unseasonal days.
Now I’m chuckling here because today is one of those days when the Lord kept me dangling. Yes, most days when I ask Him to show me what He wants me to write on, He usually shows it to me fairly quickly, but today, for a good ten minutes I kept searching the Good Library, seeking something I could get my head around, but nothing seemed to be falling into that category, until I espied this seminal, influential verse from Cousin Sol in Proverbs. It simply, but very importantly says: ‘If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.’ (Prov. 24:10)
And that is the naked truth my people. As believers in Christ Jesus, we ought to be strong, especially in the tough times, when our faith needs to be the greatest. When we need to be telling ourselves scriptures like, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ (Phil. 4:13) And ‘God shall supply all my needs according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) And we don’t want to hear Jesus whispering through His Holy Spirit, like He said to the disciples when they were experiencing the crazy storm on the Sea of Galilee: ‘Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?’ (Mark 4:40) Or as Matthew puts it: ‘Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?’ (Matt. 8:26)
Then we have this instance when Peter was walking on the water, got scared and cried out for help. Jesus admonished him: ‘O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt.’ (Matt. 14:31) It’s surprising how often Jesus commented on the lack of faith that His Jewish people had, even those who claimed to believe in Him. It’s like when the Roman Centurion approached Him to heal his sick servant, but then told Him, He did not have to come to His house to do so. All He had to do was say the word and his servant would be healed.
The Bible tells us: ‘When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.’ (Matt. 8:10) Yes friends, as opposed to the Jewish people, whom Jesus had come to first save, this Gentile showed admirable faith, such that Jesus had not seen amongst His own kind. And sadly, in these turbulent and fearful times too many of us are afraid and lose our faith to fear, but please, let’s remember these most reassuring and encouraging words of Bruh Paul 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)
And that’s how we need to stand up strong in faith. There’s also this occasion when the disciples could not heal an epileptic boy, and when they asked Jesus why? He said to them: ‘Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove (move), and nothing shall be impossible to you.’ (Matt. 17:20) Ah mih people, that just proves that a small amount of strong faith can move mountains, for the mustard seed is very small, but grows into a much larger tree.
Or as this commentary explains: ‘The core idea is that the quality of faith is more important than the quantity, and with true faith, nothing will be impossible for the believer when they are acting in accordance with God’s will.’ That means with sufficient faith we can overcome even the most daunting problems, if we sincerely depend on God’s help. Now, here are some other important verses of scripture that we ought to keep at the forefront of our minds in these evil and ungodly times.
This wonderful advice comes from the author of Hebrews: ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed 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. 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 (become discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:1-3)
Oh my people, the stout example of Jesus is what we need to follow in these evil and dangerous times. And we know it’s not always easy, but as the old people would say, ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way.’ And with Jesus’ awesome help, we know that we can do much better than we’re currently doing. So please, let’s come to grips with our faith nuh, get serious about it and use it to help us to stand strong in Jesus’ name in this ungodly world. Now, it’s time to go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, proclaiming to all and sundry, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
As one 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 to improve on that, there’s the promise that whoever endures to the very end with Jesus, will enjoy a future more glorious than they can ever comprehend or imagine. So let’s take it to heart and endure to the end, and thus enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…when fear comes a calling…send faith to answer it…so that we can endure to the end…and be saved…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a servant of Christ, almost all of our unhappiness is the result of, angry, arrogant, at the hands of a just and righteous God, be discouraged, be like minded, be ye followers of me, being of one accord, believers must stop comparing themselves, bitter envying and strife in your hearts, building ourselves up in front of others, but every man also on the interests of others, celebrities, christ is the only one worth comparing ourselves to, climate change, come to know and love him like we do, comparing ourselves to each other, confusion and every evil work, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, demonic, depressed, despising the shame, do I now persuade men or God, do not boast, driving the soicety to its unfortunate end, duty bound, earthly, endured the cross, envy, even as I am also of Christ, faith, fashion ourselves after others, focus on christ, for the joy that was set before him, forgetful of our many blessings, fulfil ye my joy, glory not, good summer weather, greed, having the same love, holding on to envy, holy spirit, hurry, if i pleased men, in god's eyes, in humility, in lowliness of mind, influencers, jealous, Jesus Christ, Leaders, leading, leading people astray, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, let each esteem the other better than themselves, let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, lie not against the truth, live in harmony with each other, lock stock and barrel, look not every man on his own things, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, lust, mercy, miserable, no real substance to them, not satisfied with who we are, not try to win approval from others, of one mind, only compare ourselves to Christ, P.S. I Love You, power brokers, proud, salvation, seek to please men, sensual, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, social media, stop wanting to be like those in the upper echelons, strife, suffer the same fate, telling others how to live, the author and finisher of our faith, the beloved of God, the desire for material wealth, the gospel truth, the power of the enemy, the result of comparing ourselves to others, thinking that we're better than others, this ungodly and evil society, this wisdom descendeth not from above, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, undaulterated sin, ungodly, unhappy, utter destruction, value others above yourselves, wanting to be like someone else, where envying and strife is, wisdom, worry
1 Corinthians 11:1. ‘Be ye followers (imitators) of me, even as I also am of Christ.’
Oh friends, it’s another sunshiny day in mid-September! And I must say that September is treating us very nicely with lots of decent summer weather in a very un-September-like manner. (smile) Yes, usually by mid-September we’re experiencing some cold days, getting us accustomed to the winter weather that’s forthcoming. But not so this year. And are we ever glad and thankful for it, and hope it continues for a while yet. And I guess we have to thank climate change for that blessing. But let’s remember that what we gain one way, we’re likely to lose another, so let’s not go overboard, for soon we might be singing a completely different song. (smile)
And today I want to look at a quote from my ‘P.S. I LOVE YOU’ Poster. We haven’t looked at anything from it for a long while. And it’s simply a cardboard poster my young daughter gave me several years ago, with some living truths written on them. Quotes like this one: ‘Almost all of our unhappiness is the result of comparing ourselves to others.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth! It surely is! For in this modern day society, it’s all about comparisons, and wanting to be like somebody else, or have what they have.
We simply are not satisfied to be who we are and grow in that character. It’s like we believe God didn’t know what He was doing when He made all of us different, even unique, so we have to fashion ourselves after others, like celebrities and other leaders and power brokers in our society, figuring that if we look and behave like them, we will become like them and acquire what they have.
What utter rot! Especially when the supposed leaders of this society, the celebrities and influencers have no real substance to them, are two-faced, and their actual lives are truly not worth living, for many of them are miserable, unhappy, depressed and ungodly. They have never even truly lived through the ups and downs of real life but are endeavouring to tell others how to live. They are just leading people, especially the young ones astray, with all the nonsense on social media and the many other platforms available for posting their foolishness.
But the power of the enemy, through strife, greed, envy, lust and the great desire for material wealth is driving the society to its unfortunate end. And unless believers stop comparing themselves to others, and stop wanting to be like those in the upper echelons of this ungodly and evil society, we too will suffer the same fate that they will eventually suffer; that’s utter destruction at the hands of a just and righteous God.
Anyway, the really sad thing about comparing ourselves is that it can either make us angry, jealous and forgetful of all our many blessings, or it can make us proud, arrogant and thinking that we’re better than others. Neither of those outcomes is satisfactory, so let’s park for a minute and check out a few of the many scriptures that dissuade us from comparing ourselves to others.
And this first scripture comes from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Philippians, where he advises then: ‘Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like minded, having the same LOVE, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the interests of others.’ (Phil. 2:2-4) And what does all of the mean? Basically to live in harmony with each other, and in humility, value others above yourselves, while paying serious attention to your own work, but also taking an interest in the work of others.
Then there’s this scripture from James, that hits right to the heart of the matter. ‘But if ye have bitter envying and strife (self-seeking) in your hearts, glory not (do not boast), and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish (demonic). For where envying and strife is (self-seeking exist), there is confusion and every evil work.’ (James 3:14-16) Yes friends, holding on to envy, and trying to build ourselves up in front of others is nothing but unadulterated sin.
And I like this verse from Bruh Paul to the Galatians: ‘For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.’ (Gal. 1:10) And that my people is the indisputable truth! If we seek to please men, then we obviously cannot please God. We must focus on Christ and not try to win the approval of others. So, therefore as this commentary tells us: ‘It does not matter what your neighbor has, is doing, or has done; it only matters that we focus on God and what He wants us to do and be.’
Now, we don’t have time for the many more scriptures on comparing ourselves to others, but we’ll close with this very important one. In the words of Bruh Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians, he ardently advises and admonishes them: ‘Be ye followers (imitators) of me, even as I also am of Christ.’ (1 Cor. 11:1) Oh my people, if there’s anyone, we should desire to compare ourselves to, it ought to be none other than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for He is the only One worthy of such an honour.
As the author of Hebrews so confidently writes: ‘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 (become discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 11:2-3) Yes friends, if we want to compare, that’s the kind of comparison we ought to make!
Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the only comparison that interests God…is to that of Jesus Christ…in whose image He’s fashioning us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a core tenet of christian belief, be discouraged, better late than never, change us into the image of christ, christian belief, come to know and love him like we do, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, despising the shame, duty bound, endured the cross, faith, for the joy that was set before him, God's Master Plan, holy spirit, hurry, I am the way the truth and the life, if God spares life, in god's eyes, Jesus blazed the trail, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ as our Intercessor, Jesus finished the course, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, mercy, no man cometh unto the Father but by me, only one way to zion gate, proves the genuineness of our faith our faith, salvation, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, temptation tough times, the author and finisher of our faith, the beloved of God, the definitive source of truth, the exclusive path to God and eternal life, the joys of summer vacation, the Lord tests us, the quintessence of life, the sole source of all truth, the straight and narrow path, the way the cookie crumbles, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wisdom, worry
ohn 14:6. I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
So friends, it’s back to work, back to school, and away from all the joys of summer vacation. But it’s a beautiful Tuesday in my neighbourhood for doing that. And I guess the traffic jams might have been somewhat worse than usual this morning as so many people come back to a normal, humdrum, same old, same old way of life. (smile)
But unfortunately, that’s the way the cookie crumbles, and we just have to roll with the punches, which we can certainly do when we have Jesus Christ as our Intercessor, Pilot, Guide and Leader. Praise the Lord! For He’s the quintessence, the embodiment, the epitome of what we’re all about.
As the author of Hebrews so wisely advises: ‘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) against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (be discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:2-3)
Yes my faithful brethren, Jesus is the One who has originated our faith and saw it through to the very end. As the scholars say, He has already blazed the trail and finished the course. Now it’s our turn to follow Him down that straight and narrow path that He’s established. And per the scholars, it’s time for us believers to emulate the supreme example of endurance that Jesus provides in His earthly journey. For as Jesus Himself reminded the disciples and subsequently us: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6)
And what does that mean? I like the way this commentary explains it. ‘It signifies that Jesus Christ is the exclusive path to God and eternal life, the sole ultimate source of all truth, and the giver of true, spiritual life, which is found by believing in and following him. This statement is a core tenet of Christian belief, emphasizing Jesus’ central role as the mediator between God and humanity. To accept Jesus as the “way, the truth, and the life” means to believe in him, trust his teachings, and follow his example to find salvation and true, eternal life.’
Yes friends, Jesus is the ONE and ONLY path to God the Father. It’s not one of many paths. There is absolutely NO OTHER way but through Him! Likewise, as the commentary further breaks it down: ‘He is the definitive source of truth, not just one truth among many. He is the ultimate authority and revealer of what is true.’ And as per Life: ‘Jesus offers life—not just physical existence, but a rich, meaningful, and eternal spiritual life. He has the power to give life, and those who believe in him receive this gift of eternal life.’
Wow! What more can one ask for eh? Absolutely nothing! The trouble though is that we believers expect life to get easy when we accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour. However, the opposite is often true, for then the Lord needs to prove us and our faith as well as turn us into the image of Jesus, which is His Master Plan. However, unfortunately, the only things that test our faith and turn us around are temptations, tough times and circumstances, bringing patience and perseverance to bear in our lives.
Oh mih bredrin, I can’t take it any longer nuh, I have to stop the Bit here today because I am having some serious problems with my keyboard, it’s typing all sorts of nonsense, or not typing at all, and as luck would have it, I don’t have any new batteries of the required size. As always, the devil finds pleasure in interrupting God’s work. And also in tempting me to use some fine language. But surprisingly, and thankfully, I have not succumbed to that temptation…yet. Praise the Lord! (smile)
Chuh! I just succumbed! Anyway, we will continue with that topic of testing our faith and giving us an image or likeness of Christ tomorrow, if God spares life. Now, let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And with those words, we’ve now become duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
..as the old reggae song says…there’s only ONE WAY to Zion Gate…that’s through Jesus…
P.S. Sorry the Bit’s so late, but I began late, and then the foolish keyboard problems only made matters worse. But it’s always better late than never. (smile) Much LOVE!
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fully refuelled spirit, a safe retreat, after he had patiently endured he received the promise, after the shower is gone, an anchor of the soul, an high priest for ever, an unbending anchor, Anne Murray, at the foot of the cross, be thankful unto him, bless His name, blessing I will bless thee, both sure and steadfast, breathing a lesson unheard, brighten the glimmering star, Canadian Songbird, come to my sad eary heart, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, deepening darkness, despising the shame, endured the cross, enter into his gates with thanksgiving, entering God's presence, faith, filled to overflowing, for the joy that was set before him, God cannot lie, God will not allow His word to fail, God's covenant with Abraham, God's unchanging word, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endures to all generations, holy spirit, hope as an anchor so steadfast, hope for the sunshine tomorrow, hope with a gentle persuasion, how welcome thy voice, in its sorrow rejoice, in the dusk of the twilight, into his courts with praise, Jesus Christ, Jim Reeves, joyful worship, lay hold upon the hope set before us, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, making my heart, mercy, obtained the promise, our anchor is in heaven, praise, rends the dark veil of the soul, renewed faith, robbing the grave of its goal, sacrificial praise, salvation, Septimus Winner, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, soft as the voice of an angel, Statler Brothers, thanksgiving, the author and finisher of our faith, the basics of Christianity, the cities of refuge, the forerunner, the heirs of promise, the immutability of his counsel, The Lord is good, the Lord's Day, the Lord's sanctuary, the reliable anchor we have in Jesus, the wisest place to lay our burdens, thou blest hope of glory, truth, wait till the darkness is over, wait till the tempest is done, watch for the breaking of day, when the dark midnight is over, when the night is upon us, whispering hope, whispers her comforting word, why should the heart sink away, wisdom, with a heart full of gratitude, within the veil, worship
Hebrews 12:2a. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith;
And after Saturday comes Sunday, which means we’re heading for the Lord’s sanctuary on the Lord’s Day, to offer up praise, worship and thanksgiving, while receiving strength, confidence, renewed faith and a fully refuelled spirit; one that’s filled to overflowing! And all we’re doing there is what Psalm 100 highly recommends: ‘Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:4)
Wow! What a wise and wonderful scripture passage! Now, this commentary explains that ‘This verse encourages entering God’s presence with a heart filled with gratitude and joyful worship. It highlights the importance of expressing thankfulness and praise as a way to approach God.’ And are we ever taking it to heart this Sunday morning. So, let’s prepare our vocal chords to sing forth an old but wonderful hymn titled ‘Whispering Hope,’ written by Philadelphian Septimus Winner (1827-1902), a well-known poet, composer and violinist.
Many of you old timers will remember hearing the sultry male voice of Jim Reeves singing on your parents’ radio, while some of the young ones will remember the female version done by our Canadian Songbird, Anne Murray, but today we’ll sing a more up-tempo and scintillating version done by the Statler Brothers. And let’s not forget the sweet, wonderful responses in the chorus. Oh, how could we ever forget that eh, for it makes the song even sweeter! (smile)
Therefore, with heartfelt sincerity, let’s raise our voices filled with sacrificial praise to heaven. Singing: ‘Soft as the voice of an angel, Breathing a lesson unheard, Hope with a gentle persuasion Whispers her comforting word: Wait till the darkness is over, Wait till the tempest is done, Hope for the sunshine tomorrow, After the shower is gone. (Refrain: Whispering hope, whispering hope, oh, how welcome thy voice, oh how welcome thy voice, Making my heart, making my heart, in its sorrow rejoice.)
If, in the dusk of the twilight, Dim be the region afar, Will not the deepening darkness Brighten the glimmering star? Then when the night is upon us, Why should the heart sink away? When the dark midnight is over, Watch for the breaking of day. [Refrain] Hope, as an anchor so steadfast, Rends the dark veil for the soul, Whither the Master has entered, Robbing the grave of its goal;
Come then, oh, come, glad fruition, Come to my sad weary heart; Come, O Thou blest hope of glory, Never, oh, never depart.(Refrain: Whispering hope, whispering hope, oh, how welcome thy voice, oh how welcome thy voice, Making my heart, making my heart, in its sorrow rejoice…making my heart, making my heart, in its sorrow rejoice…’
That was certainly wonderful my fellow believers, and you didn’t let me down with the responses in the chorus. (smile) And as always, heaven was overjoyed and joined us to regale our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ in worshipful song. And what’s the song about, you ask? It’s basically about hope and faith and the reliable anchor that we have in Jesus. The Author of Hebrews puts it this way, when talking about the promise of God.
‘For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise…. Wherein God willing more abundantly (determining) to shew the heirs of promise the immutability (unchangeableness) of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath.
That by two immutable (unchangeable) things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil (in the Presence behind the veil). Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made (having become) an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.’ (Heb. 6:13-15; 17-20)
And what does all of the mean? The scholars explain it thus: ‘God’s covenant with Abraham, which involves salvation (Gal. 3:15-25), is secure, being based upon two immutable things, that is elements that cannot change. First, God’s promise is based on His own unchanging Word. He cannot lie, nor will He allow His Word to fail (Matt. 5:18; John 10:35; 17:17). Further, His Word was confirmed by an oath. And since He can swear by none greater, He swears by Himself. He rests His Word on His holy character.
Then, starting at the end of verse 18, the author uses three pictures to demonstrate the security of being in Christ. First, it is described as a safe retreat for the believer, as were the six cities of refuge in the Old Testament to those allowed their protection (Num. 35:6-32). Second, our hope is sure and steadfast as is a well-placed, unbending anchor. Our anchor is not located in the deepest sea but in the highest heaven.
The third figure is that of a forerunner. Though the figure changes, the location does not. Our forerunner is likewise positioned in the sanctuary of heaven. As our forerunner is far different from the Old Testament priests. In the sanctuary they could intercede for the people, but they could not lead the people in themselves. As our forerunner, Jesus has opened the way before us, that eventually (and certainly) we might enter in with Him.’
Oh friends, I know that is a lot of meat and potatoes, but as Bruh Paul said to the Corinthians, we’ve been in the Word for so long, it’s time we stop drinking milk, just dealing with the basics of Christianity, and start eating heavy, solid food or diving deeper into the Word. It’s time we grew up, matured spiritually. (smile) And we’ll close with these wise words from Hebrews which corroborate all we’ve said.
‘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 (be discouraged) in your minds (souls). (Heb. 12:2-3)
Yes my faithful brethren, it’s to Jesus whom we ought to look for everything, each and every day! Much LOVE!
…at the foot of the cross…that’s the wisest place to lay all our burdens…
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
10 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a deserted place, a solitary place, a waste of a good life, believed in the name of, Bible, bubble up from our hearts and souls, christianity, come before his presence with singing, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, despising the shame, die from lack of nourishment, egotistical people, end up like lost sheep, endured the cross, faith, fellowship, for the joy that was set before him, god, God sent not his son into the world, God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, He taught me how, holy spirit, hostility, hungry, I was glad, in the morning, Jesus Christ, Jesus is our Good Shepherd, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, let us go into the house of the Lord, like a wellspring of joy, live in peace and harmony, live rejoicing every day, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, mercy, Oh Happy Day, physical and spiritual nourishment, remembering those who died, Remembrance Day weekend, rising up a great while before day, sacrifices of praise, salvation, serve the Lord with gladness, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the author and finisher of our faith, the most joyful day ever, the only begotten Son of God, the reality of the situation, the world through him might be saved, thirsty, to condemn the world, to fight rejection and abuse, to watch fight and pray, truth, wage a peaceful war, wake up to, wandering aimlessly, when Jesus washed my sins away, when they said unto me, wisdom, without a good shepherd
Psalm 100:2. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
‘I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.’ Now that’s the opening verse of Psalm 122, and this Remembrance Day weekend in God’s house is where we all ought to be, giving thanks and remembering the many millions who senselessly died in the many wars of the last century. And yes, they died that we could ostensibly live in peace and harmony.
But where is that peace and harmony now eh? It doesn’t exist, for most of our world is now a strife-filled battleground, where thousands still die each day for the same supposedly worthwhile ideals of peace, LOVE, honour and country, but usually it’s to satisfy the greed and power hunger of a handful of proud and egotistical people. But that’s a story for another day.
Today however, we’ll do as Psalm 100 so wisely instructs us: ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:105)
So, having heard those most encouraging words, let’s grace the Lord’s house on His day with praise and worship through this wonderful rendition of that joyful tune titled ‘Oh Happy Day.’ It’s an 18th century hymn authored by clergyman Phillip Doddridge and recorded in a gospel music arrangement by the Edwin Hawkins Singers in 1967. Soon thereafter, it became an international hit and is now recognized as a gospel music standard.
So, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid-tempo, soulful and joyful rendition, remembering the hand clapping and the call and response of the choir and the lead vocalist. (smile) And as we sing, please let there be no doubt as to our happiness; just allow it to bubble up from our hearts and souls like a wellspring of joy.
Singing: ‘Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) Oh, when He washed (When Jesus washed) When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) He washed my sins away (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) (Repeat) He taught me how (He taught me how) To watch and fight and pray Watch and pray And live rejoicing every day Every day
Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) Oh, when He washed (When Jesus washed) When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) He washed my sins away (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) He taught me how (He taught me how) To watch and fight and pray Watch and pray And live rejoicing every day (Good God) Live rejoicing every day, Every day
Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) Yes, what a happy day it was, when Jesus washed all my sins away…taught me how to watch and fight and pray…and live rejoicing every day…Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day)…Yes, every day’s now a happy day…since Jesus washed my sins away…and taught me how to watch and pray…and live rejoicing every day… Oh, happy day… oh, happy day…Oh, happy day…’
And oh my fellow saints, it was indeed a happy day when Jesus washed our sins away…the most joyful day ever! Then in His great LOVE, He added to it by teaching us how to watch and fight and pray… and consequently, how to live rejoicing every day in His new covenant. What can be more joyful that that eh? Nothing whatsoever! For in Jesus, we have ALL that we’ll ever need, both in this world and the next!
And these words of Jesus assure us that He is who He said He is, and did what He set out to do. He said them to Nicodemus, the Jewish leader who came to Him under cover of darkness to find out what was what. ‘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.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’ (John 3:16-18)
Yuh see friends, all it takes to be saved is true belief in Jesus. He came to save the world, and that’s exactly what He did! Who rejects His saving grace after hearing of it, have only themselves to blame. And He did teach us how to fight by all the rejection and abuse and the awful things he went through on our behalf.
As the author of Hebrews informs 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) against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:2-3)
Ah mih people, Jesus did teach us how to wage a peaceful war, with LOVE and understanding rather than with worldly weapons and caustic rejoinders. And oh, how He taught us to watch and pray, always making time to spend quietly with the Father and listen to His message, because He knew that he could not accomplish His earthly tasks without the Father’s help and encouragement.
And one of my favourite passages of scripture details that for us. The gospel of Mark puts it thus: ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35) Now, if Jesus the Son of God, while here on earth needed prayer so earnestly, why wouldn’t we adopted sons need it even more? And the answer is that we do!
So please, let’s wake up to the reality of the situation and realize how badly we need Jesus and all that He brings to the table, otherwise we’ll end up like lost sheep in the wilderness, without a good shepherd, wandering aimlessly, hungry and thirsty, until we die from lack of nourishment…both physical and spiritual. And that would be such a waste of a good life! Much LOVE!
…every sheep…needs a good shepherd to take care of it…and Jesus is our good shepherd…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, a new flock of believers, always consequences to our actions, be not afraid, be strong and of a good courage, behave like true christians, Bible, christianity, compromise our christian position, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, do not lose heart, extracurricular activities, faith, Friday chant, god, He spake a parable unto them to this end, he that shall endure to the end, if any man will come after me, if thou faint in the day of adversity, if we faint not, in due season we shall reap, inflict our fear on others, iniqutiy shall abound, Jesus Christ, lest his brethren's heart faint as well, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, let him deny himself, let us not be weary in well doing, LOVE, many false prophets shall rise, men ought always to pray and not faint, neither be thou dismayed, our sinful world can wake up, pay lip service, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, shirking our duty, simmering unrest in our land, smell the coffee, stand strong in Faith, strength in the face of adversity, take up his cross daily and follow me, the error of their ways, the indwelling Holy Spirit, the Lord thy God is with thee wherever you go, the love of many shall wax cold, the promises of God, the same shall be saved, the true test of endurance, thy strength is small, truth, unexpected storms, wisdom, wise guidance
Hebrews 12:3. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (become discouraged) in your minds (souls).
And at long last it’s Friday! Yes, the day we all pine and give thanks for even though it may be wet and cloudy like today, because it means the end of our work week and we can get rest and relaxation from all the harassing and frustrating stuff that besets us during those trying times. And we’re especially glad for this weekend, so that we can recuperate from the extracurricular activities of the last one, that’s the Labour Day celebrations.
But as we keep on reminding us, there are consequences to all of our actions, and if we don’t hear, we will certainly feel, as many of us did this past week, having to drag ourselves through it, because of overdoing the Labour Day festivities. Hopefully though, after many mistakes, one day we will learn not to abuse situations. And let’s hope that happens sooner rather than later. (smile)
That brings us to this gem of wisdom from Cousin Sol in Proverbs: ‘If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.’ (Prov. 24:10) And that’s the gospel truth my fellow believers, for as the scholars say: ‘Strength in the face of adversity is the true test of one’s endurance.’ And sadly that strength is not showing up as it ought to amongst the current crop of believers, otherwise the enemy would not have such a stranglehold on our world!
And that should not be, because we have all that’s necessary to stand up strong and fight the enemy mano a mano. However, we’re still either afraid or simply like the comfortable life without any botheration or sacrifices. That though is totally not what Jesus wants and expects of His followers. And what does He expect? These are His exact words. ‘If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23)
Yes my fellow believers. That’s what is expected of us; first off to deny ourselves, or make some sacrifices, and to daily take up our cross by doing, not shirking our duty in Christ’s organization. But too many of us supposed believers only pay lip service to our Christian duty. And the simple truth is that if every one who calls themselves a Christian would go out into the world and truly behave like one, our world would be such a wonderful place. But no, too many of us are either afraid to face the rejection and abuse of the world or prefer to behave like the world and compromise our Christian position.
And from the beginning to the end of the Bible we’ve been warned and reminded of the need for believers to stay strong and courageous. Way back in Deuteronomy, in giving reasons for exemptions from battle, Moses told the Israelites thus: ‘And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint as well as his heart.’ (Deut. 20:8) Yuh see friends, when we are scared we are liable to inflict our fear on others, and that certainly won’t do in any army, especially one of Christian soldiers.
And what did the Lord tell Joshua after he made him the leader of the Israelites. ‘Have I not commanded thee? be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9) And nothing has changed since then friends. In fact God’s presence with us has gotten even stronger with the indwelling Holy Spirit. So there is even less cause to fear than before.
And in the scriptures, Jesus Himself reminded us of the necessity to stand strong. ‘And he (Jesus) spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart) (Luke 18:1) That parable was the one about the persistent widow seeking justice from an unjust judge. (Luke 18:2-8) He also warned us thus of the end of the church age: ‘And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity (lawlessness) shall abound, the LOVE of many shall wax (grow) cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.’ (Matt. 24:11-13)
And we’re certainly seeing the ascendance of false prophets, as well as lawlessness with much deception and a thorough lack of LOVE. That means, to be saved, we have to refute and reject those false prophets and deceptions, and keep the LOVE of God strong in our hearts. It’s not always easy to do, but as we said earlier, we have all the tools necessary to do it. We just have to come up with the desire and the belly and backbone.
Then the author of Hebrews reminds us of Jesus’ situation. ‘For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (become discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:3) Now that’s a very good scripture for us to consider my fellow saints. Just think what would have happened to us, to our salvation, if Jesus had been afraid of the hostility that He faced eh? But He stood strong and faced whatever came against Him, and He expects His followers to do the same, for He’s equipped us with all that we need to do it.
And lastly, here’s this scripture from Bruh Paul to the Galatians. ‘And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not (do not lose heart). (Gal. 6:9) Now, to help us stand strong, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant seeking divine aid. 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 we need to realize that divine help will not be forthcoming until we become better examples of Christian witness. Much LOVE!
…between the promises of God in His Word…and the guidance of His Holy Spirit…the believer has more than enough help to stand strong in faith…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again, a new flock of believers, Bible, catch up on rest, christianity, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, divine aid, endured the cross, espising the shame, faint in the day of adversity, faith, faith to stand the disappointment, falling is not a sin, find the grace and energy to rebuild, flooded areas, for the joy that was set before him, Friday chant, give us hope, god, hurricane flora, imbibe fire water, Jesus, Jesus Christ, just my imagination, keep us strong in times of trouble, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, many are the afflictions of the righteous, men ought always to pray and not lose heart, moments of fear and uncertainty, omnipotent help, our sinful world, playing tricks on me, problems escalating, return backsliders to your fold, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, show them the error of their ways, strength in the face of adversity, stumble into calamity, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the author and finisher of our faith, the brown girl in the bottle, the example we faithful believers set, the Lord delivereth him out of them all, the purpose of scripture, the wicked shall fall into mischief, thy strength is small, Tropical Storm Debby, trusting faith, truth, wake up and smell the coffee, wisdom, wise guidance, write these sciptured deep in our hearts
Proverbs 24:10. If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.
So it’s Friday, and all the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ have gone up to high heaven, possibly though with not that much energy from some of us who had a hectic Caribana weekend and have just been barely hanging on during the work week. (smile) Now, you’ll have a chance to catch up on your rest as the weekend unfolds. And it seems like it might be a wet and cloudy weekend, as we are forecasted to get some of the overflow rain from Tropical Storm Debby, some of which we might be currently seeing as the rain’s been falling in serious fashion this Friday morning.
Let’s hope and pray that we don’t get a recurrence of what happened a few weeks ago, as some people are still trying to clean up their basements and flooded areas. Let’s also pray for those unfortunate people in the Southern U.S. who have been struck by Debby with her high winds, tornadoes and floods. It hasn’t been an easy time for many of them. And I can empathize, because I have personal experience as a young boy when Hurricane Flora blew down Tobago in 1963. Flora was forecasted to hit Tobago at about five in the evening, but believe me, by 2.30 she had already made a shambles of God’s Little Acre.
I remember being in school around mid-day and seeing the roof of a lady’s house close by, after a couple of futile attempts, finally just blow away in the wind. And when they sent us home from school, a group of us who didn’t think the hurricane would cause much damage went to a snackette, a place that sold alcohol and food, to imbibe some fire water. Suddenly though, while we were enjoying the benefits of the brown girl in the bottle, the front of the snackette began falling down under Flora’s early and vicious assault.
About a dozen people ended up sheltering in the kitchen of the snackette, while hearing the front of the building crumpling like paper, and seeing through the kitchen window, galvanize and other parts of the owner’s house been blown away. I can laugh now, but in those moments of fear and uncertainty, I saw people who hadn’t uttered a prayer in ages, praying for divine help.
And I’ll never forget finally going home, after Flora had made a mess of the island, and finding my living room flooded with a couple inches of water, with the book ‘My Early Life’ which chronicled Winston Churchill’s early days, that I had been reading the night before and left on a chair, floating sedately in the pool of water. We spent that night at a friend’s place further up the road who had not sustained much damage. One of the things that amazed me though, is with all of the rain bestowed on us by Flora, the next day, the place looked brown and dry, as though we had suffered a drought instead of a rain storm.
And believe me, you really cannot appreciate the violence of that wind and rain in a hurricane until you’ve personally experienced it. Sometimes I tell myself that I saw the wind that day, so raging and violent it was. But most likely that was just my imagination playing tricks on me. (smile) Anyhow, these storms and tornadoes that seem to have recently escalated in both intensity and frequency, probably because of climate change, must be taken seriously as they can, and are causing lots of death and destruction.
And it’s in cases like these that our faith in Almighty God needs to show up in spades, so that we can stand the disappointment and find the grace and energy to rebuild and keep moving forward. Moving forward with scriptures like this one from Hebrews. ‘Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (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 (discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:2-3)
Yes friends, remember the purpose of scripture is to keep us strong, to build us up, give us hope that although we’re embroiled in serious struggles, while we’re alive, all things are possible. And another tough scripture that we need to hold on to in tough times is this bit of wisdom from Cousin Sol found in Proverbs. ‘If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.’ (Prov. 24:10) Oh my people as children of the Most High God, we cannot afford to faint and grow weary when things get tough. For as the scholars say: ‘Strength in the face of adversity is the true test of one’s endurance.’
Let’s also remember Christ’s advice: ‘And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) And since we are His disciples, His ardent and true followers, then we need to live up to His dictates. Then there’s this ever-encouraging scripture from Cousin Sol. ‘For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity).’ (Prov. 24:16) Yes my fellow believers, the righteous man always recovers. For with the strength of Christ behind him, he gets up and begins again, no matter the cost.
And there are many other scriptures that encourage us in difficult times like this one from the wisdom of Bruh David. ‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.’ (Ps. 34:19-20) Oh friends, let’s write those scriptures we quoted today deep in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, so that in the time of adversity we can resurrect them and keep moving forward with Christ! Now lets go to the throne of grace through our Friday Chant seeking divine aid.
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!’
Now let’s acknowledge the fact that our example as faithful believers is not great, and until we improve it, we will not get any divine aid. Much LOVE!
…falling is not a sin…not getting back up…is where the problem lies…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Jul 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a human phenomenon, a subconscious reaction, an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, become discouraged in your souls, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, endure to the end, endured the cross despising the shame, glad to be alive, hands on the plough, have Jesus' desires uppermost in our hearts, I will come again and receive you unto myself, in my Father's house are many mansions, kept by the power of God, lay aside every weight, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, let no your heart be troubled, living by faith, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, not looking back, outweigh the pain and suffering of earth, run with patience, sacrificing His sinless life, seeing we are compassed about, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, so great a cloud of witnesses, thank God, that fadeth not away, the author and finisher of our faith, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the crown of glory, the crown of life, the crown of righteousness, the imperishable crown, the joy of the crowns of heaven, the race that is set before us, the sin which doth so easily beset us, the swift of foot, through faith unto salvation, to be revealed in the last time, Wednesday Wail, witnesses of our faith
Hebrews 12:3. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds (become discouraged in your souls).
Wow! It’s Wednesday already! I can’t believe it! I had to ask the duchess this morning if it was really Wednesday? As usual, she shook her head, looked at me with that strange look she uses when she doubts my sanity, and simply said, ‘All day.’ I don’t know about anybody else nuh, but I find that the days are passing by swifter than they ever have. July just started, and it’s already the fifth of the month.
I guess though that it’s all a human phenomenon; when you’re young, you feel like time isn’t moving along as quickly as you’d like, and when you’re older, like me, you feel that time is passing by much too quickly. It’s a subconscious reaction to know that your days on God’s great earth are numbered at the bottom end of the scale rather than at the top. But nonetheless, we old people will keep on keeping on. And all the old people shouted a loud and proud: ‘Yes we will!’
Yes friends, we cannot stop doing Jesus’ work here on earth until the last minute before He calls us home. While we have life, we ought to have His desires uppermost in our hearts, just like He had ours when He hung shamelessly on the cross of Calvary, sacrificing Hie sinless life for our sinful ones. Let’s never forget the pain and the shame He bore so that we could be set free form the bondage of sin.
As the author of Hebrews points out so poignantly. ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed 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)
And is that ever so necessary my fellow believers. We have the heroes or witnesses of our faith who have gone before us as examples of living by faith, but to do that successfully we have to throw off whatever weight and sin that keep us back, and push forward with perseverance and endurance, because the race of faith is not for the swift of foot but for those who stay the course.
And the author of Hebrews further tells us that the best way to stay the course of faith is by ‘Looking unto Jesus, the author (originator) and finisher (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 in your souls).’ (Heb. 12:2-3)
Better and wiser words were never spoken my fellow saints, for Jesus is the prime example of what it takes to run this race of faith and earthly life. He began the journey for us, set the stage by disregarding all the hostility and suffering that came against Him, using the joy that He knew would be forthcoming, when He fulfilled the Father’s commission. That joy was the privilege of sitting at the right hand of the Father’s throne. Thus, He endured all the shame and suffering down here on earth, knowing that the joy of heaven would make up for it.
And that’s how we, His disciples, agents, ambassadors should also be thinking and behaving; knowing that the joy of being with Jesus in heaven will surely outweigh whatever shame and suffering we have to endure down here on this sinful and ungodly earth. Remember Jesus’ promise? ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions (dwellings): if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am there ye may be also.’ (John 14:1-3)
Now, we all know that Jesus doesn’t make empty promises, so if He says He’s going to prepare a place for us, then coming back to receive us unto Himself, then we’ve got to believe it, and use it as encouragement to keep keeping on, to keep fighting the good fight of faith as Bruh Paul testified to, so that we can get the crown of righteousness that the Lord, the righteous judge will give to all them that LOVE Him at the day of reckoning. (2 Tim. 4:7-8)
Then there is also the crown of life that James speaks of. ‘Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried (tested), he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that LOVE him.’ (James 1:12). That gives us even more ammunition to remain faithful to Christ and endure whatever comes against us, for remember too that the Lord won’t allow us to be tempted more than we can bear, but will provide a way out for us when the going gets too rough. (1 Cor. 10:13)
And Peter talks about the crown of glory that will be reserved for the church elders. ‘And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.’ (1 Pet. 5:4) Above all friends, we need to realize and believe that the crowns of the earth will decay and rot eventually, they are perishable, but the crowns which we seek are imperishable, as Bruh Paul describes in 1 Cor. 9:24-25. And as Peter describes: ‘To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.’ (1 Pet. 1:4-5)
Oh my fellow believers, life will be somewhat rough and tough down here on earth, but if we keep walking in faith with Jesus, those tough times will pale in regard to the rewards, the joy that’s set aside for us in heavenly places. So please, let’s stand strong in Jesus and pursue our earthly purpose with the same joy, endurance and perseverance that He used during His earthly sojourn. Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus!
Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure with Jesus right down to the very end, then it’s guaranteed that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. Wow! That’s just one more enticement to keep fighting the good fight of faith! (smile) Much LOVE!
…the joy of the crowns of heaven…far outweigh the pain and suffering of earth…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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