05 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, anixety, asleep on a pillow, Bible, break every fetter, but of power love and a sound mind, catastrophe, Christian living, confusion, crying out for help, divine aid, don't you even yet have confidence in me, Even God doesn't care, even the wind and the sea obey him, Even This, failure, faith, faith is from God, fear, fear is from the enemy, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, Friday chant, god, God's love never changes, God's presence never leaves us, how is it that ye have no faith, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus, Jesus Christ, LOVE, Master carest not thou that we perish, obscured your sense of God's presence, omnipotent help, One Year Book of Bible promises, our sinful world, pages of tear-stained script, pay the price for our folly, peace be still, rebuked the wind, return backsliders to your fold, Ruth Harms Calkin, send faith to answer it, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that habit that chains you, the error of their ways, the fear that paralyzes you, the frightened disciples, the loss that numbs you, trusting faith, unexpected storms, ungodly times, wake up and smell the coffee, when fear knocks, why are ye so fearful, wisdom, wise guidance
Mark 4:40. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
And at last it was Friday. But after last weekend’s partying and this week’s tough sledding at work, some of us didn’t have the energy to shout: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ but merely mouthed it. (smile) Yes friends, that’s what happens when we get greedy and overdo it; we pay the price for our folly later on. And sometimes it’s a high price too, one we can barely afford. So let’s allow wisdom to prevail this weekend and concentrate on getting some rest nuh. End of Sermon. (smile)
Now, today, we’re going to look at something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin; a reading that’s oh so appropriate for these catastrophic times in which we live. It’s simply titled, ‘Even This.’ Please read with me: ‘It was a long letter – pages of tear-stained script. “Even God doesn’t care…” she wrote. Perhaps you haven’t put it in a letter, but has some overwhelming failure or fear obscured your sense of God’s presence? That was the catastrophe of the frightened disciples. The wind was boisterous, they had lost control… and Jesus went on sleeping. We quickly identify with the shouting: “Don’t you even care if we go under?” We’ve all shouted it, at least in attitude.
Jesus quieted the sea that night, but his piercing question hits the target of our hearts: ‘Don’t you even yet have confidence in me?” The awe filled disciples said among themselves, “Even the winds and seas obey him.” “How wonderful,” we say. Then suddenly, often without warning, the winds of adversity beat against our personal lives, and we cry “Lord, don’t you even care?” Again he asks, “Don’t you even yet have confidence in me? That habit that chains you. That fear that paralyzes you. That loss than numbs you… even this – all of this you may fling upon me!” But it means more than half-heartedly singing, “He will break every fetter.” It means surrendering to him completely. He knows your every need – even this.’
Ah friends, how very descriptive that is of us! We talk the talk, but can’t walk the walk. We claim such strong belief and understanding, but when the forces of adversity lash us, we cry out panic stricken, wondering, where is God, and if He doesn’t LOVE and care for us anymore. But God’s LOVE NEVER changes… and His presence NEVER strays from us. It’s our weak faith and/or unbelief that drives us crazy. If we were truly surrendered to Him, then we would know that He’s always there with us, LOVING us, like no other.
We behave like the disciples on the boat. Yes, the winds and the waves were threatening to swamp the boat, but they had been with Jesus for some time and had seen all the miracles He did, yet, they were scared out of their wits. It’s the very same way with us. We’ve seen Jesus do wonderful things in our lives, but when the next problem arises, we still become overly scared. It’s okay to be afraid when the disaster strikes unexpectedly, but soon thereafter that fear ought to be reduced to concern, because we know that the Lord is on our side and is looking out for us.
Oh my people, it’s all a matter of faith and sincere belief, of truly surrendering our souls, hearts, minds and bodies to Christ. Let’s keep remembering these memorable 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.’ (1 Tim. 1:7) And that’s the bottom line on which we should always be operating, the basic foundation of our earthly walk. For fear is from the enemy; it’s one of his most useful tools. However faith is from God, and it will overcome fear any ole day. No wonder the saying: ‘When fear knocks, send faith to answer it.’
And the Bible Promise for today’s story comes from the gospel of Mark, and is a very useful one to refresh our memories. (smile) Jesus and His disciples were crossing over the Sea of Galilee along with other small boats. ‘And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full (filling with water). And he (Jesus) was in the hinder part (stern) of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master (Teacher), carest thou not that we perish?
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they (the disciples) feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this (who can this be), that even the wind and the sea obey him?’ (Mark 4:37-41)
And that friends is the same Jesus to whom we’ve supposedly surrendered our lives, the One who can do any and everything, who controls the universe, and is in our corner, and who we know much more about than the disciples did back then. So why is He still asking us even today, ‘how is it that ye have no faith?’ And that’s a question we should certainly ponder, because we will each have to answer it for ourselves. But it’s certainly not one that Christ ought to be asking after all this time.
Anyway, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Friday Chant, asking for divine aid to help us with our many problems. 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 for divine aid to be forthcoming, our behaviour has to improve, we must become better examples of true Christian living. Much LOVE!
…we can’t say we have faith…when fear so easily overtakes us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Jun 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a reason for getting up, accomplishing His purpose, as to the Lord, Bible, Blessed be the name of God, by the might of my power, Daniel, divine aid, do it heartily, faith, for the honour of my majesty, Friday equals pay day, gives wisdom unto the wise, god, God changes the times and seasons, God enlists us into His service, God reveals the deep and secret things, God supplies the grace to do our work, his ways judgement, honoured him that lives forever, humble adoration, I blessed the most High, idle chatter leads to poverty, in all labour their is profit, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keeps us busy, lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, LOVE, made in God's image, mass confusion, Monday equals work, Nebuchadnezzar, negative situations, no respect of persons, not meeting God's needs, not unto men, obedience, praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, pray, pride, reverential awe, salvation, serving God and not man, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, strong faith in Christ, tendeth only to penury, thanks and praise, the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the giver gets the glory, the God who heals, the light dwelleth with him, the reward of inheritance, the servant gets the joy, the talk of the lips, those that walk in pride He is able to abase, to fulfill God's purposes, truth, understanding returned to me, whatsoever ye do, whose works are truth, wisdom, wisdom and might are his, work ethic, work is good for us, work week, work with all of our hearts, ye serve the Lord Christ
Colossians 3:23. And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Chuh man! Another Monday…another work week. And yes, many of us don’t like the equation: Monday equals work, but that’s the only way the equation we all LOVE: Friday equals pay day, will ever come to pass. (smile) Oh friends, we cannot get away from work…and besides work is good for us, it keeps us busy and adds challenges to our lives, gives us a reason for getting up every day. (smile) For as Cousin Sol declares from his immense wisdom: ‘In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips (idle chatter) tendeth only to penury (poverty).’ (Prov. 14:23) And that’s the gospel truth!
But above all, let’s remember we’re not working for ourselves but for God. Bruh Paul said it very clearly in Colossians: ‘And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.’ (Col. 3:23-25) It doesn’t get any clearer than that my brethren. In the long run, it’s Christ we all serve, although men may be our earthly masters.
And these two commentaries give us some inkling of what it really means to work for God. The first says: ‘We are told to work with all of our hearts, no matter what we are doing and to do so as though we are “working for the Lord” and not for humans. These Bible verses about work ethic tell us that no matter what we are doing we must persist as though we are serving God and not man.’
And the second commentary declares: ‘So, I conclude, yes, God enlists us into his service, which means he calls us to have a part in accomplishing his purposes, not meeting his needs. And he accomplishes his purposes precisely by supplying the grace to do our work, because the giver gets the glory; the servant gets the joy.’ That reminds us of Bruh Paul’s words in Philippians: ‘For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of (according) to his good pleasure.’ (Phil. 2:13)
Yes friends, we are made in God’s image to fulfill His purposes, not our own. And until we understand that, we will always get caught up in the quandary of working for men or working for God. It’s so much simpler to just conclude that all we do is for God, although we might be working under human masters, for God is the Master of the universe, as Daniel says when he received the night vision revealing to him the answer to King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream:
‘Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up (raises up) kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know (have) understanding. He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.’ (Dan. 2:20-22)
And if you don’t believe that, then listen to what King Nebuchadnezzar says in Daniel after the Lord drove him crazy for seven years, for his haughty boast. ‘Is it not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom (a royal dwelling) by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?’ (Dan. 4:30) And while the king was yet talking the Lord decreed His sentence upon him, and for seven years he lost his mind, was like a wild animal.
Then at the end of the seven years, Nebuchadnezzar regained his mental equilibrium and commented thus: ‘And at the end of the days (time) I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:
And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed (considered) as nothing: and he doeth according to his own will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay (restrain) his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? … Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of the heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgement (justice): and those that walk in pride he able to abase (humble).’ (Dan. 4:32-35, 37)
Now my people, if a pagan king can sing those mighty praises to our God, after firsthand experience of His awesome power, what is expected of us eh, His true believers? Humble adoration, reverential awe, much thanks and praise, obedience to His holy will, Number One in our lives…amongst other things. (smile) And having made up our minds to do as we ought, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these turbulent times.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And we begin by humbling ourselves, praying and sincerely seeking God’s face! Much LOVE!
…the earth is the Lord’s…and the fulness thereof…the world…and they that dwell within… (Ps. 24:1)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Jun 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a free day to look forward to, a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, according to his work, as a thief in the night, be merciful as your Father is merciful, Bible, carry them in his bosom, christianity, diligence, divine aid, do good, faith, faithful believers, faithfulness, feed his flock like a shepherd, Friday chant, gather the lambs with his arm, gently lead those that are with young, god, he that cometh to God must believe that He is, his reward is with him, his work is before him, hoping for nothing again, I come quickly, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lend, living fully for Christ, LOVE, Love your enemies, mercy, my reward is with me, our sinful world, restoring faith in God, return backsliders to your fold, simmering unrest, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the benefits of living for Christ, the children of the Highest, the crown of life, the error of their ways, the Lord God will come with strong hand, the Lord promised to the that love him, the rewards, the throne of grace, the weekend, tired as a dog, to give to every man, traffic jams, true disciples of Christ, truth, unexpected storms, wake up and smell the coffee, when he is tried, wisdom, wise guidance, without faith it is impossible to please God, your reward shall be great
Revelation 22:12. And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give to every man according as his work shall be.
And that distinctive weekly shout has gone out all around the world: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! Just let me at that weekend!’ Ah mih people, we do LOVE our weekends, because they belong to us, not to any employer, and we don’t have to get up early to go to work, nor face frustrating traffics jams to get there, then spend the whole day with people we don’t like, or who don’t like us, then face more irritating traffic jams to get back home, tired as a dog. No, the weekend is ours; sanctified as such. (smile) But we still have to get through Friday. No problem! Apparently since we have a free day to look forward to tomorrow.
How wonderful it would be if we could look forward to Christ and His salvation the same way, meaning, we’d have no problem living fully for Him today! That’s a major problem though with believers; for with Christ we can only look to today, that makes it difficult to live sincerely and fully for Him. But just imagine the rewards and benefits we’ll be having in heaven with Jesus nuh. Remember what He says in Revelation: ‘And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give to every man according as his work shall be.’ (Rev. 22:12)
That means Jesus can come at any time, like the proverbial thief in the night, and when He comes He will be rewarding people for their work on His behalf. So, if we want to get good rewards, then our work must be good. It’s as simple as that! And there is talk of rewards for working on Jesus’ behalf all though God’s Word. Let’s check out a few, like this one from Isaiah, where centuries before he spoke about the Lord’s coming with rewards.
‘Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand (in strength), and his arm shall rule for him: behold his reward is with him, and his work (wage) before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is. 40:10-11) What a beautiful picture my brethren of Jesus’ coming and the work He will do. Doesn’t that just lift your spirits and increase your faith? It ought to, since it was prophesied long before the actual coming of Jesus.
Now, here’s this scripture from Hebrews that speaks directly to our point.. ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb.11:6) Yes friends, it’s ever so necessary to believe that God exists and He rewards those who diligently seek Him. That’s from the famous chapter on faith, with people like Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joseph not knowing or seeing what lay ahead of them, but nonetheless placing their total trust and faith in the Lord God Almighty when He directed them to do things they knew not how to do, or to go places, not knowing exactly where they were going.
And they were all greatly rewarded by Him for their diligence and faithfulness. The same thing applies to us today, as Jesus says in the gospel of Luke. ‘But LOVE your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again (in return); and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father is merciful.’ (Luke 6:35-36)
However, at this current time in the world’s existence, rather unfortunately, the words ‘mercy and merciful’ are not well known, nor are their fruit much extended like our heavenly Father desires. What a pity! For if they and their fruit were better known and extended, then there would not be as much strife, greed, hatred and selfishness as there currently is on God’s great earth!
And James, Jesus’ brother, adds his two cents worth to the mix, when he writes in his epistle: ‘Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that LOVE him.’ (James 1:12) Ah my fellow saints, all throughout the Good Library, the Bible, the indisputable truth of God’s Word, are deeply embedded promises of rewards, righteousness and all kinds of other goodies for expending one’s time and talents on the Lord’s behalf. Let’s hope that with today’s revisiting of some of those scriptures that our hope and faith will be renewed and lead us to better fulfill God’s plan for our lives.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid to help in these desperate times of need. 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!’
Lastly, let’s remember these very significant words from our prayer: ‘the example, we, your faithful believers set.’ And then go out and be very good examples, so others can see the benefits of believing in Jesus and follow our example. That’s the first step in receiving divine aid! Much LOVE!
…many more salty…light filled…true disciples of Christ…is what our world badly needs…RIGHT NOW…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abhor that which is evil, as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, be not weary in well doing, Bible, brotherly LOVE, christianity, cleave to that which is good, count him not an enemy, divine aid, eat their own bread, enjoying the high life, faith, god, have no company with him, humble servants, if any would not work neither should he eat, if he thirst give him drink, if thine enemy hunger feed him, if ye love me keep my commandments, in due season we shall reap, instant in prayer, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus, Jesus Christ, let love be without dissimulation, LOVE, mass confusion, negative situations, no work no pay, patient in tribulation, recompense to no man evil for evil, rejoicing in hope, shame, shamed into working, sincere repentance, the God who heals, the household of faith, the separation of the sheep from the goats, turn from our evil ways, vengeance is mine saith the Lord, wisdom, with quietness they work
2 Thessalonians 3:13. But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
One more Monday, one more day of work, that’s the way the cookie crumbles! Yes friends, that’s how modern-day life works; no work, no pay, and no money, no food, clothing or shelter. And I do know that the Lord has promised that if we keep Him Number One in our lives, He will provide all of our material needs, but that doesn’t mean just sitting down and doing nothing. We are expected to work down here on earth, as well as in heaven above.
Don’t let all the glorious and marvellous aspects of heaven fool you into thinking that you’ll be doing nothing for eternity. No sir! And though I don’t know exactly what we will be doing in heaven, I do know that we will be doing something constructive, not just lazing around and enjoying the high life, like so many of us want to do down here.
And it always intrigues me when I think of Bruh Paul’s writings to the Thessalonians on the subject of working and eating. ‘For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk disorderly among you, working not at all, but are busybodies.
Now them that are such, we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing. And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not an enemy.’ (2 Thess. 3:10-15)
Now in these modern times there are many busybodies, gadabouts and lazy people who don’t want to work, but prefer to live like parasites off of others who toil and labour for their daily bread. And I wonder how Bruh Paul’s system would work in today’s crazy and oh so convoluted world. He doesn’t mean to have the lazy person excommunicated, just shamed into working.
Hn! I don’t believe that would work very well in our society, because there are so many layabouts who have absolutely no shame. In fact, our current society is one in general that doesn’t know the meaning of the word. Some of the things we do, the atrocities we commit nowadays, would never have been committed just a few generations ago, because they would just be too shameful and definitely not appreciated. But in today’s free for all society, any and everything goes, and words like shame, disgrace, disrepute and embarrassment, no longer carry a strong deterrent value.
But what we really want to talk about today is the li’l gem hidden in Bruh Paul’s words above: ‘But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.’ That friends, is one of the most important aspects of our Christian faith. Jesus alluded to it in Matthew 25:31-46, when He spoke of the separation of the sheep and the goats, where doing good to the poor and needy also meant doing good to him. ‘Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.’ (Matt. 25:40)
And Bruh Paul exhorts us in several scriptures to do the same thing. Listen to him in the letter to the Galatians. ‘And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.’ (Gal. 6:9-10)
Then in his first letter to the Corinthians, in speaking of victory over death, he says: ‘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 last but not least, to the church at Rome, Bruh Paul writes: ‘Let LOVE be without dissimulation (hypocrisy). Abhor that which is evil; cleave (cling) to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned (be affectionate) one to another with brotherly LOVE; in honour preferring (giving preference to) one another…Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation (persevering in tough times); continuing instant (steadfastly) in prayer; Distributing to the necessity (needs) of the saints; given to hospitality.
Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not…Recompense (repay) to no man evil for evil. Provide (have regard for) things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in (depends on) you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:9-10, 11-14, 17-21)
Now, having read and inwardly digested those scriptures, (smile) let’s go to the throne of grace in prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, for divine aid to put it all into action. 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!’ Please, let’s not forget that God promised to prosper us… if we turn from our evil ways, so let’s be wise and begin there nuh. Much LOVE!
…if ye LOVE me…keep my commandments… (John 14:15)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
03 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new crop of believers, a word to the wise is sufficent, abundantly pardon, as the rain waters the earth, backsliders, Bible, bread to the eater, call ye upon him while he is near, christianity, crying out for help, destroy the earth, divine aid, error of their ways, faith, foolish pride, free choice, Friday chant, give seed to the sower, god, good examples of godly living, great sinfulness, have mercy upon him, in the thing which I sent it, it shall accomplish that which I please, it shall prosper, Jesus, Jesus Christ, let the wicked forsake his way, LOVE, mercy, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my thoughts higher than your thoughts, my ways higher than your ways, my word shall not return void, mysterious ways, neither are your ways my ways, only lasts for a short time, our sinful world, payback is hell, puny minds, return unto the Lord, salvation, season of rebellion, seek ye the Lord while he may be found, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the example we faithful believers set, the heavens are higher than the earth, the pleasures of righteousness, the pleasures of sin, the snow from heaven, the sweetness of sin, the throne of grace, the unrighteous man his thoughts, truth, ungodly ways, wake up and and smell the coffee, wisdom
Isaiah 55:6. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
And this Friday morning in early May, as we shout ‘TGIF! Thank God It’s Friday!’ we celebrate the rebirth of the flora around us. Yes friends, spring has finally shown it’s green and wonderful face after such a long absence. And what amazes me, is that a couple days ago, trees that had no leaves, merely some brown buds, today are overflowing with greenery. But that’s how the awesome plan of God for the smooth running of the universe works; in mysterious ways that our finite and puny minds can never grasp or fully understand.
That ought to remind us of these magnificent and oh so true words of the Lord, spoken through the prophet Isaiah, informing the Israelites, and us too, that God abundantly pardons. ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Is. 55:6-7)
Ah mih people, that call which was issued to the Israelites in their season of rebellion and sinfulness so many years ago, is again being issued to us in our great sinfulness and ungodly ways, for few, if any other generations have been more wicked and ungodly than ours is today. And we badly need to seek the Lord for His mercy and pardon if we expect to survive for any length of time on this earth, because as we continue in our sinful and ungodly ways we keep destroying God’s planet as well as ourselves. And if we play the scenario out to its complete fulfillment then we’ll simply destroy the earth and all therein.
That’s the foolish and arrogant plan we’re following right now. And the only way to put a stop to it, is to turn back to the God of our forefathers, who created and still controls the universe. And these further words of Isaiah ought to wake us up to reality, help us take our foolish heads from the sand in which it’s so thoroughly buried that we don’t know right from wrong, or whether we’re coming or going.
Listen up: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void (empty, without fruit), but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing which whereto I sent it.’ (Is. 55:8-11)
Oh friends, we certainly cannot deny the truth of those statements! The Lord’s ways and thoughts are certainly higher than ours. His omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence far outweighs what little power and understanding we possess, and we cannot begin to understand His person and purposes. That’s why He is God and we are simply His creation! Although in our foolish pride we ofttimes behave as though it’s the opposite way, and we end up paying a hefty price for that unwise thinking. But unfortunately the high price of disobedience doesn’t stop us from being rebellious and ungodly.
Let’s remember that our gift from God of free choice was not meant to choose the ungodly things of Satan, but the everlasting and wonderful things of God. But as always, mankind has abused that gift, turning more to the pleasures of sin advocated by Satan, than the pleasures of righteousness advocated by God. And that’s why our world is in such a mess right now, with strife and all the negative emotions of the evil one overwhelming our world.
But here’s what the Lord promised the Israelites if they turned back to Him. ‘For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall calp their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up a fir (cypress) tree, and instead of the brier (thorny plant) shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.’ (Is. 55:12-13)
Now doesn’t that scenario sound so much better than the one in which we’re currently enveloped? It surely does! So why don’t we turn from our evil ways, embrace the righteousness of God and make it come to pass eh? Remember, the sweetness of sin only lasts for a short while, then comes the payback. And payback is …hell! And that’s exactly what we’re suffering right now here on earth. Remember God’s Word will not be spoken in vain. Whatever it’s sent out to do, it will accomplish. And He sent it out in the first place promising salvation to all mankind, which has been accomplished by the work and sacrifice of Jesus.
So please, let’s get smart nuh, use the wisdom that God gave us and turn back to Him while He can still be found. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace through the prayer of our Friday Chant, seeking the help we so desperately need in these evil and ungodly times. Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you.
Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now friends, there’s an interesting proviso to receiving divine help…we must first show that we’re turning from our evil ways and being good examples of godly living. That’s what drives divine help! Much LOVE!
..a word to the wise is sufficient…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
29 Apr 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: as I am not of the world, be all right, change our vile body, christianity, disappointing Jesus, divine aid, doing the Lord's work, faith, god, good ground, goodness, hell fire and damnation, holy spirit, humble servants, I am with you always, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus, Jesus Christ, joy, keep them from the evil one, kindness, LOVE, loving care, mass confusion, meekness, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my kingdom is not of this world, need to be saltier, our citizenship is in heaven, parable of the sower, patience, peace, pray, prayer, salvation, self-control, sincerely seek your face, strong faith in Christ, teach all nations, the fruit of the spirit, the God who heals, the Great Commission, the light of Jesus, they are not of the world, wisdom, with all of our might
John 17:16. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Okay friends, let’s proclaim that come this Monday, we will be all right…that come this Monday, we will do the Lord’s work with all of our might! For in truth, that’s how it ought to be, not the ofttimes wishy-washy way we do it, if we choose to do it at all. We need to be saltier, and shining ever so brightly with the light of Jesus, that whoever sees us, knows right away that there’s something different, something different but good in us, which causes their passion to rise and desire whatever it is that makes us stand out from the ordinary, worldly crowd!
And we all know that’s the amazing power of the Holy Spirit working in us to produce the fruit of the Spirit, and let it flourish, for as Jesus says in the parable of the Sower, we are good ground and the seed sown in such brings forth much fruit, many more times than the amount of seed that was sown; ‘some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.’ (Matt. 13:23) And what’s the fruit of the Spirit some may ask? Bruh Paul explains in his letter to the Galatians.
‘But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE (the willing sacrificial giving of oneself to others without expecting anything in return), joy (the gladness of heart), peace (tranquility of mind), longsuffering (patience with others, a disposition quietly bearing injury), gentleness (kindness), goodness (generosity), faith (dependability), meekness (courtesy and consideration in one’s relations with others), temperance (self-control): against such there is no law.’ (Gal. 5:22-23).
And as faithful Christians, we are expected to have all nine of those spiritual virtues. Yes mih people, that’s the kind of impact we ought to be having on this ungodly and evil world, but unfortunately we are not having such a drastic effect on it. More than likely the world is having a much more powerful effect on believers than believers are having on it. Remember we are supposed to be in the world, but not of the world; physically present, but not holding it’s values and sentiments.
That’s why Jesus prayed to the Father: ‘Not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from evil (the evil one). They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.’ (John 17:15-16) And that’s the gospel truth, for Jesus kingdom is not in this world as He said to Pilate during His false and unjust trial. ‘My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.’ (John 18:36)
And if Jesus’ kingdom is elsewhere than this world, that means, as His followers, our place is with Him, wherever He might be. As Bruh Paul wrote to the Philippians: ‘For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the workings whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.’ (Phil. 3:20-21)
Yes friends, we’re citizens of heaven, only on a short purposeful journey on this earth, and when Jesus returns we will undergo both an internal and external transformation, making us ever so much more in body and character like Him. But in the meanwhile, we desperately need to improve our godly tendencies, grow the fruit of the Spirit on the good soil we’re supposed to be, and spread it all over the world, so that the world can receive Jesus and His good news gospel and be saved from hellfire and damnation.
And if you didn’t know it, that’s our job, Jesus made it quite clear when He gave us the Great Commission. ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples) of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:18-20)
Oh my fellow saints, it could not be any clearer than that: our job is to proselytize the world for Jesus; bring them to Him, so that He can save their sinful souls and eventually have them seated with Him in heavenly places. But from how the world is going, it’s obvious, for whatever reason(s) we’re not doing a good job of turning things around, and thus are disappointments to both ourselves and Jesus. Now it’s bad enough to disappoint ourselves, but disappointing Jesus…that’s a no-no!
How can we ever do that after all the selfless and punishing sacrifices He made for us. That’s unthinkable my people! Therefore, I’m pleading with us, beginning RIGHT NOW, let’s take heart and improve our Christlike behaviour nuh. For if we truly LOVE Jesus, as we claim, then we need to be better ambassadors and workers on His behalf. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine assistance.
Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And as our prayer says, if we expect to receive divine aid, then we first need to humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek the Lord’s face. That’s course 101: Introduction to Divine Help! Much LOVE!
…like any other fruit…that of the Holy Spirit will not flourish…unless it’s well watered and tended with LOVING care…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
16 May 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: an ambassador, assurance, breastplate of righteousness, chains, compassionate heart, corporate matter, curse, destiny, divine aid, eagerness, eternal glory, falling short, fiery darts, first person singular, flourish in our society, for all saints, galvanize us into action, God's Word, greedy motives, hope, in bodns, in christ's gospel, in the name of Jesus, in the Spirit, LOVE, men ought always to pray, negative word, never fulfilled, no giving up, not faint, not lose heart, of christ's heart, open my mouth boldly, prayer, praying always, preparation of peace, prosper, self-control, self-discipline, selfish, shield of faith, spiritual armour, spiritual combat, stressful, strife-filled times, success, supernatural wisdom, supplication, the flesh is weak, the gospel of christ, the helmet of salvation, the parable of the unjust judge, the spirit is willing, the Spirit of God, the Truth, the truth of God, Thursday Blessings, two edged sword, utterance, warm the cockles, watch and pray, watching, with all perseverance, with all prayer
Ephesians 6:18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
Oh yes, it’s bright and sunshiny and even warm too! Glory to God! Yeh friends, the day’s begun the way a day is supposed to begin; with the light of Jesus shining brightly in and through our lives! (smile) Oh, is it ever good to wake up to sunshine after all that watery precipitation.
And would you believe that yesterday afternoon with sunshine flowing, the rain still made its way down! But I guess that shower was just to wash away the remaining clouds, because after that the sun came out even brighter! Thanks be to God!
And I want to apologize for not giving us the whole story a couple of days ago when we dealt with the spiritual armour of God. Yuh know we’re fully protected once we have our loins girded with the truth of God, and the breastplate of righteousness is secured fast against our chests, and our feet are properly shod in the preparation of peace, the eagerness provided by the gospel of Christ.
Not to mention having that all important shield of faith to protect us from the fiery darts of the enemy, our heads protected by the helmet of salvation, the hope and assurance of eternal glory in God, while wielding that terrible two edged sword of the Spirit, God’s immortal, powerful and life changing Word!
Yes friends, it all looks good, but there is one necessary part, one thing is needed to get it all going, to galvanize us into action; and that’s prayer! Without prayer, our armour is not worth a whole lot. That’s why Bruh Paul warned after telling us all about the spiritual armour: ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’
Oh my people, prayer is always the most important item in any earthly situation! And the scholars’ explain that verse thus: ‘6:18. Praying is grammatically linked to ‘stand” in verse 14. Without prayer God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. Prayer is indispensable. Always means “on every occasion,” that is, when Satan attacks.
In the Spirit signifies that with the Spirit’s help such prayer for divine aid is to be made. Watching thereunto means “being vigilant in this very matter” of prayer. They are to pray not just for themselves but also for all saints; spiritual combat is both and individual and corporate matter.’
Oh my fellow believers that last part is especially important; we’re required not only to pray for ourselves but also for the rest of God’s church, all His saints, because we all need the Spirit of God to work productively in us, and prayer is the catalyst that gets it all going! And Bruh Paul made that abundantly clear when he continued after our Bit:
‘And (pray) for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery (the hidden truth) of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds (chains): that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.’ (Eph.6:19-20)
Yuh see friends, even though Bruh Paul was blessed with so much revelation from God, he still needed human prayer to help him do the job; speak boldly and openly about the truth in Christ’s gospel. Now tell me how much more do we, in these sad, stressful and strife-filled times need the prayer of our fellow believers eh? But sadly, because of the selfish, greedy and first person singular motives that currently flourish in our society, we don’t pray for our fellow believers as much as we ought to.
Too many of us supposed believers are focused only on our own selves, our own needs, wants and problems. But there is a lot of truth in the saying, that somebody out there is always suffering more than us, and need God’s help worse than we do! Let’s just remember that, especially we believers in this wealthy and prosperous, but ever so wasteful and selfish Western society! End of Sermon! (smile)
Oh, I forgot I wanted to add these two warnings of Jesus on the subject of prayer. First off: To His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane who should have been praying with Him, but instead fell asleep. ‘Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ (Matt.26:41) And isn’t that the awful truth!
The second warning is this: ‘And he spake a parable unto them (the disciples) to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) And the scholars give a nice, precise explanation of that verse. ’18:1. To faint means “to lose heart.” Precisely when tempted to give up, men ought to be strong in their resolve to pray.’ And that’s for certain sure friends, because there’s NO giving up in Jesus’ vocabulary!
And by the way, the parable mentioned above was about the woman seeking justice from the unjust judge. (Luke 18:2-8) And she only received it because she kept on badgering him, until in disgust, he finally relented. That’s how we ought to pray my fellow saints; always…and with confidence and humility!
Now let’s go home declaring (right ho!) those wonderful attributes bestowed on us believers in our Thursday Blessings. We’ve got to declare them for them to take effect. So as one sincere body of faith: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And remember, those blessings are not granted for us to selfishly hoard, but to generously share with the less fortunate. So let’s go out and do just that nuh, and thus warm the cockles of Christ’s heart! Much LOVE!
…without sincere and constant prayer…a believer’s life is never fulfilled…thus falling short of his destiny…
23 Jun 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: able to stand, assurance of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, carouse, Christian, dividing asunder, divine aid, earthly race, evil schemes, filled with the Holy Spirit, Friday chant, furthering your glorious kingdom, generous help, God's armour, gospel of peace, helmet of salvation, in Jesus' name, indispensable, loins girded with truth, lustful days, misguided way, party, perseverance, piercing, praying always, put on the whole armour of God, refreshed, refresher course, riotous living, saints, shake we bodyline, shield of faith, slave labour, soul and spirit, supplication, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the hope of slavation, the Son is shining, the sword of the Spirit, the waters, the weekend, the wiles of the devil, the Word of god, thunder showers, truth, twoedged word, week of work, workingman
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.
And then it was Friday, which was heralded by some pretty intense thunder showers in my area during the night. The ground should certainly be well watered this morning.
And even if we don’t see the Sun all day, just remember folks, the SON is ALWAYS shining brightly, both day and night, and He is ALWAYS readily available to come to for succour and comfort, or just a friendly chat.
Wow! What an awesome Saviour we have my brethren! Please give Him some well-deserved thanks and praise!
Even the workingman does that in His own misguided way, when he joyfully declares: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! Thank Him for the break from slave labour…even if it short…Thank Him for the time we have to party and carouse and shake we bodyline! Thank Him for the waters that will flow like water…Mama Yo! Thank God for Fridays and the weekend yes!’
Ah friends, to some extent, we can all understand those sentiments, and in our lustful days, before we were filled with the Holy Spirit, many of us might have even participated in that kind of riotous living. But they are way too extreme for the true Christian.
So let’s declare our Friday Chant nuh, which gives us a more sober view (smile) of how we ought to spend the weekend. As one now: ‘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.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Now that’s much more in line with true Christian behaviour! And without further ado, let’s get to our Bit. ‘ Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’
Yes my fellow believers, that’s the first thing we need to do, if we intend to successfully fight and overthrow Beelzebub! Please remember that without God’s protective armour, we are no match for the enemy.
And once again we’ll include the verses that describe the Lord’s armour, so we can have them right in front of us as we try to explain and understand them. ‘Stand therefore, having your loins girt about (girded your loins) with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked (one). And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph.6:14-18)
And we’ll continue today with the fifth piece of God’s armour: ‘The helmet of salvation (vs.17a): Since the readers are already Christians (2:8), they are not here urged to be saved. First Thessalonians 5:8 describes this helmet as “the hope of salvation” that is the certainty (assurance) of salvation.’
So my people, once we are saved, and thus assured of salvation, nothing or no one can take that from us, but we have to make good use of it, by keeping it first and foremost, front and centre in our minds, using it as a helmet.
And now we come to the sixth and last part of God’s protective armour: ‘The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (vs.17b). The Greek term rendered “word” is not ‘logos’ referring to the whole Word of God, but ‘rhema’ referring to certain portions or selected verses of Scripture.’
And the author of Hebrews tells us in no uncertain terms: ‘For the word of God is quick (living), and powerful and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (is able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart.’ (Heb.4:12)
That’s how powerful the word of God is friends! And when we use it in all aspects of our daily life it mightily assists us in staying centred in God. And though my brethren, we put on all the armour of God, there is one more thing that’s absolutely necessary in successfully fighting Lucifer and his evil buddies; that’s Praying in verse 18.
And the scholars tell us: ‘Praying is grammatically linked to “stand” in verse 14. Without prayer God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. Prayer is indispensable. Always means “on every occasion,” that is, when Satan attacks.
In the spirit signifies that with the Spirit’s help such prayer for divine aid is to be made. Watching thereunto means “being vigilant in this very matter” of prayer. They are to pray not just for themselves but also for all saints; spiritual combat is both an individual and corporate matter.’
Hope you all got that my people: Prayer is indispensable! It must be used with the armour of God, for us to be successful! And we need to pray for not only ourselves, but for all believers!
So basically, God’s armour consists of our assurance of salvation, our helmet; our belt of truth; knowing the truth of God’s Word, plus our breastplate of righteousness which enables us to live a godly and moral life.
And we definitely need a shield to protect us from Satan’s arrows, in this case our strong faith. Neither can we go into battle barefooted, we need the shoes, the eagerness that the gospel of peace offers us. And we surely can’t fight without a weapon; namely God’s word that’s so sharp and powerful, it can cut anything and discern whatever is necessary. But it must all be anchored by continuous prayer.
Now let’s hope this brief refresher course, re God’s armour, reminded of stuff we might have forgotten, enlightened us some, and also raised our consciousness, so that we can run our earthly race more efficiently and successfully than before. Much LOVE!
…onward Christian soldiers…but remember…a soldier never goes to war…without his armour…his weapon…and prayer…
04 Feb 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: against the wiles of the devil, alligators, Anselm, catalyst, celebrities, chances for success, change, communication, conviction, dictate the battle, divine aid, entourages, feelin hot hot hot, fighting off the enemy, for all saints, freedom, God's armour, good time friends, grin and bear it, hangers on, harvests, inevitability, initial toil, layabouts, natural habitat, of the utmost importance, omnipotent god, perseverance, power, prayer, prayer is indispensable, praying always, protection of faith, put on the whole armour of God, repentance, rewards, Satan's attacks, snakes, sow before your reap, spiritual combat, stay centred in the word, straighten our backs, struggle, supplication, swamps, testify to the truth, that ye may be able to stand, the bedrock of Jesus, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the Good Book, the helmet of salvation, the instigating factor, the prince of darkness, the sandals of peace, the shield of faith, the spiritual weapon, the sword of the Spirit, the upper hand, vigilant, watching thereunto, wealth, with the Lord's help, work before you get paid, work for our freedom, your back is bent
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.
‘Ah feelin’ hot, hot, hot…! And friends, if you believe that, I have some beautiful land to sell you in Florida; no alligators, so swamps, no snakes, just lush parkland! (smile) And believe me, I could handle that Florida weather right now yes, despite it’s somewhat unsafe natural habitat because it’s a chilly Saturday morning in my area. But no such luck, so I’ll just have to grin and bear it.
And since it’s Saturday, let’s look at a trio of quotes from our friend Anselm, who always aspires to inspire us. The first one is a tad heavy, (smile) and says: ‘Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can’t ride you unless your back is bent.’ And that’s gospel truth my people!
And this second quote is a companion to the first. ‘Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.’ Yeh friends, for serious and sincere change to occur in our lives, or around us, we must be the instigating factor, with the Lord’s help obviously!
And this last one is indeed a gem. ‘All rewards require initial toil.’ Now that’s an eye-opener for a lot of people in these modern times of supposed entitlement. But that’s how God’s economy runs; you have to work first before you can get paid, sow good seed, before you can reap an abundant harvest.
Unfortunately though, too many of us, Christians, included want to reap harvests without sowing seeds, and get rewards without any toil. That’s why there are so many layabouts and hangers on to those who have. The celebrities must have their large entourages to show off their wealth, power and importance, but once the money’s gone, so are the good time friends.
Anyhow, let’s move on to our Bit. ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ Now I know that many of you are tired with it, but it is of the utmost importance in our fighting off the enemy, and if you don’t know all that it entails, then our chances for success are seriously lessened. This is the last day for it anyway – I promise. (smile)
Now there’s one more extremely important verse in Bruh Paul’s dialogue to the Ephesians. Having put on the whole armour of God, one must continue the action by: ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph.6:18)
So my brethren, the mere putting on of God’s armour doesn’t do the trick, it needs constant prayer and supplication too. Listen to the scholar’s explanation of that verse.
‘6:19. Praying is grammatically linked to “stand” in verse 14. Without prayer God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. Prayer is indispensable. Always means “on every occasion,” that is, when Satan attacks. In the Spirit signifies that with the Spirit’s help such prayer for divine aid is to be made. Watching thereunto means “being vigilant in this very matter” of prayer. They are to pray not just for themselves but also for all saints; spiritual combat is both an individual and corporate matter.’
Ah mih people, you see that prayer is the catalyst that gets the whole show going. Without it, nothing of any significance happens. And for all our benefit, I’ll stress here again, just in case we didn’t notice when the scholars declared: ‘PRAYER IS INDISPENSABLE!’
And that it certainly is my fellow believers! It’s basically how we communicate with our wonderful, awesome, omnipotent God, so where there is no prayer, there is no communication with the Lord God Jehovah, and mankind cannot live successfully without God in his life. Now another important point of it all, is that we must not just pray for ourselves, but for ALL believers too!
And as a reminder of all we’ve been talking about recently, let’s remember on a practical level, to: Put on Daily: The helmet of salvation to guard our minds. The breastplate of righteousness to guard our emotions. The belt of truth, to stay centred in the Word – walk, talk, live in and testify to the truth. The sandals of peace – so that wherever we go, we’ll go in peace and tranquility – anchoring our feet boldly in the bedrock of Jesus.
The shield of faith – so that we can deflect the fiery arrows of the enemy, and stand safely behind the massive protection of faith. The sword of the Spirit – the Good Book – the spiritual weapon that cuts deeply to bring about conviction and repentance. And then follow it all up with prayer.
Yes friends, we need all those accoutrements of battle, not simply bits and pieces, if we hope to be successful in fighting for Jesus against the prince of darkness. Much LOVE!
…in warfare…the better protected soldier…begins with the upper hand…and can thus dictate the battle…
21 May 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, a man of understanding, almighty god, an attitude of prayer, Anselm, at noon, awesome truth, be vigilant in prayer, Bruh David, Bruh Paul, calamity, called by Christ's name, change of behaviour, children of Almighty God, Christian faith, come to terms with, common sense, crucifixion, cry aloud, dare to believe, dare to comfort, dare to dream, dare to hope, decisive, devotion, divine aid, eliminate God, evening, faith, filled with anger, filled with despair, filled with distrust, filled with hate, forgive their sin, friends, glory to God, groanings, he shall hear my voice, He will never leave nor forsake us, heal their land, Higher Power, humble themselves, I will call upon god, I will hear from heaven, I will look up, indecisive, indispensable, infirmities, Jesus, Jesus Christ, keeps us on an even keel, lasting improvement, lifting up holy hands, lose heart, made it a habit to pray, man's survival, men ought always to pray, morning, my people which are called by my name, not faint, perseverance, positive, pray, pray everywhere, pray without ceasing, prayer, praying, praying always, presence of sin, promises of Jesus, return to God's fold, seek my face, spiritual armour, spiritual combat, supplication, tempted to give up, the Comforter, the evil one, the Garden of Gethsemane, the greatest force in this world, the Holy One of Israel, the Holy Spirit, the Lord's prayer, the Son of God, the Spirit makes intercession, thou shalt hear my voice in the morning, trust, turn away from their wicked ways, unfaltering faith, when it's not one thing it's another, will I pray, wisdom, wish-washy, without wrath and doubting
2 Chronicles 7:14. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn away from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Well Friends, a good Thursday morning to you! And it does look bright and sunny outside, but it is still a little chilly, chillier than usual at this time of year. The weather certainly doesn’t seem to know what it wants to do. We’ll have some bright and warm days, then some bright, chilly and windy ones.
But thankfully as children of Almighty God and believers in Jesus Christ we don’t have to be so indecisive, for our faith keeps us on an even keel. Glory to God!
That doesn’t mean that some of us still aren’t wishy-washy and indecisive, too many too, but overall we are generally a decisive group. And we should be, since Jesus our Leader is a positive and decisive person.
Now here is an interesting message from my friend Anselm, who aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. (smile) He says: ‘In a world filled with hate, we must still dare to hope. In a world filled with anger, we must still dare to comfort. In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream. And in a world filled with distrust, we must still dare to believe.’
And isn’t all of that awesome truth Friends? It sure is! Our world’s a mess, but that doesn’t mean we have to give up on it or ourselves, for we have the certain sure promises of Jesus that He will never leave nor forsake us, and in any matter we bring before Him He will hear and help us. And that’s the basics of our Christian faith; a Higher Power to place our undivided trust in.
But as we’ve been talking about in our Bit, the last couple decades or so, we’ve been come up much too short in our trust and devotion to Almighty God, and we desperately need a change of behaviour to make matters right with Him. That means a change in the way our hearts, minds and souls operate.
We seriously need to come to terms with the advice of our Bit. ‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn away from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.’
Ah mih people, it’s about time we sincerely and seriously begin to put that heavenly wisdom into our individual lives and our society in general, instead of unwisely and foolishly trying to eliminate Jehovah God from both places.
We can see from the disastrous state of our world that removing God from our world doesn’t work; it’s a certain platform for calamity.
So please, let’s refrain from following the evil one, his many minions, and their evil ways, and being a group of people called by Christ’s name, humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and turn away from our wicked ways, so that He can hear from heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land, which so badly needs healing.
That is the only way our world, and subsequently our individual lives will really have lasting improvement.
And we’ll continue looking at scriptures that highlight the things we need to do to successfully return to God’s fold. Today’s word is simply ‘PRAY.’ But Friends, though it sounds simple, ‘pray, prayer and praying’ however you term it, is the greatest force in this world! It’s found as being essential to man’s survival throughout the entire Bible.
And prayer and praying are so important in the Christian’s life that Jesus once told a parable ‘to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) So when we’re tempted to give up, that’s when we most need to be strong and pray.
Earlier on too, the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, and He taught them what is now universally known as ‘The Lord’s Prayer.’ Then in John, we see Jesus offering to pray to the Father for the disciples, for the Holy Spirit, the Comforter to dwell within them forever. (Jon 14:16)
And even more importantly my brethren, Jesus made it a habit to pray Himself to His heavenly Father, rising up early and going out to a quiet place to pray. (Mark 1:35) We also see Him praying diligently in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion. (Matt.26:36-46)
So Friends, if Jesus, the Son of God, found it necessary to pray to the Holy One of Israel, how and why, shouldn’t we mere mortals do the same eh?
Then you have great men of faith like Bruh David solemnly declaring: ‘My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.’ (Ps.5:3)
And also in Psalm 55 – a cry against deceitful friends – he steadfastly proclaims: ‘As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.’ (Ps.55:16-17) What unfaltering faith my people!
Then Bruh Paul tells the Romans. ‘Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities (weaknesses): for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.’ (Rom.8:26)
The scholars explain that thus: ‘8:26. Our infirmities may refer to the presence of sin (cf. 7:14). Groanings: The Spirit also groans along with creation and the believer. The reference is to the Spirit’s interpretation of the believer’s uttermost feelings which cannot be put into words.’
Then to the Ephesians, Bruh Paul says: ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph.6:18) This is all linked to the putting on of God’s protective spiritual armour. (vs.10-17)
And as the scholar’s say: ‘6:18. Without prayer, God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. Prayer is indispensable. Always means ‘on every occasion,” that is, when Satan attacks. In the Spirit signifies that with the Spirit’s help such prayer for divine aid is to be made.
Watching thereunto means “being vigilant in this very matter” of prayer. They are to pray not just for themselves, but also for all saints; spiritual combat is both an individual and corporate matter.’
And to Timothy, Bruh Paul declares: ‘I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.’ (1 Tim.2:8) Yes Friends, men are to pray everywhere, regardless of where they are, with a pure life, no anger and disputes.
And finally, to the Thessalonians, Bruh Paul simply advises: ‘Pray without ceasing.’ (1 Thess.5:17) Yes my people, we ought to always have an attitude of prayer, even though we’re not praying audibly.’
And that Friends, is wisdom, common sense and understanding at their highest levels. Please, let’s try and attain to those levels nuh, for it will do us the world of good. Much LOVE!
…prayer is the life force which keeps this world still humming along…though it’s in such a sad state…
P.S. Friends, it’s long and late, but that’s just the way it worked out. Then just as I was about to send it, my trusty computer froze on me, so I had to reboot it. And now the technician is here to fix my alarm system which the phone company screwed up! Ah Lord, when is not one thing is certainly another. But it’s all good in the end. (smile) Much LOVE!
Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries
SCRIP-BITS 