17 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a strong will, abundance, brake it and gave to the disciples, by whom the Son of man is betrayed, Christ's Last Supper, christianity, clear direction for my life, come to know and love Jesus, commemorating the memory of Jesus, consternation, courage, creativity, curse, drink it new with you, drink of the fruit of this vine, drink ye all of it, duty bound, enabled God to forgive sins, example of humility, exceeding sorrowful, faith, favour, for the remission of sins, goes as it is written of him, good for that man he had not been born, he that dippeth his hand with me, he took the cup and gave thanks, Holy Communion, holy spirit, Holy Thursday, humility- a lost attitude, in my Father's kingdom, in the name of Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus too bread and blessed it, Jesus' sacrificial death, Lord is it I, LOVE, Maundy Thursday, mercy, my time is at hand, negative word, one of you shall betray me, prosper, redemption from Egyptthe cup of blessing, salvation, self-disicpline, shed for many, success, supernatural wisdom, surprise announcement, take eat this is my body, talent, the BIBLE, the bread of affliction, the covenant was sealed with blood, the cup of blessing, the current attitude is to exalt oneself, the greatest among you shall be your servant, the intimate nature of the betrayal, the Passover, the redemption from sin, the same shall betray me, the Son of man, this is my blood of the new testament, truth, washing of feet, which our fathers ate in Egypt, whoever shall exalt himself shall be hubled, wisdom, woe unto the man
Matthew 26:28. For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission (forgiveness) of sins.
At last it’s Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday, according to which religion or geographical area you belong to. Anyway, it’s the second saddest day of the year, after Good Friday. It’s the fifth day of Holy Week and is known for the Celebration of Christ’s Last Supper with His disciples, where He gave us the discipline of Holy Communion to remember Him by.
That night Jesus also gave the disciples a warning example of the humility He expected from them, and consequently from us by washing their feet. It was one of the lowliest jobs in existence and was usually done by slaves. However, Jesus doffed His clothes and donned a towel and washed their feet letting them see and experience the full meaning of the words He had spoken to them before: ‘But he that is the greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased (humbled); and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted (lifted up)’ (Matt. 23:11-12)
But sadly that state of affairs doesn’t exist in today’s world nor enough in Christ’s church, for the current attitude is to exalt oneself above others; the higher, the better. Humility is a lost attitude in these proud and arrogant times, and when it’s found, it’s considered weakness and foolishness by the majority of our fellow men. But let’s not forget that Jesus’ kingdom is an upside down one, where you believe before you see, you humble yourself and not exalt it, and several other attitudes that the world considers nonsense.
Anyway, on that famous night of the Last Supper, Jesus skewed the usual Jewish Passover meal, when He sat with them in the room He had directed them to go and arrange. When they asked where they were to prepare the meal, He’d said: ‘Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master (teacher) saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at thy house with my disciples.’ (Matt. 26:18) And they did as instructed.
The Bible then tells us: ‘Now when the even (evening) was come, he sat down with the twelve. And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?’ (Matt. 26:20-22) Can you imagine the consternation that surprise announcement must have made amongst the twelve, with each wondering if it would be them.
But Jesus answered and said, ‘He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: (Dan. 9:26) but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He (Jesus) said unto him, Thou hast said (said it).’ (Matt. 26:23-24) Now the Bible doesn’t tell us what happened directly after those statements. But the scholars tell us that He that dippeth reveals the personal and intimate nature of the betrayal, and Thou hast said means “yes.”
After those eye opening comments, the Bible continues: ‘And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, Drink ye all of it (drink from it all of you); For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission (forgiveness) of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom. And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.’ (Matt. 26:26-30)
Yes friends, that’s the advent of what we call Holy Communion, the commemorating or honouring the memory of Jesus, of His sacrificial body and blood when we celebrate it. Now, let’s hear some interesting explanations from the scholars on what we’ve just read. As per ‘Jesus took bread: The head of the Jewish household was accustomed to doing this during the Passover feast. Jesus gave a completely new significance to the action. This is my body: During the Passover feast, the Jewish householder took bread in hand and said, “This is the bread of affliction which our fathers ate in the land of Egypt,” meaning of course, that one represented the other.
By His words the Lord changed the whole significance and emphasis of the feast from looking back to the typical redemption from Egypt to faith in the redemption from sin accomplished by His death. The bread and wine were only outward symbols of our Lord’s death. Nothing in the Gospels indicates that these were to be viewed as a means of grace, sacraments, or that they were physically necessary for one’s salvation. Per The cup: Three cups were passed around by the Jewish householder during the Passover meal; the third, which is probably the one referred to here, being known as “the cup of blessing.”
Then My blood of the new testament taken from the Greek Septuagint version (the earliest Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) of Exodus 24:8, with allusions to Jeremiah 31:31 and Zechariah 9:11. The covenant in Exodus 24:8 was sealed with blood. The word testament can also mean a covenant. Shed for many for the remission of sins: Here is a clear statement that the death of Jesus was necessary to enable God to forgive sins. It, in fact made it right or morally justifiable for Him to do so. That day refers to the time when He comes again in glory.’
Now, I do hope that we all learned some new and interesting stuff from the scholars explanations. I did. But it’s time to for us to declare (oh no!!!) our Thursday Blessings, undeserved blessings the Lord bestowed on us do His earthly work. So let’s do that as one loud and sincere voice nuh. ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
That means we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Holy Communion…serves to remind us…of the overall importance of Jesus…especially His sacrificial death…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a conquering hero, a man of sorrows, a time to celebrate, a worldly flavour, accepting Him as Lord and Saviour, acquainted with grief, afflicted, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, all things become new, attain God's standard of righteousness, bruised, bruised for our iniquities, carried our sorrows, Christ is the main focus, Christ's massacred body, Christian faith, christianity, Christians, crying out for Christ's crucifixion, despised and rejected of men men, disicpline, don't allow Christ's suffering to go to waste, don't allow the world to control our situation, duty bound, Easter celebrations, eternal death, expansive, expensive, extravagant spending, faith, faithfully observe the important aspects, for the wages of sin is death, get back to basics, Good Friday, great influence on our behaviour, he hath borne our griefs, he is a new creation, hid our faces from him, holy spirit, Holy Week, hurry, if any man be in Christ, in god's eyes, increase the spirituality, infiltrate the celebrations, injuries, Jesus Christ, Jesus took our punishment, Jesus' work on the cross, lawless world, left to die in the hot noonday sun, let the world know to whom we belong, leverage their business, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, mercy, moral evils, nailed to the cross, not what people say about me, old things are passed away, paid our sin debt in full, Palm Sunday, pierced through, reduce the level of materialism, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, sickness, sins, smitten of God, spiritual sickness, stop mouthing platitudes, take stock, the amazing grace of God, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the chastisement of our peace, the deadly Roman whip, the gift of God is eternal life, the greatest gift ever given to man, the horrendous situation, the icing on the cake, the seriousness of the situation, the sufferation of Jesus, the true significance of the occasion, to go out and share the love and friendship of Christ, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, utterly crushed, watered down, we did esteem him stricken, we esteemed him not, wisdom, with his stripes we are healed, worry, wounded for our transgressions
Isaiah 53:4. Surely he hath borne our griefs (spiritual sickness, injuries), and carried our sorrows (pains): yet we did esteem (reckon) him stricken, smitten (struck down) of God, and afflicted.
So it’s Tuesday of Holy Week, and I guess preparations are busily underway for the upcoming Easter celebrations. But please, this year, let’s make the effort to remember the true significance of the occasion; that Christ is the main focus and that much more attention should be paid to Him. Unfortunately, all our Christian faith celebrations, have gotten expansive and expensive (smile) and every year they take on a more worldly flavour. We’ve allowed the world and its various sectors, especially the economic one, to infiltrate the celebrations, and use the overflowing emotions of the faithful to leverage their business, making each celebration a cause for extravagant spending.
And thus, the real significance of each celebration and what ought to really matter, gets watered down with each passing year. It’s time that we believers stop, and take stock of what’s really happening, and do our best to reduce the level of the material side of the equation, and increase the spiritual side, which has now reached an all time low level. Many people don’t know the true meaning of Christmas or Easter, just that’s it a holiday and a time to celebrate with parties, gifts and lots of food.
Now, nothing is intrinsically wrong with those things, but they ought not to be the main focus of the celebrations as they are turning out to be. We have to stop allowing the world to control our situations, remember we’re supposed to be in the world, but not of the world, and therefore what the world says and does, ought not to have the great influence on our behaviour and lifestyles as it’s currently doing. It’s time to get back to basics and let the truly important aspect of the celebrations be faithfully observed, not the simple mouthing of platitudes as we’re wont to do these days.
How many of us truly consider and deeply reflect on what Christ did for us at this Eater Season eh? Remember how he was greeted on entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday like a conquering hero. Then a few days later how they were all crying to have him crucified. How many of us sit down and truly ponder the ‘sufferation’ He went through during His last days, especially on Good Friday for our benefit eh?
It was much more than mere suffering. Think about the stripes, the wounds that scarred His back from the deadly Roman whip, those same stripes by which we are healed. Think of the javelin that wounded His side, then being nailed to a cross and left to die in the hot Israel noonday sun, as the last drops of blood and water dry up and/or flow out of His massacred body.
Can you even imagine how He felt? None of us really can, because we’re not called to go through such suffering. But the prophet Isaiah perfectly described the horrendous situation hundreds of years before it happened, calling Him, “A Man of Sorrows,’ as he writes: ‘He is despised and rejected of (forsaken by) men; a man of sorrows (severe pains), and acquainted with grief (sickness, injuries): and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.’ (Is. 53:3)
And that was just the icing on the cake! Listen to the rest of it: ‘Surely he hath borne our griefs (spiritual sickness, injuries), and carried our sorrows (pains): yet we did esteem (reckon) him stricken, smitten (struck down) of God, and afflicted.’ (Is. 53:4) Yes my fellow believers, back then they did not truly appreciate what Jesus was doing for them, and unfortunately, even today, many of us don’t realize the seriousness of the situation.
But here’s the truth of it all, as Isaiah prophesied. ‘But he was wounded (pierced through) for our transgressions (sins), he was bruised (utterly crushed) for our iniquities (moral evils): the chastisement (discipline) of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes (wounds) we are healed.’ (Is. 53:5) Yes friends, that’s the long and short of the story!
All that Jesus suffered was for us. He took the punishment that was meant for us on His sinless shoulders, so that we could become the sinless children of God. Do we truly understand the great significance of that undertaking. No! Many of us do not, otherwise we would not be so complaisant and relaxed while hobnobbing with the sinful things of this world.
Remember what the Bible says: ‘For all have sinned, and come (fallen) short of the glory of God.’ (Rom. 3:23) Yes. None of us have or can ever come up to the standard of righteousness that God desires on our own. That, consequently brings us to this other eye opening scripture: ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom. 6:23)
And that’s where the everlasting importance of Jesus’ work here on earth makes the difference in the lives of us mere mortals! We can either undergo eternal death trying to pay for our own sins or simply ignoring them, or we can enjoy eternal life by understanding that the Lord accepted Jesus’ work on the cross as payment in full for our sin debt, and wisely accepting Him as our Lord and Saviour. It’s the greatest gift mankind has ever been given…and it’s free…all through the amazing grace of God !
All you have to do is confess that you’re a sinner and ask Jesus to come into life and make you whole. And if you’re sincere, it’s a done deal! The Holy Spirit comes into your life and helps you to become a new man, for once you accept Jesus, you cannot go back to your old, unashamed sinful way of living. As Bruh Paul wrote in his second letter to the Corinthians: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ (2 Cor. 5:17)
Yes friends, it’s high time for many of us to put aside our old ways and take up the new ones that Jesus desperately desires us to have, so that we can make positive and productive changes in our chaotic and lawless world. And for those of us who are sincerely trying to do that, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel.
As one 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!’
Now, that makes us duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with those we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…please don’t allow Christ’s suffering to go to waste…instead…be wise and accept His offer of eternal life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a breakdown in communication, a daily commitment to living for Christ, a lack of true discipleship, a radical transformation of life, as I am not of the world, be better witnesses for Christ, behaving holy on Sundays, behaving like the rest of the world the rest of the week, chaotic place, christianity, Christians, Christians must do a better job for Christ, come to know and love Christ, courage.curse, creativity, divine protection, duty bound, embrace the difficulties of, faith, favour, for their sakes, given them thy word, God's supernatural wisdom, grace, greedy, have my joy fulfilled in themselves, holy, holy spirit, I sanctify myself, if any man will come after me, Jesus Christ, Jesus' kingdom is not of this world, keep them from evil, lawless, let him deny himself, listen to, live a life modelled after Jesus, living a life dedicated to jesus, LOVE, mercy, negative word, no excuses, not living up to our covenant with Jesus, our dailu walk with Christ, our lives should be worthwhile testimony be, penultimate day of our workweek, personal desires, promotion, prosper, pull up our socks, putting aside personal desires, righteous, run the enemy out of town, salvation, sanctified through the truth, sanctify them through thy truth, set us apart for His holy purpose, showing unbelievers the light of Christ, succeed, success, supernatural strength, take up his cross daily and follow me, the anointing, the BIBLE, the bright light of Jesus, the challenges that come with following Jesus, the commitment to follow Jesus, the cost of following Jesus, the sad truth, the still small voice of the Spirit, the ultimate call to discipleship, the world hated them, they are not of the world, thy word is truth, tighten our britches, to prioritize God's will, to sacrifice worldly gains for eternal rewards, truth, undeserved blessings, we're not following the script, will prevail over the darkness of Satan, willing to make certain sacrifices, wisdom, worldly attachments'
John 17:16. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
So, the penultimate day of our workweek, Thursday, rolls around with cool temps and a shallow cloud cover. Who knows what the rest of the day will be like. Let’s hope that the bright rays of the battling sun will prevail over the dark clouds, just like the bright light of Jesus will prevail over the sinful darkness of Satan! And all God’s people said a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’
Yes friends, I know our greatest desire is for the enemy to be run right out of town on the very next train, but unfortunately that will not happen unless we pull up our socks, tighten our britches and begin being better witnesses for Christ! Obviously, you don’t want to hear that, but it’s the sad truth. The world would not be such an evil, hateful, greedy, lawless and chaotic place if we Christians were doing a better job of showing the unbelievers the marvellous light of Christ through the rich examples of our own lives. Instead of being holy on Sundays, then behaving like the rest of the world on Monday to Saturday, we have to behave holy and righteous each and every day.
Remember what Jesus said about us when He prayed for the Father’s help before He left this world. ‘And now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from evil (evil one). They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they might also be sanctified through the truth.’ (John 17:13-19)
Yes my people, we’re not of this world, so we’re not supposed to behave like this world. And Jesus steadfastly prayed that the Father would sanctify us, set us apart for His holy purpose, but, unfortunately, we’re not following the script as laid out by Jesus. And it’s obvious that we’re not perfect and we will all make mistakes here and there, but on the whole our lives should be a worthwhile testimony to the unbeliever.
Remember what we agreed to when we became Christians, disciples and followers of Christ? Jesus said it thus: ‘If any man will (desires to) come after (follow) me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) That’s the agreement we made when we became Christians, followers of Christ. But sadly, not enough of us are living up to that covenant. Too many of us are still dithering and wavering when coming to denying ourselves and daily taking up our cross. We refuse to make certain sacrifices that are necessary to serve Jesus, and dredge up all kinds of excuses not to take up our cross.
And if we don’t understand what all this means, then this commentary explains it fairly well. As for the Context: Jesus is speaking to his disciples, emphasizing the cost and commitment involved in following him. “If any man will come after me…”: This is a conditional statement, meaning that if someone desires to be a follower of Jesus, they must be willing to make certain sacrifices. “let him deny himself…”: This means putting aside personal desires, ambitions, and worldly attachments in order to prioritize God’s will and follow Jesus.
“…and take up his cross…”: The “cross” symbolizes the suffering, hardship, and challenges that come with following Jesus. It’s a call to embrace the difficulties of living a life dedicated to Christ. “…and follow me.”: This is the ultimate call to discipleship, urging individuals to live a life modelled after Jesus’ teachings and example. Meaning of Discipleship: To follow Jesus requires a radical transformation of life, a willingness to sacrifice worldly gains for eternal rewards, and a daily commitment to living for Christ rather than oneself.’
Oh my people, truly following Jesus is not always easy, but it’s always worthwhile. Remember too, He doesn’t ask us to do anything that He Himself did not, or would not do, plus He always gives us the tools, the grace and mercy, the anointing to do whatever He asks of us. Then we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us to lead and guide our daily walk with Him, but probably too many of us don’t listen to the still small voice of the Spirit, and insist on doing our own thing. That will obviously lead to a breakdown in communications and thus a lack of true discipleship.
My fellow saints, it’s time we owned up to our shortcomings on Jesus’ behalf and make amends by turning our lives around, becoming true disciples and living sincerely for Him, truly desiring to make a difference in this ungodly and evil world. And God’s so good to us, that He’s even bestowed on us underserved blessings to help with His earthly work, so there are no excuses not to do our godly bidding. We call those tools our Thursday Blessings. So, let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, (yesss!!!) we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…to be a true follower of Jesus…you cannot behave like the world…because Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a level of peace, a man lay down his life for his friends, an honour to be so intimately known, April Fool's day, April showers, believers, believers in Christ, But God commendeth his love toward us, christianity, Christians, come to know and love him like we do, despite what and whom we are, duty bound, faith, fly out the window, following Satan and his evil practices, for His awesome goodness and mercy, God cannot deny Himself, God knows all my mistakes, God loves us, God sent not his son into the world, God sent not His Son to condemn the world, God so loved the world, greater love hath no man than this, grow through challenges, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, hellhole, hellhole we're digging for ourselves, holy spirit, hurry, if ye do what I command you, in all these things we are more than conquerors, in god's eyes, in god's world it's all about love, in Jesus name, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, Jesus' crucifixion, listened to my doubts and questions, LOVE, love is the guiding principle of god's kingdom, love rules the roost, makes you want to cringe and laugh at the same time, May flowers, mercy, my bone-deep longings, my heart harbours deceit, negative evils, Nicodemus, nothing shall separate us from the love of God, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, prayer rings so true, prayers have no timeline, radiant with good intentions, received my genuine praise, salvation, see the coming seasons in my life, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, should not perish, sincerity of heart, surpasses all the understanding of men, Thank the Lord, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the amazing foundation of Christ's gospel, the awesome truth, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the In touch Devotional, the weight of my regrets, this is my commandment, thrive in peace, through him the world might be saved, to condemn the world, to walk beside you in this life, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, undeserving and disobedient, undying hope and faith, we don't deserve God's love, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, who shall separate us from the Love of Christ, wisdom, worry, ye are my friends, ye love one another as I have loved you, you truly are love
Romans 5:8. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
And the month of April has opened bright and sunshiny, though a tad on the chilly side. And though the computer is forecasting some 6 cm of snow for tomorrow, we do hope that as the month rolls on, it will bring some warm April showers that will eventually translate into beautiful May flowers. Yes friends, that’s the amazing thing about believers in Christ Jesus; we always have undying hope and faith. Consequently, we also believe that all the craziness and ungodliness that’s happening in our world is only a figment of our imagination, an April Fool’s joke, and in due course our Lord and Saviour will fix it all, to the benefit of Himself and His followers.
And all God’s people said a loud, proud and grateful: ‘Thank the Lord for His awesome goodness and mercy to us undeserving and disobedient but highly LOVED creation!’ And that’s the awesome truth my people! We don’t deserve God’s LOVE nor goodness, but nonetheless He pours them out on us, because that’s the kind of God He is, and He cannot deny His character. Oh, how I wish that our character was even half as good and strong, for what a wonderful world we’d then have.
Anyway, to help us improve our godly character, here’s this interesting prayer from the March issue of the In Touch Devotional. And though some of us protest to hearing March prayers in April, (smile) please know that prayers have no timeline nor special place, they can be said anywhere and at any time, all they need is sincerity of heart. So please pray with me.
‘God, You know about all my mistakes, even those I haven’t made yet. You’ve seen me grow through challenges and thrive in peace. You know my heart both harbours deceit and is radiant with good intentions. You know my bone-deep longings and the weight of my regrets. You’ve listened to my doubts and questions and received my genuine praise. You see the coming seasons in my life and You’re ready, even if I am not. It’s an honour to be so intimately known and to walk beside you in this life. You truly are LOVE, and I’m thankful. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Oh my fellow believers, that’s one of those prayers that ring so true that it makes you want to both cringe and laugh at the same time! Obviously, our omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present Creator knows all about us, even before we do both the wrongs and good deeds. But He still LOVES us! And that’s the amazing foundation of Christ’s gospel; the good news that Almighty God, our Creator and Chastener LOVES us despite what and whom we are! And I don’t know why that’s so difficult for some of us to believe, since it’s so openly and obviously stated in His Word.
Listen to Jesus tell it like it is to Nicodemus, one of the Pharisee leaders, as he comes under cover of night to find out what is what. Jesus says, in no uncertain terms: ‘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 through him the world might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
Now my brethren, it could not be stated any plainer than that! God LOVED His human creation so much that He sent His Son to save them from the hellhole that they were digging for themselves by following Satan and his evil practices. And that fact is seen and proven with even more force by Jesus’ crucifixion on our behalf! How then can we ever doubt God’s LOVE for us? Oh, we might not want to accept it, but there’s definitely no doubt that He LOVES us with a great and undying LOVE!
And that just brings to mind one of my favourite verses from the Bible, where Bruh Paul writes to the church at Rome: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Now which other god has ever done anything like that eh? None! They all want you to turn from your ways toward them first. But Jehovah God is so sure and certain of Himself that He gave us a way out even when we did not deserve it.
And Jesus reiterated His and the Father’s LOVE for us, when He told the disciples: ‘This is my commandment, that ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you. Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do what I command you.’ (John 15:12-14)
Yes my fellow believers LOVE is the guiding principle of God’s kingdom, and that’s why the enemy is fighting so hard to keep us from LOVING God, ourselves and each other. For he knows that when LOVE rules the roost, all his negative evils will fly out the window, and he will be even further reduced than He is already by Christ’s victory on the cross and His amazing resurrection.
Bruh Paul also emphasizes the importance of Christ’s LOVE in his epistle to the Romans, when he writes: ‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ?’ (Rom. 8:35a) Then he goes on to make a long list of negative things. Then says: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8: 37-39)
And that’s what we need to believe friends, especially in these turbulent and chaotic times; that NOTHING whatsoever can, or will ever be able to separate us from the LOVE of God that resides in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And when we sincerely believe that, and do the things it calls for, then we will be able to face this crazy world with a level of peace and calm that passes all the understanding of men.
Now, let’s go home declaring (chuhhh man!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world 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!’
That means, 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!
…in God’s world…it’s all about LOVE…that’s why He created us…and that’s why He’s also saved us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sinful nature, against thee only have I sinned, an unbreakable seal, anything praiseworthy, ask your forgiveness, assurance of salvation, at work in me, belonging to God, Bible, blot out all mine iniquities, chaotic times, christianity, cleanse me from my sin, create in me a clean heart, done this evil in thy sight, duty bound, enveloped by the light of Jesus, evil thoughts hidden in our hearts, faith, find my hidden faults, God looks at our hearts not our outward appearances, God's ownership, help me fill my heart with good things, hide my face from my sins, holy spirit, I shall be clean, I want to have a clean heart before you, if there be any virtue, in god's eyes, In Touch Prayer Cards, Jesus Christ, kept forever by the power of God, left behind, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, make me to hear joy and gladness, make me whole, meditate, mercy, not on board, nothing as wonderful as walking in the light with you, of a good report, on board with Jesus, purge me with hyssop, Purity of Heart, raise them out of the shadows, remove all impurities, renew a right spirit within me, salvation, sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, shapen in iniquity, share His love with my neighbours, sin with Bathsheba, sincerity and truth, Thank You God, the absolute truth, the beloved of God, the down payment of our inheritance, the God of peace shall be with you, the mark of identification, the moral of the story, the redemption of the purchased possession, thnik on these thingsw, to be righteous and holy, trust my friend Jesuss, truth, truth in the inward parts, Tuesday Mantra, ungodly times, untouchable, upstaged by God's help, waiting for no one, wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are true, whatsover things are honest, wisdom, worry, your amazing grace
Psalm 51:10. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me.
So now it’s Tuesday. We’ve gladly left Monday behind, but remember, we’ll soon leave Tuesday behind too, for these days are just driving forward like the crazy March winds that have recently engulfed us. They’re waiting for no one or nothing. Similarly, the month of March, that too is almost over, and it’s only just begun. And the moral of the story is if you’re not solidly on board, then you’ll simply get left behind. On board where or on what, you ask? On board with Jesus, obviously! For He is the ONLY ONE who can see you successfully through these chaotic and ungodly times.
And to help us do that, today we’re going to turn to a prayer from one of the Prayer Cards recently issued by the In Touch Organization. This one’s titled, ‘Purity of Heart.’ So please pray with me. ‘God, thank You for Your amazing grace at work in me. I want to have a clean heart before You. Please remove all impurities and make me whole. Find my hidden faults and raise them out of the shadows. As You bring each one to my attention, I will ask Your forgiveness and let it go. Help me fill my heart instead with everything good, lovely, and holy. God, I give You praise and thanks. There’s nothing as wonderful as walking in the light with you. Amen!’
And we all know that that’s the absolute truth! There’s nothing in this world better than walking in the bright shining light of Jesus! For when you’re enveloped by that Light, you’re untouchable! Nothing can lead you astray or take you away from Him, for He’s sealed you with the seal of His Holy Spirit, as said in Bruh Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. ‘In whom also after that ye believed (the Gentiles), ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. Which is the earnest (downpayment, deposit) of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.’ (Eph. 1:13b-14)
And what does all of that mean? These two commentaries explain. The first says: ‘In a religious context, “sealed with the Holy Spirit” signifies God’s ownership and assurance of salvation, indicating that believers are marked as belonging to God and are guaranteed eternal inheritance and protection.’ And the second enlightens: ‘It is the mark of identification that the believer is truly God’s own and is kept forever by the power of God. It is an unbreakable seal of divine ownership and salvation.’
So there we have it, once we’re sealed by the Holy Spirit of Christ, we’re His, and can never be taken away from Him. And having clarified that, let’s get back to our original prayer sentiment, that of having a pure heart before God. And that’s ever so important my people, since God doesn’t like nor readily accepts evil and improper impurities or faults from His children. He expects us to be righteous and holy as He is. Now, He knows that’s impossible, but with His help, He expects us to be better than we are.
And believe me, some of us have a whole lot of vile and evil thoughts hidden in our hearts. Man can’t see them, because we carefully hide them, but God can, because it’s our hearts He looks at when we talk to Him. And it’s quite easy to offer up a prayer for help, but it’s another matter to actually try and cleanse our hearts of hidden sin. And the earlier prayer was based on Psalm 51: Bruh David’s famous cry for forgiveness after the prophet Nathan, with God’s directive, brought his awful sin with Bathsheba to his attention.
He sincerely pleads: ‘Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified (found just) when thou speakest, and be clear (blameless) when thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen (brought forth) in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.’ (Ps. 51:2-6)
Yes friends, the Lord knows that we were born with a sin nature, but when we turn our eyes to Him, He expects us to make good changes, and He is willing to help us if we come to Him with all sincerity. And Bruh David did open up his soul to the Lord in that psalm because He knew the great blemish it had placed on himself and his family, as well as on the Lord’s Word.
And he continues: ‘Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide my face from my sins, blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me.’ (Ps. 51:7-10) Now my brethren, that’s exactly what we need to be seeking from the Lord; a clean heart and a steadfast spirit, so that we can worship Him in all sincerity and truth.
And it’s interesting that Bruh Paul in his ever-practical spirit, wrote these words of wisdom and encouragement to the Philippians about the thoughts we ought to dwell on. ‘Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (noble), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of a good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think (meditate) on these things). Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.’ (Phil. 4:8-9)
There we have it my fellow believers, some good things to think and meditate on, after we have been cleansed in heart and renewed in spirit by the grace and mercy of Jehovah God. There are no more excuses for ‘stinking thinking.’ (smile) Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world 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 made that declaration (yesss!) we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with all we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…although we have a sinful nature…it can always be upstaged by God’s holy and righteous help…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a boost to our collective spirits, a formula for achieving peace, a much needed break, a set of wusses, a solid foundation, as the light, be not envious against, Bible, birds chirping, blessed are the meek, bring forth thy righteousness, cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, cease from anger, commit thy way unto the Lord, confidently trust in the Lord, delight themselves, delight thyself also in the Lord, do not fear, don't be jealous, duty bound, easy living, entitled to the good life, evildoers shall be destroyed, faith, for ever and ever, for faith and hope, forsake wrath, fret not thyself because of evildoers, get up the gumption, give thee the desires of thine heart, God's intervening hand, God's thoughts and ways are higher than man's, he shall bring it to pass, holy spirit, hurry, I am the Lord, I am the Lord I change not, in due time, in god's eyes, in the face of the wicked's prosperity, ineffectual people, Jesus Christ, justice, keep the devil at bay, keep the Lord in first place, like white on rice, LOVE, mercy, of the prosperous evildoer, power to resist the devil, prosperous times, resist the devil, Rest in the Lord, ruling the roost, salvation, shall inherit the earth, share His love with my neighbours, soon be cut down like grass, spring is near, the abundance of peace, the Beatitudes, the beloved of God, the man who brings wicked schemes to pass, the meek shall inherit the earth, the tools we need, the tough winter, the unchanging nature of God, the whole wide world, the workers of iniquity, those that wait upon the Lord, thy judgement as the noonday, tormented day and night, trust in the Lord and do good, trust my freind Jesus, truth, wait patiently for him, we'll all get our comeuppance, wisdom, with all of life's problems, wither as the green herb, without lifting a finger, worry, wrath only causes harm
Psalm 37:1. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
Oh friends, it’s another beautiful, sunshiny day in my area, with temperatures supposedly around plus 7 degrees. Wow! Now, yesterday it was also supposed to be around the same temperature, but it surely didn’t feel that warm. Thankfully though, most of the snow has now melted, and if this warm weather continues, then it shall soon be all gone.
And by the way, I heard some other good news this morning; some birds chirping outside my bedroom window. Was I ever surprised. Birds chirping in the second week of March? It’s either they didn’t go south for the winter, or they believe that spring is near, so they came back. And when I came downstairs just now and looked out the kitchen window, I saw a couple of them frolicking in their usual fashion out there. It would surely be a boost to our collective spirits if spring was right around the corner, giving us a much-needed break from the tough winter that we’ve now become unaccustomed to. (smile)
Yes, we’ve gotten so accustomed to the easy living of these modern and prosperous times that what in earlier times would have been a normal winter, has now become a winter of huge proportions. What a set of wusses, that’s weak, shallow, ineffectual people we’ve become! No wonder we feel so entitled to living the good life without even lifting a finger to make it happen. But do not fear, we will all get our comeuppance in due time. The Lord’s promised it, and we know that whatever He promises will come to pass…in His good time. (smile)
And what’s on tap for today, you ask? Well, I just opened the Good Library, and this most interesting and most relevant psalm jumped out at me. It’s Psalm 37, where Bruh David writes about Trust In the Lord. So let’s read it together nuh, and see what good and useful information we can glean from it. He begins: ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.’ (Ps. 37:1-2)
And right there in the opening verses my people, we have some very important and reassuring words. Don’t be jealous and envious of those who do evil and seem to prosper, for their undeserved prosperity will eventually be diminished by God’s intervening hand. Now, those words of reassurance have never been needed more than in these very evil and ungodly times, where Satan’s rule is at it’s highest. And how do we counter Satan’s attempts to inveigle us into his evil doings.
Bruh David lays it our very plainly in these following verses of the psalm. ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on God’s faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.’ (Ps. 37:3-6) Yes my brethren, those are the basic ways to keep the devil at bay and the Lord in first place in our lives, so that He can uplift and exalt us in due time.
And we all know that sticking to the Lord like white on rice is not easy in these very turbulent and chaotic times, but He’s given us all the tools we need to do it, we simply have to get up the gumption to use them, and not let the seemingly pleasurable things of the world get us off track, like Beelzebub is trying so hard to do. And if we do that to the best of our ability, here’s what Bruh David says will happen. ‘And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.’ (Ps. 37:6) For sure! The Lord will ensure your justice and righteousness, if you make Him number one in your life.
Then Bruh David adds a li’l langniappe, or extra for good measure, when he continues: ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who propsereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place (look diligently for it), and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.’ (Ps. 37:7-11)
Oh my fellow saints, the wicked are ruling the roost right now, but we know that eventually the Lord will cut them down like the grass withers at high noon, so we should encourage ourselves and each other not to give up, not to let the worthless baubles and bangles that the enemy flashes in front of our faces to lure us into his evil trap. The Lord’s promised, and He’s faithful. So let’s stand strong and wait on Him. He knows what He’s doing. Remember His thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours, that we cannot even begin to understand them. (Is. 55:8-9)
Remember too, that Satan is a created being just like us, and his power is nonexistent in our lives, unless we allow him to use it. And the Bible tells us that when the Lord’s ready, He will get rid of him forever. ‘And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.’ (Rev. 20:10) So friends, it’s certainly within our power to resist the devil, but we have to use the tools provided, if we wish to do it successfully.
And I like how the scholars explain it. ‘The psalm also contains a simple formula for achieving peace of mind in the face of the wicked’s prosperity: fret not…neither be thou envious (vs. 1), trust…do good (vs. 3), delight thyself also in the Lord (vs. 4), commit thy way…trust (vs. 5), rest…wait patiently…fret not (vs. 7), cease from anger…forsake wrath…fret not (vs.8). All of these exhortations urge the believer to confidently trust in the Lord with all of life’s problems. The psalm concludes appropriately with an undying affirmation of faith and trust in the unchanging character of God.’
Yes friends, our God is immutable, unchangeable! And we see the Lord saying that in Malachi: ‘For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ (Mal. 3:6) ‘That implies that God’s character and eternal purposes do not change, which gives a solid foundation for his people’s faith and hope.’ Amen!
Now let’s go home with boosted faith and spirits, 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 made that declaration (steups!!!) 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!
…Jesus reaffirmed Bruh David’s promise in the Beatitudes…blessed are the meek…for they shall inherit the earth… (Matt. 5:5)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cold and windy day, a compassionate heart, a living wage, a modicum of circumspection, a natural human emotion, a wrathful man stirs up strife, abundance, allow the devil to breach our spiritual armour, an albatross around one's neck, anger does not produce the righteousness of God, anger must be tempered, anger rests in the bosom of fools, be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, be ye angry and sin not, better is the end than the beginning, better than he that takes a city, better than the mighty, better than the proud in spirit, christianity, curse, divine protection, duty bound, faith, favour, fools are predominant in our world, God's supernatural wisdom, grin and bear it, he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly, he that is slow to anger appeases strife, he that is slow to wrath, he that refrains his lips is wise, he that rules his spirit, house ownership, in the multitude of words, Jesus Christ, leaking basements, let every man be swift to hear, let it all hang out, let not the sun go down upon your wrath, LOVE, mercy, negative aspects of house ownership, negative word, neither give place to the devil, of great understanding, promotion, salvation, slow to speak, slow to wrath, spiritual armour, success, talent, the BIBLE, the lead and guidance of Jesus, the patient in spirit, the wrath of man, there wanteth not sin, this fallen world, truth, wisdom, worketh not the righteousness of God
Ecclesiastes 7:9. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
Well, this second day of Lent, Thursday, has opened cold and wind and somewhat cloudy. But that’s fine by me, because that means the rain’s stopped falling and the snow has stopped melting and consequently my basement has stopped leaking, for however long the dry and cold weather continues! Glory Be!
Ah friends, this owning a house racket is the biggest scam in our country. They tie you to a mortgage for umpteen years, at prices you can barely afford, and give you all the glowing accounts of house ownership, but never tell you a word about the many negative aspects, like the fast-risinginsurance premiums, ever increasing taxes and ever diminishing returns on those taxes, the untimely repairs and the numerous unforeseen things involved in owning a house. And sometimes I think it’s good that house prices have skyrocketed so that young people cannot afford them, and consequently don’t get shackled with a lifelong albatross around their necks.
But that’s just my take on the subject, having been an owner of several homes, both old and new over the years. And believe me, even the new ones have unforeseen problems that can be both expensive to fix and also frustrating, because when you buy something brand new, you don’t expect to have any more layouts of time and money for a while.
And it wouldn’t be so bad if most of us were making a living wage, meaning one that we can afford the necessities of life without too much hassle. But that’s not true for a majority of the population. However, that’s life in this fallen world my brethren, and we just have to grin and bear it as best we can, sincerely following the lead and guidance of Jesus’ Word and His Holy Spirit which indwells us.
Enough of my complaining though, let’s check out some interesting and very appropriate words from Cousin Sol, writing as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes. He declares: ‘Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.’ (Eccl. 7:8-9)
Excellent words of wisdom my people! And how I wish our world would hear those words and take them to heart, because right now it’s filled with an overabundance of proud, egotistic, entitled, angry, dissatisfied and vengeful humans. And if you follow Cousin Sol’s logic, then fools and foolishness are indeed predominant, because anger now has such a deep-seated position in today’s society. And it’s sad that there are so many scriptures that reject and rebuke that kind of attitude and behaviour, yet we persist in making it so predominant in today’s world.
So to help us get a better perspective on the problem, and hopefully turn things around, let’s check out a few scriptures that detail the folly of anger and pride, beginning with this poignant one from James, where he talks about being hearers and doers of the word. ‘Wherefore my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not (does not produce) the righteousness of God.’ (James 1:19-20)
It could not be said any clearer and more straightforward than that my fellow believers. And we all know it, because whenever we get angry, we do and say things that don’t mix and mingle well with the Lord’s expectations. And that’s why we ought to not get angry too quickly, always try and instill a modicum of circumspection. (smile) But if we do get angry, let’s keep these words of Bruh Paul to the Ephesians in mind. ‘Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.’ (Eph. 4:26-27)
Yes friends, the scripture acknowledges that anger is a natural human emotion, but it must be controlled and not lead to sin. The scholars put it thus: ‘Sinful anger is to be replaced by (briefly held) righteous indignation, that the devil may not be given opportunity.’ Oh so true! But unfortunately, not enough of us, both believers and unbelievers, ever tend to follow that route. Instead, we let it all hang out, and thus give the devil lots of space to breach our spiritual armour.
But getting back to the scriptures on anger and pride, Cousin Sol has several in Proverbs. Let’s check out a few of them. This first one says: ‘In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth (restrains) his lips is wise.’ (Prov. 10:19) In other words, when you talk too much you run a much higher risk of committing sin than when you keep your words few.
Then there’s this: ‘He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit (impulsive) exalteth folly.’ (Prov. 14:29) That’s self-explanatory. And what about this one? ‘A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife (contention).’ (Prov. 15:18) That’s also self-explanatory. (smile) And we’ll finish with this one: ‘He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.’ (Prov. 16:32) Yuh see mih people, being slow to get angry is much better than being a mighty warrior. (smile)
And to help us do His earthly work properly, our good God has bestowed showers of undeserved blessings upon us. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (awright!!!!) we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…anger comes naturally…but like fire…it must be tempered…lest it cause serious and unnecessary damage…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a need to live out our salvation in Cdemonstratehrist, a tough nut to crack, allow God's voice to guide us to greener pastures, apprehended of Christ, awed by the goodness of God, be consistent, Betsy Wise, both to will and do his good pleasure, build a strong foundation, but I follow after, Don't compete with God, duty bound, faith, greener pastures, grow spiritually, holy spirit, honour God's voice above all others, hurry, in and out of season, in god's eyes, it is God which worketh in you, Jesus Christ, living by the traditions of men, LOVE, made conformable unto his death, mercy, not simply religious people, outward manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit, people who know God intimately, practical steps to working our our salvation, press on, ready to receive God's knowledge, salvation, salvation is free, share His love with my neighbours, spiritual journey, strong spiritual mentors, that I may know him, the beloved of God, the fellowship of his sufferings, the power of his resurrection, the whole wide world, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, walk it daily, walk the straight and narrow path, walk your own path, wisdom, with fear and trembling, with God's help, work out your own salvation, worry, worshipful respect for God
Philippians 2:12b. work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
So friends, Monday’s gone and Tuesday’s here, let’s hope that we have better results in our lives today, than we did yesterday, as we walk the straight and narrow road, and work out our marvellous salvation with our magnificent Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave His sinless life as a blood sacrifice for us to be able to receive said salvation. Now that certainly sounds like one of Bruh Paul’s confuffling sentences! (smile)
And what are we talking about here eh? Remember Bruh Paul’s letter to the Philippians? As he was in jail, he could not go to them and help them in their spiritual journey, so he wrote, ‘Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of (according to) his good pleasure.’ (Phil. 2:12-13)
And what does work out our salvation with fear and trembling mean? The following commentary explains it in fairly simple language. ‘This statement implies a need to live out—to practice, demonstrate, and exhibit—the salvation which believers have in Christ. The concept of “fear and trembling” addresses worshipful respect for God. This echoes back to the context of every knee bowing before the Lord mentioned in verse 11.’
And one other commentary tells us that ‘The good news is that the phrase “fear and trembling” is actually a Hebrew expression for being awed by the goodness of God.’ In other words, you don’t have to work for your salvation, for you already have it by believing in Jesus, but you have to manifest or show that you’re a true believer by the way you now live.
Having been saved by Jesus’ sacrifice, you now have to learn how to live and grow spiritually, showing the outward manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit that’s been planted in you when you received Christ. And the Lord will help you do that, if you’re serious and pay attention to His guidance. However, it all comes down to you and God, and no one else. Each believer must walk their own path with God’s help. No one else can walk it for you.
As another commentary says: ‘Essentially once saved, you learn how to live a sanctified holy life. You work out your salvation daily.’ And that last word ‘daily’ is a rather important point in the working out of our salvation, because it’s something we must work on every day, not once in a while. For we can only grow spiritually when we keep at it regularly.
Now, we all know that’s a tough nut to crack, but crack it we can, if we really try. And Author Betsy Wise, in her article on the subject on the writingforjesus.com Website offers these practical steps to help us persevere and succeed. She first advises, not to compete with God, because He is sovereign, Creator and Lord. and our Spirit man ought to submit to His will for all of our lives.
Then we should honour His voice above all other life’s voices that strive to disconnect us from Him. And we know His voice when we get deep in His word, through His Holy Spirit and the spiritual people around us. Then we need to be consistent in and out of season. We must evaluate what lives in our heart, and if it doesn’t fit God’s will, remove it. And we’ll know what fits and what doesn’t by daily meditating on God’s Word. We already know what’s right and wrong so that should make it easier.
Then we need to allow God to show us how to build a strong foundation, by being ready to receive His words of knowledge in every situation. And we do need strong spiritual mentors, tried and tested people to associate with. People who know God intimately, and are not simply religious, or willing to live by the traditions of men. And finally, allow God to establish other preparations in us to build up our salvation, like this example from scripture.
Having fed the five thousand, Jesus ‘said unto them (the disciples), Come ye yourselves apart (aside) into a desert (deserted) place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure, so much as to eat. And they departed into a desert (deserted) place by ship privately (by themselves).’ (Mark 6:31-32) There Jesus saw the tiredness in the disciples and recommended they take a break. And it’s on occasions like those that we need to allow the voice of God to guide us to greener pastures.
Ah friends, as we say all the time, it’s not easy living sincerely for Jesus, but it surely is interesting and rewarding! And I do hope that some of those practical examples offered by Ms. Wise helps us to successfully work out our salvation. Remember though, we have to implement them individually, regardless of how much others may try to help us, in the long run it’s our individual responsibility to work out our own salvation. And one of the scriptures Ms. Wise quotes in her article to help us do that is this most powerful one where Bruh Paul in his letter to the Philippians, states his reason for living.
‘That I may know him (Jesus), and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto (arrive at) the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained (obtained it), either were already perfect: but I follow after (press on), if that I may apprehend (lay hold of) that for which also I am apprehended of Christ.’ (Phil. 3:10-12)
Now, not many of us are as zealous as Bruh Paul was, but those sentiments are very useful for us to work towards. So please, let’s press on and do our best to achieve them nuh. And to help us do that, 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!’
That now means we are 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!
…salvation is free…but manifesting it takes work…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a great family, a sense of shame or remorse, a tooth for a tooth, abundance, all scripture is given by inspiration of God, an eye for an eye, angry attitudes, avenge not yourselves, basement leak, be not overcome of evil, be tenderhearted, be ye all of one mind, christianity, clear direction for my life, courage, courteous, creativity, curse, duty bound, equipped to do good works, faith, favour, give place unto wrath, give way to anger, go two miles when asked to go one, God has the right to avenge, God's supernatural wisdom, good freinds, good heallth, good will always prevail over evil, haing compassion on each other, have regard fro good things, heap coals of fire on his head, holy spirit, if he thirst give him drink, if thine enemy hunger feed him, in the sight of all men, inherit a blessing, instruction in righteousness, Jesus Christ, like manna from heaven, live peacefully with everybody, LOVE, love as brethren, make the right choices, mercy, negative word, not rendering evil for evil, overcome evil with good, profitable for doctrine reproof correction, prosper, provide things honest to all men, recompense to no man evil for evil, salvation, self-control, snow raining down, strive to be kind, succeed, talent, the BIBLE, the Lord shall reward thee, the man of God may be perfect, truth, turn the other cheek, vengeance is mine saith the Lord, when it's not one thing it's another, wisdom
Romans 12:21. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Oh friends, I woke up this morning, looked outside and saw snow raining down like manna from heaven and thought the balmy weather was over. But a short while later the snow stopped and it began melting. And therein lies the source of my biggest problem this Thursday morning. Ah Lord eh! But as the old people would say, when it’s not one thing in this life, it’s certainly another!
I came down to write the Bit about an hour ago, only to discover an unknown leak in the laundry room of my basement that the melting snow was seeping through, apparently for some time now, because all the stuff on the ground around it was wet, and water was flowing down to the furnace. We thought that the furnace was leaking, and called the furnace people, but I’m not so sure about that now nuh. (smile) So I obviously had to move things around and clean it all up, plus set some preventive measures in place so that the new leak would not spread water all over the laundry room floor.
By the way, the furnace repair man eventually came, wasted a half hour more of my time, only to reaffirm my suspicion, the furnace was not leaking, it was the water from the leak on the wall finding its way down to the drain at the bottom of the furnace. No wonder the Bit keeps getting delayed. (smile) Anyway, as promised, today we’ll continue with the words of Bruh Paul from Chapter 12 of Romans. And my fellow believers, these are some very important ones pertaining to our behaviour between good and evil.
So please read and inwardly digest with me. ‘Recompence (repay) to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest (have regard for good things) in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in (depends on) you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not your selves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:17-21)
Ah mih people, those instructions are indeed godly and good, but very difficult to maintain in this evil and vengeful world. Nonetheless, as believers in Christ we have to try our best and live up to them. Not repaying evil for evil seems to be the same thing Jesus teaches on forgiveness in Matthew 5:38 42., about not giving an eye for an eye, or a tooth for a tooth, turning the other cheek and going two miles when asked to go one. It’s just not a natural human reaction. But the truth of the story is that Jesus’ kingdom and ways are different to normal human reactions.
And Peter also weighs in on the topic. ‘Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, LOVE as brethren, be pitiful (tenderhearted), be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing (reviling) for railing (reviling): but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. (1 Pet. 3:8-9)
Next comes the admonishment to live peacefully with all men. Now that’s truly difficult to do with the angry, hateful and resentful attitudes that are now running rampant in our world. Then there’s the big one, where we are advised not to give way to anger and take vengeance in our own hands, for that is the Lord’s jurisdiction. The scholars say that ‘Paul quotes Deuteronomy 32:35 to show that only God has the right to avenge, and he certainly will avenge.’
As per heaping coals of fire on an enemies head by treating him good, the scholars believe that Bruh Paul might have been referring to ‘a sense of shame or remorse engendered when we treat an evildoer kindly. Paul is discussing personal, not national enemies. He is not teaching pacifism.’ And it’s interesting to note that Bruh Paul might have gotten those words of being kind to our enemies and heaping coals of fire on an enemy’s head from the wisdom of Cousin Sol. In Proverbs 25, he solemnly states: ‘If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee.’ (Prov. 25:21-22)
Now, isn’t it interesting that throughout the Bible you have different people reiterating different things from by gone times to reinforce the stuff they want to get home to their readers and/or listeners. That’s why the Bible is such a wonderful Book, it gives encouragement, wisdom and spiritual understanding all the way through, from the first page to the last. That’s why Bruh Paul could attest to these facts to Timothy: ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’ (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
And one of the most important of those facts that are good for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness is this last one that Bruh Paul wrote in our scripture passage for today: ‘Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:21) Once again, that’s a hard nut to crack, especially with all the evil that’s floating around in our current world. However, we are required to do our best, obviously with God’s help. And to show how our God is a good and wonderful God, He’s generously bestowed on us all kinds of tools to help us do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So, let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh.
As one strong voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
Now, we’re fully equipped to do God’s work, and therefore duty bound to go out and share those blessings with others just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Let us always strive to be kind and make the right choices…for in the end…good will always prevail over evil…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fine line between, a stranger, a twinkle in your eye, abilities, accomplish our God-given tasks, as God has dealt every man, belittlement of self, blowing one's own trumpet, children of God, don't think too highly of yourself, duty bound, every man that is among you, exaggerated, excessive pride, face with honesty, faith, for men to seek their own glory is not glory, genuine appreciation, given me as special gifts, Glory be, good news, haughty, holy spirit, humility, hurry, ice, ice freeze, icy conditions, in god's eyes, it is not good to eat much honey, Jesus Christ, let another man praise thee, live up to our spiritual gifts, lock stock and barrel, looking innocuous, LOVE, mercy, mud-crawling, not thine own lips, not thine own mouth, One Year Book of Bible promises, packing a serious wallop, prideful, remind me again, riding a beautiful float, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, sane, Sane Estimate, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing gifts of Jesus with others, someone has to build the float, spiritual gifts, strife-filled places, talents, temps above freezing, temps plummet below zero, the beloved of God, the easy ride, the measure of faith, the most dangerous aspect of winter, the righteousness of God, the ungodly state of our world, the whole wide world, think soberly, through the grace given unto me, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, waving to cheering crowds, wisdom, with God's help, worry
Proverbs 27:2. Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
And the good news this Tuesday morning friends, is that the temperature is about 4 degrees above freezing! Wow! We haven’t seen above freezing temps in a long, long while. And although it’s somewhat cloudy and damp, what with a li’l drizzle earlier on, and the snow melting some, thankfully, the sun is fighting valiantly to make its presence felt. (smile)
Let’s hope that the snow doesn’t melt too quickly and cause flooding, or there isn’t too much water in the streets and walkways, so that it doesn’t freeze to ice, when the temperatures plummet below zero at nightfall, and cause even more problems. For the ice is the most dangerous and treacherous aspect of winter, because it can show up at anytime and anywhere, looking innocuous, but packing a very serious wallop. So, if we have to go out at night, or even in the early morning hours, please let’s be careful with the icy conditions that might exist out there.
Now, let’s turn to this interesting and rather apt poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, simply titled, ‘Sane Estimate.’ And I’m obviously not sure if I’ve ever shared this one before, but even if I have done so, we know that they all are worthy of sharing several times. (smile)
So, please read with me: ‘Lord, help me to face with honesty And genuine appreciation The talents and abilities You have given As special gifts to me. Give me a sane estimate of myself. Neither exaggerated nor mud-crawling. Just SANE, as Your Word admonishes. May I be joyfully satisfied With Your unique plan for me. When at times I’d secretly LOVE to ride On a colourful float Beautifully adorned Waving to cheering crowds Smile at me, Lord. With a twinkle in your eye Remind me again That somebody has to build the float.’
And that’s the indisputable truth my brethren! Someone has to build and decorate the float before we can ever dream of riding on it, and ofttimes the job falls to us, but we don’t want to get into the building, just the riding and looking pretty up there. But that’s not what our God likes to happen all the time. Yes, sometimes we might get the easy ride, but more often than not, we are expected to build the ride.
But getting back to the basic premise of the poem, our sane thinking of ourselves, that’s especially important in these times with so many power-hungry, dictator-like, arrogant, greedy and egotistic people and leaders around the globe. The world’s gone crazy for power and glory; however one can get it. Note the number of physical and very emotional strife-filled places in our current world. And it doesn’t seem to be getting better, but worse. However, as true believers in Christ, we are expected to hold a sane and rational opinion of ourselves; not too haughty and prideful, but neither too lowly and unimportant, or as the poem says, ‘mud-crawling.’
And believe me, many of us Christians do exactly that; have too low an opinion of ourselves, believing we’re not worthy of acknowledgement or any importance, and thus remain forever mired in the mud-crawling attitude. But please, let’s remember that God has NEVER made anything or anybody without a useful and important purpose. That’s why He’s given each of us special gifts, talents and abilities, so that we can accomplish the important work He’s created us for. And if we keep demeaning and belittling ourselves, then we’re basically saying that God doesn’t know what He’s doing, which obviously is heifer dust. (smile)
And the scripture verse for our poem today tells it very much like it ought to be. Bruh Paul makes it quite clear to the church at Rome in these admonishing words. ‘For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.’ (Rom. 3:12) Yes friends, that’s how we ought to behave. And Bruh Paul goes on to explain it more fully in the verses that follow (4-8), which you can, or rather are expected to read and meditate on for yourselves. (smile)
Meanwhile, the scholars explain those verses (3-8) thus: ‘The righteousness of God will cause the believer to conduct himself in humility in the local church. Paul meets two dangers that the individual faced in the exercise of his spiritual gifts. He might overestimate himself and try to exercise a gift God never gave him. Or he might underestimate himself and fail to exercise the gift God has given to him. Paul shows that God has given each believer specific gifts to enable him to do what God wants him to do. No one is excluded.’
And please note that last sentence friends; NO ONE is excluded from God’s generous giving of spiritual gifts, since He has work for every believer to accomplish. And as we all know, Cousin Sol has a word, or several words on all those things that trouble mankind. (smile) Here are couple on this subject of humility and sane estimating of oneself.
The first one says: ‘It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search (seek) their own glory is not glory.’ (Prov. 25:27) There’s much truth in that; eating too much honey is not good for us, neither is seeking our own glory, or as the old folks would say, ‘blowing one’s own trumpet.,’ which fits in very nicely with this other quote from Cousin Sol. ‘Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.’ (Prov. 27:2)
And it’s very noticeable in today’s world that that proverb is not being much heeded, if any at all, because everybody, from the top leaders, right down to the lowliest folks are blowing their own horns. Because that’s what the world believes it takes to get ahead in its evil and ungodly state. But children of God, we know so much better, so please, let’s live up to our spiritual gifts nuh, and with God’s help, neither overdo nor underdo our God-given capabilities.
Now, it’s time to go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world 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 made that declaration, (yesss!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE, gifts and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…there’s a fine line between excessive pride and belittlement of self…it’s called HUMILITY…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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