God-given purpose | SCRIP-BITS

The Importance of Christians Knowing Their Earthly Role!

06 Nov 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a broken and contrite heart, a broken spirit, a new heart also will I give you, a new spirit will I put within you, a state of sinfulness, a strong and steadfast soldier in christ's army, a strong will, abundance, afraid of what man can do, ambassadors of Christ, blood and burnt offerings, bring light to a dark and evil world, cause you to walk in my statutes, Christ-like duties, clear direction for my life, clemency, come to know and love christ like we do, confess Jesus openly, curse, deliver me from bloodguiltiness, divine protection, do good in thy good pleasure, exalt you in due time, faith, forgiveness, give you an heart of flesh, God-given purpose, good friends, good health, guide us in the way we should go, holy spirit, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, humility, in all sincerity and truth, Jesus Christ, keep my judgements and do them, living a Christ-like example, LOVE, mercy, my mouth shall shew forth thy praise, negative word, no freedom to live in known continual sin, not to the best of our ability, open thou my lips, our avowed enemy, paid obeisance to God, pride, promotion, prosper and succeed, quiet as lambs, saddened by our disobedience, salvation, Satan, self-control, sharing the knowledge of Christ, sing aloud of thy righteousness, sinners shall be converted, spreading the good news of Christ, supernatural wisdom, take away the stony heart, talent, teach transgressors thy ways, the believer's earthly role, the gift of God, the God of many chances, the help of Jesus Christ, the sacrifices of God, the trademarks of Satan, thou delightest not in burnt offering, thou desirest no sacrifice, too comfortable in the pleasures of the world, truth, turning away from the faith, use those blessings to help others, wisdom, without shame or embarrassment

Psalm 51:13. ‘Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.’

So we come to Thursday, the second to last day of our work week, and we’re all anxious to see Friday and the beginning of the weekend, but unfortunately we have to make it through Thursday first. (smile) But that should be a problem we can easily overcome with the help of Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit that dwells within us for the very purpose of leading and guiding us in the way we should go as faithful believers in Christ. So let’s hunker down with Him and do our Christ-like duties nuh. (smile)

And today we’ll continue looking at Psalm 51, where David pleads for forgiveness, then for cleansing from the Lord for his adulterous sin with Bathsheba, the wife of his solider Uriah. And it’s interesting that after Bruh David pleads for forgiveness and cleansing, he then offers Praise for Forgiveness with these words of ministry. ‘Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.’ (ps. 51:13) Now, that’s also our God-given purpose. But are we doing it to the best of our ability? Absolutely not! Otherwise our world would not be in such a terrible state of sinfulness, hate, greed, strife, envy and deceit; all the trademarks of our avowed enemy, Satan.

And Bruh David continues with his promise of ministry: ‘Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.’ (Ps. 51:14-15) There again my fellow believers, those are things we should also be doing, but unfortunately are not doing them very well either. How many of us are truly singing aloud the righteousness of God eh? Or how many mouths are proclaiming His praise? Certainly not enough! In other words we are not being good ambassadors and disciples of Jesus Christ, as He desires and expects of us.

That’s why so many are turning away from the faith and not enough others are taking their place. We seem to be too afraid of what mankind will say or do to us if we confess Jesus in all sincerity and truth. In church we carry on everlasting, but out in the world where it really matters we are quiet as lambs. It’s easy to talk up Jesus amongst a group of believers, however that’s not we’ve signed up for. We signed up to bring light to a dark and evil world by unabashedly spreading the good news of Christ. That means doing it without embarrassment or shame, being a strong and steadfast soldier in Christ’s army.

Now, no army would be victorious if many of it’s soldiers are afraid of fighting, like so many of us supposed Christians are. And if by chance we’re not afraid, then we’ve become too comfortable in the ways and pleasures of the world, and don’t want to make the effort it takes to glorify Christ to the world. But please note what Bruh David then says in the psalm. ‘For thou desirest not sacrifice; else I would give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.’ (Ps. 51:16-17)

Yes friends, that’s what the Lord desires when we sin against Him; a humble spirit and heart; our inner being saddened by our disobedience. As Peter tells us: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.’ (1 Pet. 5:6) Humility is the number one attitude of the true believer. We cannot seriously engage with the Lord if pride is uppermost in our souls, for it’s one of the things He most dislikes. That’s why our first move in pleading for forgiveness is to become humble in God’s sight. For remember, we don’t deserve clemency, but it’s the awesome gift of God’s compassionate nature.

And I like what the scholars say about verses 13-17 in the psalm. ‘This passage clearly teaches that those who have failed God may be restored to the service of God.’ And isn’t that the most wonderful truth! Yes my people, our God is the God of many chances! Once you come to him with a sincere and humble heart seeking forgiveness, He will indeed offer you another chance. But please note that does not give us the leeway to live in known continual sin and then continually plead for forgiveness.

And Bruh David concludes the palm with a Plea for Blessings on Zion. ‘Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering, and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.’ (Ps. 51:18-19) Ah mih people, back then the Israelites paid obeisance to God, through blood and burnt offerings, but those are no longer necessary, for what the Lord requires of today is the sincerity of our hearts.

And it all falls into line with the prophecy of Ezekiel. ‘A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony (hardened, unresponsive to God) heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh (tender, responsive to God). And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements, and do them.’ (Ezek. 36:26-27) Yes mih brethren all of that came through when Christ returned to heaven and the Holy Spirit came to dwell in us. Therefore, it’s no longer about physical offerings, but the offerings of our hearts.

Now, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our undeserved Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. 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!!!) it now behooves us to go out and use those undeserved blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him as we do! Much LOVE!

…sharing the knowledge of Christ…while living a Christ-like example…is the believer’s earthly role……

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Reflecting the Steadfast Devotion and Commitment to His Father’s Will!

03 Nov 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a forward-looking perspective, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a new work week, accomplishing his redemptive purpose, adopt Jesus' selfless attitude, ambassadors, an example of self-control, as much as humanly possible, assurance of his heavenly Father's guidance and protection, came down from heaven, come back to haunt us, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, despising the shame, disicples, disobeyed God's word, divine aid, earth's corrupt treasures, earthly purpose, ease the pain, endured such hostility of sinners, endured the cross, eternal life, faith, faithfully promised, for eternity, fulfilling God's redemptive purpose, fulfilling God's Will, give his life for a ransom, give to all who love his appearing, God-given purpose, handle them with great aplomb, highlighting his obedience, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, if thou be willing, in the face of immense suffering, in the face of numerous difficulties, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus handled his earthly life, Jesus' ability to endure extreme suffering, Jesus' human struggle and distress, Jesus' primary focus, joy, laying up treasures in heaven, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, life with Christ will be forever, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, mass confusion, material things, mercy, my meat is to do the will of him who sent me, never be discouraged, not my will but thine be done, not to do mine own will, our lives should be governed by the will of Jesus, poise, pray, reflecting the way, remove this cup from me, resolute obedience, salvation, self-confidence, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, shame, sincerely seek God's face, sinful pleasures, sought a reprieve, spreaing the good news of Christ, steadfast devotion, strong faith in Christ, sufferation of the cross, the author and finisher of our faith, the bread of life, the crown of righteousness, the Garden of Gethsemane, the God who heals, the joy that was set before Him, the many suffering from negative situations, the obedient attitude of Jesus, the righteous judge, the sacrificial nature of Jesus' purpose, the Son of man came not to be served, the throne of grace, the travails of Jesus, the ultimate joy, the will of him that sent me, to finish his work, to hear and answer our prayers, to serve, truth, turn from our evil ways, unwavering commitment, waiver from his purpose, welcome thou good and faithful servant, wisdom

John 4:34. ‘My meat (food) is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.’

Awright my people, Monday and a new work week has come back to haunt us one more time. But let’s remember that we have the wherewithal through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to handle them both with great aplomb, that’s amazing poise and self-confidence. Reflecting the way Jesus handled His earthly life with the assurance and certainty of His heavenly Father’s guidance and protection. All the trials and tribulations, the abuse and denial of His holy person, did not make Him turn back or waiver from His purpose.

And there are several scriptures that point out, as this commentary puts it: ‘The unwavering commitment to His earthly purpose and the will of the Father, highlighting His obedience, focus, and determination, even in the face of immense suffering.’ And was Jesus ever a marvellous example of self-control in the face of numerous difficulties. And why is that you ask? Listen to Him explain it to the disciples after speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well and refusing the food they offered. ‘My meat (food) is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.’ (John 4:34)

And the commentary tells us: ‘This verse clearly demonstrates that fulfilling God’s will was Jesus’ primary sustenance and focus in life.’ Oh, how I wish that many more of us would adopt that selfless and obedient attitude, and do the work that Jesus expects of us as His disciples and ambassadors. (smile)

Then there’s this other time, after accusing the multitude of only following Him because they ate of the bread He provided, and telling them that He is the bread of life, (John 6:26-35), Jesus then informs them: ‘For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.’ (John 6:38) And according to the commentary: ‘Jesus explicitly states that His mission was defined entirely by the Father’s will, not His own desires.’ So should our lives be entirely governed by the will of Jesus.

And when we talk about Jesus being the perfect example for us to follow, Hebrews tells us loud and clear: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds (become discouraged in your souls).’ (Heb. 12:2-3)

And per the commentary; ‘These verses point to Jesus’ ability to endure extreme suffering and shame by maintaining a forward-looking perspective on the ultimate joy of accomplishing His redemptive purpose.’ And don’t we have a purpose that ought to also bring us joy? Yes, that of spreading the good news of Christ and living like He desires of us. And what’s the joy we should look forward to? That’s salvation and eternal life with Jesus, being greeted with the words ‘Welcome thou good and faithful servant,’ (Matt. 25:21) and ‘the crown of righteousness that the righteous judge, (the Lord) will give to all who LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:8)

Now, isn’t that a big enough reward to encourage us to do Jesus’ will? I believe it is. And let’s remember that our earthly lives and all the material things we covet and the sinful pleasures we so avidly desire down here only last for a short while. But life with Christ will be for eternity…that’s forever…without end. So, it’s certainly not wise to expend so much energy and use up what little time we have here on earth running down its corrupt and rust-driven treasures, but ought to be laying up treasures in heaven that don’t rust or spoil.

But getting back to Jesus’ serious focus on His God-given purpose, listen to what He tells the disciples after the argument that erupted when John and James asked for one of them to sit on His right and the other on the left hand in His glory. (Mark 10:35-41) ‘For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto (be served), but to minister (to serve), and to give his life as a ransom for many.’ (Mark 10:45) And the commentary explains that verse thus: ‘This highlights the sacrificial nature of His purpose, to which He remained committed.’

And we see that commitment further displayed in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus in His human form was terribly weighed down by the whole situation and pleaded: ‘Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done.’ (Luke 22:39) The commentary tells us: ‘This shows His human struggle and distress, but ultimately, His resolute obedience to the Father’s plan, which included the cross.’ Yes friends, though Jesus was undergoing a lot of ‘sufferation’ and sought a reprieve from His heavenly Father, deep down He knew that it could not happen if the Father’s overall plan for our salvation was to be successful.

And we’ll close with a final word from the commentary. They say: ‘These scriptures collectively demonstrate Jesus’ singular and steadfast devotion to fulfilling God’s redemptive purpose on earth, despite the personal cost and suffering involved.’ And though we all know it’s not easy to do, that is the same singular and steadfast devotion that we need to show in fulfilling Jesus’ purpose for us here on earth. Now, let’s use one more benefit we acquired through the travails of Jesus, that’s the ability to go directly to the throne of grace and ask for divine aid in times of need. Let’s do that right now, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.

Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And what’s the answer we received? ‘Begin by turning from your evil ways, humbling yourselves, and sincerely seeking my face.’ So, if we truly desire divine aid, then it’s up to us to put those demands into action! Much LOVE!

…as disciples of Jesus…our lives ought to reflect His steadfast devotion and commitment…as much as is humanly possible…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

The Overwhelming Importance of Attributes like Endurance in a Believer’s Life!

15 May 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a positive outlook on life, abundance, adversity, become discouraged, by experience, by God's grace, christianity, Christians, consider him, courage, creativity, curse, despising the shame, divine protection, doing what pleases you, encompassed about with, endurance, endured the cross, entitled to the easy life, faint in your souls, Father You are good, favour, finish strong, for a long duration, for the joy that was set before him, fulfilment, get a move on, give me stamina, God-given purpose, good family, good freinds, good health, help me persevere, hold on through every test, holy spirit, I will trust you, if God spares life, In Touch Ministry, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the best example of endurance, Jesus will keep you on course, lay aside every weight, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, lest you become discouraged, live a Christ-like life, looking unto Jesus, lose sight of the goal, LOVE, mercy, negative word, not giving up easily, perform an exercise, perseverance, produce good fruit for God, promotion, prosper, run well, run with patience, salvation, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, so great a cloud of witnesses, stay focused on Jesus, stick to the job at hand regardless of the problems, stress, succeed, talent, thank you calling me, that endured such hostility of sinners, the ability to withstand hardship, the author and finisher of our faith, the BIBLE, the goodness of God, the race that is set before us, the sin which so easily ensnares us, to complete the work you begin in me, to endure trials, to sustain a prolonged effort, to the end, to this journey of growth in Christ, truth, use our blessings to help others, when you want to give up look to Jesus, wisdom, your promise

Hebrews 12:3. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (be discouraged) in your minds (souls).

And so we come to Thursday, the second to last day of our work week, but please note that it’s also the middle of May, which means the month is quickly slipping by and we’ve got to get a move on, if we hope to do our jobs, and produce good fruit for God. And one of the basic and most important things we need to accomplish our God-given purpose is ENDURANCE!

And what’s that? This commentary describes it thus: ‘Endurance, in general, refers to the ability to withstand hardship, adversity, or stress, particularly the ability to sustain a prolonged effort or activity. In a physical context, it refers to the body’s ability to perform an exercise or activity for a long duration, encompassing both cardiovascular and muscular endurance.’

In other words, it’s the ability to stick to the job at hand regardless of the problems we may face, of not giving up easily. In fact, remember in Christ’s economy, the term ‘giving up’ does not exist. (smile) And how do we get endurance? Like most other things by experience and by God’s grace. The Bible is full of talk about the importance of endurance or persevering. But before we get into the scriptures, let’s offer up this interesting prayer on the subject from the Prayer Cards recently published by the In Touch Ministry.

Please pray with me: ‘Father, You are so good. Thank You for calling me to this journey of growth in Christ. I want to run well and finish strong. Don’t let me lose sight of the goal. Help me persevere in doing what pleases You and discarding what doesn’t. When I become discouraged, give me stamina to endure trials and hold on through every test. Thank You for Your promise to complete the work You begin in me. I will trust You and stay focused on Jesus to the end. Amen!’

Now, that’s certainly a stimulating and encouraging prayer! And the scripture associated with that prayer is one we all know: ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance, endurance) the race that is set before us.

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (be discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:1-3)

Oh friends that’s a mighty scripture on endurance, for we have the best example ever of it in the earthly life of Jesus, who despite all the shame and hostility and abuse and suffering He faced, got the job the done! Yes, Christ persevered through all the misfortune and problems that came His way, and He also expects us to do the same. And we’ll stop here for today, since there’s many more scriptures to look at on the subject of endurance. Tomorrow, if God spares life we’ll continue on that topic.

Remember through, that living for Jesus is not always easy, but He provides us with what we need to do the job He’s called us to do. And to tell the truth, we have it so much easier now than believers did back then, for we have all the accoutrements and scriptures and the things that make it easier to live a life of Christ-like endurance. But it’s still not easy, especially for us who believe we’re entitled to the easy life. (smile)

However, our God, in His awesome goodness has certainly helped by granting us undeserved blessings, that we call our Thursday Blessings, to help us do His earthly work. So you see, we indeed have all the tools to do our God-given tasks. Now, let’s go home declaring (chuh man!!!) and thus activating those blessings.

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!!!), it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as God did with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him, like we do! Much LOVE!

…when you want to give up…look to Jesus…He will keep you on course….

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

SCRIP-BITS

The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Reflecting the Steadfast Devotion and Commitment to His Father’s Will!

The Overwhelming Importance of Attributes like Endurance in a Believer’s Life!

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