The Importance of Christians Understanding that Jesus is the Best Example for Them to Follow in this Earthly Life!

Luke 9:25.        For what is a man advantaged (benefited), if he gain the whole world, and lose himself (is destroyed), or be cast away (lost)?

Aye friends, it’s Wednesday, our second wind day,  and we are not doing too badly in terms of time, for we’re not quite on the late bus, although I did run around and do some errands after my church group meeting. (smile) Anyway, let’s hope and pray that we will all catch our second wind today and keep on keeping on, fighting the good fight in the most blessed name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen! 

And today we’re going to look at an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkins. It’s a poem to which all of us can relate because we all do it in one form or the other. The poem’s simply titled ‘Relentless.’ And I believe we have studied it before, but like I always say, some of these poems hit home to the truth in us so well that it’s to our benefit to study them time and time again. 

So, please read with me: ‘God, You are relentless. I have yielded everything to You – Everything but one small exception – An exception so small I’m truly amazed You would even take notice. Yet it is invariably To that one small exception That you keep bringing me Back, and back, and back. Why does it matter so much to You? My Child why does it matter so much to You.’ 

Now that’s a very good question that the Lord asked in return. If it’s so small an exception why does it matter so much to us, that we don’t want to turn it over to Him? But that’s the way most of us are; we say we surrender our all to God, but in truth, we hide or hold back certain things that we either don’t want Him to know, or to control. However, that’s defeating the whole purpose of our association with Almighty God, for He likes to control EVERYTHING, EVERY PART of our lives, since that’s the ONLY way He can truly work all things out for our good. 

That’s pure logic with a touch of common sense, (smile) although I know that logic and common sense are not in vogue in this overvalued and wrongly used technological age. And the Bible verses for today’s poem are some from the lips of Jesus that we ought to know and ought to practice every day. It’s His discourse on following Him, or being His disciple. And we’ll read it from the New Living Translation (NLT) that the book uses, because it differs somewhat from the King James Version, using more of today’s language, and it does add an interesting and different flavour to the scripture. 

‘Then he said to the crowd, If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give your life for me, you will find true life.’ (Luke 9:23-24) Yes friends, that’s stating it simply, but very clearly. If you desire to follow Jesus then you must empty yourself of all selfish ambitions and do what He desires. It’s just like He did when he came to earth. 

As the Bible tells us: ‘Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (He emptied Himself of all His heavenly privileges). And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil 4:5-8) 

Oh my brethren, if Jesus could give up His heavenly life to come to earth to be a servant, why can’t we do the same eh? No reason whatsoever! But problems arise when we see words like ‘put aside your selfish ambition,’ and others that include sacrifice and taking up our crosses DAILY! Now that just drives us to the proverbial drink! (smile) Because we believe that we’ll have no control over our lives, and we won’t be able to enjoy all the earthly lusts and pleasures that we desire to experience. 

But please note that living for Jesus excludes many of those worldly pleasures, for they only lead us down the path to destruction and damnation. And that’s partly why we cannot give up our all to the Lord; for though we know it’s wrong, we still want to enjoy those lustful pleasures. (smile) But let’s go back to the King James Version for this most important reasoning of Christ, where He explains why we should follow Him the way He desires. ‘For what is a man advantaged (benefited), if he gain the whole world, and lose himself (is destroyed), or be cast away (lost)? For whosever shall be ashamed of me and my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.’ (Luke 9:25-26)

Oh my people, it’s all about our eternal destiny, where we will end up after this earthly life. And you cannot end up with Christ in eternal life if you don’t accept Him down here today, and live the way He desires us to live! Remember, the kingdom of heaven has now come to earth with the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. So technically speaking, we’re simply an extension of heaven and need to live by the decrees thereof. And let’s remember these poignant words of Jesus, after the mother of James and John begged for them to be placed on His left and ride side when He came in all His glory. 

‘And whosoever will be chief (first) among you, let him be your servant (slave):Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto (be served), but to minister (serve), and to give his life a ransom for many.’ (Matt. 20:27-28) And I like what this commentary says re those verse. ‘Jesus taught that those who wish to be great in his kingdom should not seek to be served, but should instead act as a servant to others. This is a model for all leaders, as well as for the disciples. Jesus exemplified this through his actions, such as washing his disciples’ feet, healing the sick, and feeding the thousands. 

These were not acts of someone who came to be served, but acts of humble service from the “Son of Man”.’ And having seen what Jesus did, and what our lives should be like as His disciples, let’s now go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus! 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

That brings to mind the promise of anyone enduring to then end with Jesus, will receive an even more glorious future than we can ask or imagine. Therefore, let’s be wise and endure to the end with Jesus, so we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!

…Jesus…the author and finisher of our faith…ought to be our example in EVERYTHING…

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

The Awesome Power of Confession and Repentance in a Believer’s Life!

Psalm 51:1.         Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy LOVING-KINDNESS: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

Oh friends, is it Wednesday already? Just a couple days ago it was Monday! (smile) Yes, the days are quickly moving along, not waiting for anyone or anything, so we’ve best get with the programme, or we’ll get lost in the big muddle that’s our world. And sadly we’re on the late, late bus on this windy, chilly, starting to drizzle, catch our second wind day, because after coming from my church group I had to take the duchess out to do some stuff, and you how that is? It always takes longer than you expect. But not to worry, we’re in full swing now, just waiting for the Lord to show or tell me what to write about. (smile) 

And a few minutes after having opened the Good Library, I was drawn to one of the great psalms, Psalm 51, where Bruh David offers up a Plea for Forgiveness, after the prophet Nathan, on the Lord’s directive, had admonished him over his sin with Bathsheba. He begins with a heartfelt plea. ‘Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy LOVING-KINDNESS: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 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, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified (be 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. 51:1-6) 

Ah mih people, I know that many of us have hidden sins that we’ve been agitating over, but refuse to, or are afraid to take them to the Lord in prayer, falsely believing that the Lord will not forgive you. But that’s the furthest thing from the truth. For if the Lord forgave Bruh David for his terrible shortcomings, then He will also forgive us of ours. But the only way to stop them eating away at us, and causing immense guilt and sorrow in our souls, is by openly confessing them to the Lord. 

And the scholars offer some interesting explanations on the psalm. They say: ‘The psalm gives expression to why David was “a man after God’s own heart”: he was not perfect but he had a sensitivity to sin that few knew about. Notice especially the use of the first person singular: mine iniquity, my sin (vs. 2), my transgressions (vs.3), and so on. The first two verses are an introductory petition, rich with meaning in the use of four figures for forgiveness.’ 

The problem though is that Bruh David was somewhat late with the confession. His sin had taken place about a year before Nathan confronted him, but he refused to confess it, and kept bearing the guilt that stole His joy, and it only came out because the Lord sent Nathan to confront him.  And according to the story in the Book of 2nd Samuel: ‘And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die,’ (2 Sam. 12:13-14) 

And we all know that prophecy came true, and also Bruh David never knew much peace in His life after that, and eventually had a very dysfunctional family, with one son Ammon, raping his half-sister Tamar, then her brother Absolom having Ammon killed, and later on the same Absolom rebelling against his father and causing him to flee for his life. The point here friends, is as the scholars tell us; ‘David’s sin had brought the name of God into disrepute. Such knowledge ought to serve as a deterrent to willful sin on the part of believers. (cf. 1 Tim. 5:14; 6:1)’ 

And that’s the awesome truth! Oh, we will all sin, and some might be worse than others, but the important thing is to confess them as soon as possible, and though we will be forgiven, there most likely will be some negative consequences to pay, for we can’t just sin willy-nilly, then confess it and expect to get away scot-free. Especially if you’re such a an important ambassador for God, as Bruh David was. 

But the greatness of Bruh David lies in not being afraid of laying open himself to the Lord. For after his Plea of Forgiveness, He delivers A Plea for Cleansing. ‘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 thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free (generous) spirit.’ (Ps. 51:7-12) 

Oh my people, when we come to the Lord with those pleading words that come from a sincere heart, He will never turn us down. But we must have the necessary assurance to know that God will never turn down sincere confession, and will always help us to restore our lost joy. And scholars make an important statement here re ‘The prayer take not thy Holy Spirit from me: (vs.11) need never be offered by a New Testament saint, since the Holy Spirit indwells every Christian permanently (cf. 1 Cor. 6:19). David’s cry here may reflect only the fear, not the reality, of losing the Spirit, and being rejected by God. Thus, he asks God to restore the joy of his salvation, not salvation itself.’ 

Yes friends, it easy to lose the joy of our salvation, but we can never lose salvation itself. Now, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice. ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And added to that is the promise that whoever endures to the very end with Jesus, will enjoy a more than glorious future, one which we can never comprehend or imagine. So let’s be wise, and endure to the very end, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!

…sin is a normal human frailty…but it should quickly be followed by confession and repentance…

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

The Overwhelming Importance of Unity, Compassion, Humility and Selflessness in the Christian Church!

Ephesians 2:5.        Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus:

It’s a sunny Wednesday friends, time to catch our second wind and get going again, all in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Remember what we said yesterday? That be we slaves or free, we ought to do all that we do, as though we’re doing it for Jesus, that means in an excellent manner and with a good attitude. And not because there’s a rich reward from Christ, but because we simply LOVE Him and want to do all that He desires. 

And today, we’re going to check out the Let Us Pray Section in this month’s In Touch Devotional. So please pray with me: ‘Lord, grant me humility – to see the world through my neighbour’s eyes, to experience life from their perspectives, both the good days and the bad. Help me kneel beside them in hard places, to bubble over with delight when they rejoice, to forego the need for words when theirs fail, to be a companion on their journey. Let me be of the same mind as my brothers and sisters, and – like You – be moved by compassion. In Jesus’ name, amen.’ 

Now that’s what you’d call a concerned, caring and compassionate prayer! It’s all about others, not about us, except in the sense that we think about others as much as we do ourselves. And there’s a lot of scripture that commands us to do just that. As one commentary says; ‘passages that emphasize unity in purpose, LOVE, and harmony, grounded in humility and a shared commitment to Christ.’  So let’s check out a few of them nuh, starting with this one from Bruh Paul’s missive to the Philippians, where he writes. 

‘Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like minded, having the same LOVE, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things (interests) of others. Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus: 

Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (emptied himself of his privileges): And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient  unto death, even the death of the cross.’  (Phil. 2:2-8) 

Yes my brethren, that’s the kind of example we need to follow! Jesus gave up all His godly privileges so that He could come to earth and become one of us. He humbled himself and was obedient to the Father’s directives, even to death on the cross. That says a whole lot about His obedience, something that far too many of us lack in these turbulent and ungodly times. But let’s get to some important explanations from the scholars, as they tell us that Bruh Paul rejoiced over the Philippians, but there was some disunity and lack of harmony among them. Thus he wants them to fulfil his joy, or make it complete by being likeminded, or living in harmony with each other. 

And that means: (1) having the same LOVE toward one believer as shown toward another, without partiality; (2) being of one accord; that is to be united in spirit; (3) of one mind; that is, the whole church is to have the same values, and goals; (4) let nothing be done trough strife or vainglory, for selfish ambition or conceit; (5) let each esteem the other better than themselves; that is, each is to regard his fellow Christian as more important than himself; and (6) look…every man also on the things of others; that is, each is to be just as concerned for the needs and problems of his brother as he is for his own affairs.’ 

Wow! What a wonderful world we would live in if only a half of the supposed believers lived like that! But unfortunately that’s not happening, for today there’s more infighting and backbiting within the church than within the devil’s legions. Too many supposed believers are following the wide and winding road that leads to destruction. That’s why the devil is ruling the roost. And he doesn’t even have to try hard to divide and conquer us, because we are doing the dividing ourselves. Oh my people, it’s so heartrending when you see fellow Christians illtreating each other for selfish purposes. 

And Peter also admonishes us on the subject, with these poignant and powerful words. ‘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 for railing (reviling for reviling): but contrariwise (instead) blessing; knowing that ye should inherit a blessing. 

For he that will LOVE life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile (deceit): Let him eschew (turn away from) evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue (pursue) it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.’ (1 Pet. 3:8-12) 

Ah mih bredrin, when will our Christian community ever get to be like that eh? Do we have to wait until Jesus returns? Now that would indeed be a sad commentary on our faith. But who knows? All we can do as individuals is to try to live the way we’re supposed to, and hope and pray that more of us will fall into line through the perseverance of the Holy Spirit and our own compassionate efforts. Now, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail. Tomorrow, if God spares life, we’ll continue looking at some scriptures that talk about unity. 

So, as one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And if you didn’t know it, there’s a promise that says all those who endure with Jesus right to the very end, will enjoy a future so glorious we won’t comprehend it. So please, let’s do our best to endure to the very end with Jesus nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!

…the basics of the Christian church are…humility, compassion, obedience and unity…

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

The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Thinking Before They Talk!

James 1:19.        Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.

Awright friends, we’re down to Wednesday, our second wind day, and I hope that we all catch it, so that we can be reinvigorated and continue our good and most worthwhile work for Jesus! And all God’s people said a loud ‘Amen!’  Now, today, we’re going to listen to a most important and applicable poem for our social media and information times, from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. 

And I know we’ve already shared this poem at least twice,  but it’s so important for these times that we need to share it again. It’s titled ‘A Quiet Tongue!’ And many, many more of us do need to have just that, because we’ve become such a talkative society, but sadly, most of the time, we don’t really know what we’re talking about. 

So please read with me. ‘Lord, a revealing fact began to surface today: I talk more than I listen. I seem to be thoroughly convinced That my ideas My inspiring experiences My bits of wisdom Are exactly what all my friends need. Too often I break into conversations Confident that my enlightened insight Will solve the predicament – Whatever it is. Obviously, I feel more comfortable When I’m expounding. But this morning at a Bible study I cringed when I read Your command In the first chapter of James. 

‘Don’t ever forget That it is best to listen much Speak little, and not become angry.” At first I wanted to run. But as the words kept battering away At my guilty heart I finally circled them with red ink. Now, Lord, please help me to obey them. Remind me daily, hourly That listening is a discipline And a discipline always costs. I know I must pay a price. The price for me Is a listening ear And quiet tongue.’  

And believe me in this talkative and oh so opinionated society many many of us need to pay that price of ‘a listening ear and a quiet tongue’ because we talk way too much and don’t listen as much as we ought to. Our social media situation has given us the options to say whatever we want, and ofttimes in secret too, even if we don’t know the true facts of the situation. And is it ever so annoying that nowadays, everyone has an opinion on everything! 

Meanwhile the facts that we base those opinions on are either, skewered, misdirectional, or even outright lies. And sadly, there’s little fact checking, even in the big media companies, and it’s become worse with the advent of AI, (Artificial Intelligence) which we’re boosting as a panacea for all that ails us. The problem with that though, is that Artificial Intelligence is a learned behaviour, it only knows what it’s been taught, and if it’s taught the wrong thing, then you’ll get wrong answers from it. It’s like they said of computers, garbage in, garbage out. 

Yes, you can only get out of these automated systems whatever you put into them. And we’ve already seen the great AI causing needless problems, through incorrect information, cheating on exams and papers, and being used for other nefarious activities and schemes. For anything a man makes, a man will contrive to us it for evil and ungodly purposes. So what’s the answer? 

It’s as James say in the Bible Promise for the poem. ‘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) And does our world ever need to quiet down, for there’s absolutely too much noise, too many distractions, for anyone to concentrate properly on what’s happening around them. That’s the enemy trying to drive us to drink with all the nonsense that’s currently happening in our world. 

But as believers in Christ Jesus, we are capable of turning off the noise and ignoring the other distractions, while basking in the peace and quiet of Christ, if we so desire. That’s because He’s given us His peace, (John 14:27; 16:33) but we have to seek it and pursue it, for it doesn’t just fall into our laps. It’s like Bruh David says in Psalm 34; ‘Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile (deceit). Depart from evil, and do good: seek peace, and pursue it.’ (Ps. 34:13-14) 

And I like how this commentary explains that last verse. ‘It is a biblical command from Psalm 34:14 that encourages an active, deliberate effort to cultivate peace, rather than passively waiting for it. It involves turning away from evil and doing good, and is a principle to be applied in various contexts, from personal relationships to interactions with the wider world.’ And oh how does our world need and crave peace in these war-like and strife-filled times. 

And we’re going to close with a couple of scriptures that all of us need to take to heart and put into practice. The first one comes from Psalm 39, where Bruh David talks about Control of the Tongue. ‘I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle (restrain my mouth), while the wicked is before me.’ (Ps. 39:1) Then in Psalm 141- Keep My Heart From Evil, Bruh David also makes this plea. ‘Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.’ (Ps. 141:3) That should be a daily prayer for all believers. 

Oh friends, as this commentary tells us: ‘The prayer is a recognition of the power of the tongue. It is a request for divine help to control one’s speech, a plea to guard one’s mouth and avoid speaking in ways that are harmful, careless, or sinful. The prayer is an expression of a desire for self-control and wisdom in communication.’ Now, hopefully, we’ve gotten all of that written indelibly in our hearts, and will start practicing it right away. (smile) 

So let’s declare our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And there’s a codicil to that promise, which says;  all who endure to the very end with Jesus, will experience an even more glorious future. So please, let’s endure to the very end nuh, so that we can enjoy that greater than glorious future together! Much LOVE!

…being careful with our speech…is godly wisdom…especially in these ungodly times…

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

The Overwhelming Need for Christians to show Strong and Steadfast Faith in these Evil and Ungodly Times!

Proverbs 24:10.        If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

Aye friends, it’s Wednesday, and we on the late bus. (smile) But hopefully we didn’t have to catch any second wind, because so far we’ve only worked one day for the week. However, knowing that some of us overdid it this past Thanksgiving weekend, it’s to be expected that that group would need to catch their second wind. (smile) And although it’s somewhat cloudy and a touch chilly, Wednesday is still a beautiful day for this time of year. Let’s hope and pray that we see more of these wonderful, unexpected, unseasonal days. 

Now I’m chuckling here because today is one of those days when the Lord kept me dangling. Yes, most days when I ask Him to show me what He wants me to write on, He usually shows it to me fairly quickly, but today, for a good ten minutes I kept searching the Good Library, seeking something I could get my head around, but nothing seemed to be falling into that category, until I espied this seminal, influential verse from Cousin Sol in Proverbs. It simply, but very importantly says: ‘If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.’ (Prov. 24:10) 

And that is the naked truth my people. As believers in Christ Jesus, we ought to be strong, especially in the tough times, when our faith needs to be the greatest. When we need to be telling ourselves scriptures like, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ (Phil. 4:13) And ‘God shall supply all my needs according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) And we don’t want to hear Jesus whispering through His Holy Spirit, like He said to the disciples when they were experiencing the crazy storm on the Sea of Galilee: ‘Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?’ (Mark 4:40) Or as Matthew puts it: ‘Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?’ (Matt. 8:26)  

Then we have this instance when Peter was walking on the water, got scared and cried out for help. Jesus admonished him: ‘O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt.’ (Matt. 14:31) It’s surprising how often Jesus commented on the lack of faith that His Jewish people had, even those who claimed to believe in Him. It’s like when the Roman Centurion approached Him to heal his sick servant, but then told Him, He did not have to come to His house to do so. All He had to do was say the word and his servant would be healed. 

The Bible tells us: ‘When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.’ (Matt. 8:10) Yes friends, as opposed to the Jewish people, whom Jesus had come to first save, this Gentile showed admirable faith, such that Jesus had not seen amongst His own kind. And sadly, in these turbulent and fearful times too many of us are afraid and lose our faith to fear, but please, let’s remember these most reassuring and encouraging words of Bruh Paul to Timothy: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) 

And that’s how we need to stand up strong in faith. There’s also this occasion when the disciples could not heal an epileptic boy, and when they asked Jesus why? He said to them: ‘Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove (move), and nothing shall be impossible to you.’ (Matt. 17:20) Ah mih people, that just proves that a small amount of strong faith can move mountains, for the mustard seed is very small, but grows into a much larger tree. 

Or as this commentary explains: ‘The core idea is that the quality of faith is more important than the quantity, and with true faith, nothing will be impossible for the believer when they are acting in accordance with God’s will.’ That means with sufficient faith we can overcome even the most daunting problems, if we sincerely depend on God’s help. Now, here are some other important verses of scripture that we ought to keep at the forefront of our minds in these evil and ungodly times. 

This wonderful advice comes from the author of Hebrews: ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with  (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (become discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:1-3) 

Oh my people, the stout example of Jesus is what we need to follow in these evil and dangerous times. And we know it’s not always easy, but as the old people would say, ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way.’ And with Jesus’ awesome help, we know that we can do much better than we’re currently doing. So please, let’s come to grips with our faith nuh, get serious about it and use it to help us to stand strong in Jesus’ name in this ungodly world. Now, it’s time to go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, proclaiming to all and sundry, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.

 As one strong and sincere voice. ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And to improve on that, there’s the promise that whoever endures to the very end with Jesus, will enjoy a future more glorious than they can ever comprehend or imagine. So let’s take it to heart and endure to the end, and thus enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!

…when fear comes a calling…send faith to answer it…so that we can endure to the end…and be saved…

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

The Overwhelming Importance of Obedience to God’s Commandments in the Christian Life!

John 14:15.        If you LOVE me, keep my commandments.

And the rain ceased, although it was mostly drizzle, and therefore Wednesday opened bright and sunshiny once more, though somewhat windy and cool, with a small bit of cloud cover. But the important thing is seeing the sun and feeling at least some of its effects. Unfortunately though friends, today we’re on the late, late bus, because I went to my church group this morning, then immediately after went out to breakfast with the Duchess, because today is her Special Day. And it’s obvious after all that activity, the ole fella needed to rest and recoup his energy, before I could tackle writing the Bit. (smile) 

However, when I got up, the Duchess insisted on me doing a couple of chores she felt could not wait, and although I disagreed, I went along with her contention. You know the old adage; a happy wife makes for a happy life. And to make matters worse, just as I sat down to write the Bit, a sick friend called to inform me of his illness. Obviously I had to sit and talk with him for a while, which set me even further behind the eight ball. But as they say, better late then never. So now that you know the story of my life, (smile) let’s get down to brass-tacks and see what the Lord wants us to talk about today. 

And His desire seems to be the biggest obstacle or misunderstanding between Him and his human creation; that’s the subject of OBEDIENCE! Yes friends, from day one, obedience has been the major disagreement between God and man. We see it in Genesis 3, where our first mother was beguiled by the evil serpent into eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the Garden of Eden, which the Lord forbade them from eating. And her foolish husband, Adam, allowed her to lead him astray into also eating the forbidden fruit, when he should have known better. 

And I have to chuckle at Eve’s excuse when God asked her about her disobedience. She said, ‘The serpent beguiled (deceived) me, and I did eat.’ (Gen. 3:13) And unfortunately from that day to this, sin and death and all the negative evils we now suffer, invaded our world. But eventually, the Lord, because of His great LOVE for us, sent His Son Jesus to die on our behalf and thus give us an opportunity, an option of turning away from sin. But before we get into the meat of the subject, here’s an interesting prayer on obedience, as offered by the In Touch People on the prayer cards they recently sent out. 

Please pray with me: ‘Lord Jesus, thank You for LOVING me enough to die for me. I owe you everything, and I want to show You my LOVE through obedience. Keep me close. When my eyes are fixed on you, Your commands are a pleasure. Help me to discern Your voice and to resist the distractions that draw me away from You. For when I obey you, I experience true joy. Your burden is indeed light, and your fellowship my greatest reward.’ And all God’s people said a loud and sincere ‘Amen!’  

Yes my fellow believers, joy and good fellowship with Christ is exactly what we receive when we are obedient to his commands. And all through His earthly sojourn, Jesus was adamant about people being true to what He desired. And the scripture verse attached to the above prayer was none other than Christ’s simple, but oh so important declaration to the disciples, and consequently to all believers: ‘If you LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) Now that says it all my brethren! If we truly LOVE Jesus, then we’ll do as He says. 

And John, in his first epistle, clearly spells it out, when he writes. ‘Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that LOVETH him that begat LOVETH him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we LOVE the children of God, when we LOVE God, and keep his commandments. For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (burdensome). For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?’ (1 John 5:1-5) 

There we have it in living colour friends! LOVING Jesus means keeping His commandments, which also includes LOVING ourselves and our fellow human beings. Remember when the foppish Pharisee lawyer, trying to tie up Jesus, asked, ‘Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt LOVE the Lord with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22: 36-40) 

In other words, all that the prophets had been teaching, and all the laws they had proclaimed, basically called for the keeping of those two commandments. Yes my fellow believers, the Bible is simply a means of God showing us how important it is to keep His commandments. And most of us who try to keep them know that they can sometimes be tough, but they are definitely not burdensome, for Jesus in His awesome grace and mercy aided by His Holy Spirit, helps us to keep them. 

And now that we’ve had an overview of obedience and what it entails, let’s promise ourselves and our God that we will indeed try to be more obedient in the future. That means we can now go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus! 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And it’s been further promised that all who endure with Jesus to the very end, will indeed experience such a glorious future, that their finite minds cannot think or imagine. So, wisdom dictates that we are obedient, and endure to the end, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!

…ponder the words of Jesus in scripture…and let your LOVE grow…as you follow Him…

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

The Lord shall Protect and Preserve the Righteous against Proud, Evil and Spiteful Speech!

Psalm 12:1.         Help (save), Lord, for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail (disappear) from among the children of men.

Wow mih bredrin, October has opened this Wednesday morning just like September closed yesterday; bright and sunshiny and fairly warm! Glory be! Let’s hope that October gives us a bit more of that summer-like weather before the cold season comes in, because it will, for as Brook Benton so wisely said in his song: ‘It’s just a matter of time!’ (smile) And I also hope that we are catching our second wind this middle day of the work week, and thus be reinvigorated to pursue the Lord’s work with an aggressive, productive excellence, as He desires of us. 

Now, today I want us to look at another interesting psalm, Psalm 12, titled ‘God Shall Preserve the Godly.’ In it Bruh David speaks of the effects of vain, proud and spiteful speech against the righteous. So please read with me as Bruh David pleads: ‘Help (save), Lord, for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail (disappear) from among the children of men.’ (Ps. 12:1) 

And friends, those words written so long ago are still ever so true today…if not truer than they’ve ever been, since evil and ungodliness have taken such a stranglehold on our current world. Godly people are surely disappearing from our societies at a rather rapid rate, as materialism and evil tendencies daily increase amongst the populace. 

Then Bruh David continues: ‘They speak vanity (idly, falsely) every one with their neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart (an inconsistent mind) do they speak).’ (Ps. 12:2) That’s also ever so true on a very large scale in our society today. Deceitfulness, fraudulence, insincere flattery, prideful speech, all these things are rather rampant in our world, and you have to be oh so careful of whom you listen to and how you respond to them. 

And to make matters worse, today’s schemers don’t ease up, they don’t take a break. Like Beelzebub, they just keep attacking you with a merciless regularity. I can personally testify to that, as every day, at all hours, my phone keeps ringing with long distance numbers I don’t know, and my junk e-mail is also filled with invitations from veritable strangers. It’s a fine line we need to walk to escape the many ongoing fraudulent schemes. 

And sadly Bruh David was not the only one who wrote on the subject, the prophets Isaiah and Micah also had something to say about it. Isaiah puts it this way. ‘The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth (takes) it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come (presence of evil).’ (Is. 57:1) 

Meanwhile Micah says it thus: ‘The good (faithful, loyal) man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. That they may do evil with both hands earnestly (successfully), the prince asketh (asks for gifts), and the judge asketh for a reward (bribe); and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous (evil) desire: so they wrap it up (scheme together.) (Mic.7:2-3) 

Oh my people, it seems like Micah is still living today, for he paints the picture exactly how it’s happening. And that means we need to walk a very fine line to escape the many ongoing fraudulent schemes. But thankfully Bruh David gives us some encouragement for the detestable situation, when he writes: ‘The Lord shall cut off (destroy) all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud (great) things: Who have said, With our tongue we will prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?’ (Ps. 12:3-4)

Now that’s a good question, and the vain and proud and deceitful ought to take notice, because their tongues do not belong to them; they belong to their Creator, Almighty God. Thus: ‘For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord; I will set him in safety (the safety for which he yearns) from him that puffeth at him.’ (Ps. 12:5) 

Yes friends, the Lord God is indeed our deliverer, and we need to believe that with all of our heart and soul, if we expect His help. For as Bruh David continues; ‘The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.’ (Ps. 12:6-8) 

And isn’t that the gospel truth! We see it in spades in our current world, where some of the vilest men ever have been exalted, and beside them are walking evil doers of every race, creed and class. What a sad situation. But let’s remember what Bruh David says above there; ‘the Lord shall keep them, and preserve them from this generation for ever.’ And that’s the indisputable truth, for as Bruh Daivd also says, the Lord’s words are as true as silver that’s been purified seven times. Can you imagine how pure that silver is after being purified so often. Well, that’s how true the Lord’s word is also. 

And we’ll end with this reassuring verse from Isaiah, re the righteous perishing: ‘He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.’ (Is. 57:2) Yes my people, that’s the reward the Lord has for the righteous…walking in uprightness and resting in peace. So please don’t give up hope because evil and evil doers are running rampant in our world. Let’s remember that He who is in us, is greater than he that’s in the world, (1 John 4:4), so we shall conquer them eventually, if we only stay strong and persevering.  

Now, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And fortunately, it’s been promised that all who endure with Jesus right to the very end, will see a future even more glorious than they can ever ask or imagine. So please, let’s endure to the end nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!

…the righteous may suffer…but they’ll find comfort…in the Lord and His infallible, comforting Word…

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

The Importance of Praising God in Song, and Communicating to Others, His Wonderful Works to the Children of Men!

Psalm 105:2.        Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of his wondrous works.

It’s no wonder that after the rain last night, that Wednesday has opened cloudy, damp and somewhat humid. And to tell the truth, the rain wasn’t so plentiful or powerful, but it’s accompaniment by the extravagant lightning and thunder show, with the heavenly rock drummer, Thor, putting on an especially rollicking performance made the show spectacular. Yes, I haven’t heard such cracking bouts of thunder in a long while. 

At one stage when the rain lightened, I went out on my porch to enjoy some peaceful moments out there, but within two minutes I was back inside after several lightning displays and a couple cracks of thunder chased me away. (smile) That brings us to today’s question: ‘Can You Sing in the Rain?’ It’s the title of an interesting story from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. 

So please read with me: ‘When I was a child I LOVED to take long walks with my tall, LOVING father. We trudged through the meadows, we climbed rolling hills, and often we walked through tree-lined parks. As we walked, Dad would tell me stories about his childhood, and I would ask countless questions about my grandparents. One day on a country road we walked under a gentle mist of rain. In the distance we saw a sparrow perched on a tree branch. The tiny bird was just singing away. 

My father asked a question: “Could you sing in the rain if nobody saw and nobody heard you but God?” Years have passed since that long-ago day. There have been wonderful days of joy. and there have been days of tears, too. Sometimes in the darkest night, during the most severe storm, God has enabled me to sing in the rain when nobody saw and nobody heard but God. Even through tears God has reminded me that the longest storm the world has ever known came to an end one sunny morning. And after the storm – a rainbow! God did it for Noah…and He does it for us!’ 

And that’s a wonderful fact that we should all be so very thankful for! Yes friends, even the longest and most powerful storm has to end sometime, and all the while it’s going on, our great God will hold and protect you in the shelter of His arms. It’s like Isaiah said of the Lord: ‘He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is. 41:11) Now that’s what our great and wonderful God is about! Shepherding His people! Like Bruh David says so eloquently Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) 

And that’s what shepherds do; provide for their sheep, in both food and safety. And that’s what our God has promised to do and has indeed done. Remember the story of Noah, (Gen. chap. 6-9) when the Lord decided to destroy the earth by water, for the wickedness of man was so great in the earth, and his thoughts and intentions of his heart were continually evil. And God was sorry that He had ever made man on the earth. It sickened him, or grieved him at his heart. (Gen. 6:5-6) 

‘But Noah found grace in his sight.’ (Gen 6:8) And He was instructed to build a great ark and take in his family and two of every of God’s creations, for the Lord was going to destroy the world by water And as the author of Hebrews tells us in the Heroes of Faith chapter: ‘By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear (reverence), prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.’ (Heb. 11:7) Another great man of faith friends! 

But yuh know what? As Jesus reminds us: ‘But as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be….before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe (Noah) entered the ark.’ (Matt. 24:37-38) Yes sir! In those evil and dreadful times, it  was all about having a good time…just like it is now. That means the Lord will return when we least expect Him. Consequently, we need to be on constant alert, and have everything in readiness, as though He was coming back today. And we have to do our best to bring a lot of souls to Him before that awesome day. 

And to help us in doing so, Psalm 105 leads the way. From which our Bible Promise for the poem and Bit for today comes. It gently remind us: ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgements of his mouth; O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen. He is the Lord our God: his judgements are in all the earth.’ (Ps. 105:1-7) 

Now, unfortunately, too many of us, don’t seem to remember or value the advice given in the psalm, but if we don’t wake up and get our act together very soon, like immediately, we’re likely to be caught unawares, and thus lose out on all the good things when Jesus returns unexpectedly. And that would certainly be a crying shame! So, let’s consider ourselves warned. 

Now, it’s time to go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And it’s been promised that whoever endures with Jesus to the every end, will experience an even more glorious future than they can imagine or comprehend. So, let’s be wise and endure to the end nuh, so we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!

…Jesus is our Good Shepherd…but too many of us are disobedient sheep…and eventually…will pay the consequences of disobedience…

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

The Overwhelming Importance of Keeping God’s Commandments If We Claim to be Christians!

John 14:15.        If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.

And this Wednesday, our second wind day, has turned out to be another fine summer’s Day! Well, it’s a tad cloudy, (smile) but there’s no doubt that the sun is in  ascendance, so let’s give our good God some thanks and praise for allowing us to see another beautiful day on planet earth. And all God’s children gave a loud and grateful shout of: ‘Thank you heavenly Father, for LOVING us so much and granting us the undeserved grace and mercy to live another day! We LOVE You, and praise Your holy name! Amen!’ 

And I’m sadly chuckling here friends, because that statement we made above there about LOVING God, carries a rather large requirement and responsibility with it. For remember what Jesus said to the disciples before telling them about the coming of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. it was a simple but most important statement. ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:35) Yes my fellow believers, that’s the gist of the whole story; if we LOVE God, we will keep His commandments. 

And since too many of us are not keeping His commandments, then it means we don’t truly LOVE Him, we’re merely talking through our hats, merely paying lip service. It brings us right back to Jesus’ admonishment of the Pharisees. ‘Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias (Isaiah) prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh (near) unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.’ (Matt. 15:8-9) 

And that’s oh so true my people! Too many of us supposed Christians only pay lip service to God, but basically follow the world’s wisdom in most of what we do. And that greatly detracts from whatever influence we might have with the unbelievers. That means we’re behaving like the leaders of Israel in Jesus’ time, when He again admonished them for their insincere religious behaviour, this time re washing of hands before eating, by saying: 

‘Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres (whitewashed tombs), which indeed appear beautiful outward, but within are full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.’ (Matt. 23:27-28) 

And unfortunately my brethren, too many supposed Christians of today are the same way. We look good on the outside, behave ever so righteously, but on the inside we’re a terrible mess, or as Jesus says, ‘full of hypocrisy and iniquity.’ No wonder the world is going to hell in a handbasket…and very quickly too. And a lot of it has to do with the lack of true Christian behaviour by those of us who claim to be followers of Christ. 

But have we ever seriously considered what it means to be a follower, a disciple of Christ? I doubt many of us have, but just take it for granted. Here though, is what Jesus says about and expects from His disciples and followers. ‘And he (Jesus) said to them all, If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) 

Yes my fellow believers that’s what Jesus expects from those who claim to be His followers. But how many of us really fall into that category eh? Not many, since we find it hard to deny ourselves, and even more so, take up our cross DAILY. Now that’s the operative word in that whole sentence. We have to be able to deny ourselves and live for Jesus DAILY, not only when it’s convenient for us. And no, it’s not easy doing that, but whoever said that following Christ was easy eh? It’s not! But the rewards for doing so are most definitely worth the sacrifice it entails. 

Enough admonishment though, for we all know that we’re not doing such a great job on Jesus’ behalf, otherwise our world would not be in the sorry, strife-filled, angry and hateful state it’s now in. So now, let’s add a little balm to our wounds, (smile) with these healing words from the first epistle of John. 

‘Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that LOVETH him that begat LOVETH  him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we LOVE  the children of God, when we LOVE God, and keep his commandments. For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (burdensome). For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?’ (1 John 5:1-5) 

There again, John reiterates the fact that we need to keep God’s commandments, and they are not burdensome, as so many of us believe, because we just want to live the easy comfortable life. But that’s not the Christian life. And there will always be problems, simply because we call ourselves Christians. It’s as Jesus said when He talked about sending us forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: ‘And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.’ (Matt. 10:22) 

Now that last part is the important part…he who endures to the end, he shall be saved. That means we need to endure to the end, despite what happens to us along our life’s journey. And as John so rightly says: ‘he that overcomes the world is he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God!’ So once we truly believe, we can indeed overcome the world! And with that, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus! 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And it’s been promised that all who endure to the end, will not only be saved, but have an even more glorious future than they can ever imagine. So please let’s be wise and endure right to the very end with Jesus, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!

…if one wants to be a part of an organization…one must follow the rules…so, to be a Chrisitan…we must keep Christ’s commandments…

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

The Utmost Necessity for Believers to Patiently Wait in Faith on Almighty God! Part 2.

Isaiah 40:31a.        But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;

Oh mih people, it’s Wednesday, our second wind day! And it’s a beautiful, warm sunshiny day in my neighbourhood. However, we’re on the late bus today, because our Wednesday morning group at church has reconvened after the summer hiatus, and then, as usual, I had to run a couple of errands afterwards. (smile) But it’s not too bad because we know what we’re talking about as God spared our lives to see another marvellous day on Planet Earth. 

Yes, as we promised yesterday, we’re continuing to look at scriptures on that ever important attitude of waiting on God. It’s not an easy task, but it’s oh so wise and beneficial. When we wait on God, we get the best of what He has to offer…and when we don’t, we get second rate stuff, or no stuff at all. And we’ll begin with one of the big scriptures on the subject of waiting, another one from the prophet Isaiah. 

When talking about the Greatness of God’s Might, he confidently proclaims: ‘Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint  and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:28-31) 

Oh friends, what a glorious scripture that is! What a promise it contains for waiting on God! Wow! If we wait on God we can walk and not be weary, as well as soar like eagles, because He strengthens us and enables us to walk in His might and power! Now there’s nothing better than that! However, it all depends on our waiting on God for His timing. And yes, sometimes we can force an issue and have it come out all right, but the truth of the matter is that it never comes out as good as if we wait for God’s time to do it. 

And we see Bruh David advising that we wait on the Lord in several psalms. Listen to this from Psalm 25: ‘O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait (in faith) on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause (deal treacherously). Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation: on thee do I wait all the day.’ (Ps. 25:2-5) 

And then in that magnificent Psalm 34, Bruh David testifies: ‘This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want (lack) to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing …The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them shall be desolate (condemned).’ (Ps. 34:6-10, 22) 

Yes my fellow believers, if we trust in the Lord, then we will wait upon Him, and then we shall not be ashamed of anything and want for anything. That’s His faithful promise! Now hear these verses from the end of this other mighty psalm, Psalm 37. Bruh David declares: ‘Mark the perfect (blameless) man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.’ (Ps. 37:37-40) 

There again trusting in the Lord and therefore waiting on Him will bring redemption and deliverance! And there are many more scriptures about waiting on and trusting in God, but we’ll end with this one from James, Christ’s brother, as he talks about the Value of Patience and Prayer. He writes: ‘Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman (farmer) waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish (establish) your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh (has come near).’ (James 5:7-8)  

Yes friends, we need to build a solid attitude of patience like farmers have, and keep waiting in faith on God, for that is one of the best ways to show our faith and acknowledge His sovereignty. Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus! 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’

 And there’s a codicil to that promise, which says, those who endure right to the very end with Jesus, will have an even more glorious future than we can ever ask or imagine. So please, let’s be wise and endure right the end with Christ nuh, so that we can be a part of that glorious future together! Much LOVE!

…to wait…to wait…to wait in faith on the Lord…that ought to be the Christians’ motto…

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