17 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a directive to perform every task wholeheartedly, a mindset designed to replace stress and people pleasing, a sense of purpose and integrity, all things that are reproved, anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, approach the throne of grace, arise from the dead, as if Christ himself were the direct employer, awake thou that sleepest, blasphemers, boasters, brutal, but rather reprove them, by the good example we your faithful believers set, Christ shall give thee light, Christ the light of the world, christianity, Christians, coasting through the work week, covetous vultures, currying favour, deeds are wrought in God, deeds made manifest, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, denying the power thereof, despisers of those that are good, disobedient to parents, divine aid, do a decent day's work, do as little as possible for as much as possible, do it heartily as unto the Lord, doesn't come to the light, doing just enough to get by, doing their best to muddy the waters, elevates daily tasks into acts of worship, encourages action motivated by love and service to christ, every one that does evil hates the light, exposed sin becomes light, faith, false accusers, fearing God, fellowship, fraud artists, Friday chant, from such stay away, further your glorious kingdom, God's omnipotent help, gossips, greedy saps, haughty, have no fellowship, having a form of godliness, he that doeth truth cometh to the light, he that doeth wrong, he that hath ears to hear let him hear, help us to be responsible, highminded, holy spirit, in accordance with Jesus' desire, in singleness of heart, in the last days perilous times shall come, irreconcilable, it is a shame, Jesus Christ, keep our world sinking into the mire of ungodliness and evil doing, lest his deeds be reproved, light is come into the world, LOVE, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, made manifest by the light, make their deeds manifest, men loved darkness rather than light, men shall be lovers of their own selves, mercy, money lovers, mundane or significant, no respect of persons, not with eyeservice as men pleasers, obey in all things your masters, offering your best in everything, problems are escalating, proud, receive for the wrong he has done, receive the reward of the inheritance, reckless, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, resist the pull of evil, rest and relaxation, ridiculed by co-workers, salvation, scandal mongers, shine our light on thier darkness, slanderers, spiritually enlightened, stand strong and steadfast, stoop to such low levels of decency, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the focus being on God's will, the lowest of the low, the sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, the way of today's world, the weekend is here at last, their deeds are evil, this is the condemnation, this perspective brings a spiritual reward, to speak of those things done in secret, traitors, true repentance, trusting faith, truth, turn from our sin, turning away from our sin, unexpected storms, unholy, whatsoever ye do do it heartily as unto the Lord, wisdom, wise guidance, with diligence and excellence, with the unfruitful works of darkness, work as though we're working for jesus
Ephesians 5:11. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (expose) them.
So we’ve come to Friday; another rainy night and cloudy morning, but that doesn’t stop us from somewhat tiredly declaring our Friday Mantra: ‘Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at long last! Some rest and relaxation are long overdue!’ And some of us do deserve the rest and relaxation because we do a decent days work, in accordance with Jesus’ desire that we work for our bosses as though we’re working for Him, that is with diligence and excellence. However, far too many of us are just coasting through the work week, doing just enough to get by, which is definitely not what Jesus expects from His followers.
It’s as Bruh Paul puts it to the Colossians: ‘Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart (with sincerity), fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as unto the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.’ (Col. 3:22-25) Yes friends, even slaves are to obey their masters with all diligence and sincerity, just as though they are obeying God, and we free believers are expected to do even better than that.
And this overview explains it very nicely: “Do all things as though unto God” is a directive to perform every task—whether mundane or significant—wholeheartedly, as if working for God directly rather than people. It advises against working only for human approval or “eye-service,” encouraging action motivated by LOVE and service to Christ. We are to work heartily and enthusiastically, putting our full effort and soul into every task. With the focus being on doing God’s will, which elevates daily tasks into acts of worship. And while not seeking human praise, this perspective brings a spiritual reward, described as an inheritance from the Lord. It means offering your best in everything—even daily chores or work—as if Christ Himself were the direct employer. This mindset is designed to replace stress and people-pleasing with a sense of purpose and integrity.’
I could not put it any better than that my brethren. But unfortunately too many of us supposed believers don’t follow that directive, we go along with the sinful and fraudulent method of seeing how little we can do for the most we can get. Sadly, that’s the way of today’s world, and it’s so bad, that those who try to do a good job are even derided, ridiculed by their co-workers for …. Sorry, that’s a term I can’t use here, (smile) but let’s put it nicely and say for currying favour with the boss, for seeking promotion, or whatever extra perks, their diligence might bring.
Oh my people, when we did stoop to such low levels of decency eh? Many of us have never been diligent workers, but to ridicule a co-worker who wants to do a good job, is the lowest of the low. The problem there is that we are afraid the diligent co-worker will show us up, show us up for the lazy, greedy saps we truly are. But doesn’t it make sense that if we all work diligently together, the organization will be better for it. In theory it will be. But unfortunately our world has become so littered with scandal mongers, gossips, fraud artists, heifer dust disturbers (smile) and various other types of evildoers that doing good work to day is often frowned upon.
It reminds us of Bruh Paul’s warning to Timothy. ‘This know also, that in the last day perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous (money lovers), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal), despisers of those that are good, Traitors,, heady (reckless), highminded (haughty), lovers of pleasures more than (rather than) lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such stay away.’ (2 Tim. 3:1-6)
And that’s some of the best advice we can get these days my fellow believers, because whether or not these are the last days, all those types of people that Bruh Paul mentioned back then are not only on the scene right now, but are very prevalent and doing their best to muddy the waters as much as possible, so that our world will keep sinking into the mire of ungodliness and evil doing. And Christ is depending on us, His faithful followers to resist their evil pull, and instead shine our light on their darkness and so make their deeds manifest.
It’s like Jesus says: ‘And this is the condemnation, that light (the light) is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth (practices) evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds be reproved (exposed). But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.’ (John 3:19-21)
It’s also like Bruh Paul says when he warns the Ephesians and consequently us, to walk as children of light. ‘And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (expose) them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved (exposed) are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.’ (Eph. 5:11-14)
Yes friends, whenever sin is exposed, it becomes light, and many are still caught up in their sin and unbelief, that’s why’ve been invited to turn from our sin, with the promise that we’ll be spiritually enlightened and helped through the auspices of Christ Jesus; the light of the world. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, let’s remember that though we repent and pray for forgiveness, divine aid will not be forthcoming until there is true repentance, which means actually turning away from our sin! Much LOVE!
…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, allow God to lead us, amidst all the anxiety and confusion, apostasy, arguments with fellow workers, be responsible, become better witnesses for Christ, blasphemers, boasters, brutal, but denying the power thereof, by the example that we set, covetous, crying out for help, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, despisers of good, diligence, discontent, disobedient to parents, dissatisfaction, excellence, faith, false accusers, fierce, Friday chant, from such turn away, get ahead, God is faithful, God will make a way of escape, God will not suffer you to be tempted more than you can bear, goes against our natural instincts, haughty, having a form of godliness, he that shall endure to the end, heady, high minded, holy spirit, in the face of suffering or persecution, in the last days perilous times shall come, incontinent, introduce a new flock of believers, irreconcilable, Jesus Christ, keep God first place in our lives, lasting faith is emsostrated throuh perseverance, LOVE, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, mankind is on a rampage of ungodliness, men shall be lovers of their own selves, mercy, money lovers, new technology, no temptation has overtaken you, omnipotent help, our sinful world can wake up, overbearing bosses, patience, patience under pressure, proud, reckless, religion without power or spiritual life, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, Satan is laughing all the way to hell, serious problems are escalating, show them the error of their ways, sitting in traffic, slanderers, smelling like roses, stay in the race, steadfastness, such as is common to man, talk to God, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that you can endure it, the example that we faithful believers set, the false teachers abound, the same shall be saved, the throne of grace, the times are very decitful, there is no escapting temptation completely, these ungodly times, tials.challenges, traitors, true breakers, true faith is worth the rewards, truth, unexpected storms, unholy, until the very end of life, we're working for God not man, wisdom, with the temptation, without natural affection, without self-control
Matthew 24:13. ‘But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.’
So, at long last we’ve come to Friday, the day that most workers look forward to, knowing that the next day is Saturday and they can do their own thing. Consequently, every Friday they shout to the high heavens: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is finally here! No more sitting in traffic twice a day, like it’s a parking lot; no more glares and stares from overbearing bosses, and no more arguments with fellow workers over petty stuff! Just peace and quiet for a couple of days! Thank the Lord for that!’
Yes friends our work day world is getting crazier and crazier with all the new technology and ways of working that are being introduced and changed, but we have to keep up as best as possible, if we at least want to stay in the race, much less get ahead. We might not like some of the new stuff, but we each have to talk to God and find out what He wants us to do in our workday world. And whatever He tells us to do, even if it goes against our natural instincts, we ought to do it, with diligence and excellence, because in the long run, it’s Him we’re working for, not mankind.
None of us really know where our world is headed, but if we keep God first place in our lives, and allow Him to lead us, we will come out of it all, somewhat worse for wear, but smelling like roses. (smile) And when we look back at what He’s brought us through, all we can say is a grateful ‘Thank You God!’ And this a good scripture verse to remember when we’re going through out trials and tribulations. Bruh Paul writes thus in his first letter to the Corinthians; ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13)
Now, before we misinterpret that verse, let’s make it clear that it does not mean that the Lord will enable us to avoid all temptation, but that He will enable us to handle and endure it. For there is no real escaping temptation in this sinful and ungodly world, that’s why believers have to be so careful about whom they talk and walk with, for the times are very deceitful, and the false teachers and preachers do abound. And you better believe that these words of Bruh Paul to Timothy on the subject are now glaringly in vogue in our current society.
He says: ‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous (money lovers), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy. Without natural affection, truce breakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal), despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady (reckless), high-minded (haughty), lovers of pleasures more than (rather than) lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.’ (2 Tim. 3:1-5)
Brother! It seems as if Bruh Paul is living today and writing about our current world, for all that he’s listed there is what’s currently taking place! Mankind has gone on a rampage of ungodliness and sinfulness, and Satan is laughing all the way to hell, because he has so many of us going down to destruction with him.
Now here are some interesting explanations from the scholars. As per the last days, they began with the birth of Christ and will culminate in Christ’s return to earth to set up His kingdom. The prediction of perilous times indicates that apostasy (falling away from the faith) will characterize the final day so the church age.’ And is it ever doing so, as many of the previous believers are foolishly moving away from faith in Christ, for one reason or another. Meanwhile ‘a form of godliness is mere religion without power or spiritual life. Paul commands Timothy to turn away from those false teachers.’
But please my fellow believers, I implore us not to forget these wise words of Christ about the end times. ‘But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.’ (Matt. 24:13) And I like how this commentary explains that verse. It says; ‘It signifies that true, lasting faith is demonstrated through perseverance through trials and challenges. It emphasizes the need for steadfastness and patience in one’s beliefs, even in the face of suffering or persecution, until the very end of life or the end times as described by Jesus. This concept is a common theme in the New Testament, and the Greek word for “perseveres” (hypomenō) suggests a steadfastness and patience under pressure.’
And that’s the living, gospel and infallible truth my people! Faith in Christ calls for much steadfastness and patience under pressure. But let’s remember, when we cry out to Him for help, He does give us the wherewithal to handle our problems. So let’s go to the throne of grace right now through our Friday Chant, boldly, but humbly, seeking divine aid for the many problems we’re currently facing.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And does our sinful world ever need to wake up, but it will not, until we believers become better witnesses and ambassadors for Christ! That’s the long and short of the story! Much LOVE!
…true faith in Christ is not easily maintained…but it’s surely worth the rewards…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Jan 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beggarly society, a famine of the heart, a lack of God's word, denying the power thereof, economic deprivation, faith, from such turn away, gospel revivals, having a form of godliness, humble servants, hunger, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, joy, keep God first place, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, lovers of their own selves, materialism, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, New Year's Eve, no godly wisdom in leadership, no open vision, peace, perilous times, poverty, sincerely seek God's face, strife, strong faith in Christ, the God who heals, the prince of darkness, the word of the Lord was precious (rare), truth, violence, where there is no vision the people perish, wisdom
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Proverbs 29:18. Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Oh my Script-Bit friends and families, I do wish all of us a happy and prosperous 2024, with all of God’s grace and mercy enlivening our spirits, causing us to draw closer to Him and do better work on His behalf! That’s because our New Year’s resolution is to become more intimate with Him. (smile) And now that we’ve had some snow, but still no sunshine, and the big New Year’s bash is over for another 365 days – no 366, as this year is a leap year, what’s the result eh? Tiredness and/or inebriation from too much drink and too much partying, but everybody will agree on how they had such a great time. (smile)
All to what purpose, for nothing has changed since last night, and most likely nothing will change for better, but more likely for worse soon. Today there are still wars and rumours of wars, violence, strife, hatred, anger and all the evil and negative things promoted by the prince of this dark world. Hunger and poverty, economic deprivation and homelessness, as well as health care and education are still major problems in our world. But no one ever considers spending the money we spend on things like New Year’s Eve on those immediate and moral necessities.
No, there’s never any money to do those things, that’s why our modern-day society, which is rolling in material wealth, is in such misery and has become more beggarly than ever. Charitable associations abound, with everybody begging for a handout, supposedly to help others right in the rich, supposed first world countries. Why do we need so many charitable institutions eh? And where does all the money they collect go to eh? What gets me annoyed is that even the ones you give to, keep asking for more, and some you don’t even know about write for donations. These days when I go to the mailbox, if there are ten pieces of mail, at least eight are from Charitable Organizations asking for donations.
Meanwhile, in all this flurry of materialism and greed, the things of God; LOVE, peace, joy, wisdom and understanding, compassion and humanity are being relegated to the back burners of our society. In fact, in the last few days, several players in the war games have ramped up their positions, getting ready for possible engagement before long. What is it with the human soul, mind, body and spirit that we are so enamoured with war and violence eh, with gross inhumanity to our brothers, both literally and figuratively?
You certainly don’t hear of any countries ramping up for gospel revivals, or LOVE Revolutions, or any of those things that have to do with Almighty God. No, that would not be tolerated, but warmongering will always be welcome! Ah Lord eh! I believe that our sad situation has to do with two basic scriptures. The first being the wise words of Cousin Sol in Proverbs. ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ (Prov. 29:18) Yes friends, where there is no prophetic vision, no redemptive revelation of God, the people perish because they cast off restraint and do as they want. But he who keeps God’s moral law, as well as the law of man will be blessed.
It’s as simple as that my brethren. If there’s no godly wisdom and leadership in a society, it will obviously crumble in short time. And we have a very good example of that back in the days of the judges of Israel, when the Good Book tells us: ‘In those days there was no king In Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.’ (Judg. 21:25) And that was definitely a chaotic time in Israel. These words from the first book of Samuel also illustrate the malady that happens when God is not present in a society. ‘And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious (rare) in those days; there was no open vision.’ (1 Sam. 3:1)
The scholars then explain: ‘The severity of Israel’s apostasy (turning away from God), as we see in the quote from Judges above, caused a dearth of God’s revelatory work. The condition was perpetuating and self-defeating as Cousin Sol says in the Proverbs quote. By God’s grace the prophetic institution would receive renewed impetus and standardization in the person and work of Samuel (cf. 3:21; 10 20) That’s where the Lord spoke to Samuel.
And the prophet Amos said the very same things. ‘Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the word of the Lord. And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and from to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.’ (Amos 8:11-12) Oh my people, back then Israel suffered from a famine of the heart, a lack of God’s words to guide them, just like we are suffering from the same malady today!
It’s the same way that Bruh Paul warned Timothy. ‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous (money lovers), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal), despisers of those that are good. Traitors, heady (reckless), highminded (haughty), lovers of pleasures more (rather) than lovers of God. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.’ (2 Tim. 3:1-5)
Ah my fellow saints, unless you are living on a different planet, you will undoubtedly see the wisdom of Bruh Paul’s words, for those negative things are rather prevalent in our world today. And there’s only ONE way to combat them; that’s sincerely seeking the wisdom the revelation of God’s Word, and putting it into practice. And to help us do that we need to go to God for His divine help, since we can’t do it on our own. And there’s no better time than on this New Year’s Day, the first day of 2024, to go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking God’s face and His help.
Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And the moral of the story is that if we turn from our evil ways, the Lord will prosper us. So let’s enjoy the day, but remember to keep God first place in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls! Much LOVE!
…the Lord will prosper us…in direct proportion to our obedience…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
24 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a child of the Most High God, a new flock of believers, always a catch to a sales pitch, Black Friday, but denying the power thereof, covetous, crying out for help, do Satan's dirty work for him, false accusers, Friday chant, from such turn away, having a form of godliness, in the last days perilous times shall come, Jesus Christ, laughing all the way to the bank, like a magicians set up -illusory, LOVE, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, man's inhumanity to man makes millions mourn, men shall be lovers of their own selves, psychological illusion, return backsliders to your fold, Satan's quick demise, set a good example, simmering unrest in our land, soar with eagles, stop falling for Satan's evil wiles, the error of their ways, the throne of grace, truth, trying to push God out, wake up and smell the coffee, we seldom ever get something for nothing, wisdom, wise guidance
2 Timothy 3:1. This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
And after only one measly day of Thanksgiving in the U.S, the world has followed it back to its favourite pastime; making money! Yes, today is Black Friday, the day of the biggest sales events of the year in the U.S. and neighboring countries like Canada, have no recourse but to follow the foolishness, which is mostly like a magicians setup, illusory; consisting of good hand and eye coordination, wands and staffs making you feel like something is going on, when in reality it’s all an illusion.
It’s the same with many of these supposed big Black Friday sales, they promise the world but only offer a few items truly on sale. The desire of the whole operation is to get you into the store and wave their magic wands at you, confuse you into buying stuff you either don’t need, or you can’t afford. And it’s sad that every year the same things happen; people fall for it, rushing and pushing to get into the stores, which usually leads to some sort of unnecessary violence.
But the store owners don’t care, they are just interested in the congested traffic and the money been spent in their businesses. Then tomorrow they’ll holler about their big profits, laughing all the way to the bank, celebrating another successful exercise in psychological illusion on the masses.
Ah Lord eh! When are we ever going to learn? We seldom ever get something for nothing, or less than it costs the sellers. The business people are there to make money, not to give it away There’s always a catch to their sales pitch, a price to be paid, be it up front or later. But we keep on falling for the sales pitches, especially in these times of high inflation and low monetary rewards in the comparatively few jobs available.
And it’s interesting how prices keep on rising, along with profits, but the wages of the workers remain stagnant, and if the purveyors of the criminal economic actions, could, they would even try to lower the wages of their employees. No wonder the ongoing truth in the sad statement; man’s inhumanity to man, makes millions mourn. And, unfortunately, it seems like we have reached the stage of world evil and ungodliness that Bruh Paul warned Timothy about in his second letter.
‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous (money lovers), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy. Without natural affection, trucebreakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal), despisers of those that are good. Traitors, heady (reckless), highminded (haughty),lovers of pleasures more than (rather) than lovers of God. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.’ (2 Tim. 3:1-5)
And isn’t that a most accurate picture of our current world? Sad to say, it most certainly is! Our world has gone crazy, with no kind of discipline, everyone just looking out for themselves, doing what they want with no regard to how their actions affect other around them. And don’t talk about ungodliness, for I don’t know if there’s ever been such an ungodly time as this.
We’ve even reached the stage of attempting to push God out of our society, which only shows how proud, haughty and foolish we’ve become, because the Creator of the universe will NEVER allow himself to be pushed out of His own creation! But we haven’t learned from Satan’s quick demise when as the Archangel Lucifer he tried to overthrow God, but was summarily kicked out of heaven to dwell in the fires of hell. Satan has learned his lesson, but he’s trying to get us to do his dirty work for him, and unfortunately too many of us are listening to him and doing it.
But friends, wisdom dictates that if you want to live the abundant life, you can’t walk with the chickens or fly with the low flying birds, you must soar with the eagles. And that’s what the Lord is expecting of each one of us who calls himself a child of the Most High God! And yes, it’s not easy to soar with the eagles when the crows and chickens keep nipping at your feet, but we do have an avenue to help us get away from them, that’s the throne of grace. So please, let’s go there right now nuh, through our Friday Chant to get the help we need to keep soaring with the eagles.
As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And the first item on our to do list my people, is to set a good and godly example to those around us, otherwise there will be no divine help forthcoming. Much LOVE!
…as true believers in Christ…we need to stop falling for the evil wiles of Satan…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
22 Jun 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: apostasy will characterize the final days of the church age, arrogance, Christ has already won the victory, denying the power thereof, endure to the very end, from such turn away, God has our best interests at heart, God is not a man that he should lie, happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, having a form of godliness, he returneth to his earth, his breath goeth forth, I am halfway home, I even I am he that comforteth you, I have the keys of hell and of death, in that very day his thoughts perish, in the last days perilous times shall come, in whom there is no help, looking forward to a glorious future with Jesus, LOVE, men shall be lovers of their own selves, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, nor in the son of man, not turning baack, pride, put not your trust in princes, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the church must maintain that victory on earth, the Immutability of God, the son of man which shall be made of grass, the universe is unfolding as it should, this know also, traitors, Wednesday Wail, whose hope is in the Lord his God
2 Timothy 3:1. ‘This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come.
And then it was Wednesday, another hot and sunshiny day in God’s world, with temps again somewhere in the thirties, and we are all enthusiastic to be alive to see and experience all the wonderful things God has in place for us today! Glory Hallelujah! For as the man says in his song: ‘No doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.’ And of that we can be very sure because our God is the very beat planner there is, ever was, or ever will be, and nothing that He plans ever goes awry. (smile) That’s how much confidence and assurance we have in Him! For He has never let us down, and we believe He never will.
Why, you ask? Because He is God, the Creator and Ruler of the universe, omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent and can do ALL things. So why would He promise something that He can’t do eh? Remember too that there is NOTHING He cannot do! And as the false prophet Balaam said to the Balak, the king of Moab. ‘God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?’ (Num. 23:19)
And I like how the scholars explain that verse. They say: ‘The immutability (unchangeability) of God is stated. The word repent is parallel to lie and is coloured in tone by this very association. Here His repenting is related to falsehood. The concept of the truth of Yahweh is related to immutability. Since God is truth, He does not lie; in fact, He cannot lie. He is unchanging. God is utterly different from man. Something that comes far too easily for many men is impossible for Almighty God. He cannot lie.’
And that’s where our God wins out over all the other supposed gods! He doesn’t change, He doesn’t behave like fragile and unstable, unreliable men. He is stable, the foundation of all we hold dear, thus we can put our utmost trust in Him. That’s why the psalmist warns us in Psalm 146 – The blessedness of trusting God: ‘Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man (a human being), in whom there is no help (salvation). His breath goeth forth (spirit departs), he returneth to his earth, in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.’ (Ps. 146:3-5)
Yes friends, that’s the awesome truth! And possibly the biggest reason why our world is in such a confused and evil mess. We don’t trust the Lord God Jehovah like we use to do, even one generation ago. We’ve now placed our trust in princes, leaders, human beings who by their very nature are unstable, unreliable, untrustworthy and most important of all die, return to the dust from which they were created, ofttimes suddenly and without notice, and then are of no use to us.
However, the great God, I AM, has been around since everlasting, and will be around till the end of time, and is all powerful and all knowing, therefore we can put our trust in Him! As He says through the prophet Isaiah: ‘I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man (mortal man) that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass.’ (Is. 51:12)
Ah mih people, why then are we so intent on ridding our society of Almighty God who only has our best interests at heart eh, and who is the ONLY ONE we can ever turn to with assurance and certainty in our time of need? Because we are listening to the workers of iniquity, the disciples of the devil, leaders and false prophets who only want to cause harm and strife amongst God’s people. It’s pride and arrogance, self-importance and self-aggrandizement that’s currently driving our world and unfortunately too many of us are listening to, believing and doing what those evil, ungodly leaders are putting forth.
Remember what Bruh Paul wrote in his second letter to Timothy about the coming apostasy (turning away from God). ‘This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous (money lovers), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal), despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady (reckless), high-minded (haughty), lovers of pleasures more than (rather than) lovers of God: Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof (mere religion without spiritual power): from such turn away.’ (2 Tim. 3:1-5)
Oh my fellow saints, it’s like if Bruh Paul is living with us right now, for all that he’s said in those few verses have become reality in these last days! The scholars tell us that ‘The last days began with the birth of Christ and will culminate in His return to earth to set up His kingdom. The prediction of perilous times indicates that apostasy will characterize the final days of the church age.’ And only if you are completely out of your mind you won’t realize the truth of the sadly fallen, and still falling standards of our society. We are no longer respecters of men nor God!
Unfortunately, the devil and his evil minions are now ruling the roost, but that doesn’t mean they will eventually gain the victory, because Jesus has already assured us of that. As one commentator on the agodman.com website writes: ‘The Lord Jesus has already won the battle – He has won the victory, and now our work as the church on earth is to maintain Christ’s victory. Hallelujah, the victory has been won, and we can apply it, stand in it, proclaim it, and make it real to the enemy wherever we are and wherever we go!’
And that’s the gospel truth friends. So, let’s allow these upcoming scriptures to fill our hearts, minds, bodies and souls. The first says: ‘…For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.’ (1 John 3:8) Yes friends, when Christ rose from the dead, it meant He defeated Satan, hell, death, and the grave. And, as He said to John in the Book of Revelation. ‘Fear not; I am the first and the last. I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.’ (Rev. 1:17-18)
Please let those verses reassure us of Christ’s victory, never forgetting though that we still have to work hard to retain that victory. Consequently, we can now go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ, that we are indeed keeping the battle going in His mighty name.
Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And please, never never forget that if we endure to the very end, that that promised future will be even more glorious that we can ever ask or imagine! Wow! So, let’s make sure we endure to the very end nuh! Much LOVE!
…only in and through Christ Jesus…is salvation and eternal life possible…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
25 May 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be of good cheer I have overcome the world, boasters, Christ is our everything, clap our hands for Jesus, covetous, denying the power thereof, endure to the end, faith is made for the rough times, false accusers, fell flat on our faces with fear and doubt, from such turn away, having a form of godliness, I am halfway home, I'm not looking back, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jesus can truly promise and deliver peace, Jesus is the only sane and sensible option, Jesus our mediator and intercessor, let not your heart be troubled, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, men shall be lovers of their own selves, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, my peace I give unto you, neither let it be afraid, never easy living for Jesus, not as the world giveth, Peace i leave with you, prince of peace, raises my level of peace, sinless sacrifice at Calvary, thank God, Thank God for Jesus, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the joy of the Lord, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail
2 Timothy 3:5. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Oh brother, is it really the 25th of the month already? We just celebrated May Day a li’l while back. Chuh! Time is flying so fast these days. At least it seems so, with all the ruckus that’s going on in our world: wars and rumours of wars, famine, drought, pandemic, economic insecurity, poverty, natural disasters, climate change etc. etc. There seems to be no peace and/or LOVE in our world, everything is just in a crazy uproar, havoc seems to be the order of the day.
But thank God for Jesus yes! For He seems to be the only sane and sensible option right now. And why is that, you ask? Because He is the only one who can truly promise and deliver peace and LOVE to our confused and stricken hearts, souls, bodies and minds. As the song says: ‘Let’s clap our hands for Jesus!’ Of course, because the Lord is good, and blessed is the man that trusts in Him. Those who look on him are radiant, and they will never be ashamed.
Yes, those are words from Bruh David in Psalm 34, where he declares that the Lord hears the righteous. And yes, I’ve gotten away from what I wanted to talk about, that’s the peace and LOVE that Jesus brings, but I can’t help it when the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir is singing one of my favourites, Psalm 34 in the background. (smile) It just raises my level of peace, trust and excitement. And so it should, if you are a faithful believer. Because God is worthy to be praised, Jesus is worthy of much praise and honour and glory for all that He’s done for us, and is still doing as our mediator and intercessor at the right hand of the Father.
And besides saving us through His sinless sacrifice on the cross at Calvary, Jesus has also given us that much need peace we need to live in this frenzied and strife-filled world. Listen to Him nuh: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) Now if our Lord and Saviour tells us that He’s giving us a peace that’s so unlike the world’s, wouldn’t, shouldn’t we believe Him and act accordingly, let not our hearts be troubled and afraid?
And if, like we claim, He’s our strong tower, our refuge in times of trouble, our Prince of Peace, in fact our EVERYTHING, shouldn’t we take His promises much more seriously than we’re currently doing? But no, instead we’re allowing the foolishness of the world, the enemy’s lies and deceitful schemes to usurp the Word of God from our hearts. What does that say about our supposed trust and faithfulness in Him eh? Not a whole lot!
We should be totally ashamed of the way we’ve behaved over the last couple of years. When we should have showed ourselves strong in the Lord’s Word, we fell flat on our faces with fear and doubt. What’s the point of having faith if when the time comes to use it we don’t do so eh? Faith is made for the rough and troublesome times, not the days when everything’s going right.
And Jesus encourages us once again with these marvellous words on the matter at hand as He declares: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And if we are true believers, then we ought to believe Him, and try our best to do accordingly. No, it won’t be easy. It’s never easy living for Jesus, but the rewards are certainly worth it.
The life that Jesus lays out for us is always exciting and adventurous though often difficult. Just look at the lives of all the great saints and prophets; none of them had it easy, but they all had very interesting lives, living for Jesus. And if that’s what we say we want to do, then we‘ve got to come up to the plate and live out the rough times with His awesome help in peace and LOVE, trusting Him to look out for us, because He always helps those who sincerely trust in and live for Him. And it’s not like we don’t know these awesome scriptures, but we allow the doubt and fear that the world engenders to steal the joy of the Lord that’s been implanted in our hearts and souls.
That brings us to these prophetic words of Bruh Paul to Timothy about the eventual apostasy or turning away from God. ‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous (money lovers), boasters, proud, blasphemous, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal), despisers of those that are good. Traitors, heady (reckless), high-minded (haughty), lovers of pleasures, more (rather) than LOVERS of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.’ (2 Tim. 3:1-5)
And we certainly cannot deny that that’s the kind of world in which we are currently living. Yes, there are so many false teachers and preachers, who merely have a kind of religion, but no real spiritual power, and those are the ones who too many of us are following, no wonder out testimony and lives are not worth much, if anything, to the kingdom of God. Oh my people, I don’t know what else to say but to plead with us to do better. To let our faith rise up and overwhelm the world for Jesus, for that’s the best purpose for living!
And for those of us who are sincerely trying to do that, let’s go home now declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and confident 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 let’s remember too, that if we endure to the very end, then the future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. Now isn’t that something to look forward to? It certainly is! So, let’s get out into this ungodly world and live sincerely and successfully for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!
…successful living is all about…sincere belief and faith in Christ Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
15 Jan 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a life of total obedience and devotion to God, a nation that obeyeth not the voice of God, behold to obey is better than sacrifice, calamity filled, denying the power thereof, disaster prone world, having a form of godliness, hope and pray, I will be your God, inthe imaginations of their evil heart, LOVE, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, lovers of their own selves, nor inclined their ear, nothing to lose, obedience -God's number one requirement, obey my voice, our friend Anselm, rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, religious observances devoid of spirituality, so much to gain, stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry, that it may be well unto you, the Lord does not change, they hearkened not, to hearken than the fat of rams, truth is perished, walked in the counsels, went backward and not forward, ye shall be my people
1 Samuel 15:22b. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
Saturday, Saturday! A somewhat cloudy, but ever so cold Saturday! Yeh friends, it seems like we are moving into the serious part of the winter weather with mostly minus temperatures. Hn! But I remember saying that earlier on in the season, then we were hit with spring-like temps. I wonder if that’s going to happen again? (smile) One can only hope and pray!
But nonetheless, it’s Saturday and we can lay abed a little longer, take things easy and begin recuperating from a tiresome workweek. Unfortunately though, our usual Saturday expose of our friend Anselm’s quotes will not happen, since I have been locked out of my Microsoft e-mail account, meaning I cannot access any quotes our dear friend might have sent me. And that will most likely be the situation until I can regain use of my account.
So what shall we ponder today eh? And the Lord didn’t miss a beat! (smile) I turned a couple pages in the Good Book and there it was right before me; the wise words of Jeremiah, on the Lord’s behalf concerning the punishment of Judah for their rebellion. ‘Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Put (add) your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh. For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices:
But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imaginations (stubbornness) of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward.’ (Jer. 7:21-24)
Now aren’t those some very interesting verses of scripture my brethren? They certainly are! And I daresay that they thoroughly reflect our situation today. But before we get into the meat of the matter, let’s listen to this explanation from the scholars re verses ‘21-23. These verses do not minimize the importance of the Old Testament sacrifices, but call attention to the necessity of the believer living a life of total obedience and devotion to God. The Scriptures consistently teach that religious observances devoid of spiritual reality are worthless (cf. 1 Sam. 15:22-23; Ps. 40:6-8; Is. 1:10-20; Mic. 6:8).’
And that’s the problem right there in a nutshell; there is way too much religiosity without the necessary obedience in our society today. As Bruh Paul told Timothy in his second letter about what would happen in his time. ‘For men shall be lovers of their own selves…lovers of pleasures more (rather) than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.’ (2 Tim. 3:2, 4-5) That’s right friends, many of us today have a lot of religion, but without the power gifted by a real spiritual life.
And yes, sacrifices were important back in olden times, but obedience has always been the NUMBER ONE requirement of our God! Remember how Israel’s first king, Saul, lost his kingdom, through disobedience to God’s directions. He chose to save the enemy’s king and their animals for sacrifices despite the Lord telling him to destroy everybody and everything. And we all know how the prophet Samuel, his mentor, draped him up over the matter, saying to him.
‘Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft (divination), and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.’ (1 Sam. 15:22 -23)
Yuh see mih people, Saul lost his kingship simply because of disobedience. And I wonder if we sit down and ponder some of our own misfortunes, if we wouldn’t see a similar pattern in our lives? For remember, since our God does not change; is the same, yesterday, today and forever, it means that obedience is still His NUMBER ONE requirement for those who consider Him their God. And the good thing is that we no longer have to make burnt offerings or animal sacrifices because Jesus has fulfilled that necessity once and for all time. But yet we still refuse to obey.
And yuh know friends, the more things change, is the more they really stay the same, because listen to what the Lord told Jeremiah way back then. ‘Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee. But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God, nor receiveth correction (instruction): truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.’ (Jer. 7:27-28)
And isn’t that the indisputable truth! Our society today doesn’t listen to God’s voice. Instead, a great number of us want to get rid of Him completely from our society…which by the way will never happen. And truth… what is it today eh? What we knew as truth no longer exists, for there used to be one truth, but nowadays there are any number of truths on the same subject. Everybody has their own truth, and the word of the Lord no longer prevails.
So what do we truly expect when we disobey God, even try to kick Him out from amongst us eh? Sunshine, lollipops and roses… prosperity and peace? Not on your life! But the same calamity filled, disaster prone and strife filled life that the rebellious Israelites experienced, and that we are currently experiencing. Friends, it’s not pure happenstance, chance or whatever you choose to call it, that our world is in such turmoil and dissatisfied uproar, our stubborn rebellion, our total disobedience and turning away from God has a lot to do with our current unfortunate situation.
And sadly life will not get better until we have some semblance of a serious return to walking with Almighty God in obedience and LOVE for Him and each other. I don’t know how else to put it. But let’s hope more of us will come to understand and accept it as the truth, as our lives continue to deteriorate under our own leadership. Much LOVE!
…we’ve tried all we know to solve our problems…without any success…why not try God now…we have absolutely nothing to lose…and so much to gain…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
16 Nov 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a dream scenario, a merciful forgiving gracious God, answer our prayers, apostasy, cast all your care on Him, christianity, Covid-19, darlings of nature, denying the power, disagreement, disunity, divisiveness, drought, ever learning, false accusers, famine, forgive us, from such turn away, having a form of godliness, he cares for you, heady, heal our land, high-minded, humble ourselves, in the last days, lead captive silly women, LOVE, lovers of pleasures, mighty winds, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, myriad of problems, never able to come to, not lovers of God, pandemic, perilous times shall come, rejection of religion, religion without power, slashing rain, the knowledge of the truth, the only place where real truth exists, the word of the Lord, this know also, traitors, trucebreakers, without natural affection
2 Timothy 3:1. This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
Oh my people, let’s hope that the mighty winds and slashing rains we received up here yesterday are over and done with today yes, because those sometime darlings of nature did a fair amount of damage in the province on Sunday. A lot of people are still without power, and there’s wind-blown debris scattered all over. Hopefully not too much damage was done to homes and other buildings.
But the wind was something else yesterday oui! I could hear it raging like a wild animal outside my window, driving the now naked trees into being an unwilling partner in a forceful dance. And it would be nice if our myriad of problems could behave like that; spring up, do their damage and then settle down again. But unfortunately that’s not the case, that’s only a dream scenario. Our problems, individual and societal don’t ever seem to dissipate that easily. They appear to persist forever, despite our efforts to curtail them.
But how can we do that eh, when we have so much divisiveness, disunity and disagreement on the causes of the problems and the best way to solve them. It’s so difficult to get two people to agree on anything nowadays, much less to get a whole nation or society. The problem is we have too many choices and too many false teachers are spreading too much false doctrine. That brings us to these fateful words of Bruh Paul to Timothy re the coming apostasy – rejection of religion, in this instance, Christianity.
‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be LOVERS of their own selves, covetous (money LOVERS), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal), despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady (reckless), high-minded (haughty), LOVERS of pleasures, more (rather) than LOVERS of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.’ (2 Tim. 3:1-5)
Ah friends, you’d think that Bruh Paul was living down the street, because all that he said so long ago is coming true right now. Those descriptions above fit our current world to a T. So if our world is so ungodly and divisive, how can we ever live in peace and harmony eh?
And just a couple of notes from the scholars on the verses above. ‘3:1-4.The last days began with the birth of Christ, and will culminate in Christ’s return to the earth to set up His kingdom. The prediction of perilous times indicates that apostasy will characterize the final days of the church age.’ And are we ever seeing droves of people turn away from God in these times. ‘3:5-9. A form of godliness is mere religion without power or spiritual life. Paul commands Timothy to turn away from these false teachers.’
And so too should we my faithful brethren, because as Bruh Paul continues: ‘For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.’ (2 Tim. 3:6-7) And believe me, these false teachers are not only leading silly women astray, but also many silly men, for too many of us today are very susceptible to the false doctrines of false teachers. We like too much feel good religion.
And the scholars explain: ‘Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth condemns not intense study but some esoteric quest for truth apart from God’s Word.’ Again, we find a whole lot of people today searching for truth in so many different places – esoteric, exotic and what have you – but all of them lacking any real substance of truth. Oh my people, let’s wake up nuh and come to the realization that in the Word of the Lord, is the ONLY place where the real truth exists, and thus Almighty God is the ONLY One who can help us to solve our problems.
So with that in mind, let’s go to Him now nuh, and through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, lay all those problems before Him. As Peter so rightly says, let’s cast all our care upon Him, for He cares for us. (1 Pet. 5:7) So altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world.
We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land 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 having said all of that, the only wise and sensible thing to do now is to sincerely turn from our evil ways, so that the Lord can heal our land. Don’t think we can fool Him with empty words nuh, because He’s not going to set anything in motion until He checks out our hearts and find that they are sincere and true! Much LOVE!
…ONLY God…through Christ Jesus…can settle, strengthen and establish us…
SCRIP-BITS 