13 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again, abundance, cast down but not destroyed, come to know and love christ like we do, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, do excellent work, do our own thing, failure is when you stop trying, faith, favour, follow God's leading, forgetting those things which are behind, glory in my infirmities, God is the strength of my heart, God offers strength and guidance, god's plan for a hopeful future, God's presence during hardship, good friends, good health, he shall direct thy paths, holy spirit, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I count not myself to have apprehended, I know the thoughts I think toward you, I press toward the mark, If you're doing your best, in all thy ways acknowledge him, Jesus can be proud of us, Jesus Christ, keep on keeping on, King of Kings, laid hold of the fulness of christ, lean not unto thine own understanding, Lord of Lords, LOVE, mercy, most gladly therefore, mount up with wings as eagles, my flesh and my heart faileth, my grace is sufficient for thee, my portion for ever, my strength is made perfect in weakness, negative word, no failing or giving up in christ, no failure in Christ's kingdom, ought always to get up, perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not forsaken, perseverance, place our total trust in God, promotion, reaching forth to what lies ahead, reaching forth unto those things that are before, resilience, run and not be weary, salvation, scriptures on failure, self-control, self-discipline, setbacks are a part of life, shining our bright lights, spreading our salty flavour, talnet, the darkest hour is the one before the dawn, the goal of spiritual maturity, the gospel truth, the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, the idea of perseverance, the name above all nameas, the power of Christ may rest upon me, the promise of new beginnings, the wicked shall fall into mischief, the wicked shall stumble into calamity, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, this one thing I do, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you and expected end, troubled on every side, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, truth, undeserved blessings, walk and not faint, we'll bend but never break, wisdom, won't have time to worry about failure, yet not distressed
2 Corinthians 12:9a. My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.
Oh my, my, it’s already Thursday, the week has quickly passed by. Only one more day to that time we all look forward to, the weekend, when we get to do our own thing. But in the meantime, let’s concentrate on doing an excellent job at our work places, spreading our salt and shining our bright lights so that Jesus can be proud of us and also be glorified.
And that segues very nicely into what we are going to talk about today, a quote from my ‘P.S I LOVE YOU’ Poster my young daughter gave me several years ago. It says: ‘If you’re doing your best, you won’t have time to worry about failure.’ And that’s the gospel truth! For failure won’t even enter the situation when you’re concentrating on giving your all. However, failures do happen, and we must be aware of them, not just put on blinders and behave as though we won’t be affected by them.
And there are a number of scriptures that advise us on dealing with failures. This commentary gives us an interesting insight into them. ‘Scriptures on failure emphasize that setbacks are a part of life, but God offers strength, guidance, and the promise of new beginnings. Other verses focus on God’s presence during hardship, the idea of perseverance, and the promise of God’s plan for a hopeful future.’ Now there’s more truth that we need to see us through this crazy and mixed up life.
So let’s check out some of those verses that help us handle failure. And we’ll begin with some that tell us about God’s guidance and hope. Up first are these ones that we all know from the wisdom of Cousin Sol. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6) And there’s no better place to begin than right there my people. If we want to refute as much failure as possible, we must place our total confidence and trust in the Lord God Jehovah and follow His leading.
Meanwhile Isaiah gives us another big scripture on depending on God’s providence. ‘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. 40:31) And if those two scriptures don’t get you going, then listen to this one from Jeremiah, where the Lord Himself assures us: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11)
Oh friends, if the Lord God Himself assures us of that future and a hope, why won’t we believe, expect and work towards it eh? Only if we don’t truly believe in Him and His promises. Now, let’s turn to some scriptures that guide us on perseverance and resilience. And there’s none as big as this one from the wisdom of Cousin Sol. ‘For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity). (Prov. 24:16) And that’s something we Christians ought to have very deeply engraved in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds. There is no failing or giving up in Christ! We ought always to get up and keep on keeping on.
As they say, you’ve not failed until you stop trying, for the darkest hour is just before the dawn and who knows what will happen on our next attempt. And then we have these beautiful and most reassuring words from Bruh Paul in his second missive to the Corinthians, where he boldly proclaims: ‘We are troubled (hard-pressed) on every side, yet not distressed (crushed); we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast (struck) down, but not destroyed.’ (2 Cor. 4:8-9)
Wow! What towers of power are we believers in Christ Jesus! They can bend us as much as they want, but we won’t ever break, because we’re supported by Jesus Christ, the name that’s above every other name; the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords! Now here’s another gem of perseverance and resilience from Bruh Paul to the Philippians. ‘Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended (laid hold of the fulness of Christ): but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth (forward) unto those things which are before (ahead), I press toward the mark (goal) of the high (upward) calling of God in Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 3:13-14)
Yes my fellow believers, that’s how we ought to be, forgetting what’s behind us and ever pressing forward to meet the goal of spiritual maturity in Christ! And finally we come to some scriptures that reassure us by telling us about God’s strength in weakness. Hear this most famous one from Bruh Paul to the Corinthians. After asking the Lord three times to remove an annoying thorn in his flesh, the Lord said unto him, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities (weaknesses), that the power of Christ may rest on me.’ (2 Cor. 12:9)
What an awesome promise from our great God! His power increases and strengthens us when we are weak. How much better can it be eh? Well just listen to this other promise from Bruh Paul to the Philippians: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:13) What a marvellous Saviour we have! We can do anything that He desires us to do through His awesome strength! And we’ll close with this tidbit form the psalmist Asaph from Psalm 73: ‘My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever.’ (Ps. 73:26)
Oh my brethren, how much more reassurance can we ask from our God eh? He is with us every which way we turn. The problem though is if we are with Him? And our God is so wonderful, that on top of all we’ve said above, He’s also generously granted us what we call our Thursday Blessings, undeserved blessings to help us do His earthly work. So let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having said that, it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…failure in Christ’s kingdom… is not an option…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a legitimate goal, a means of restoring faith in you, a personal relationship with jesus, a strong bond, afflicted hearts cling to each other, amidst all the anxiety and confusion, be found in him, because of their faith in Christ, by the example we faithful believers set, can still die more to sin and self, Christian witness not good enough, companionship in sorrow, count them but dung, crying out for help, derail our stated purpose, develops betwen those who share tragedies, discontent, dissatisfaction, divine aid, divine commendation, divine summons, eat meat and solid foods, establishes the most intimate and lasting of ties, every Christian's goal, experience Christ's resurrection power, faith, forgetting those things which are behind, Friday chant, grow in spiritual maturity, has not arrived spiritually, help the rest of us to be responsible, holy spirit, I count all things but loss, I may win Christ, I press toward the mark, imputed to the converted sinner, intorduce a new flock of believers, Jesus Christ, let past guilt pull him down, LOVE, made conformable unto his death, mercy, not having mine own righteousness, of the law, omnipotent help, our sinful world can wake up, plenty belly and backbone, reaching forth to what lies ahead, relaxation, rest, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, seeking the deeper things of Christ, serious problems are escalating, share in Christ's sufferings, show them the error of their ways, spiritual disaster, stay safe, stop drinking only milk, suffered the loss of all things, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that I may know him, the divinr righteousness, the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, the fellowship of his sufferings, the goal, the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, the joyful personal satisfaction, the power of his resurrection, the prize, the reward to be granted in heaven, the righteousness which is of God by faith, the simmering unrest, the throne of grace, the wise guidance, there is room for improvementcan still die more to sin and self, these ungodly times, this one thing I do, to handle these unexpected storms properly, to know christ deeply, to rest on past laurels, truth, wake up and smell the coffee, wisdom, with God's help
Philippians 3:14. I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Christ.
And then it was Friday, a somewhat cool and cloudy day, with expectations of rain, but that did stop us from shouting out: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ Yes friends, it is Friday and the weekend’s here with the promise of some rest relaxation and partying. Let’s hope that we get more of the first two and less of the latter, you know why. (smile)
And what’s on the agenda for today? I believe it’s talking about the high calling of God, as Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Philippi. In the 3rd chapter, he says: ‘I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung (rubbish), that I may win Christ. And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is of God by faith.’ (Phil. 3:8-9)
The long and short of the story is that Bruh Paul gives up all his past heritage, education and privileges, counting them as not important in comparison to knowing Christ. And to ‘win Christ,’ the scholars tell us, he had to give up all his religious credentials, all his own efforts and accomplishments so that he could believe and be saved, so that the Lord could impute him with the divine righteousness that’s imputed to the converted sinner because of their faith in Christ. And he wants to know Christ so badly, that he declares: ‘That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;’ (Phil. 3:10)
Ah mih people, I wonder how many of us desire to know Christ so deeply, that we might both experience His resurrection power and share in His sufferings, and thus be more conformed to His death? Not too many of us, I dare say. (smile) And according to the scholars, ‘Paul wants “the righteousness …of God” (vs.9), so that he can obtain a personal relationship with Jesus in actual day-to-day experience. This knowledge of Christ is obtained by experiencing in daily problems, needs, ministry, and so forth, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead.
Knowing Christ also entails participating in His sufferings. Paul desires to share in the Lord’s sufferings because they bring him into a deeper and more meaningful relationship with Him; companionship in sorrow establishes the most intimate and lasting of ties, as afflicted hearts cling to each other.’ And that’s an awesome truth as many of us know from our personal sufferings with others. A bond much stronger and long lasting is developed between those who share tragedies.
And the important thing to note here is that Bruh Paul doesn’t believe He’s come to the point of conforming to the life he desires in Christ as yet, which is to know Christ to such an extent, experiencing His power, sharing His sufferings, being made like Him in death, and experiencing resurrection from the dead. The scholars tell us; ‘At this point in his life the apostle does know Christ, but not to the full extent possible. He has experienced His power, but not to the degree he desires. He has been made like Jesus in His death, but he can die still more to sin and self. He does “walk in newness of life,” but there is room for improvement. And unlike the perfectionists who claim to be sinless in this life, Paul admits that he is not. If the chief of the apostles does not feel he has “arrived” spiritually, then neither should we.’
And that’s a very good suggestion. (smile) But then, to add to all of that, Bruh Paul says: ‘Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended (laid hold of it): but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth (forward) unto those things which are before (ahead), I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Christ.’ (Phil. 3:13-14) Now there’s an interesting and very legitimate goal for us to pursue! It won’t be easy, and it will take plenty belly and backbone, but with God’s help we can certainly achieve it.
And the scholars offer these explanations. ‘In ever pursuing his goal to know Christ (vs. 10) Paul refuses to let past guilt pull him down, or to rest on past laurels. Either could spell spiritual disaster.’ And that’s something we should also pay close attention to in the attainment of our own goal of knowing Christ. Guilt and past successes can easily derail our stated purpose. Then the scholars acknowledge: ‘The mark is the objective of verses 10 and 11 (i.e., knowing Christ). The prize is the joyful personal satisfaction of having attained it, as well as the divine commendation and reward to be granted in heaven for having reached this goal on earth. The high calling of God is the divine summons extended to the believer for salvation.’
And yes, it’s heavy stuff, but if we want to grow in spiritual maturity, thereby growing in Christ, then we need to delve deep into the harder and more difficult stuff, start eating meat and solid foods, stop drinking only milk. And we can certainly do it if we make up our minds to do so. Especially with divine aid that can now be gotten directly from the throne of grace. So let’s go there right now through our Friday Chant asking for help in time of need.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Oh friends, our prayer was heartfelt, but I doubt we will receive much divine aid, if any, because our Christian witness is simply not good enough. That means we have to improve it, if we want divine aid. So please, let’s concentrate on doing that nuh. Much LOVE!
…seeking the deeper things of Christ…ought to be every Christian’s goal…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a battle between the forces of good and evil, a crown of righteousness, a tough nut to crack, a true believer, be glad also with exceeding joy, be reproached for the name of Christ, being constant in prayer, blasphemed, blessed are you, Christian fellowship, companionship in sorrow, depressing times, discomfort, disobeyed your word, divine aid, ease the pain, endure tough times, establishes the most intimate and lasting of ties, ethical death, exceeding joy, experience Christ's resurrection power, faith, finished my course, finished my race, for the prize of the high calling in God, fortunate to have a job, fought a good fight, getting to know Christ better, give thanks to Jesus, happy are ye, heavenly Father, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, I press toward the mark, in times of need, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep pressing forward, keep your promise to prosper us, kept the faith, laid up for me, living for Jesus, LOVE, made more comformable to his death, make things right, mass confusion in our world, meditating on the scriptures, mercy, no sunday afternoon stroll, now ready to be offered, obtain a personal relationship with Christ, of the many suffering from negative situations, on their part he is evil spoken of, on your part he is glorified, one more day of life, physical death, Praise the Lord, pray, provide solace and comfort, rejoice, salvation, shall give me at that day, share in Christ's sufferings, show them your awesome grace and mercy, show this evil world, sincere repentance in our hearts, sincerely seek your face, smarten up, standing up for Jesus, stay close to Jesus, strong faith in Christ, suffer injustice for Christ's sake, suffer insults for Christ's sake, that I may know him, the fellowship of his sufferings, the fiery trial, the God who heals, the most intimate of ties, the only one, the power of his resurrection, the power that raised Christ from the dead, the power to solve our problems, the powers that be, the rewards are worth ipain, the righteous judge, the righteousness of God, the spirit of glory rests on you, the stormy winds of life howl around us, the throne of grace, the time of my departure is at hand, think it not strange, to alleviate our problems, truth, turn from our evil ways, unashamedly taking place, unnecessary purge, unto all them that love his appearing, walking with Jesus, we have all sinned, when his glory shall be revealed, wisdom, wise guidance, with each passing day, ye are partakers of Christ's suffering
Philippians 3:10. That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.
One more Monday, one more day of life! And those of us who are fortunate enough to have jobs to go to in these distressing and depressing times have better say ‘Praise the Lord!’ instead of complaining about the dreariness and frustration that the job might cause, for there are many who would take your jobs in a jiffy, as they have recently lost theirs in the current unnecessary purge that’s so unashamedly taking place. And it’s only going to get worse if the powers that be don’t smarten up and make things right.
That’s why we always have to give thanks to Jesus and stay close to Him, for He’s the ONLY ONE who can provide solace and comfort when the stormy winds of life howl around us. Yes, we ought to be saying like Bruh Paul did to the Philippians: ‘That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.’ (Phil.3:10)
And the scholars give this explanation of that verse. ‘This verse may also be paraphrased : “In order that I may personally know Him, that I might both experience His resurrection power and share in His sufferings, and thus I will be more conformed to His death.” Paul wants “the righteousness … of God (vs. 9) so that he can obtain a personal relationship with Jesus in actual day-to-day experience. This knowledge of Christ is obtained by experiencing in daily problems, needs, ministry, and so forth, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead.
Knowing Christ also entails participating in His sufferings. Paul desires to share in the Lord’s sufferings because they bring him into a deeper and more meaningful relationship with Him; companionship in sorrow establishes the most intimate and lasting of ties, as afflicted hearts cling to each other.
The result of participating in Christ’s suffering is that Paul is being made like Him in death. This word “death” has double meaning here, including inward and outward, ethical and physical death. As Jesus died in regard to sin on the cross, so Paul is doing more and more in his daily life. As Jesus was bodily slain, so the apostle, should Caesar’s verdict go against him, is prepared to be slain.’
Now, that is truly wanting to know Jesus! And thankfully, not all of us will be called to suffer on His behalf as Bruh Paul was. However, we all will have to endure some tough times if we are serious about living for Jesus. That’s just the way it is! There’s no other name in the world that can cause as much commotion and arguments than the name of Jesus.
So, if you intend to be a true believer, then you’d better prepare yourself to go through some stuff you won’t like. But the good thing about standing up for Jesus, is that the rewards are wonderful and certainly worth the pain and discomfort we might have to endure. Remember walking with Jesus is no Sunday evening stroll in the park, but a serious battle between the forces of evil and those of good.
Thus Peter wrote to the Jewish diaspora: ‘Beloved , think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as (to the extent that) ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached (insulted) for the name of Christ, happy (blessed) are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of (blasphemed), but on your part he is glorified.’ (1 Pet. 4:12-14)
Yes friends, we will all suffer insults and injustices for Christ’s sake, and it’s not always easy to overlook them, but we have to, with the thought that we are suffering for His sake, and therefore glorifying Him. Consequently we need to do as Bruh Paul later said to the Philippians: ‘I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 3:14) That means we have to keep pressing forward, getting to know Christ better with each passing day, by meditating on the scriptures, being constant in prayer and Christian fellowship.
So that at the end we can say like Bruh Paul said to Timothy. ‘For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure (death) is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:6-8)
Yes my faithful brethren, being a good and true disciple of Jesus is a tough nut to crack, but we can certainly do it, especially when we have the help of His Holy Spirit that indwells us. So, let’s do as we are commanded to in times of need; confidently but humbly go to the throne of grace in prayer. And we’ll do that through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And we can see from our prayer itself, that there are some things we need to do to receive divine aid, like humbling ourselves, praying and sincerely seeking God’s face. So please, let’s be wise and get to doing them nuh, so that we will be blessed with God’s awesome grace and mercy and forgiveness! Much LOVE!
…only as we sincerely seek to be more like Jesus…will we ever become more like Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a froward heart, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a picture of Christ, a worthwhile image of his creator, acknowledging God's sovereignty, administers social justice, baking, behave wisely, Bible, Christian faith, christianity, Christians, Christmas, Christmas parties, clean up our act, cooking, cut off all wicked doers, destroy all the wicked of the land, divine aid, faith, faithfully promised to hear our prayers, fellowship, focused on the heavenly prize ahead, forgetting those things which are behind, gratitude, holy spirit, humble servants, humility, I count not myself to have apprehended, I press toward the mark, I will sing of mercy and judgement, in a perfect way, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, joy, keep love first place in our hearts, keeps his personal life pure, kiness, laid hold of perfection, let the love of christ shine forth, LOVE, love on earth, mass confusion, mercy, need to see real love in action, no greater gift than love, perfection in Christ, praise, pray, reaching forth, salvation, secretly slanders his neighbour, seriously disobeyed your word, set no wicked thing before mine eyes, shopping, sincere repentance, sincerely seek God's face, sing praises, sings to the Lord, spiritual maturity, strong faith in Christ, the attribute of God's love, the eve of Christmas Eve, the eyes of believers, the foundation of our faith, the God who heals, the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, the moral corruption, the perfect king, the prize, this one thing I do, to hear our prayers, to those things that are ahead, transforms man, truth, turn from our evil ways, Walk with a Perfect Heart, we have all sinned, wickedness, wisdom, without love man is a wild animal, workers of iniquity
Philippians 3:14. I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Christ Jesus.
And then it was Monday; the eve of Christmas Eve, and all the last-minute Christmas parties, shopping, cooking, baking etc. are in full swing. But in the middle of all that confusion, let’s not forget who’s responsible for all the joy, peace, kindness and LOVE on earth, Jesus Christ! Let’s also remember that there’s no greater gift than LOVE, which this Christmas season is all about. No friends, we can’t say it too often, that without LOVE, mankind is nothing but a wild animal! It’s the attribute of God’s LOVE in him that transforms him into the worthwhile image of his Creator.
So, on this Monday before Christmas, let’s keep LOVE first place in our hearts nuh. Let it be the barometer of everything we do, with everybody we come into contact with. Let’s promise to allow the LOVE of Christ to shine forth in us, as we venture forth into the world today, for our world badly needs to see real LOVE in action after all the strife and disasters, both natural and manmade, that we’ve been recently experiencing. End of sermon!
And that brought my writing to a standstill. (smile) But as they say, when in doubt, search the Psalms, and so I did, and came up with this winner that I believe many of us are not familiar with. It’s Psalm 101, the words of Bruh David titled, ‘Walk with a Perfect Heart.’ So, let’s read it together. ‘I will sing of mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS) and judgement (justice): unto thee, O Lord, will I sing (sing praises).’ (Ps. 101:1)
And like all good prayers, Bruh David begins with praise and gratitude, humbly acknowledging God’s sovereignty and majesty. Then he promises: ‘I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect (blameless) heart. I will set no wicked (worthless) thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave (cling) to me. A froward (perverse) heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person (wickedness).’ (Ps. 101: 2-4)
Now there’s nothing in those statements that ought to surprise us, for those are all promises that the believer ought to make, ought to be working towards, because they are the basis, the foundation of our faith, and moves us forward towards spiritual maturity. Yes, a believer ought to have as blameless a heart as possible, not look at things that are not worthwhile, dislike the work of those that turn aside from the faith, give up all the perverseness of heart that he had before He was saved, while not associating with those who practice wickedness.
The problem though, is how successful are we in those areas of our Christian faith? We are all at different levels, but we should all be reaching forward to the things that are ahead of us. Or as Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Philippi: ‘Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended (laid hold of it – perfection in following Christ): but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth (forward) unto those things which are before (ahead). I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 3:13-14)
Now that’s how all good and true believers ought to be; leaving those things that are behind, behind, and instead, pressing forward towards spiritual maturity! That brings us back to the psalm, where Bruh David continues: ‘Whoso privily (secretly) slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off (destroy): him that hath an high look and a proud heart will I not suffer (endure).
Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect (blameless) way, he shall serve me. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry (be established) in my sight. I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers (workers of iniquity) from the city of the Lord.’ (Ps. 101: 5-8)
So what is that all about eh? Besides being a very good example for us to follow, the scholars tell us that ‘Psalm 101 describes the perfect king. It expresses David’s own aims but, at the same time is a picture of Christ, his descendant, who will in fact fulfil this ideal picture. The ideal king sings to the Lord (vs. 1), keeps his personal life pure (vs. 2-4), and administers social justice (vs. 5-8).’
And sadly, only Jesus Christ in all His majesty and power can ever fulfil that ideal role, for we humans don’t have the wherewithal to do so. But that doesn’t excuse us from trying to do our best, from reaching forward to the things ahead and above and leaving the past in the past. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these desperate times.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
However friends, I must remind us that however much we plead with God, we won’t receive any divine aid until we clean up our act; turn from our evil ways, repent and sincerely seek God’s face! Much LOVE!
…the eyes of believers…ought always to be focused…on the heavenly prize ahead…not the moral corruption we’ve left behind…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Jun 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a sweet smelling savour, a taste of hellfire, abundance, already reached perfection, an offering and a sacrifice to God, as Christ loved us, avoid hell, be all that Christ saved me for, be with us to the end of the world, be ye followers of God, being confident of this very thing, Bible, bounden duty, chickens coming home to roost, christianity, consuming desire, conversion takes a moment, courage, creativity, curse, faith, for the prize of the high calling in God, forgetting the past, god, growth takes a lifetime, he which hath begun a good work in you, heatwave, I press toward the mark, I strain to reach the end of the race, It Takes a Lifetime, Jesus, Jesus Christ, keep working toward that day, looking forward to what lies ahead, LOVE, negative word, never leave nor forsake u, never lose sight of heaven, no AC in hell, One Year Book of Bible promises, prosper, reached the pinnacle that God ordained, Ruth Harms Calkin, sacrifice is a part of discipleship, self-discipline, succeed, supernatural wisdom, sweet smelling aroma, talent, Thursday Blessings, tough sledding, turn to Jesus right now, walk in LOVE, will perform it until the day of Jesus, wisdom
Philippians 3:14. I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Christ Jesus.
And the band of musicians and revellers came dancing down the street in the hot sun singing: ‘Heat wave, heat wave…Everywhere is heatwave…’ And that seems to be the gospel truth these days, for all about the world that familiar refrain is being heard. In my neighbourhood we’re now up to our fourth or fifth day of over thirty-degree temps… I’ve lost count. And even when we have a strong wind, the wind’s invariably hot.
Ah Lord eh! Our chickens are coming home to roost. We getting a li’l taste of what hellfire’s going to be like, and most of us definitely don’t like it. (smile) And remember, you won’t be able to turn on no AC down there. So I’d strongly recommend that we turn to Jesus RIGHT NOW and accept Him as Lord and Saviour, so that we can avoid that inferno, where we’ll sashay down to at the end times, if He isn’t the Lord of our lives.
Consequently, unless you have to go out, it’s best to stay inside in air conditioned comfort, if possible. And if you do have to go out, make sure you’re well protected with sun-block, leaving as little skin as possible exposed to the scorching elements. End of Sermon! (smile)
And today, I’ve been led to a rather appropriate writing from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin titled, ‘It Takes a Lifetime.’ Not sure if I’ve shared it before, but it’s ever so apropos for these treacherous and ungodly times.
Please read with me: ‘How I LOVE the words of the apostle Paul. “I don’t mean to say…that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.” (Phil. 3:12-14 NLT)
What tremendous encouragement! Paul, who knew Jesus Christ so intimately, whose consuming desire was to please him, who endured illness, imprisonment, shipwreck, beatings, mockery, and heartache all for the sake of Christ – this very same Paul confessed he hadn’t “arrived.” God was still growing him! I see again, while my conversion took but a moment, my growth takes an entire lifetime. In God’s great wisdom and knowledge He anticipates the finished product while He LOVINGLY takes me through the long, long process.’ End of story!
And what a most enlightening and encouraging story it is my faithful believers. It clearly shows us that the tough and resilient Bruh Paul, who withstood numerous difficulties and dangers for the Lord’s sake, still didn’t think that he had reached the pinnacle that God had called him to attain. It’s the same with us. As the story says, it takes a moment to be converted, but a lifetime to reach our planned end. And all that time God is growing us, transforming, shaping us into the perfect image of His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for that’s been His most ardent desire from the beginning of time.
Yes friends, Ephesians 5 tells us in no uncertain terms: ‘Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children: And walk in LOVE, as Christ also hath LOVED us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour (aroma).’ (Eph. 5:1-2) That means we have to be like Jesus in both our thinking and behaviour.
And this passage from Philippians puts it even better. ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also 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 all 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. 2:5-8)
Oh my people, Jesus though deity, came to earth as a man, as a servant, and sacrificed himself for us on the cross of Calvary. So, if we’re to be like Jesus, then we ought to be prepared to sacrifice ourselves, both on His behalf and those of our fellow believers. Let’s remember that sacrifice is an integral part of discipleship. And though we might find it tough sledding sometimes, we need to remember what Jesus did for us, and that He’s promised never to leave nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5) and to be with us always, even unto the end of the world. (Matt. 28:20) Those scriptures ought to keep us encouraged and constantly working on His behalf.
Now here’s this other important scripture that shows God’s presence, purpose and plan for us. Bruh Paul writes to the Philippians: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6) Of course my fellow believers! If God begins a good work in us, transforming us to the behaviour and beliefs of Jesus, He won’t stop until He takes us home or Jesus returns to earth! So there’s no need to fear being left out in the cold, like some unfinished work that someone just threw aside. Our God will NEVER do that! He LOVES us too much! We’re too valuable to Him; His greatest and most dear creation!
But we have to be of the same mind as Jesus. That’s prepared to work though whatever comes against us, and do like Bruh Paul says: ‘I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 3:14) Please, my fellow saints, I plead with us to never lose sight of that high calling of God in Christ, for it’s our earthly goal. Now, let’s declare our Thursday Blessings, so that we can activate them. Blessings so generously given to us by our heavenly Father to do His earthly work.
Altogether: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having now activated those blessings, it’s our bounden duty to go out and use them for the benefit of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…while here on earth…Christians should never lose sight of heaven…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 Feb 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ashamed because your faith wavered, attain the resurrection of the dead, basking in the joy and peace of Christ, be at peacem secure in God's love, Bible, christianity, continue on the strait and narrow path, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, don't get tired of doing good, erroneous thinking, faith, favour, for the prize of the high calling of God, god, good health, I press toward the mark, In Touch Devotional, is God truly good, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus reassured Thomas, leap year, LOVE, mature believers, negative word, one of many thoughts in yur mind, picture doubt as a bird, quick to judge ourselves, secure in God's love, self-control, spiritually arrived, that I may know him, the power of his resurrection, Thursday Blessings, watch it come and go
Philippians 3:14. I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Here it is friends, the final day of February, where every four years a day is added to the shortest month of the year to keep our calendar in tune with the astronomical and seasonal cycles. As far as I knew, every fourth year was a leap year, but apparently not, so 2024 doesn’t’ seem to be a leap year, and since I don’t understand the science and the maths behind it, I’ll just leave it alone. (smile) Let it be known that today is simply the 29th day of February 2024, and we’re alive and kicking, basking in the joy and peace of Jesus Christ, our wonderful Lord and Saviour.
And now, I want to share an interesting feature I found in the In Touch Devotional. Don’t know if it’s new, or I just never paid attention to it before. (smile) But it’s a section titled ‘Let’s Pause.’ And in this month’s edition, they pose this interesting question and answer. Please read with me. ‘Have you ever wondered if God is truly good? It’s an honest question, considering our broken world. Think back to a time you doubted. What started it? Were you alarmed? Ashamed because your faith wavered? We’re quick to judge ourselves, but God isn’t. Remember Jesus’ response to Thomas. He didn’t shame the disciple – He reassured him. And He’ll do the same for you. Picture doubt as a bird, one of many thoughts flying across the blue sky of your mind. Watch it come and go and be at peace, secure in God’s LOVE.’
Now isn’t that wonderful advice? It surely is! Because, regardless of how strong our faith normally is, things happen every so often that causes doubt to creep in, and though it doesn’t cause us to lose faith completely, it does drive us to ask some serious and sincere questions about our faith walk. And there’s definitely no need to beat ourselves up if once in a while a sliver of doubt enters our minds, since God doesn’t expect us to be perfect every living moment. He made us and knows all our faults and foibles and accepts and LOVES us just as we are. Now it’s our turn to do like Him and accept ourselves, just as we are.
That however doesn’t mean we should not be continually making improvements and moving forward in our faith journey. No! Just that when we falter, we don’t think too little of ourselves or give up, but keep moving ahead, or as Bruh Paul wrote to the Philippians. ‘I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 3:14) Yes friends, pressing forward should always be the objective of Christians. And what does it all mean eh?
The scholars tell us that The mark is the objective of verses 10 and 11, where Bruh Paul declares his utmost desire to know Christ: ‘That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain (arrive at) the resurrection of the dead.’ (Phil. 3:10-11) Now those are good but mighty goals, which not all of us can attain to or are as zealous in doing as Bruh Paul was, but that’s the direction in which we should always be moving.
So, as the scholars say, we can reach ‘the prize which is the joyful satisfaction of having attained it, as well as the divine commendation and reward to be granted in heaven for having reached this goal on earth. The high calling of God is the divine summons extended to the believer for salvation.’ Now all of that might sound like hifalutin stuff to some of us, so let’s see if we can simplify it with a couple of other commentaries. This first one explains: “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” To press toward the mark is to faithfully continue on the “strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life” with our Savior and our Father in Heaven.’
And the second commentary says: “Keep pressing.” Meaning, stay faithful and persevere in the midst of fatigue, hurt, or whatever it is that could make you discouraged. Sometimes in this walk, we grow weary and get tired, but I want to encourage you today with God’s word, “So don’t get tired of doing what is good.’ And I do hope that makes things somewhat clearer, as we ‘press on’ (smile) with a few more appropriate words from Bruh Paul: ‘Let us therefore, as many as be perfect (mature), be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.’ (Phil. 3:15)
Yes friends, we need to keep on thinking about pressing towards the mark. And the scholars explain that verse thus: ‘Mature Christians must realize that they are not ethically perfect, but they tirelessly press onward for higher spiritual attainment. There is present then a bit of irony: perfect (mature) believers are those who admit they are not perfect in any absolute sense. The apostle urges all mature Philippian Christians to hold this attitude concerning that none has yet “spiritually arrived” but ever pressing on toward further development.’
Now that’s exactly what we need to do in these despairing and doubtful times my brethren; stand strong, and with fervent faith, keep pressing along the straight and narrow path. Then, as per If … ye be otherwise minded, the scholars explain: ‘The writer realizes that not all of the Philippian readers agree with his conviction of verse 12-15. But he is confident that God shall reveal their erroneous thinking to them.’ And so He will to us also my people. If we are sincerely trying to walk God’s path, and happen to slip or slide, the Lord will definitely get us back on track, after teaching us whatever lesson He desires us to learn from our slipping and sliding. (smile) Nuff said!
Now let’s declare and thus activate our Thursday Blessings, so generously bestowed on us by the Lord to do His earthly work. As one confident voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
Now, it’s time to go out and put those blessings into action with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…the mark of a true believer…to be always pressing forward to know Christ better…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
14 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and the power of his resurrection, being made conformable to his death, die more to sin and self, divine commendation, for the prize of the high calling of God, forgetting those things which are behind, God's new mercies and compassions, guidance of His Holy Spirit, hurry, I press toward the mark, in God's eyes, in hot pursuit of his goal, LOVE, made like Jesus, maturing in the things of Christ, nipping at our heels, predestinate to be conformed of His son, reaching forth unto those things that are before, refuse to be pulled down by past guilt, rest on past laurels, share His love with my neighbours, spiritual disaster, that I may know him, the beloved of God, the divine summons extended to the believer for salvation, the fellowship of his sufferings, the joyful personal satisfaction, the newness of life, the resurrection of the dead, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, well done my good and faithful servant, worry
Philippians 3:10. That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings; being made conformable to his death.
And when Tuesday opens bright and sunshiny, though somewhat cold and windy, we just forget all the difficulties we experienced on Monday! Yes, we do. We move on to this new day filled with God’s new mercies and compassions, giving Him grateful thanks and praise for all the undeserved goodness and LOVING-kindness He’s wrought in our lives through His awesome Son, Jesus Christ and the amazing work, direction and guidance of His Holy Spirit!
Wow! What a most wonderful God we serve my fellow believers! And I do hope we truly appreciate Him and do show our appreciation and gratitude by the way we live our lives; that’s in keeping with His Word and His Will. And that sentiment about moving forward reminds me of Bruh Paul’s words to the church at Philippi, where in talking to them about perfection in Christ, that’s maturing in the things of Christ, which is his stated goal, and should also be ours, he says: ‘That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings; being made conformable to his death. If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.’ (Phil. 3:10-11)
Yes friends, Bruh Paul is desirous of attaining a literal as well as figurative resemblance to Christ. He wants to personally know Him, to share in His sufferings as well as His death. The scholars explain it thus: ‘Paul is eager to become more like Jesus in His death (vs. 10) so that he can (1) progressively experience more of the believer’s resurrection life to be enjoyed now (“newness of life,” Rom:6:4), and (2) some day undergo physical resurrection from the grave, thus experiencing God’s power in one of its greatest aspects.’
And that certainly is a most worthwhile objective for all believers. One though that is not very easy to attain. But Bruh Paul recognizes this when he says: ‘Not as though I had already attained (obtained it), either were already perfect: but I follow after (press on), if that I may apprehend (lay hold of) that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 3:12) Bruh Paul denies that he’s already obtained the goal of fully knowing Christ and all that’s included in that knowledge.
The scholars tell us: ‘At this point in his life the apostle does know Christ, but not to the full extent possible. He has experienced His power, but not to the degree he desires. He has been made like Jesus in His death, but he can still die more to sin and self. He does walk “in newness of life,” but there is room for improvement. And he is in hot pursuit of his goal.’
Oh, how I wish that could be said of many more of us believers; that we’re in hot pursuit of Christ and the things which pertain to Him. Unfortunately though, His church is filled with too many lacklustre Christians. Too many of us lack the salt and light Jesus desires us to have so that we can pursue His agenda of spreading the good news of His gospel of salvation and eternal life.
Anyway, Bruh Paul, as always, with his practical mind, offers us a practical avenue to help us accomplish our spiritual goal of knowing Christ. He continues in his letter to the Philippians.: ‘Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended (laid hold of perfection): but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth (forward) unto those things which are before (ahead). I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 3:13-14)
Now, that’s how we should also be in the fight to know Christ. None of us are perfect, have attained maturity in the things of Christ, but we cannot move forward unless and until we let go of the baggage we’ve accumulated in our past life. According to the scholars, when Bruh Paul talks about ‘Those things which are behind,’ he’s referring to both his religious credentials (vs.5-6), now counted as “loss” (vs. 7), and to his past Christian achievements and successes. In ever pursuing his goal to know Christ (vs. 10), he refuses to let past guilt put him down, or to rest on past laurels. Either could spell spiritual disaster.’
And the same goes for us to day friends. Hanging on to our past guilt, or resting on our laurels from past achievements will inhibit us from moving forward in our objective or the ‘mark’ of getting to know Christ more fully. So those are things we desperately need to work on, especially in these turbulent times when we need our faith to be strong, and to grow stronger as the days seem to get progressively more evil and lawless.
And when we press on towards that ‘mark,’ with conscious purpose and perseverance, we will eventually win the ‘prize.’ The scholars tell us that’s ‘the joyful personal satisfaction of having attained it, as well as the divine commendation and reward to be granted in heaven for having reached this goal on earth. And The high calling of God is the divine summons extended to the believer for salvation.’
Oh my fellow saints, that is a major purpose of our earthly life, to become like Christ. Remember God’s intention as written by Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first born among many brethren.’ (Rom. 8:29)
Yes friends, from the very beginning, the Father dreamed of, imagined a household of children that all resembled His first-born Son, Jesus Christ! But that doesn’t come automatically, we have to work at it, seriously and with perseverance, for the enemy is always there nipping at our heels, playing games and tricks with our minds, trying to divert us from that awesome goal of becoming like Christ. But we do have the tools to fight him off, we just have to learn how to use them, then put that knowledge into action.
And for those of us who are sincerely moving along those lines, let’s go home now declaring, (wow!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, let’s go out and action those words, share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…there’s no better commendation…than to hear Christ say…well done my good and faithful servant…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
07 Nov 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all run in a race, cleaning our lampshades, conform to his death, earthly sacrifices, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, fight tooth and nail, finished my course, for the prize of the high calling of God, forgetting the things which are behind, heavenly rewards, humble servants, I have fought a good fight, I keep under my body, I press toward the mark, increasing our saltiness, Jehovah Rapha, join the fray, kept the faith, liable to be disqualified, lollygagging, make big waves for Christsalvation is free, mass confusion, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, not as one that beateth the air, not win that incorruptible crown, one reciveth the prize, one thing I do, pussyfooting, reaching forth unto those things that are before, share in his sufferings, sincere repentnace, that I may know him, the God who heals, the power of his resurrection, the throne of grace, the time of my departure is at hand, wise guidance
Philippians 3:14. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ.
Up and at ‘em friends! It’s Monday, no time to waste lollygagging or pussyfooting, for our Commander in Chief, Jesus Christ is already out on the battlefield ready to engage the enemy. That means our presence is absolutely necessary so the battle can be enjoined, for no wise General will go into combat without all His troops around Him. And if there’s one thing of which we are very certain it’s that our General, Jesus Christ is wise, exceptionally so!. Therefore, let’s get ourselves together this Monday morning and enthusiastically join the fray in the work world, and fight tooth and nail on Jesus’ behalf as good soldiers are expected to.
Yes friends, it’s a new work week and Jesus desperately needs our help to make this world a better place, since He can’t do it all on His lonesome. He is depending on us to be good, reliable agents and ambassadors for His kingdom, thus necessitating raising the level of our involvement against the enemy. In other words, increasing our saltiness, our good and faithful actions and cleaning our lampshades so that our lights will shine brightly in a darkened world.
It’s of the utmost importance that we fight a good fight. Like Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy in his last testament, prior to his death: ‘For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure (death) is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith.’ (2 Tim. 4:6-7) And that’s the kind of sincere statement we must be able to make at the end of our earthly journey, otherwise our sojourn here would have been a complete waste of time, of absolutely no use to Jesus’ kingdom.
Now let’s consider a couple of other scriptures where Bruh Paul invokes the idea of life being a race and a fight for Christ. In his first letter to the Corinthians, he wrote thus: ‘Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control).
Now they do it to obtain a corruptible (perishable) crown; but we an incorruptible (imperishable). I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air. But I keep under (discipline) my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (disqualified).’ (1 Cor. 9:24-27)
You see my fellow believers this race we run for Christ and the fight we enjoin on His behalf is serious business. It calls for strenuous training and a high level of self-discipline, otherwise we are liable to be disqualified at the end, and not win that incorruptible crown. And it’s ever so important to achieve that crown.
As Bruh Paul explains to Timothy. ‘Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:8) Now, if we want that crown of righteousness at the end, then we have to pull up our socks right now and sincerely work towards it.
And these other verses of scripture show us how serious Bruh Paul was in his commitment to Christ. He wrote the church at Philippi: ‘That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.’ (Phil. 3:10) Ah yes! Bruh Paul wants to personally know Christ, to experience His resurrection power and share in His sufferings and thus conform to His death.’ Now that’s the kind of enthusiasm we too ought to show as believers in and followers of Christ.
And later on, Bruh Paul emphasizes: ‘Brethren I count not myself to have apprehended (arrived): but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 3:13-14)
Wow! We should be that enamoured of Christ! To forget our past achievements and success and keep reaching forward for the things of the future, in particular reaching the mark of knowing Christ, and the prize, the joyful satisfaction found in that attainment, as well as the ‘divine commendation and reward to be granted in heaven for having reached this goal on earth. The high calling of God is the divine summons extended to the believer for salvation.’
So, having said all of that, how are we going to handle this new work week eh? I hope in a manner that will bring honour and glory to God through Christ Jesus. And there’s no better way to begin than with prayer. Altogether then, let’s confidently offer up our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to the throne of grace, seeking mercy down here on earth.
‘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. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that 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. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. 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!’
Now my fellow saints, let’s get out there and make big waves for Christ! Much LOVE!
…salvation is free…but heavenly rewards call for earthly sacrifices…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ
19 Oct 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a spring chicken, backbone and belly, dr robert h schuller, endure until the end, faith is affirming success before it comes, find a pass through, for the prize of the high calling of God, forgetting those things which are behind, halfway home, hands on the plough, Hour of Power Ministries, I climb over, I press toward the mark, imbalanced life, keep on striving, LOVE, making claims to victory before it's achieved, many devices in a man's heart, no spine, not turning back, reaching forth unto those things which are before, stay and turn the mountain into a gold mine, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the counsel of the Lord shall stand, The Possibility Thinker's Creed, tunnel underneath, Wednesday Wail, when faced with a mountain I will not quit
Philippians 3:14. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
And it’s another day for us to give much thanks to our Creator for enabling us to see. It’s just that I didn’t see it until late. (smile) Ah, my imbalanced life will be my certain destruction. Just can’t seem to adopt the early to bed, early to rise rule, although I like to get the Bit out at a decent hour. But what to do eh? I try…and most days I don’t do too badly, but every so often I fall through the cracks, so to speak. And I hope that you all read an apology in there. (smile)
Now today, I want to offer us some wise and encouraging words from the pen of Dr. Robert H. Schuller, founder of the Hour of Power Ministries, from his Book of Daily Motivation and Inspiration. And the first thing we’ll check out is what he terms ‘The Possibility Thinker’s Creed.’ Please read with me: ‘When faced with a mountain, I will not quit! I will keep on striving until I climb over, find a pass through, tunnel underneath, or simply stay and turn the mountain into a gold mine – with God’s help.’
And that’s certainly what we believers ought to be doing, especially in these troubled and scary times. We’ve got to keep keeping on, keep on pushing through, regardless of the obstacles that seem to be strewn all over our way. And we can only do that successfully, as Dr. Schuller so rightly points out, with God’s help!
The problem though is that today’s believer doesn’t have the backbone and belly, the spine that we need to get us up and moving. We’ve become too soft and sedentary through the easy living that’s the hall mark of our society, but which in fact is the bane of our lives. It’s taken all the strength, the determination and iron out of our will, so that we no longer have the energy, or the will to fight things through to the end, we give up as soon as the going gets somewhat rough.
But that’s not what a true believer does my friends. A true believer keeps on pressing forward despite the obstacles that come against him or her. Like Bruh Paul so aptly writes to the church at Philippi. ‘Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended (arrived): but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 3:13-14)
Yes, my fellow believers, Bruh Paul’s determined purpose was to ‘know Christ and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made comfortable unto his death.’ (Phil. 3:10) And he was not prepared to allow anything or any person to stop him from reaching that goal, throwing behind him all his education and past Christian achievements, he plowed ahead for ‘the high calling of God, that’s the divine summons extended to the believer for salvation.’ And that’s how we ought to be focused in these trying and very deceptive times, which seem to be leading to the last days.
Now some more encouraging words from Dr. Schuller. In one devotional, he writes: ‘Do not be discouraged if you do not accomplish everything that you set out to accomplish.’ And brother, is there ever a word in there for me, because I still have so many things I want to accomplish before I depart this life, and it doesn’t seem like I’m making any progress towards many, or rather, any of them. And you’ve got to realize that I’m no longer a spring chicken, (smile) so time is not my friend right now.
However, like Bruh Paul and Dr. Schuller say, we’ve got to keep on pushing through… with God’s help. And these days, the wise words of Cousin Sol come up before me very often when I consider the desires the Lord’s placed in my heart, that don’t seem to be coming through. ‘There are many devices (schemes, plans) in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.’ (Prov. 19:21) And it hurts me to think that some of the plans I have, many of them for God’s glory, won’t come through, unless He gives me plenty more time down here on earth to accomplish them. But I’ve got to remember that He is the Boss, and like it or not, what He says goes! (smile)
Now a couple more truths from Dr. Schuller. He says: ‘There are two major reasons why people fail. Both stem from a lack of mountain-moving faith.’ And before we get into the reasons, let’s check out how he describes faith. ‘Faith is affirming success before it comes. Faith is making claims to victory before it is achieved. This is very difficult to do, but most important.’
Hence these reasons for failure. ‘(1) People who fail are often people who are indecisive. They cannot make decisions swiftly and surely. The fast moving opportunity is past before they decide – too late – to take hold. (2) Then some decisive people fail because after making the decision, they fail to move forward with an expectant confidence. They grab the opportunity, only to lose nerve, get cold feet, and begin to wonder if they have done the right thing. They have gripped the plough but now they are looking back. Want to be a success? Develop the ability to appraise opportunities intelligently, seize opportunities swiftly, and promote those opportunities confidently.’
And I believe that we can all benefit from those wise words of Dr. Schuller, because we all have sometime or other been indecisive, lacking in sufficient faith, and thus unable to move forward when opportunities have come our way. And today I’ve promised myself that we’re not going to be late and also long. (smile) That means we’ll stop here. There’s enough good info to sink our teeth into. No need to add more.
So, for those of us who are sincerely trying to live for Jesus, let’s get to declaring… Chuh man!!! I have to shake my head and laugh yes, because although I concentrate on spelling that word right, I still end up spelling it wrong. But that’s just the devil winning a minor one. Let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) 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, as I like to remind us, if we endure with Jesus until the end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. Wow! So let’s use that as encouragement to endure nuh! (smile) Much LOVE!
…living for Jesus is not easy…but if we’re serious…He gives us the wherewithal to do it…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ
28 Jul 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: but this one thing I do, Caribana weekend, changed from glory to glory, changed into the same image, clear direction for my life, count them but dung that I may win Christ, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, for the prize of the high calling of God, forgetting the past, I have fought a good fight, I press toward the mark, I strain to reach the end of the race, It Takes a Lifetime, looking forward to what lies ahead, LOVE, my conversion took but a moment, my growth takes a lifetime, negative word, One Year Book of Bible promises, promotion, Ruth Harms Calkin, the flame of Christ burns brightly within us, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, those I counted loss for Christ, Thursday Blessings, what things were gain to me
Philippians 3:14. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
And then it was Thursday, the penultimate day in our workweek, but around here in the Greater Toronto area, not many people are thinking of work, but of the upcoming Caribana weekend and the Simcoe holiday on Monday. Yes friends, this is T.O’s big weekend, where it’s parties galore and the big street parade on Saturday. Oh, sorry, I believe I called the celebration by the wrong name. It’s now something like Toronto Caribbean Carnival, or some such moniker, because of the legal dispute over the ownership of the ‘Caribana’ name. But call it what they will, it will always be popularly known as ‘Caribana.’ End of story! (smile)
Now, today we are going to consider an interesting writing from our One Year Book of Bible Promises authored by Ruth Harms Calkin, titled ‘It Takes a Lifetime.’ Please read with me. ‘How I LOVE the words of the apostle Paul. ‘I don’t mean to say…that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be.
No, dear brothers and sisters. I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.’ (And it’s noted there that that passage comes from the New Living Translation of Phil. 3:12-14.)
But then the writing continues: ‘What tremendous encouragement! Paul, who knew Jesus Christ so intimately, whose consuming desire was to please Him, who endured illness, imprisonment, shipwreck, beatings, mockery, and heartache all for the sake of Christ – this very same Paul confessed he hadn’t “arrived.” God was still growing him! I see again, while my conversion took but a moment, my growth takes an entire lifetime. In God’s great wisdom and knowledge He anticipates the finished product while He LOVINGLY takes me through the long, long process.’
And is that ever the glorious though difficult truth my fellow believers! It certainly is! Yes, coming to Christ takes but a moment, but becoming like Christ takes an entire lifetime because it is not an easy process. And that is what a lot of us don’t seem to understand. God’s eventual purpose is to make us all over in the image of Christ, as the Good Book says: ‘For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren.’ (Rom. 8:29)
And to be made over into anything at all doesn’t happen overnight, and to be made like Christ…brother! That will obviously take ages! And, as the writing intimates, if Bruh Paul was so closely involved with Christ, knew Him so intimately and still didn’t consider himself ‘arrived,’ then it’s obvious that those of us who are not as intimate still have a long way to go. As Bruh Paul says in 2 Corinthians. ‘But we all, with open (unveiled) face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed (transformed) into the same image (that of Christ) from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.’ (2 Cor. 3:18)
Yes, it’s the Lord’s Spirit that transforms us into Christ’s likeness from glory to glory or step by step, not all at once. And Bruh Paul assures us earlier on in his missive to the Philippians: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it (complete it) until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6) Oh isn’t that wonderful to know my brethren! God will not stop transforming us into the image of His Son, until his Son comes back to take over His kingdom! Glory Hallelujah!
That’s why these words of Bruh Paul are so important. And we’ll read them in the more powerful King James version. (smile) ‘Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended (arrived): but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 3:13-14)
And all of that simply means that he has given up all his earlier accolades, like his great education and position as a powerful Pharisee, in his determined pursuit to know the risen Christ. As he also said earlier on the same letter: ‘But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ….and do count them but dung (rubbish) that I may win Christ.’ (Phil. 3:7-8) So knowing and winning Christ, and the divine prize, that’s ‘the joyful and personal satisfaction of having attained it,’ is all that he was then focused on.
And it’s all that we should also be focused on, truly knowing Christ should be our life’s goal. So much so that when we come to the end of this earthly stage of life, we can say like Bruh Paul did to Timothy. ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto them also that LOVE his appearing (eagerly await His second coming).’ (2 Tim. 4:7-8)
Now that’s what we ought to be working towards! And let’s hope that those scriptures we’ve considered this morning will light, or relight the flame in our souls and spirits for Christ, so that we can sincerely put our best foot forward and do His divine bidding with excellence, diligence and a true sense of purpose. And to help us do that, let’s go home now declaring (awright!!!) our Thursday Blessings, which have been so generously bestowed on us to enable us to do our earthly work.
Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having activated those blessings by declaring (steups!!!) them aloud, we must now go out and generously use them in winning souls for Christ! Much LOVE!
…we can’t sincerely press toward the heavenly prize…unless the flame of Christ burns brightly in us…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
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