30 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a benevolent young couple, a compassionate heart, a great family, a piece of life, abundance, ask forgiveness, at thy right hand, bruised for our iniquities, by his stripes we a re healed, clothing, compassion, complain unnecessarily, courage, creativity, curse, disappointment, divine protection, doesn't always come to the surface, doubted God's faithfulness, eternal life, faith, faithfulness, fall on our knees, favour, food, God's goodness, grace, grin and bear it all, He is enough, holy spirit, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, in god there is enough of everything, in our heart of hearts, in the annals of the Bit, in thy presence is fullness of joy, is now and forever, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, joy, LOVE, M, may I never forget, mercy, misfortune, my great enough, my limited concept of God, negative word, never enough of anything, New York, not enough, One Year Book of Bible promises, pain, pass the test, pleasures evermore, pleasures intermingled with pain, promotion, prosper, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, shelter, spend a week at the seashore, succeed, supernatural wisdom, take it in stride, talent, that God Himself, the chastisement of our peace, the crowded city, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, the miracle healer, the most deprived section, the path of life, to satisfy the longings of my heart, truth, uncertainty, unwanted side effects, warmth, wisdom, with me in the middle of it all, worship Christ like never before
Psalm 16:11. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand are pleasures evermore.
Ah friends, that’s another missed day in the annals of the Bit, but the good thing is that we’re still alive and kicking. (smile) Yesterday was another day spent in the hospital going through procedures, and by the time I got home in the afternoon, I was all tired out from the procedures and whatever medication they used, so all I could do was get into bed and try to catch myself. Let’s hope that that concludes all the searching and questions, and now we can spend time fixing whatever is wrong, and there won’t be any more days with missed Bits.
Now, let’s turn to an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s simply titled, ‘He Is Enough.’ As always, I don’t know if I’ve shared it before, but even if I have, it’s still worth sharing over and over again. (smile) So, please read with me. ‘She lived in the most deprived section of the crowded city of New York, where there was never enough of anything – never enough food or clothing, never enough warmth or shelter, never enough compassion. But one day a benevolent young couple invited her to spend a week at the seashore, to experience a piece of life she had never known.
Hour by hour she breathed deeply as the crashing waves brushed against her small frame. She looked at the vast expanse of water – and then, without warning she began to sob. For the first time in her life she saw something of which there was enough! Today I ask forgiveness for my limited concept of God. At times I’ve secretly felt cheated – as though somehow He was not enough to satisfy the longings of my heart. I need to learn and relearn that in Him there is enough faithfulness, enough LOVE, enough grace, enough joy! May I never forget that God Himself is now and forever my great enough.’
Oh my people truer words were never spoken! And although most of us know that deep down in our heart of hearts, sometimes it doesn’t always come to the surface when we need it, which unfortunately causes us to complain unnecessarily. And I can certainly testify to that in this past week of so much pain and uncertainty. I never doubted God’s faithfulness, and I knew that He was right there with me in the middle of it all, but yet, sometimes I felt a bit of disappointment that He was not taking me through the process quicker and with less pain and provocation.
And even now, when most of the questions have been answered, I still have pains, and the pain medication, as it so often does, is causing unwanted side effects. But I just have to grin and bear it all, knowing that the medical personal are doing their best – and believe me, I am having the best treatment possible – and in God’s own good time, this problem will be solved, but until then I need to grin, bear down and pass the test. (smile) But as with so many other things in this life, that is much easier said than done. However, since I know that I am in the miraculous hands of Jehovah Rapha, the miracle healer, I won’t be worried.
And the good thing about our God, is that whenever He allows misfortune to befall us, He always gives us the strength and surety to go through it with a smile. Yes, sometimes it is difficult to smile when enveloped in all the pain and uncertainty, but when you’ve been experiencing God’s goodness as long as I have, I should be able to take it in stride. And that’s where the scriptures like these come in handy. ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me:’ (Phi. 4:13) ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus,’ (Phil. 4:19)
‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) ‘But he (Jesus) was wounded (pierced through) for our transgressions, he was bruised (crushed) for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with (by) his stripes (the blows that cut into His body) we are healed.’ (Is. 53:5) Not forgetting these most encouraging words of Bruh David from Psalm 16, the Bible Promise for today’s poem: ‘Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand are pleasures evermore.’ (Ps. 16:11)
And that’s the indisputable truth friends! There are joys and pleasures intermingled with the pain and suffering, but let’s remember the hefty price Christ paid for us to have them. He paid such a mighty price for our redemption that we can never really evaluate it. It therefore behooves us to fall on our knees and worship Him, like we’ve never worshipped anything or anybody before! That’s what His sinless, selfless sacrifice on our behalf calls for. And we ought to be very serious about doing His earthly work, of trying to lead sinners to Him for salvation and eternal life, especially when He’s bestowed on us undeserved blessings to do that work.
We call them our Thursday Blessings, so let’s declare (chuh!!!) and 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!’
Now, let’s go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that others can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the Lord is my shepherd…I shall not want… (Ps. 23:1)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a grain of mustard seed, a hard row to hoe, a true relationship with Jesus, afraid, always striving to conquer our mountains, an opportunity to grow, because of your unbelief, belief, Bible, build a stronger sense of self-awareness, christianity, Christians, come up to scratch, cultivate new beliefs, divine aid, Dr. Robert H Schuller, earnest desire, faith, faith in christ Jesus, faithless, fasting, find a pass through, fruitful in every good work, giving thanks, God's will for our lives, have faith, holy spirit, humble servants, I will not quit, impregnable, in a better space, increasing in the knowledge of God, inroads into the enemy's territory, it shall move, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, joy, keep striving, lack of faith, living in joy and peace, look to heaven, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, nonsense, not quitting, nothing shall be impossible to you, O ye of little faith, pateince, peace, perseverance, Peter walking n water, pray, prosper us, pryaer, rebuked the winds and the sea, refreshed, remove hence, repentance in our hearts, rested, salvation, simply stay, sincerely seek your face, spiritual lives, spiritual understanding, strengthened with all might, strong faith in Christ, take a toll on your resilience, tenacity, thank you for life, the God who heals, The Possibility Thinker's Creed, the power to solve our many problems, the throne of grace, to alleviate our problems, trials, tribulations, truth, tunnel underneath, turn from our evil ways, turn the mountain into a goldmine, underlying foundation of faith, until I climb over, walk worthy of God, when faced with a mountain, wherefore didst thou doubt, why are ye fearful, wisdom, wise guidance, with God's help, work week
Matthew 8:26a. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?
So we’ve come around to Monday once more, and the ole work week nonsense begins again. (smile) But let’s hope and pray that we’re all in a better space than when we left work last week. That means we’ve rested and been refreshed in soul, body, minds and hearts, and strengthened with all might in the Lord, knowing His will for our lives with all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that we might walk worthy of him, being fruitful in every good work, while continually increasing in the knowledge of God, exerting patience and perseverance in any trials and tribulations, nonetheless, giving thanks for all He’s done for us and thus living in joy and peace.
Wow! Now that’s a hard row to hoe, but it’s basically what Bruh Paul prayed for in the opening chapter of Colossians. (Col. 1:9-12) That was his earnest desire for them. He’s certainly asking a lot of and for them. And you’ll notice that in his prayers he doesn’t pray for the believers’ problems to go away or be easily solved, but for them to get the might and understanding to handle them.
Today though, we all want our problems to go away with no effort or suffering whatsoever, but the Lord in His awesome wisdom doesn’t do it very often, for He expects believers to come up to scratch, to get stronger and face each new problem with greater tenacity and faith. So, this Monday morning, let’s look to heaven and offer up that kind of prayer for ourselves and all our fellow saints, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s territory and cause the heathen to want to come to Christ for rescue, earnestly seeking salvation and eternal life.
That brings us to this little poem by Dr. Robert H Schuller called ‘The Possibility Thinker’s Creed.’ It’s short and simple, but bold and strong. So please read with me. ‘When faced with a mountain, I will not quit! I will keep 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.’
Yes friends, when our mountains rear up before us, we are not supposed to give up or run from them in fear, because they seem so large and impregnable. One way or another we’re expected to make good use of those mountains…obviously with God’s help. The important thing is not quitting but always striving to conquer our mountains.
Remember what Jesus said to the disciples on the subject of mountains, when they could not cast out a demon spirit from a young child? ‘Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove (move); and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.’ (Matt. 17:20-21)
Oh my fellow believers, nothing happens in God’s kingdom without faith! Some things need little faith, while others need big faith, some even need prayer and fasting, but nothing happens in our spiritual lives without the underlying foundation of faith in Christ Jesus. And until we fully understand that, our lives will feel empty and lost, without a true relationship with Jesus. As one commentary says, losing or lack of faith can ‘take a toll on your resilience and undermine your sense of belongingness. But it can also be an opportunity to grow, build a stronger sense of self-awareness, and cultivate new beliefs that are more closely aligned with your current values, goals, and needs.’
And Jesus also admonished the disciples for their lack of faith while they were crossing the Sea of Galilee and a storm arose that looked like it would bring about their demise, but Jesus was unconcerned asleep in the back of the boat. And they awoke Him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.’ (Matt. 8:25-26)
Then there was also the incident with Peter walking on the water with Jesus, but when he saw the strong winds, he became afraid, although he was in Jesus’ presence, and cried out for Jesus to save him. ‘And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?’ (Matt. 14:31) Oh friends, it was Peter’s faith that allowed him to walk on the water in the first place, and when he became afraid and faithless, then he was obviously going to lose that power.
Likewise, with us, when our faith is weak, we can’t do a whole lot, but when we keep our faith strong, we can do ever so many more things in the name of Jesus. We’re much more powerful and productive! So, for help to raise our faith, to get strong in Christ, let’s go to the throne of grace, 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!’
Now, let’s remember God’s requirement for giving divine aid; praying, humbling ourselves, sincerely seeking His face, and turning from our evil ways! So let’s get to doing them nuh! Much LOVE!
…it’s all about belief and faith…belief and faith in Christ Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a gnawing pain in my stomach, a means of restoring faith in you, addicted to, annoying pain, anointing him with oil, anxiety, bless the LOrd o my soul, bruised for our iniquities, by his stripes we a re healed, by the example that we set, call for the elders of the church, can't fix problems on our own, chills, Christian witness, confess your faults one to another, confusion, crowneth thee with loving-kindness, crying out for your help, discontent, dissatisfaction, divine aid, divine help, effective supplication, embrace your love and compassion, enough to drive me crazy, faith, faithful believers, forget not all his benefits, forgives your sins, Friday chant, get a healing touch from Jesus, he was wounded for our transgressions, heal me O lord, heals your diseases, heavenly Father, holy spirit, I shall be healed, I shall be saved, if he has committed sins, if he have committed sins they shall be forgiven, in the name of the Lord of hosts, introduce a new flock of believers, is any among you afflicted, is any merry, is any sick among you, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law, Jesus touched her hand, keep on pressing on, let him pray, let him sing psalms, let them pray over him, LOVE, mercy, my prayer for today, narcotic based pain medication, omnipotent help, problems are escalating, proper concentration, redeemeth thy life from destruction, regurgitation, return backsliders to your fold, satisfieth thy mouth with good things, save me, scriptural truths on healing, she arose and ministered unto them, sick of a fever, simmering unrest, sinful world, stand strong and steadfast, stomach pains, strong and trusting faith in Jesus, tender mercies, that ye may be healed, the chastisement of our peace, the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man, the error of their ways, the fever left her, the God who heals, the Great Physician, the Lord shall raise him up, the prayer of faith, the prayer of faith shall save the sick, the throne of grace, them's the breaks, thou art my praise, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, times of desperate need, truth, unexpected storms, wake up and smell the coffee, who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases, wisdom, wise guidance
Jeremiah 17:14. Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.
And the shouts have gone up: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, with the weekend right around the corner!’ And the ole fella is back after a couple of days of illness. Please accept my apology for those two missed days. It seems that being out Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning in some very cold conditions didn’t agree with me, and when I came back from my church group on Wednesday morning I was tired, having had little sleep during the night, so obviously I had to have a nap. (smile)
But during that supposed nap time, the chills began trembling my body, although I was wrapped up under heavy covers. Then my stomach joined in. At first, I thought I was hungry and got up to get something to eat. But lo and behold, whatever I ate came right back up. Now, regurgitation is something I don’t normally do, (smile) even the Duchess said she’s never seen me do it, but in less than 24 hours she saw or heard me do it six times.
The problem apparently was a stomach pain that I’d had some years before, but after a whole lot of tests, they’d found nothing wrong, so they simply gave me some tablets to take whenever it occurred. And the few times the pain occurred; the tablets did take care of it. But not this past Wednesday. Brother! The whole day was a mixture of chills and stomach pains and regurgitation.
And when the chills settled down in the afternoon, I thought about writing the Bit, but the stomach pain nixed that idea right in the bud, for it just got worse, and nothing I took could ease it. And it’s not to say that it was a bright and blazing pain, but a steady gnawing in the upper left side of my stomach, like some rodent was there just eating away at it, enough to drive me crazy, and not allow proper concentration.
Well, on Thursday morning after the sixth regurgitation, tired, worn out and empty, I went to the Emergency Department of the nearby hospital. I got there at ten o’clock, but didn’t leave until five in the evening, having done all sorts of tests and waiting for reports to come back. And even then, there was no firm diagnosis, so pain tablets and further tests were prescribed. And that’s where we sit right now. Please pray that they come up with something firm and simple, very soon, because I don’t want to get addicted to this narcotic based pain medication.
And I guess since we’ve been talking about illness and healing, we can just continue by renewing our hearts and minds on some scriptural truths on the subject. And there’s no better verse to begin with than this one from Isaiah. ‘But he (Jesus) was wounded (pierced through) for our transgressions, he was bruised (crushed) for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with (by) his stripes (cruel blows that cut into him) we are healed.’ (Is. 55:5)
Then there are these marvellous words of encouragement from Bruh David in Psalm 103. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-KINDNESS and tender mercies. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:2-5)
And there’s nothing better than Jesus’ personal touch, as Matthew recounts. ‘And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever. And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.’ (Matt. 8:14-15) Oh, how I wish could get such a touch from Jesus right now, so that this annoying pain could go away. I would certainly minister to Him with everything I have. (smile)
Excuse me, but I just had to go upstairs and get another pill to ease the pain because the first one had apparently worn off. Ah Lord eh! But them’s the breaks, we simply have to keep on pressing on regardless. Then there’s this prayer from Jeremiah. ‘Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.’ (Jer. 17:14) Now, that’s my prayer for today my fellow believers. (smile)
And scriptures on healing would not be complete without this one from James. ‘Is any among you afflicted (suffering)? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults (trespasses) one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual (effective) fervent prayer (supplication) of a righteous man availeth much.’ (James 5:13-16)
And I would certainly appreciate some effective supplication from you righteous bredrin in our Scrip-Bit family. (smile) Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant for divine aid to help in these times of desperate 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!’ And before we do like the man who sees his face in the mirror and immediately forgets what he looks like, remember that we need to increase our Christian witness to get divine help Much LOVE!
…who is the Great Physician…Jehovah Rapha…the God who heals…our Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a constant attitude of prayer, alleviate our problems, anxiety, anxious, be careful for nothing, be of good cheer, be prayerful about everything, Bible, by prayer and supplication, catch your fancy, christianity, Christians, concerning you, death, divine aid, divinely bestowed peace, ease the pain, faith, faith in Christ, give thanks to god, he who has ears to hear let him hear, hear our requests, hell, holy spirit, humble servants, i have overcome the world, in every event or circumstance, in every thing give thanks, in me ye shall have peace, in the face of adversity, irresposibility, Jehovah Rapha, legitimate concern, let not your heart be troubled, let your moderation be known unto all men, let your requests be made known unto God, LOVE, maintain gratitude, mass confusion in our world, mercy, moderation, my peace I give unto you, my thoughts are higher than your thoughts, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways are higher than your ways, my ways are not your ways, negative situations, neither let it be afraid, not as the world gives, obedience, passes all understanding, Peace i leave with you, pray without ceasing, propser us, protection, repentance, sacrifice, salvation, seeking God's face, the God who heals, the grave, the heavens are higher than the earth, the Lord is at hand, the peace of God, the promises of Christ, the tools of Christ, the will of God, this is the will of God in Christ, throne of grace, time of need, tranquility of mind, tribulation, truth, turn from our evil ways, wisdom, wise guidance, with thanksgiving
1 Thessalonians 5:18. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Come on down Monday, we’re ready and waiting for you! Hit us with your best shot! But it won’t work, for we have all the tools and promises of Jesus, at the ready, waiting to shoot you down. Therefore, we have taken this scripture from the pen of Bruh Paul to heart. ‘In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:18)
Ah friends, that’s a tough scripture, but one we definitely need to know and totally embrace. And what does it mean? The scholars say that ‘In every event or circumstance (thing) the Christian is to give thanks to God for the good He can bring out of the event, even should the event be unpleasant. The constant attitude of prayer, mentioned in verse 17 – ‘Pray without ceasing,’ will help the believer to maintain gratitude in the face of adversity.’
And if that scripture doesn’t catch your fancy, (smile) then try this one from Bruh Paul’s missive to the Philippians. ‘Let your moderation (gentleness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:5-7)
And I must admit that one seems a tad easier than the first one, although they both basically mean the same thing. Instead of worrying about anything, we are to take every situation, be it pleasant or unpleasant and present it to God through prayer, supplication and thanksgiving.
The scholars advise: ‘The Lord’s nearness (vs. 5b) leads Paul to forbid his readers from worrying. This is no summons to irresponsibility or an invitation to dismiss legitimate concern. The solution to undue anxiety is prayer in every thing, “in any matter of life.” The way to be free of anxiety is to be prayerful about everything. While God is eager to hear our requests, they are to be accompanied by thanksgiving.’
Now, that seems easier said than done, but like all things we need to get good at, it requires continuous practice until it becomes a habit. And what’s the benefit of that exercise, you ask? ‘The peace of God which passes all understanding.’ Wow! Isn’t that important enough to make the effort worthwhile? It surely is!
Because as the scholars tell us, ‘The peace of God is that tranquility of mind freeing the believer from fear and worry. “Peace” which passeth all understanding means (1) peace divinely bestowed in times of anxiety, so wonderful that it exceeds one’s ability to understand it; (2) God’s peace far surpasses one’s own understanding of the problem, and his ability to cope with and solve it.’
That brings to mind this most important scripture from the prophet Isaiah, where he speaks on God’s behalf. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) That says it all my people. And so it should be, if He is God!
Therefore, when we take our problems to Him in prayer, with thanksgiving, He gives us His unsurpassable peace that guards our hearts and minds from the enemies attempts to cause us worry and anxiety. And that dovetails very nicely with Jesus words on the subject to the disciples, and consequently to us. ‘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)
Oh my people, what a marvellous gift is the peace of Jesus! It’s unlike any other that the world knows, and surpasses any other kind. It’s the amazing kind of peace that causes us not to worry or be afraid. Where else can you find that kind of peace eh? Only in and from Jesus! Then later on, He tells us again about the kind of peace we can have if we accept Him as Lord and Saviour. ‘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)
Wow! What can we say to that most expressive statement eh? Not much really, but accept it for what it is: Jesus’ faithful promise! There’s no doubt whatsoever that in the world we will have trials and tribulations, but since Jesus has already overcome the world, that’s hell, death and the grave, if we stay entwined with Jesus, then we will have His awesome protection against the world and it’s ungodly masses. You can’t ask for anything more than that friends.
However, Jesus has already done His work, it’s now our turn to live up to our promise when we accepted Him as Lord and Saviour. That’s take up our cross daily and follow Him, even if it calls for personal sacrifice. And sometimes that’s difficult to do, but through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving we can do it. So let’s go to the throne of grace right now, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help us in this our great time of need.
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!’
In closing though, please remember that divine aid is not doled out willy-nilly, but for obedience, repentance, sincerely seeking God’s face and a change in our evil ways. Much LOVE!
…He who has ears to hear…let Him hear…otherwise…He will feel…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a critical position, a fight for life and death, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a new work week, alleviate our problems, be strong in the Lord, Bible, caught napping, cessation of hostilities, Christian, Christian witness, christianity, crapaud smoke we pipe, demonic onslaughts, departed from him for a season, disobeyed your word, divine aid, eternal death, eternal life, eternal separation from God, eternity, evil weapons, faith, God's guidebook, grace, having done all, holy spirit, in the power of his might, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mass confusion, meditate on God's Word, mercy, mickey mouse affair, negative situations, no cease fire, no quarter given, pain, pay a horrendous price, powers, pray, principalities, put on the whole armour of God, put the word into practice, renewed confidence, resist the enemy, rest, salvation, Satanic assaults, sincerely seek your face, sinned, spiritual foes, spiritual wickedness, stand against the wiles of the devil, strengthened by the Lord, strong faith in Christ, temporary truce, the God who heals, the rulers of darkness, the spiritual battle, to stand, truth, turn from our evil ways, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, wisdom, wise guidance, withstand in the evil day
Ephesians 6:10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Here we go again with a new work week, hope we are all prepared for it, with sufficient rest and renewed confidence and faith over the weekend, for the enemy is raising the level of spiritual warfare that’s taking place, daily putting more evil weapons and people into the fray. And if we are not aware and alert, we will certainly be caught napping and made to pay a horrendous price.
That’s why it’s ever so important for believers to get down with the Word, be much more acquainted with it; read it, study it, meditate on it, and put it into practice in our lives. For that’s the only way we will ever defeat the enemy. Remember, the Bible is God’s Guidebook for our earthly lives, and if we don’t know what it says, or how to put it into action, then crapaud smoke we pipe!
Friends, the enemy is not joking, this is not a friendly war… No! It’s a fight for life and death! If we lose it, then we’ll be facing eternal death and separation from Almighty God, and if we win, we’ll be spending eternal life with Him. And that’s the most important aspect of this whole earthly life; where we spend eternity!
And at the start of this new year, we cannot go wrong by examining some of the weapons we have to fight this spiritual warfare. Some of which are outlined by Bruh Paul in his epistle to the Ephesians, where he talks about the whole armour of God which is necessary for us to have, if we intend to fight and win the spiritual battle. He begins with this exhortation: ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.’ (Eph. 6:10)
And the scholars explain that verse thus: ‘Finally may be rendered “from now on” or “henceforth.” The spiritual battle Christians are engaged in exists “from now on until the Lord’s return: there is no quarter given, no cease-fire, no temporary truce, no cessation of hostilities, “From now on” till the end there is all-out war. The remainder of the verse may be paraphrased, “Let yourselves constantly be strengthened by the Lord, more precisely, by His mighty power.”
Oh friends, yuh see this is a most serious and deadly affair, not some li’l mickey mouse matter, where we playing childlike games. Bruh Paul then makes another most significant statement. ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:11)
Now the scholars tell us that the words used for ‘Put on in the Greek language, denotes a sense of urgency, demanding immediate attention,’ and that’s a very crucial fact right now as the battle lines are narrowly drawn. Meanwhile ‘To Stand has military overtones. This verb was used in classical Greek meaning to resist the enemy and hold a critical position in battle.’
That ought to bring home the seriousness of the situation to us. In other words, we cannot stand against the wiles or evil schemes of the enemy unless we’re dressed in the full armour of God. And believe me, Satan carefully crafts schemes and tactics against believers. So please don’t think that He’s just fooling around. He’s more serious about our destruction that ever.
Then Bruh Paul goes on to give us some idea of whom we’re fighting against. ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual wickedness (spiritual hosts of wickedness) in high places.’ (Eph. 6:12) So we’re not fighting against flesh and blood, but against spiritual foes.
The scholars explain that ‘Wrestle, used of hand to hand combat emphasizes the personal and individual nature of spiritual warfare waged against each local church and Christian. Flesh and blood refer to humanity. Such is not the church’s adversary. Instead, she opposes principalities (rulers), powers (authorities), rulers (world rulers), spiritual wickedness (wicked spiritual beings), that is, fallen angels, demons, and Lucifer himself.’
Then Bruh Paul reemphasizes the importance of God’s armour in our fight. ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.’ (Eph. 6:13) And the scholars explain that means ‘because we face such a formidable foe, we must avail ourselves of God’s provision lest the enemy destroy our Christian witness and ministry. The evil day refers to the periodic demonic onslaughts and Satanic assaults. Having done all includes both dressing oneself in God’s armour and resisting Satan. Having done all these, be ready, for the Devil will attack again and again.’
Now that’s something we have to be very cognizant of; the devil never stops for good. Every so often, he will take a break, especially if he is not getting anywhere with you, possibly to devise new strategy, but he will always come back while we’re alive, it’s his reason for living. We can clearly see that in the scriptures. After Satan unsuccessfully tempts Jesus, the Word says: ‘And when the devil had ended all the temptation (testing), he departed from him for a season (until an opportune time).’ (Luke4:13)
Yes my fellow saints, the devil doesn’t tempt us willy- nilly, but has very deep and deceptive strategies in place to encourage us to fall. However, we will not do that today, because we will go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help us overcome his evil schemes.
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!’
But let’s remember that before divine aid can be granted, we need to humble ourselves, pray and sincerely seek God’s face. In other words, turn from our evil ways! Much LOVE!
…to fight God’s fight successfully…one must have His protective armour…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sense of happiness, a state of chaos, absolute power corrupts absolutely, abuse their power, alleviate our problems, authoritarian rulers, backroom dealings, believers must desire to make changes, Bible, Canadian Prime Minister to resign, cast off restraint, confusion, contentment, disobeyed your word, divine direction, divine revelation, don't have the coutry's best interest at heart, escalating turmoil, every man did that which was right in his own eyes, experts, faith, false pretenses, fighting traffic, free will, he who has ears to hear let him hear, he who has eyes to see let him see, holy spirit, human nature tends towards sin, humble ourselves, in those days, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, lack of spiritual leadership, lawless, Lord Acton, loss of productivity, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, modern day phenomenon, more power brings worse behaviour, no king in Israel, obedience to God's law, outlandish salaries, people deserve the government they get, positions of power, power broker, power tends to corrupt, pray, prophetic vision, reefuse to ask God's advice, road rage, Satan as guide and leader, scripture is the ultimate guide for life, seeking power for power's sake, sincere repentance, sincerely seek God's face, sinned, spiritual revelation, strife, technocrats, the Bible is our guidebook for living, the chaos of a visionless society, the God who heals, the gospel truth, the terrible toll of the traffic situation, the way the cookie crumbles, the wide and winding path to destruction, to line their own pockets, to stick his nose where he's not wanted, too few roads, too many vehicles, too much of a gentelman, treasure trove of wisdom, truth, turn from our evil ways, turned away from God, unrestrained, where there is no vision the people perish, wisdom, without God's guidance, working from home
Proverbs 29:18. Where there is no (prophetic) vision (revelation), the people perish (cast off restraint): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Another Monday, another new work week, which includes fighting the traffic both back and forth! But that’s the way the cookie crumbles these days. And while employers are trying to get their employees to come back into the office several days a week, some of the employees are fighting it because of the terrible toll the traffic situation takes on them, emotionally, physically and mentally. No wonder the modern-day phenomenon of road rage is increasing daily as the traffic situation worsens.
Now something’s got to be done to cut down on the traffic tie-ups which cause an increasing loss of productivity, to reduce the road rage and resolve the other modern-day phenomenon of working from home. (smile) And please don’t ask me how to do it, because I don’t have a clue, but that’s why we pay all those big-time experts and technocrats those outlandish salaries. Let them earn their money for a change nuh, instead of constantly earning it under false pretenses!
And it’s so sad to think that with all of our supposed wisdom and technological superiority, we can’t figure out the small problem of too many vehicles on too few roads. (smile) And even sadder still is that we refuse to ask the advice of the One who could most likely fix it without any problems; that’s Almighty God! But we don’t need nor want Him involved in our business, because we think we know it all, so we keep going down the wide and winding path to destruction with Satan as our guide and leader. How sad!
But that’s why God gave us free will; so we could make our own decisions, regardless of how foolish and faulty they are. And He’s too much of a gentleman to stick His nose in where He’s not wanted, needed, or asked to intervene! So where does that leave us eh? In a state of chaos, confusion and strife!
And with only six days into the new year, the turmoil in our world is already escalating in several arenas of strife; far away, close to home, as well as right here in this good land of Canada too, where many have been dissatisfied with our Prime Minister and so strenuously demanded his resignation, that he’s finally promised to step down. So now the backroom dealings are finally in full swing, with numerous people seeking to be the new power broker. And it’s so blatant that many are simply trying to get into power to line their own pockets, or simply for power’s sake, and truly don’t have the country’s best interest at heart.
Consequently, I believe a few worthwhile sayings on the subject of government and power will fit in nicely here. The first one says that the people deserve the government they get. And that’s no lie! For whoever you allow to get power over you, is basically whom you have chosen, so you cannot argue about the injustice or otherwise of it. You just have to live with it until you choose to change it.
The second saying is a quote attributed to the British Statesman Lord Acton, which says: ‘Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority.’
And what does that mean? This commentary explains it thus: ‘Power tends to corrupt: people in positions of power often abuse their power to do bad things. They become corrupted, or “morally compromised.” Absolute power corrupts absolutely: the more authority someone has, the worse their morality becomes.’ And that’s oh so true, for we can all think of several authoritarian rulers on the global stage right now who are guilty of that very abuse.
And the third bit of wisdom comes from Cousin Sol’s treasure trove of wisdom, the Book of Proverbs. On the subject, he wisely writes: ‘Where there is no (prophetic) vision (revelation), the people perish (cast off restraint): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ (Prov. 29:18) Basically, it means that where there is no spiritual leadership and divine guidance in a community or society, the people tend to become unrestrained, lawless and do whatever they want, which only creates chaos.
And we see that very thing happening all over the world right now, because we have turned away from God and therefore have no divine direction or spiritual revelation, because we do not think we need it. As one commentary says: ‘This reflects the biblical theme that without God’s guidance, human nature tends toward disorder and sin.’ And why not eh, when Beelzebub is the ruler of this evil and sinful world.
Meanwhile, blessed is he who keeps the law, means those who keep God’s law, or commandments, enjoy a sense of happiness, contentment and well-being. The same commentary above puts it thus: ‘The verse contrasts the chaos of a visionless society with the stability and blessing that come from obedience to God’s law. In a conservative Christian perspective, this emphasizes the importance of Scripture as the ultimate guide for life.’ And that’s the gospel truth, because the Bible is indeed our Guidebook for Earthly Living!
And that lack of vison in a society and the detriment it causes is well exampled by the state of Israel during the period when judges ruled. The Bible tells us in no uncertain terms: ‘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’s exactly where our world is heading right now, straight to hellfire and damnation, with the lack of spiritual leadership and divine revelation.
But thankfully all is not lost, for we believers in Christ Jesus can make a big difference if we so desire, because we have all the tools to do so. The problem is getting us to desire. So, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, and see if we can’t get the desire to turn things around nuh.
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!’
But please note, as our prayer says, until we repent and turn from our evil ways, that desire to improve our world will not be forthcoming, and we’ll keep heading for certain destruction! Much LOVE!
…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…and he who has eyes to see…let him see…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great cloud of witnesses, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a rain warning, answer our prayers, be conformed to the image of Christ, bet your bottom dollar, Bible, broad is the way, christianity, climate change, constraints on the narrow path, contrary, depend on our faith, despising the shame, discouraged, disobeyed your word, divine aid, ease the pain, endured such hostility of sinners, endured the cross, enter ye in at the strait gate, eternal life, faith, fellowship, few find it, flooding, for the joy that was set before him, galvanizes us, heaven, holy spirit, humble servants, I am the way the truth and the life, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, lay aside every weight, lest ye be wearied and faint, light, living for Christ, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, many go in thereat, mass confusion, mercy, narrow is the way, natural diasters, negative situations, never giving up, New Year's Eve, no man comes to the Father but by me, nothing is guaranteed, perseverance, run with patience, running our race to the end, salt, salvation, sin, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, sinned, strait is the gate, strong faith in Christ, take anything for granted, that leads to destruction, that leads to life, that so easily besets us, the author and finisher of our faith, the God who heals, the main priority in your life, the only constant, the only one, the path to salvation, the power to solve our problems, the race set before us, the same yesterday today and for ever, the throne of grace, torubled times, treacherous times, truth, turbulent times, turn from our evil ways, uncertain times, vim and vigour, water damage, white christmas, who can lead us on the right path, wide is the gate, wisdom, wise guidance
Hebrews 13:8. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today and for ever.
Ah friends, can you believe it, on this Monday morning, the eve of New Year’s Eve, the Greater Toronto Area has been handed a rain warning, and not a snow warning. Flooding and all sorts of water damage is expected if the rain continues to fall as it’s been doing since Sunday morning. In fact, the entire Christmas week has been damp, foggy and cloudy, with no sunshine whatsoever. Unfortunately, the purists weren’t blessed with a white Christmas either, and now, whatever little snow was around, has been washed away with the rain and the springlike temperatures.
But that’s the way of climate change! Two decades ago, you could bet your bottom dollar that you would have a white Christmas and also a white New Year’s Eve, but things have changed so much, that today nothing is guaranteed to be the way it was. Those who never had snow, now have it, and those who had it don’t. It’s the same with drought and rainfall. We are also experiencing more natural disasters than ever. It’s sad, but our world has recently become so contrary that it’s not funny, and we can no longer take anything or any situation for granted.
So what does that mean eh? I guess we just have to depend on our faith even more than before; trust the promises of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, like we’ve never hitherto done, because He seems to be the only constant in today’s crazy, chaotic, disaster- filled world. For what does the Bible tell us? ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today and for ever.’ (Heb. 13:8) Now that, you cannot say about any other body or thing. And that’s why it’s of the utmost importance for us to put ALL of our faith and trust in Jesus, because He is the ONLY ONE who can lead us along the right path to that glorious place called heaven.
And if you don’t believe me, then let’s check out some promises of scripture that prove it. And the first one is this very important one about the right path to tread. Jesus strongly advises: ‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in there at: Because strait (how narrow) is the gate, and narrow (difficult, confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt. 7:13-14)
In other words friends, Jesus is simply saying that the wide and winding road, where you can do whatever you like, where Beelzebub rules, leads only to destruction, and many people are unfortunately following it. However, the path that leads to salvation and eternal life is straight and narrow, and you cannot do whatever you want whenever you choose to. No, because there are some constraints on the straight and narrow path, constraints placed there to keep us, holy, righteous, justified, sanctified, thus living sincerely for Christ.
But unfortunately, not as many people are walking that path as the wide and dangerous one. And it’s our job to get out into the world, be the salt and light thereof, exuding a powerful flavour and a blinding light to help bring others to the wise, straight and narrow way, where they can encounter Jesus, accept His free gift of salvation, and live the abundant life that He died for us to have.
And what about this other promise eh? Where Jesus declares to the disciple Thomas: ‘I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) Now that also states it plain and clear that one cannot get to the Father, or heaven, unless Jesus is your Lord and Saviour! That’s an even bigger reason for you to have Him as the main priority in your life!
Then there are these most encouraging words of Hebrews: ‘Wherefore (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (be discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:1-3)
Oh my fellow believers, what a powerful scripture that is ! Let’s hope that it opens up or refreshes our faith, and thus galvanizes us to do as it says! That’s remember the faithful, the heroes of faith, who have gone before us, running their race with vim and vigour, and attempt to do likewise. However, to do that properly, we have to lay aside anything that’s weighing us down, be it clothing, or excessive body weight, or whatever; then disassociate ourselves from any known sins that are entangling us and preventing us from running our race properly.
And finally, running our race with perseverance, getting back up every time we falter or fall, and keep going right until the end, never giving up, using the originator and perfector of our faith, Jesus Christ as the example to be attained, be reached or accomplished! Now, that’s what we believers need to do in these troubled and trying times; look to Jesus because the Father desires us all to be made in His image. The scriptures tell us: ‘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 my fellow saints, the Lord desires all who follow Jesus to be the spitting image of Him, our big Brother. (smile) And to help us work toward that goal, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help in these treacherous and uncertain 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!’
And before we get too excited (smile) let’s remember that divine aid is only granted when we turn from our evil ways, humble ourselves, pray and sincerely seek God’s face! Much LOVE!
…please remember that…Jesus is the Only One…we can depend on in these turbulent times…
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
16 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a light to lighten the Gentiles, a sword shall pierce thy own soul, a tumultuous climax, Advent, anguish, Bible, blessed God, christianity, deliverance, devout, divine aid, divine helphumble servants, division, eternal life, faith, fellowship, for a sign, forgiveness, great fanfare, Happy Holidays, heartache for Mary, hellfire and damnation, holy spirit, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the reason for the season, Jesus' coming, Jesus' sacrifice, joyful festive season, judgement, just, let thy servant depart in peace, life, LOVE, machinations, mercy, Merry Christmas, messianic hope, mine eyes have seen thy salvation, praise, prosper, redemption, salvation, Seasons Greetings, seeking God's face, Simeon, sincere repentance in our hearts, special insight, strong faith in Christ, thanksgiving, that will be spoken against, the big day of Christmas, the fall and rising of many in Israel, the God who heals, the Holy Spirit's influence, the Messiah, the power to solve our many problems, the thoughts of many hearts be revealed, the throne of grace, this child is set for, to bring revelation to, truth, turn from our evil ways, when Christ was born, wisdom, wise guidance, worship
Luke 2:32. A light to lighten (bring revelation to) the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
Nine days and counting friends! Counting down to the big day of Christmas, when we celebrate our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’s birth! It’s the day when all the hullabaloo of the Christmas season will come to a tumultuous climax, of food, drink and partying, but hopefully too, one of praise, thanksgiving, worship and fellowship, in appreciation of the Father’s great gift to us.
And as we go out on this wet, cloudy, Monday morning in mid-December, and get into the spirit of the season with our co-workers and fellow shoppers, please, let’s remember that Jesus is the reason for this joyful festive season, and don’t allow others to forget it either, as the world is trying to do.
So it’s not merely ‘Happy Holidays,’ or ‘Season’s Greetings,’ but ‘Merry Christmas,’ or some such greeting that makes it clear that this is the Christmas Season, when Christ was born, when He came down from heaven, so that He could bring us forgiveness, salvation and eternal life! End of Sermon! (smile)
And today we’ll look at another prophetic phenomenon in the life of Jesus, corroborating all the things the Old Testament said about Him. We’re talking about the story of Simeon, who, as the scholars tell us ‘had his heart set on the messianic hope (of seeing the Messiah), which alone could bring consolation to his troubled land. He was therefore open under the Holy Spirit’s influence for God to impart special insight to him.’
And when Mary and Joseph came to the temple to present Jesus to the Lord, and to offer sacrifices for Him according to the law, the Bible recounts this very interesting scene: ‘And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
And he came by the spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, Then took he him (Jesus) up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all the people; A light to lighten (bring revelation to) the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.’ (Luke 2:25-32)
Yes friends, we see that all through His Word, the Lord moved in all kinds of mysterious ways to let mankind know that He was going to redeem them at the appropriate time, through the coming of His Messiah. Simeon was just one of those instances, guided by the Holy Ghost to be at the right place at the right time. And like so many other instances of the Lord’s largesse and mercy, Simeon had to wait a long time to see it. He was rather old by then. But our God keeps His promises, even if He has to keep us alive till we’re old and grey. (smile)
And that’s how it was with Simeon. But it was also another lesson for Jospeh and Mary in the Lord’s infinite machinations, as the scholars reveal that the words ‘a light to lighten (bring revelation to the Gentiles,’ was the first time they were hearing the startling prophecy that Jesus’ significance will extend even to the Gentiles. And that would have been surprising even if it had not come from a stranger.’
No wonder, as the Bible continues: ‘And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.’ (Luke 2:33) No doubt it reminded them of the shepherds who were led by the angels and the heavenly host to the place where Jesus lay on the night that He was born. They too had seen and spoken of some marvellous things. By then Mary and Joseph must have been wandering what they had gotten themselves into.
But the worst was yet to come. ‘And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set (destined) for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.’ (Luke 2: 34-35)
Oh, Jesus’s coming will bring deliverance, but also division, anguish and all sorts of heartache for Mary. As the scholars say: ‘Both redemption and judgement are bound up in His advent (coming).’ Now, how many of us still want to be Mary the mother of Jesus eh? It might have come with great fanfare and blessings, but the heartaches were also enormous. But be that as it may, let’s take our problems to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking help for our many problems.
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 to get that divine aid, means cleaning up our own act, through prayer, repentance and sincerely seeking God’s face! Much LOVE!…
were it not for Jesus’ sacrifice…mankind would ALL be heading for hellfire and damnation…so let’s be very thankful for Him…this Christmas season…
09 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a positive scenario, a son is given, a spiritual dynamic, a virgin shall be with child, activates the transformative impact, be it unto me according to thy word, behold the handmaid of the Lord, being a just man, bring forth a son, call his name Jesus, conceive in thy womb, consternation, Counsellor, declaring the end from the beginning, disobeyed your word, divine aid, Everlasting Father, faith, fear not, for with God nothing shall be impossible, forgiveness, found favour with God, God's creative power, holy spirit, how shall this be, humble ourselves, humble servants, I am God, I know not a man, I will do all my pleasure, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the reason for the season, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, my counsel shall stand, not willing to make her a public example, of the increase of his government, omnipotent god, overshadow thee, praise Your Holy Name, pray, predicament, prophecy, put her away secretly, remember the former things of old, salvation, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, strong faith in Christ, the Birth of Christ, The Christmas season, the God who heals, the government shall be upon his shoulder, the highest appreciation, the Holy Ghost, the mighty God, the negative scenario, the power of speaking God's truth, the Prince of Peace, the protective umbrella of jesus, the Son of God, the word of the gospel, the zeal of the Lord of hosts, there shall be no end, thou that art highly favoured, to alleviate our problems, trusts in god's faithfulness, truth, turn from our evil ways, unto us a child is born, wisdom, wise guidance, Wonderful
Luke 1:37. For with God nothing shall be impossible.
Now, it’s definitely not a good morning on which to begin our work week; a cold, wet, cloudy Monday, with a promise of snow later on in the day. But dem’s the breaks. That’s the kind of climate we live in at this time of year. But we can break that negative scenario with a positive one; that of Jesus’ birth, as we celebrate it in this Christmas season. What a joy and privilege it was, when His awesome birth brought a season of peace and goodwill to all men. And we all know how Jesus’s birth was foretold by the angel.
Yes, what a most remarkable story, where the angel Gabriel appears to Jesus’ mother, Mary, when she was just an engaged teenager, and greets her thus: ‘Hail (rejoice) thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.’ (Luke 1:28) Obviously Mary was puzzled by this unexpected enthusiastic greeting. But the angel says unto her, ‘Fear not Mary, for thou hast found favour with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.’ (Luke 1:30-31)
And then he tells her about all the great things Jesus would do. (Luke 1:32-33) But Mary doesn’t seem to pay much attention to that, for her next question is, ‘How shall this be, seeing I know not a man (I am a virgin)? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest (the Most High) shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (One) which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.’ (Luke 1:34-35)
Can you imagine Mary’s consternation at the predicament the birth of a child while still unmarried would put her in. But then the angel explains that her cousin Elisabeth, hitherto barren, was now six months pregnant, ‘For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ (Luke 1:37) But the best part of this whole story is Mary’s final answer to Gabriel. ‘And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. and the angel departed from her.’ (Luke 1:38)
Wow! Can you imagine that teenaged girl simply accepting the angel’s message without any trepidation or apparent thought for what would certainly be an untenable situation in that rigid Jewish society. However, as Gabriel had said earlier on, nothing is impossible with God, and He fixed the situation. When her betrothed Joseph discovered she was with child and they weren’t yet married, the Bible says: ‘being a just (upright) man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily (secretly).
But while he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived (begotten) in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS (Saviour): for he shall save his people from their sins.’ (Matt. 1:19-21)
Oh friends, don’t you just LOVE how our God orchestrates things that seem impossible to us. Instead of having Jospeh put away Mary, He has him marry her just like nothing was wrong. The Bible then shares with us the important prophecy of this occasion foretold long ago. ‘Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet (Isaiah), saying, Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted (translated) is, God with us.’ (Matt. 1:22-23)
That reminds us of the prophetic power of our God, or as Bruh Paul says: ‘who quickeneth (gives life to) the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.’ (Rom. 4:17c) It’s like He said through the prophet Isaiah: ‘Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else ; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times, the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:’ (Is. 46:9-10)
Oh, my people, there is certainly none other like our omnipotent God, who went about fulfilling prophecy from the very beginning of time right up to now, with many other prophecies yet to be fulfilled as the world spins. Now, here’s an interesting commentary on the subject. It asks, ‘What does it mean to call things that are not as though they were?’ Then answers: ‘By embracing the power of speaking God’s truth over others, believers participate in a spiritual dynamic that acknowledges God’s creative power, trusts in His faithfulness, and activates the transformative impact of the word of the gospel over others.’
Yes friends, we can also be a part of God’s prophetic world if we acknowledge His truths and His power. And one of the most powerful and important prophesies to mankind is that spoken by Isaiah, concerning the birth of Jesus, who was to bring salvation and forgiveness to the people!
‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is. 9:6-7)
And this Christmas season we’re about to celebrate is only the fulfilling of the first part of the prophecy, so let’s wake up and make sure we’re living under the protective umbrella of Jesus, before the last part of that prophecy unfolds. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to improve our world and our particular circumstances.
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!’
Now, let’s remember that no divine aid will be forthcoming unless and until we humble ourselves before the Lord, seek His face and turn from our evil ways! Much LOVE!
…Jesus is the reason…for the Christmas season…let’s remind the world of that…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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