28 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a worthy walk of faithful believers, after God, alienated from God, alive and kicking, all efforts to obtain happiness end in failure, as God for Christ's sake forgave you, assume a new character and life, be separated from God, be ye angry and sin not, be ye kind one to another, being past feeling, Christian teaching, come to know and love christ like we do, corrupt according to deceitful lusts, created in righteousness and true holiness, darkened understanding, do whatever feels right, evil speaking, faith, forgiving one another, foul language, futility of their mind, Gentile obstinacy against the divine will, given themselves over unto lasciviousness, godly perseverance, gone so deep in sin, gracious speech, grieve not the holy Spirit of God, having become calloused, he may have to give to him that needs, holy spirit, honest work, Hurricane Melissa, hurry, I am the beloved of god, immoral attitude, in god's eyes, in the vanity of their mind, insensitive to moral right and wrong, into line with God's viewpoint, Jesus Christ, let all bitterness, let him labour, let him that stole steal no more, Let no corrupt communication proceed out of thy mouth, let not the sun go down on your wrath, living for Jesus, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, meet the needs of others, mercy, minister grace unto the hearers, neither give place to the devil, practical advice, pray for Jamaica, put off the former conversation, put off the old man, put on the new man, putting away lying, renounce our pre-conversion life, resentment and wrath, righteous indignation, running rampant, salvation, sealed unto the day of redemption, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, sinful anger, sins to be discarded, speak every man the truth with his neighbour, tenderhearted, that which is good to the use of edifying, the blindness of their heart, the hardening of their hearts, the right motives, the thing which is good, the truth is in Jesus, theft, through ignorance, to give way to kindness and forgiveness, to work all uncleanness with greediness, trust my friend Jesus, truth, truth-telling, Tuesday Mantra, walk not as other Gentiles walk, we are members one of another, we can do anything through Jesus who strengthens us, wisdom, with all malice, without proper purpose, working with his hands, worry, wrath clamour anger be put away from you, ye have not so learned Christ
Ephesians 4:24. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Ah friends, the chilly days, or rather the chilly nights, seem like they are now here to stay, for the daytime temperature still isn’t too bad when there’s sunshine. Unfortunately though, today the sun is not as powerful as we would like it, thus it’s somewhat cloudy. But as we keep saying, regardless of the weather conditions, once we’re alive and kicking, and living for Jesus, we’re all right! In fact better than all right, we’re wonderful, filled with His LOVE and peace! We can’t ask for anything better than that!
However, our fellow believers in Jamaica are surely not so well off, as Hurricane Melissa batters their beautiful island paradise. Please, let’s pray for them, that the loss of lives and property will not be too bad, and that godly recovery will begin right away. For a serious hurricane is no matter to joke about, as I can tell from personal experience in 1963, when Hurricane Flora which blew down Tobago much earlier than forecasted and caused enormous damage.
And today we’re going to talk about believers putting on the new man, as Bruh Paul wrote to the Ephesians. ‘This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity (futility) of their mind. Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through (because of) the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness (hardening) of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness (licentiousness), to work all uncleanness with greediness.’ (Eph. 4:17-20)
Yes my brethren, Bruh Paul there continues to spell out what constitutes a worthy walk of faithful believers in Christ. And the scholars further explain that ‘since each Christian is divinely enabled with some spiritual gift, he must walk not as other Gentiles walk, lest his much-needed contribution to the church’s growth be sorely missed. Unbelieving Gentiles live in the vanity of their mind, without proper purpose, causing all their efforts to obtain happiness to end in failure.
The blindness of their heart refers to the hardness of their will. Gentiles’ obstinacy against the divine will has caused them to be separated from God’s life. Being past feeling means “having become calloused.” These unbelievers have gone so deep in sin that they are insensitive to moral right and wrong.’
And we see that immoral attitude running rampant all over our world today. Very few of us care about moral right and wrong nowadays. The current fashion is to do whatever feels right to us. However that does not apply to true believers in Christ Jesus. As Bruh Paul continues: ‘But ye have not so learned Christ;’ (Eph. 4;20) In other words, we didn’t learn that behaviour of the unbelieving Gentiles in our Christian teaching.
Instead, ‘If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus. That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.’ (Eph. 4:21-24)
Now that’s what we’ve been taught in our Christian teaching; to put off the old man, or ‘renounce our pre-conversion life and sins; to be renewed in … your mind, or be constantly changed, being brought more and more into line with God’s viewpoint, as well as to put on the new man, which is to assume a new nature (character) and conduct (life) at conversion.’
And it’s all well and good to tell us to do that stuff, but how do we do it in real life? But that’s the beauty of most of Bruh Paul’s writing; after giving you some doctrine or task, he usually gives you some practical advice on how to accomplish said task. And here, he does give some practical advice on how to take off the old man and put on the new one.
‘Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:25-32)
Yes mih people, that’s what our world ought to look like. As the scholars tell us: ‘This section gives practical guidelines as to how “the old man” can be laid aside and how “the new man” can be assumed in daily living. The passage specifies five sins to be discarded, the virtues that are to replace them, and the motive for such exchange: (1) Lying is to be replaced by truth-telling, since Christians are fellow members. (2) Sinful anger is to be replaced by (briefly held) righteous indignation, that the Devil may not be given an opportunity.
(3) Theft is to be replaced by honest work, so that one may have the means to meet the needs of others. (4) Foul language is to be replaced by gracious speech, that it may edify others and not grieve the Holy spirit. (5) Resentment and wrath are to give way to kindness and forgiveness, since God has forgiven us through Christ’s sacrificial doings.’
Now, putting those actions into daily practice will surely take a lot of energy and perseverance, but let’s not forget we have the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us. The long and short of the story though is that we sincerely want to make the changes Bruh Paul describes. If we do, then we will succeed, because we will make the effort, and we can do anything through Christ who strengthens us. So, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry 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!’
And having said that, it now behooves us to go out and 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!
…with the right motives…and godly perseverance…we can do anything that’s in God’s will…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Christian life begins with total commitment, a great day to be alive, a living sacrifice, a new way of thinking, a time of renewal, a time to renew our passion for Christ, acceptable unto God, and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, As God for christ's sake forgave you, be kind to one another, be not conformed to this world, be ye angry and sin not, be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, blindness of heart, changing your thought patterns, christianity, Christians, closer intimacy with God, conduct of the world, created in righteousness and true holiness, deepen my breath, Easter Season, embracing biblical principles, engaging in creative activities, eternal life, evil speaking, faith, flowers sprouting, forgiving one another, good to the use of edifying, greed, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, if any man love the world, ignorance, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, justifying, laciviousness, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let him labour, let him that stole steal no more, Let no corrupt communication proceed out of thy mouth, let not the sun go down upon your wrath, living lives that honour Christ, LOVE, love not the world, making us righteous, members one of another, mercy, minister grace unto the hearers, Mother Nature, neither give place to the devil, neither the things that are in the world, perseverance, practical advice, practicing new habits, prayer, prsent thinking, put away all bitterness anger wrath and clamour, put off the former conversation, put on the new man, putting away lying, quiet my soul, reading scripture, rebirth, reflection, relax my muscles, renewed in the spirit of your mind, resist being poured into the mold of the world, resurrection, salvation, sanctifying, sealed until the day of redemption, sincere effort, sincerity and truth, slow my thoughts, speak truth with your neighbour, spring, tenderhearted, thank you for this tenderness, the BIBLE, the help of the Holy Spirit, the Lord's calming presence, the love of the Father is not in him, the old man, the passion of our souls, the sacrificial death of Jesus, the season of rebirth, the thing which is good, the truth is in Jesus, to align with the truth of God's word, total commitment, transform our minds, trees budding with green leaves, truth, value systems, vanity, wisdom, with all malice, working with his hands, your love both surrounds and fills me, your reasonable service
Romans 12: 2a. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,
Oh, this first lazy-day Saturday in May is a somewhat damp and cloudy one, but it’s oh so good for lazing around! (smile) And besides, that wonderful season of spring is in the air. The season of rebirth, of renewal, of all things being made new, and once again the trees are budding green leaves and flowers are sprouting in the gardens. What can be nicer eh, especially in this Easter Season, one of resurrection, of salvation and of eternal life! That means it’s a great day to be alive, so let’s give thanks to our wonderful God for that li’l fact nuh, by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer.
As one voice, in all sincerity and truth: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ And as always, if our prayer was sincere, we can soon expect to receive a calming presence from our heavenly Father, for desiring to be with Him in greater intimacy is His favourite desire, and He cannot help but grant our wish.
And just as spring is a time of renewal and rebirth for Mother Nature, I believe it can also be a time of renewal and rebirth for us, a time to strengthen our faith, to renew our belief in Christ Jesus, a time to reignite the passion in our souls, having recently suffered through His sacrificial death on our behalf, and then witnessed His miraculous and amazing resurrection. That’s certainly a time to renew our passion for Christ. so let’s begin with this foundational scripture from Bruh Paul to the Romans.
‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (rational) service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’ (Rom. 12:1-2) Yes friends, in honour of all that God has done for us, justifying, sanctifying, and making us righteous, among other things, then we need to show some appreciation and respect by living lives that honour Him. And according to the scholars: ‘This shows that the Christian life begins with total commitment and irrevocable presentation.’
Now, the first step in this renewal of our minds is to stop being conformed to the ways of the world, which are mostly opposite and opposed to those of Christ. As per the scholars, we are to ‘resist being poured into the mold of the present thinking, value systems, and conduct of this world.’ And John, in his first epistle, tells it perfectly: ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him.’ (1 John 1:15) It could not be more explicit than that!
Then, we are to transform our minds, transition them to a new way of thinking, that supplied by Christ and His values. And I like how this commentary explains the process of transforming our minds. ‘Renewing your mind, often used in a spiritual context, involves actively changing your thought patterns to align with truth and God’s will. This process can be achieved through reading scripture, embracing biblical principles, and setting aside time for reflection and prayer. Practicing new habits, engaging in creative activities, and even taking a break from routine can also contribute to a renewed perspective.’
Yes, it’s not easy, especially if you were deeply involved in the ways of the world, and it does take time, but with a sincere heart and the help of the Holy Spirit, that transformation can be accomplished. And Bruh Paul, as is his habit, gives us some practical advice per transforming our minds, in his letter to the Ephesians. Having talked about the Gentiles being alienated from Christ, with their vanity, ignorance, blindness of heart, uncleanness, lasciviousness and greed, (Eph. 4:17-19) he then writes:
‘But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to hm that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying (educational), that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day or redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:20-32)
And that’s the practical manner in which we go about transforming our minds and putting on the new man in Christ! And yes, it’s a lot to learn and do, but that’s why we’ve been given the Holy Spirit as our guide and helper. And please remember that nothing happens overnight, but it takes sincere effort and perseverance on our part. If we do our part, the Lord will surely do His. So on this damp and cloudy first lazy-day Saturday in May, let’s do like Mother Nature does in springtime, and get to renewing our minds and bodies in the new man that resembles Christ Jesus! Much LOVE!
…you cannot be in Christ…or He in you…unless your mind’s been transformed…and you’re a new man…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: an empire on which the sun never sets, As God for christ's sake forgave you, be in the world but not of the world, be kind one to another, be renewed in the spirit of your mind, Bible, christianity, communication, corrupt communication, deceitful lusts, deepen my breath, Ephesians, faith, forgiving one another, good to the use of edifying, greed, grieve not the holy Spirit of God, holy spirit, increase my awareness of you today, intimacy, jealousy, Jesus Christ, know you all the more, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let him that stole steal no more, LOVE, lying, peace, practical advice for living the Christian life, put off the old man, put on the new man, quiet my soul, resentment, sealed unto the day of redemption, selfishness, slow my thoughts, smell the sweet perfume, spiritual improvement, stray from God's will, tenderhearted, the roses in Christ's garden, truth telling, Victoria Day holiday, wake up and see the light, wisdom, wrath, your peace and love are present, your unceasing nearness
Ephesians 4:30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Well, it’s a somewhat cloudy but warm lazy-day Saturday, on this first long weekend of the summer. And it’s a holiday in honour of the powerful Queen Victoria, who in her long reign (1837-1901) saw Britain through its ‘great age of industrial expansion, economic progress and, especially, empire building. At her death, it was said, Britain had a worldwide empire on which the sun never set.’ And although comparatively few people know of her, or why there’s a holiday named in her honour, I can guarantee that many of us will be aggressively celebrating her holiday this weekend. (smile)
But before we get to the celebrations, let’s show a li’l wisdom, a modicum of circumspection if you will,, and offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer to help quiet and refresh our tired souls. As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And as always, if our prayer was sincere, we know that we will receive our requests, because our wonderful God never turns down those kinds of requests. Yes friends, whenever we ask God for more of Himself, for greater intimacy with Him, He’s only too glad to give it to us, because it’s what He created us for; constant communication and intimacy. And it saddens His heart, grieves the Holy Spirit when we turn away from that communication and intimacy. Remember Bruh Paul’s words on the subject to the Ephesians? ‘And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.’ ((Eph. 4:30)
Now we do that quite easily when we allow the devil to get into our hearts and minds and cause us to do things we know are wrong. That’s why Bruh Paul, in speaking about putting on the new man, was giving the Ephesians practical steps to avoid that kind of behaviour. And I like how this commentary explains it in simple, practical everyday terms. ‘When we, deliberately or inadvertently, behave in a way that is inimical to our spiritual improvement it grieves the Holy Spirit; in the same way that a LOVING parent is grieved when his or her child behaves in a self-destructive manner.’
Yes, it’s the same way our heavenly Father is saddened when we stray from His will and word. And I guess while we’re here, we might as well check out those practical applications that Bruh Paul talks about in the putting on of that new man. Just to remind us of some inappropriate behaviour on this long weekend. (smile) So He writes: ‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members of one another.
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:22-32)
Now there’s very good practical advice for living the Christian life, and thus not grieving the Holy Spirit. But it’s not always easy to do, especially when faced with all the temptations and trials of this evil and ungodly world. That’s why we need to remind ourselves of them every so often. And if you find it all a bit much to comprehend, (smile) then the scholars have broken it down very nicely for us. They say: ‘This section gives practical guidelines as to how “the old man” (vs. 22) can be laid aside and how the “new man” (vs. 24) can be assumed in daily living.
The passage specifies five sins to be discarded, the virtues that are to replace them, and the motive for such exchange: (1) Lying is to be replaced by truth-telling, since Christians are fellow members (vs.25). (2)Sinful anger is to be replaced by (briefly held) righteous indignation, that the Devil may not be given an opportunity (vs. 26-27). (3) Theft is to be replaced by honest work, in order that one may have the means to meet the needs of others (vs.28). (4) Foul language is to be replaced by gracious speech, that it may edify others and not grieve the Spirit (vs. 29-30). (5) Resentment and wrath are to give way to kindness and forgiveness, since God has forgiven us (vs. 31-32).
So there we have it friends, both in the very words of Bruh Paul, and in the simplified explanations of the scholars. (smile) That means we have no excuses for not putting those practical suggestions into action in our own lives. And why won’t we do it eh? We all know that it most definitely makes for a better life, but because the greed and envy, the jealousy and selfishness innate in our spirits, with the encouragement of the world system, too many of us still insist on living like the “old man”, refusing to put on the new one that characterizes Christ and His true followers.
Ah friends, we’re only hurting ourselves and those we LOVE, for our beliefs and actions don’t only reverberate or boomerang back on us, but also on those around us. So please, let’s wake up and see the light nuh, smell the sweet perfume of the roses that exists in the beautiful garden of Christ! Much LOVE!
…as Christians…we should be IN the world…but not OF the world…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Apr 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, as a roaring lion, be renewed in the spirit of your mind, be ye kind one to another, bounden duty, curse, draw nigh to God, faith, favour, forgiving one another, God for Christ's sake has forgiven you, good health, good to the use of edifying, have life more abundantly, his bark is worse than his bite, it is written, let him that stole steal no more, let not the sun go down upon your wrath, LOVE, minister grace unto the hearers, negative word, neither give place to the devil, resist steadfast in the faith, resist the devil and he will flee from you, satan a toothless lion, seeking whom he may devour, the devil looks for us to make missteps, the God of all grace, the upper hand, Thursday Blessings, your adversary the devil
Ephesians 4:27. Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil.
Well, it seems that the sun has the upper hand in the weather contest this Thursday morning in early spring. But fear not, the dark clouds are hovering around, ready to slip in, once the sun makes a wrong step. And that is exactly how the devil does with us believers. He’s always there hovering and loitering, waiting for us to make a misstep, then jump right into the opening in our souls and spirits. And that’s why there are so many warnings in the scriptures about being careful of the wiles and evil schemes of Beelzebub.
Jesus even warned us about falsehood and evil in this world. He said in no uncertain terms: ‘The thief cometh not but for (except) to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:10-11) And that’s exactly what He did on the cross at Calvary; gave His life for us, the sheep of His pasture. But the devil has no such good intentions towards us. He just wants to wreak havoc amongst us and invade our souls and do the same there, his basic intention being to turn us away from believing in and truly living for Christ.
And that’s why we have to pay serious attention to this scripture from Peter. He writes: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-11)
There you have it in black and white friends: the devil is always prowling around to see whom he can snare in his evil trap. And though he pretends to be a lion, he’s a toothless one, with only a frightening roar. That’s because Jesus knocked out all of his teeth when He died and rose from the dead. That was Jesus’ knockout punch to the enemy, thus making him a toothless and powerless foe. Remember, he has no power over us, unless we give it to him. As they say, his bark is worse than his bite, since he has no teeth to bite. (smile) The problem though is that we continually give the devil room to manoeuvre in our lives because we don’t pay sufficient attention to the things we do and say.
And that’s James’ reason for warning us, when he says: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded….Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-8, 10) Yes friends, we must resist the devil. That’s the only way we can get rid of him. And one way of doing that is by turning seriously and sincerely to God. Humbling ourselves before Him, cleansing our hands and purifying our hearts through sincere communication and doing of His holy will.
The devil won’t just go away and leave you alone…at least not for long. As Luke reminds us in the temptation of Jesus. ‘And when the devil had ended all the temptation (testing), he departed from him for a season (until an appropriate time).’ (Luke 4:13) That shows when you resist the devil, he goes away, but only until he sees another opportune time to confound you. But please note too how Jesus resisted the devil during His period of testing; by quoting scripture to him. ‘It is written…that man should not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ (Luke 4:4) ‘It is written…Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.’ (Luke 4:8) ‘It is written…Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.’ (Luke 4:12)
Yes my fellow believers, when the devil gets a good dose of scriptures in his evil machinations, he goes away, but only for a time. That’s why we need to read, meditate and remember the scriptures so we can throw it back in his face when he comes a calling. Now, please note that when Jesus shot the scriptures at the devil, he backed off. So don’t think for one moment that Satan doesn’t know the scriptures. He possibly knows them better than us, for remember once upon a time, he was the Archangel Lucifer, the Bright Morning Star, who’s foolish pride caused him to rebel against God and get kicked out of heaven down to the fiery depths of Hades.
And we can’t quote scriptures on resisting the devil and not quote these from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. (smile) He writes: ‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lust; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil.
Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:22-32)
Oh my fellow saints that’s just the way we ought to live as true believers! And I know that it’s not always easy to live the godly, righteous life, but it’s the best way to fight off the enemy and his evil wiles and schemes. Don’t give him even a toe hold in our lives by doing the things Bruh Paul warns of. And if we live that way, we won’t have to fight off the devil as often. Now, I hope that give us some reassurance in standing up mano a mano to the enemy, but our God is so wonderful that He’s bestowed blessings on us, that we call Thursday Blessings, so that we can do His earthly work and live the way He desires. Let’s declare (steups!!!) them out loud now so we can activate them.
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 activated those blessings, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and use them to help others come to know and LOVE Jesus like we do! Much LOVE!
…living the way Jesus desires…reduces the attacks of the enemy…
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23 Jun 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a remarkable transformation, always right on time, another beautiful day in the life, be renewed in the spirit of your mind, be ye angry and sin not, behold I will do a new thing, grieve not the Holy Spirit, he may have to give to him that needs, hte light of my life, I am halfway home, I'm not turning back, I'm so glad to be alive, Jesus Christ, Jesus' mystique, let him that stole steal no more, let not the sun go down upon your wrath, life-changing attirudes, LOVE, make a way in the wilderness, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, my salvation and my glory, neither consider the things of old, neither give place to the devil, no condemnation to them which are in Christ, now it shall spring forth, put away lying, remember ye not the former things, rivers in the desert, sealed until the day of redemption, shall ye not know it?, speak the truth, thank God, the breath of life, the guiding light of our lives, the most wonderful gift ever bestowed, to a glorious future with Jesus, walk the narrow path, Wednesday Wail, what a joy divine, who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit
Isaiah 43:19a. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?
So now it’s Wednesday, another beautiful day in the life! Thank the Lord for His goodness to the children of men! Especially when it comes to His wonderful Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour; the most beautiful, powerful and LOVING gift ever bestowed in this universe! And the saints of Christ, all lifted their heads, hearts and voices and sincerely declared: ‘Jesus! Jesus! The light of my life, my salvation and my glory! Thank You heavenly Father for giving Him to us. We LOVE You dearly, and we praise and bless Your Holy Name! Amen!’
Ah friends, what a momentous and joyful experience it is when Jesus comes into our lives! There’s nothing in the world to compare to or outclass it! You just simply feel a different vibe in your spirit, body and soul. Nothing like you’ve ever felt before. And you’re just astonished that such a remarkable transformation is possible, and wonder why you never experienced it before. But that’s just part of Jesus’ mystique; nothing happens before it’s time, before He is ready to come into your life. And it’s nothing to be afraid of; for He’s never late or early, always right on time with His well-drawn up and executed plans for each of his creations.
As the Father said so long ago, through the prophet Jeremiah. ‘For I know the thoughts 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) That’s a very pertinent scripture in the lives of all believers my people. It means that whenever you accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, that is the exact right time, the time that He had planned from eons ago to come into your life. There’s nothing vikey-vie or wishy-washy in God’s economy. It’s all well laid out and executed. Every possibility and consequence have already been considered and plans made to countervail them.
The prophet Isaiah declared it thus: ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ (Is. 43:18-19) Yes friends, when Jesus comes into our lives, it’s a whole new story, a rebirth! To all intents and purposes, we are born again, like He said to Nicodemus: ‘Verily, verily (truly) I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:3)
And when Nicodemus looked surprised and asked: ‘How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily (truly), I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirt is spirit.’ (John 3:4-6) Yes my people, the rebirth we are talking about here is one of the spirit, one of life-changing attitudes, opinions and behaviour.
And here’s how Bruh Paul explains this rebirth. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ (2 Cor. 5:17) And it’s of the utmost important that we understand the meaning of those words. Basically, it means that we give up the old lifestyle we lived and adopt a new one where Jesus, through His Holy Spirit that comes to indwell in when we receive Him, is our guide and leader. We now consider His ways and means as the guiding light of our lives.
Sin, or the rejection of it, now becomes of much more importance. We no longer live after the flesh, or as the world dictates, because then we are merely IN the world, but not OF the world! We take our direction, our orders from Jesus and the things He desires, not from what the world says. We now live life in the Spirit, not in the carnal and sinful desires of the flesh. As Bruh Paul puts it to the church at Rome. ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.’ (Rom. 8:1-2)
Yes friends, when we come to Christ, the influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives guides us in a new direction, to obedience and good works in Christ, not back to the old, carnal lusts and desires we once had. Oh precious people, receiving Christ brings us into a whole new ball game. Here is how Bruh Paul describes it to the Ephesians. ‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.’ (Eph. 4:22-24)
And the scholars offer these explanations re those verses. ‘4:22-24. Christianity taught the addressees to (1) put off…the old man, to renounce their pre-conversion life and sins; (2) be renewed in…your mind, to be constantly changed, being brought more and more into line with God’s own viewpoint; and (3) put on the new man, that is, to assume a new nature (character) and conduct (life) at conversion.’ And yes, we all discover that changing our lifestyle in mid-stream is not an easy, or always a delightful task. But as true believers in Christ, it is absolutely necessary that we give it our all! And never fear, for Jesus is always there to help us!
Now, here are a few practical pointers that Bruh Paul gave to the Ephesians, which are still helpful to us today in this topsy-turvy, deceitful, evil and godless world. They run from 4:25 -32, 5:1-2, you can read them at your own leisure, (smile) but to save time and space, I’ll just list them as the scholars’ explanations. ‘4:22-5:2. …practical guidelines as to how “the old man” (vs. 22) can be laid aside and how the “new man” (vs. 24) can be assumed in daily living. The passage specifies five sins to be discarded, the virtues that are to replace them, and the motive for such an exchange:
(1) Lying is to be replaced by truth-telling, since Christians are fellow members (vs. 25). (2) Sinful anger is to be replaced by (briefly held) righteous indignation, that the Devil may not be given opportunity (vs. 26-27). (3) Theft is to be replaced by honest work, in order that one may have the means to meet the needs of others (vs. 28). (4) Foul language is to be replaced by gracious speech, that it may edify others and not grieve the Spirit (vs. 29). (5) Resentment and wrath are to give way to kindness and forgiveness, since God has forgiven us (vs. 31-32).’
That’s it in a nutshell friends! Nothing exotic, but very practical guidelines that we can all implement as we walk in LOVE, as Christ desires of us. Now let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail letting the world know of our wonderful position on 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 believe me, if we walk that narrow path right to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…to walk in step with Jesus…oh…what a joy divine…
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06 Oct 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: affirmation, anger, as God for Christ's sake, be kind to one another, be ye angry and sin not, bitterness, blessings, children of the Most High God, clamour, corrupt communication, edifying, encouraged, everything to God in prayer, evil speaking, forgiveness, forgiving one another, foul language, glory hallelujah, God of peace and love, goodness of character, gracious speech, Gramps Schuller, grieve not the holy Spirit of God, hath forgiven you, honest work, Hour of Power Devotional, I am not what people say about me, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, integrity, kindness, labour, let him that stole steal no more, let not the sun go down upon your wrath, lifted me, lonely, LOVE, malice, maturity, members one of another, mercies, minister grace unto the hearers, morality, my one essential intimate friend, neither give place to the devil, putting away lying, putting on the new man in Christ, resentment, righteous indignation, Scrip-Bit family, serving, share His love with the world, sinking, sinning, speak every man truth, striving, struggling, succeeding, suffering, supported me, tenderhearted, the characteristic that defines us, the Holy Spirit, the straight and narrow path, theft, Tuesday Mantra, until the day of redemption, What a Friend, what a friend i have in Jesus, what a privilege to carry, whereby ye are sealed, working the thing that is good, wrath, you comforted me, you forgave me, You have never failed Lord, you rejoiced with me, you renewed me
Ephesians 4:30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
And a fine good morning to you all, my Scrip-Bit Family! And it is indeed a fine day to be alive, since new, unexpected blessings and mercies are in the offing! May the God, our God of peace and LOVE bless us all this Tuesday morning as we go about doing His holy will.
And since today is Tuesday, I guess that calls for us to recite our Tuesday Mantra. So in one strong and sincere voice let’s affirm this wonderful affirmation. (smile)
‘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 hurry. I don’t have to worry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Yes my brethren, the most important aspect of our lives is that we are children of the Most High God Jehovah! That’s the telling characteristic that defines us! What we do and what we have are immaterial and unimportant when matched up with the fact that we are God’s children. Please remember that.
And to corroborate what we just said about Jesus being our Friend, listen to this poem from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert A Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional. I don’t know if I have ever shared it before, but it certainly is very apropos for today. So please pray this prayer with me titled ‘What a Friend!’
‘You have never failed, Lord, to be my one, essential, intimate friend. When I was: Lonely in striving – you encouraged me. Lonely in struggling – you lifted me. Lonely in serving – you supported me. Lonely in suffering – you comforted me. Lonely in sinning – you forgave me. Lonely in sinking – you renewed me. Lonely in succeeding – you rejoiced with me. What a friend I have in Jesus! Thank you, Lord. Amen.’
Oh my people, my people, that is gospel truth! I can testify to it, as many of you can, because in the darkest, roughest and loneliest hours of our lives, our ever-faithful Friend, Jesus, is ALWAYS there with us, and helps us to come through those unnerving times. Glory Hallelujah!
NO ONE else is ever ALWAYS with us! And for that reason we ought to feel safe and comforted in each and every circumstance and be able to fulfill the words of our Bit. ‘And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.’
Yes Friends, that’s something we should always try to do, because it shows a lack of trust and character on our part. The Holy Spirit indwells us to lead and guide us aright, on the straight and narrow path that leads to God. So if we continually grieve Him, then we’re showing a terrible lack of integrity, of morality and goodness of character.
And how do we grieve the Holy Spirit? Hear how Bruh Paul puts it to the Ephesians. ‘Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath. Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil.
Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph.4:25-32)
Now that’s how we grieve not the Holy Spirit my brethren! Basically by letting go of all our past behaviour and putting on the new man that’s in Christ. As we keep saying, it’s not always easy to give up our former habits and friendships, but with God’s ever-present help, we certainly can move along that long and challenging continuum of maturity in Christ Jesus.
Now here are some more detailed explanations from the scholars. ‘4:25-5:2. This section gives practical guidelines as to how “the old man” (v.22) can be laid aside and how “the new man” (v.24) can be assumed in daily living. The passage specifies five sins to be discarded, the virtues that are to replace them, and the motive for such an exchange:
(1) Lying is to be replaced by truth-telling, since Christians are fellow members (v.25). (2) Sinful anger is to be replaced by (briefly held) righteous indignation, that the devil may not be given opportunity (vv.26-27). (3) Theft is to be replaced by honest work, in order that one may have the means to meet the needs of others, (v.28).
(4) Foul language is to be replaced by gracious speech, that it may edify others (v.28) and not grieve the Spirit (vv.29-30). (5) Resentment and wrath are to give way to kindness and forgiveness, since God has forgiven us (vv.31-32).’
And there we have it in spades Friends; how not to grieve the Holy Spirit! So please, today let’s ponder all what we’ve read and, obviously with God’s help, try to improve our individual situations, re the grieving of the Holy Spirit, for that is indeed wisdom of the highest order! Much LOVE!
…what a Friend we have in Jesus…all our sins and griefs to bear…what a privilege to carry…everything to God in prayer…
P.S. You’ll notice that the font is slightly bigger, that’s because one reader complained that it was too small for her deteriorating eyes. I wanted to tell her, well just go and get some glasses nuh. (smile) But that would have been rude and unmannerly, and we pride ourselves on not being that way. Hope it helps some others with the same problem.(smile) Much LOVE!
SCRIP-BITS 