04 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a desire for sincere intimacy, a God full of compassion, a life-saving choice, a rebellious people, a serious warning, a waste of life, a word to the wise is sufficient, abnormal weather, all should come to repentance, all to smithereens, an example to us, as some men count slackness, blessed are all they that wait for him, blessing and cursing, boosts our souls and spirits, both thou and thy seed may live, breaks God's heart, choose life, chosen to embrace Satan's evil ways, continue unchanged, deepen my breath, delivered my soul from the depths of hell, Dr. Charles Stanley, end up in unwise situations, eternal separation, faith, from the beginning of time, get you out of the way, God is not willing that any should perish, God's righteous desires, gracious, great is thy mercy, greater intimacy with God, hell fire and damnation, holy spirit, how should we then live, human creations have turned against God, I call heaven and earth, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, I marvel to think, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, increase my awareness of you today, Israel paid harsh consequences for disobedience, Jesus Christ, laze around, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, leave all the consequences to Him, life challenging predicament, longsuffering, LOVE, lying children, may be gracious unto you, mercy, obedience and faithfulness to God, obey God, one of the reasons God created us, our children don't follow our guidelines, our transgressions and sins be upon us, pateince, pay harsh consequences for rebellious choices, personal experience, pine away, plenteous in mercy and truth, prophesy deceits, prophesy not unto us right things, quiet my soul, rebellious times, reconcile the situation, relax my muscles, right to the very end, salvation, say to the seers see not, set before you life and death, slow my thoughts, Son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, speak unto us smooth things, thank you for this tenderness, that choice also impacts us today, the Holy One of Israel, the Lord is a God of justice, the Lord is longsuffering to us-ward, the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, the Lord will be exalted, the wicked turn from his way and live, therefore will the Lord wait, to cease from before us, to witness this day against you, truth, turn aside out of the path, turn ye from your evil ways, wallowing in Satan's evil mire, warms the cockles of God's heart, why will ye die, will not hear the law of the Lord, wisdom, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Isaiah 30:9. That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord:
Wow! Another sparkling, warm, beautiful summer-like day in early October. And it’s our lazy-day Saturday to boot! What bliss! (smile) We can even laze around outside at this time of year, if we so desire. And I do hope we give much thanks for this wonderful, but certainly abnormal weather, we are currently enjoying, for it’s eventually going to end. Anyhow, to aid in our lazing around, (smile) let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with heartfelt sincerity and truth.
As one strong 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!’
Ah friends, there’s nothing like attaining greater intimacy with our LOVING God, for it not only boosts our souls and spirits, but it also warms the cockles of God’s heart, since a desire for sincere intimacy with us is one of the reasons He created us. And in these rebellious times, when so many of His human creations are turning, and have turned against Him, it just breaks His poor heart all to smithereens, because it means we have chosen to embrace His enemy, Satan’s evil ways, rather than His righteous and godly desires.
It’s just like how we end up with broken hearts when our children don’t follow our guidelines and end up in unwise situations totally opposite to what we desire for them. And I’m sure that when the Lord looks around and sees so many of His human creation following Beelzebub, wallowing in his evil mire, that it not only breaks His heart, but it keeps Him from sending Jesus back to earth, for He just cannot stand to lose so many of His creation to hell fire and damnation, and eternal separation from Himself.
It’s like Peter says: ‘The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ (2 Pet.3:9) Yes my people, the Lord certainly doesn’t want any of His human creation to perish, but that all of them should trust in Him and thus receive salvation and eternal life in His glorious company.
And there are several scriptures that attest to the sentiments in that verse, like these from Psalm 86 God’s Readiness to Forgive – where Bruh David writes: ‘For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest (depths of) hell (Sheol)…But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.’ (Ps. 86:13, 15) And those have been the wonderful attributes of our marvellous God from the beginning of time, and will continue unchanged right to the very end!
Now listen to Isaiah, as he talks about God’s graciousness and mercy towards a rebellious Israel. ‘And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you, for the Lord is a God of judgement (justice): blessed are all they that wait for him.’ (Is. 30:18) And that’s no lie friends! Our God is indeed filled with patience, as so many of us know from personal experience, because He waited so long for us to wake up and turn to Him for healing, salvation and eternal life. (smile)
Then there’s this interesting scripture from the prophet Ezekiel, as he talks to his people about turning from their evil ways. The Lord commands him: ‘Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine (waste) away in them, how should we then live? Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?’ (Ezek. 33:10-11)
And my brethren, that’s the very question the Lord’s asking us today…why will we die, why won’t we turn from our evil ways and live? Dying in our evil ways is simply a waste of life! It’s like Moses said to the Israelites so long ago. ‘I call heaven and earth to record (witness) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19)
It’s all so simple friends; God offers us two paths; life or death, blessings or curses. And he urges us to choose life with blessings, which entails obedience and faithfulness to God. And it was such an important moment, such a life-saving choice that Moses called both heaven and earth to witness it and the resulting consequences from that choice. Now what we have to remember is that choice did not only impact that generation, but also their descendants and those who choose to follow God, which also includes us in this twenty-first century.
Ah my fellow believers, there’s not much more to say on the subject, except these words from the Lord to the prophet Isaiah, re the rebellious people of Israel, words that resonate very well and very loudly in these evil and ungodly times. ‘Now go, write it before them in a table (on a tablet), and note it in a book (on a scroll), that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever: That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.’ (Is. 30:8-11)
The Lord knew why he had Isaiah write those words, as an example, a serious warning for us. But just like Israel, we’re content to ignore them and go our merry way rejoicing, living our evil and ungodly lifestyles. But just like Israel paid harsh consequences for their disobedience, so will we also pay harsh consequences for our rebellious choices. The only way to reconcile the situation is by doing as Uncle Charles (the late Dr. Charles Stanley) liked to say; ‘Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.’ And that’s the ONLY way we will ever get out of our current, life challenging predicament. Much LOVE!
… a word to the wise is sufficient…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a daily choice for believers, a merciful God, a repeated experience for believers, be filled with the Holy Spirit, be grateful for all things, be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, be used for good, being refilled with the Holy Spirit, Christians be filled with the Holy Spirit, continually yielded to God's control and power, contrary to God's will, control one's passions and lusts, dependability, disobeyed God's word, dissipation, divine aid, divinely allowed to enter one's life, do the Lord's work, don't get drunk on alcoholic beverages, drunkenness, exhort and instruct each other, faith, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, generosity, gentleness, giving thanks always for all things, gladness of heart, God's will, goodness, grow spiritually in Christ, holy spirit, humble servants, in psalms hymns and spiritual songs, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, individual song and praise for the Lord, it's all for our benefit, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, joy, kindness, longsuffering, LOVE, making melody in your heart to the Lord, mass confusion in our world, mercy, moral intemperance, negative situations, not a one time thing, obedience to God's will, ongoing submission to God's will, patience with others, peace, practical advice for living the Christian life, sacrificial giving of oneself, salvation, seed planted and nourished by the Holy spirit, self-control, show them your awesome grace and mercy, sincerely seek your face, singing, speaking to yourselves, submitting yourselves one to another, temperance, thank you for life and strong faith in Christ, the believer is expected to bear much fruit, the fear of God, the fruit of the spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, the God who heals, the Holy Spirit gets more of the believer, the only one to solve our problems, the throne of grace, to alleviate our problems, tranquility of mind, truth, turn from our evil ways, under the influence of wine, unto god and the Father, wisdom, wise guidance
Ephesians 5:18. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Holy Spirit.
It’s Monday once again my people, time to get up and get going out into the world to do the Lord’s work! Let’s hope that we’re all refreshed and renewed with His Holy Spirit so that we can do good, efficient, excellent work on this sunshiny summer’s day. It’s like Bruh Paul wrote to the Ephesians: ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ (Eph. 5:18).
And what does that mean? According to the scholars, ‘that basically means we’re not to get drunk on alcoholic beverages, because it leads to drunkenness and excessive behaviour causing moral intemperance, which is clearly contrary to God’s will. God’s will is that Christians be filled with (by) the Holy Spirit; that is, they are to allow Him to fill them with God’s own life, character and virtues. The analogy between these two moral states is this: a person filled with wine is under its influence; similarly, a Christian is filled with the Spirit when He (the Spirit) controls his thoughts.’
And I like how this commentary explains the situation. It says: ‘To be refilled with the Holy Spirit means to be continually yielded to God’s control and power, a state of ongoing submission and obedience to His will, rather than a one-time event. It is an intentional, active, and daily choice by believers to allow the Holy Spirit to empower them to live a victorious and fruitful Christian life by obeying God’s Word, committing to prayer and fellowship, and trusting in God’s sovereignty.’
Yes friends, being refilled with the Holy Spirit is not a one-time thing, but a continual filling, a repeated experience for believers. Where we actively submit our will to God’s control, thus ‘making a conscious decision to live under His constant direction and power, leading to a transformed character and priorities.’ And Bruh Paul, as is his wont, goes on to give us some practical advice on how to achieve those desires in real life.
He writes: ‘Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph. 5:19-21) What a great passage of scripture that is my brethren!
And the scholars break it down thus: ‘There are four results of being Spirit-filled. (1) believers speak to one another with psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs; that is, they exhort and instruct each other; (2) there is singing and the making of melody, of individual song and praise for the Lord; (3) there is giving thanks always – the Spirit enables the Christian to be grateful for all things divinely allowed to enter his life since they will be used for good; (4) there is mutual submission, that is, showing deference to the wishes of one another, as long as that to which the believer submits is in the fear of God, which is to say, in accord with what pleases Him.’
Then there’s an interesting addendum that the scholars add to their explanation, which says: ‘Because people are indwelt by the Holy Spirit at salvation, they do not need to get more of the Holy Spirit, but the filling of the Spirit occurs when the Holy Spirit gets more of the believer.’ Wow! That sounds right. Technically speaking, we already have the Holy Spirit dwelling with us, so we can’t get any more of it in the sense of receiving it, but instead we need to give more of ourselves to the Holy Spirit, that’s listening to Him more, so that He can lead, guide and comfort us in the manner our heavenly Father desires.
And all that practical advice that Bruh Paul gives back there can only be successfully accomplished if we have the fruit of the Spirit flourishing in us. And what’s the fruit of the Spirit? Bruh Paul explained it thus to the Galatians. ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE (the willing sacrificial giving of oneself for the benefit of another without thought of return), joy (gladness of heart), peace (tranquility of mind, freeing one from worry and fear), longsuffering (patience with others).
Gentleness is kindness. Goodness is generosity. Faith here is dependability. Meekness is gentleness, that is, courtesy and consideration in one’s relations with others. Temperance is self-control, that is the ability to harness and control one’s passions and lusts. (Gal. 5:22-23) And that’s the nine fruit of the Spirit (singular), unlike the gifts of the Spirit (plural). And for this fruit to develop, all nine aspects must mature. In other words, we won’t grow spiritually unless all the fruit is maturing and growing.
And having said all those things, it’s time now to go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid to put them into effect. (smile) 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 as we can see from our prayer certain things are necessary before we can receive divine aid; like humbling ourselves, praying, sincerely seeking God’s face and turning from our evil ways. So please, let’s concentrate on improving in those areas nuh, so that divine aid can begin flowing down to us. Remember, it’s all for our benefit!! Much LOVE!
…the Christian believer…is expected to bear much fruit…from seed planted and nourished by the Holy Spirit…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new flock of believers, am known of mine, an high priest who can sympathize with our problems, Ash Wednesday, become discouraged, bracing for the weekend weather, buoy us up, Catnival, chaotic times, come boldly unto the throne of grace, consider him, crying out for help, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, despising the shame, Easter, endured the cross, enormous hostility, faith, faithful trust in God, feels like I have no one, find grace, for the joy that was set before him, Friday chant, Gentiles, give me a glimpse of Your presence, help me remember, him that endured such contradiction of sinners, hold fast our profession, holy spirit, I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep, I lay down my life for the sheep, in these difficult days, it seems no one understands, Jesus Christ, Jews, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, longsuffering, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, makes you frustrated, mercy, missing the support of others, my loneliness will come and go, not of this fold, obedience to god's word, obtain mercy, omnipotent help, one fold, one shepherd, other sheep I have, our sinful world, perseverance, problems escalating, remind me that you do, resonate with many of us, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, seeking His face in prayer, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, show me your generous provision and care, stand strong and steadfast, strengthen me with your nearness, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the author and finisher of our faith, the devil's temptations, the error of their ways, the love of your people, them also must I bring, to help in time of need, truth, wake up and smell the coffee, was in all points tempted like as we are, we have not an high priest, when life overwhelms me, who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, wisdom, yet without sin, you also faced such moments, you God are here to stay
Hebrews 4:15. For we have not an high priest who cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
And then it was Friday…and all the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ have already gone up to heaven, and everyone is bracing for the weekend to see what kind of weather we’ll have. But whatever it turns out to be, we strong believers in Christ Jesus need to do the best we can to conquer it…if possible by just staying home. (smile)
So, what shall we talk about on this last day of February 2025 eh? Can you imagine February’s done already, and next week Monday and Tuesday is bacchanal (Carnival) in T&T, and therefore Ash Wednesday is the next day. It will be an early Easter, but that might just serve to buoy some of us up in these cold and cruel times. And to help us further do that, here’s this month’s prayer from the In Touch Devotional, which I am sure will resonate with many of us in these difficult days.
Please pray with me: ‘Lord, when it feels as if I have no one, give me a glimpse of Your presence. When I’m missing the support of others, show me Your generous provision and care. When life overwhelms me, help me remember You faced such moments too. When it seems no one understands my head or heart, remind me that You do – perfectly. God, my loneliness will come and go, but You are here to stay. Strengthen me with Your nearness and the LOVE of Your people. In Jesus’ name. Amen!’
What a beautiful prayer that is friends! It touches on so many basic problems we all have at some time or another. Yes, many of us often feel as if we have no one to turn to, with no support from our fellow man. And oh boy, does life ever overwhelm us, especially in these chaotic and disastrous times, when everyone is just seeking their own selfish and greedy way. And I can certainly relate to the aspect of where no one seems to understand your head nor heart. That just makes you frustrated, wondering if something’s wrong with you, and you end up asking, ‘Why, Lord, why?’
And though our loneliness comes and goes, it’s of the utmost importance for us to realize and faithfully believe, that our great and faithful God is always there with us. He understands our problems perfectly, because He also went through them while here on earth in the human form of His Son Jesus Christ. The author of Hebrews puts it thus: ‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest who cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.’ (Heb. 4:14-15)
Now isn’t that wonderful news my brethren? Jesus came to earth as a man and encountered temptation just like we do, therefore He can empathize and sympathize with us when the devil comes against us. The only difference is that He did not succumb to any of the devil’s temptations, like so many of us do. He did not sin.
That’s why the author of Hebrews could also pen these fantastic verses: ‘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 in your minds (become discouraged).’ (Heb. 12:2-3)
Yes friends, when times get difficult and it feels like our whole world is falling down around us, that’s the most opportune moment to remember Jesus and His earthly sufferings, and do like He did. How He endured the terrible ‘sufferation’ for our sake, because the Father desired Him to, and through perseverance, longsuffering and faithful trust in the Father’s grace and mercy, kept Himself buoyed and keeping on despite the enormous hostility from His own people, the Jews, whom he had come to first save.
Don’t think that He wasn’t disappointed that His own people refused to accept Him, but thankfully He was also here to break down the walls of separation between Jews and Gentiles, and in so doing save us outsiders also, by bringing us into His one fold. And He attests to that in the gospel of John. ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold (Jews): them also must I bring (Gentiles), and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold (flock), and one shepherd.’ (John 10:14-16) Glory hallelujah!
Oh what a blessed day it was when Jesus included us Gentiles in His movement of salvation! And yuh know what friends, that inclusivity now entitles us to do as the author of Hebrews further says: ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Heb. 4:16) And this is indeed a time of dire need! So altogether, let’s offer up our Friday Chant as a means of seeking divine aid.
‘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!’
Now friends, our God is good and merciful and all those wonderful things, but He does expect some obedience to His Word and seeking His face in prayer and communion, if we expect to receive His divine aid. That means we have to pull up our breeches and become better witnesses for Almighty God! Much LOVE!
…no matter what your problem is…God can always help you with it…if you sincerely turn to Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a light unto my path, a rough row to hoe, according to his glorious power, an accurate perception, at all times in life, atonement, be filled with the knowledge of his will, Bible, blood, christianity, Christians, darkness, delve deeper into God's Word, duty bound, ever coming to know the Lord better, faith, forbearing the faults of others, forgiveness of sins, forsake her not, fruitful in every good work, get understanding, get wisdom, giving thanks unto the Father, growing spiritually stronger in Christ, happiness, holy spirit, hurry, in all wisdom, in god's eyes, in the habit of giving thanks, increasing in the knowledge of God, Jesus Christ, light, longsuffering, LOVE, love her and she shall keep thee, mercy, morality, of the inheritance of the saints, of the true nature of things, patience, persevering through trials, practical situations, prayer for the Colossians, productive in Christian service, qualified us, redemption, redemption through Christ's blood, sacrifice, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, she shall preserve thee, sincerely expressing gratitude to god, spiritual maturity, spiritual understanding, strengthened with all might, take the bull by the horns, the atonement by Jesus' death, the beloved of God, the Christian life, the ehtical condition in which God's children live, the fruit of the spirit, the pleasant and unpleasant experiences of life, the religious stae of unbelievers, the skillful application of wisdom, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to be partakers, trust my friend Jesuss, truth, Tuesday Mantra, ungodly times, unto all patience and longsuffering, walk worthy of the Lord, wisdom, wisdom is the principal thing, with all thy getting, with joyfulness, worry
Proverbs 4:7. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all thy getting get understanding.
And then it was a nice, sunshiny but windy Tuesday, ideal to give us hope for a better day than Monday, which was cold, snowy, and dreary. However it turns out though, we just have to keep moving forward, becoming wiser, as we delve deeper into the study of God’s Word, and thus getting better in the performance of the tasks He desires of us. That certainly brings to mind the effusive and all-embracing prayer that Bruh Paul prayed for the Colossians.
‘For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet (qualified us) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in (the) light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated (transferred) us into the kingdom of his dear Son (the Son of His LOVE): In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:’ (Col. 1:9-14)
Oh friends, that’s a mighty big prayer to wish on anyone, so can you imagine how the Colossians must have felt when they received Bruh Paul’s missive, not knowing him, since they were evangelized by Epaphras, Bruh Paul’s fellow servant in Christ. But Epaphras had spoken highly of them, and Bruh Paul, as always, wanted to invigorate and motivate them to greater works and heights. Thus, it’s a prayer that we believers today also are expected to take seriously, because it also pertains to our spiritual state which leaves a lot to be desired in these evil and ungodly times.
And though the prayer seems tough and long-winded, it’s fairly simple when you break it down. What’s Bruh Paul actually praying for eh? That the Colossians, and consequently us, will be filled with the knowledge of God’s will for their lives in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. And the scholars explain wisdom as an ‘accurate perception into the true nature of things. And understanding is the skillful application of this wisdom in practical situations.’
Therefore, with those two things we’re set on the right path of the Lord, or as the psalmist says: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) And being on the right path, we ought to be able to walk worthy of the Lord, allowing the fruit of His Spirit to flourish in our lives, so that others can see it and desire to know Him. But then too, Bruh Paul expects that all believers ought to keep growing in the knowledge of God’s Word; in other words, moving along the path of spiritual maturity to a higher calling in Christ Jesus.
Or, as the scholars explain; ‘Verse 10 expresses the reason that in verse 9, Paul wants the Colossians to obtain a knowledge of God’s will. That they walk (live) properly and fully please God. And in Greek the four explanatory participles of verses 10b-12 spell out and precisely define what a worthy walk entails: the believer is (1) fruitful in every good work, productive in Christian service; (2) constantly increasing in the knowledge of God, ever coming to know the Lord better; (3) always “strengthened with all might,” becoming spiritually stronger and stronger; and (4) in the habit of giving thanks, sincerely expressing gratitude to God in both the pleasant and unpleasant experiences in his life.’
Now that’s indeed a rough row to hoe, but hoe it we must if we intend to be true believers in Christ Jesus. And remember that the Lord does not call us to do anything in which He does not give us the wherewithal to perform it. That’s the beauty of our ever-LOVING God! And the scholars continue to explain some of the terms found in the above passages of scripture. They say ‘Patience is persevering through problems, trials, tribulations, and so forth. Longsuffering is forbearing the faults and offences of others.’
Meanwhile, verse 12 might also be translated “thanking the Father, for He made us fit to share in the salvation belonging to the saints who are in the light.” Light is the ethical condition in which God’s children live, namely, that of spiritual understanding with its accompanying morality and happiness. Then in verse 13, Darkness is the religious state in which unbelievers exist, namely, that of spiritual ignorance with its attending immorality and misery. And in verse 14 Blood reminds the Colossians, and us, of the enormous price and sacrifice paid to secure their redemption. Redemption, then is achieved by the atonement wrought by Jesus’ death.’
And that’s it in a nutshell friends. Let’s hope that what we’ve said and read today will help us raise our spirituality to new levels. But that will only happen if we take the bull by the horns and begin delving deeper in the Word and putting it into practical application in our lives. Remember Wisdom tells us the truth, and Understanding tells us best how to apply it.
That’s why Cousin Sol was so emphatic in Proverbs when he admonishes: ‘Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from (turn away) the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: LOVE her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all thy getting get understanding.’ (Prov. 4:5-7)
Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all the world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel! As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that declaration (awright!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and share the awesome LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the Christian life is ever about…spiritually growing stronger…in Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a correct picture, a faithful saying, a paatern, an abomination to the human soul, anger, be not dismayed, bear thee up in their hands, Bible, bitterness, christianity, Christmas, concentrate my thoughts on you, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, disastrous times, don't understand your ways, dwell in the land of the shadow of death, early in the morning I cry to you, enable me to live now, faith, fear not, feeble in heart, give his angels charge over thee, hatred, have the light of life, he is my refuge and my fortress, he that follows me, he;lp me to pray, help in you, holy spirit, hurry, I am lonely, I am the light of the world, I am thy God, I cannot do this alone, I will say of the Lord, I will strengthen you, in god's eyes, in him will I trust, In me there's darkness, Jesus Christ, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, last minute preparations, let not your heart be troubled, life everlasting, light emanates from God, lock stock and barrel, longsuffering, LOVE, mercy, my god, my peace I give unto you, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my thoughts higher than your thoughts, my ways are not your ways, my ways higher than your ways, negative emotions, neither let it be afraid, never enough time, no evil shall befall thee, no need of the sun or moon, no plague shall come nigh thy dwelling, not as the world gives, pateince, patience, peace, persih, restless, salvation, seen a great light, shall not walk in darkness, share His love with my neighbours, strife-filled world, strive with thee, suprasses all understanding, Thank You Lord, the beloved of God, the glory of God illuminated it, the gospel truth, the grace of God, the heavens are higher than the earth, the Lamb, the light thereof, the peace of God, the people that walked in darkness, to keep thee in all thy ways, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness, upon them hath the light shined, wisdom, with you there's light, without me ye can do nothing, worry, worthy of all acceptance, you never leave me
John 8:12. I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Well a Happy Christmas Eve to all you my Scrip-Bits friends and families. I sincerely hope that today meets you in good health and that you are busy making your last minute preparations for the big day tomorrow! (smile) Oh, it amuses me when I see people running around like chickens with their heads cut off to get all their Christmas activities together. I just smile and say, ‘Thank You Lord!’ Why? Because I’ve learned over the last few years to do whatever little I intend to do, as early as possible so as not to get involved in all the last minute rushing and pushing.
It just seems that at Christmas time, there’s always so much we want to do, but there’s never enough time to do it, either because we’ve left too much for too late, or we’re simply trying to do much. But who am I to question the overflowing attitudes of others eh? (smile) And to help us get through all the ‘confufflations’ of the day, let’s sincerely offer up this prayer from the Prayers Through The Ages Pamphlet – Prayers for Spiritual Renewal – recently put out by the Anglican Diocese of Toronto. This prayer is attributed to Dietrich Bonhoffer, a martyred German theologian, (1904-1945).
Please pray with me. ‘Oh God, early in the morning I cry to you. Help me to pray and to concentrate my thoughts on you: I cannot do this alone, In me there is darkness, but with you there is light, I am lonely, but you do not leave me; I am feeble in heart, but in you there is help; I am restless, but with you there is peace. In me there is bitterness, but with you there is patience; I do not understand your ways, but you know the way for me… Restore me to liberty, and enable me to live now That I may answer before you and before me. Lord, whatever this day may bring, your name be praised.’
And is that ever a correct picture of the human soul in these disastrous times! And do we ever need the Lord’s help, because we cannot do anything on our own. For as Jesus so rightly said; ‘for without me, ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) And I like the contrasts that the prayer makes: There is darkness in the human soul, but only light emanates from the Godhead. How did Jesus put it? ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12)
Now that’s the gospel truth, it also fulfills the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah: ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.’ (Is. 9:2) And that’s how it is for all those who walk with Jesus; we walk in the light, because He is the light of the world. It will be also as John says in Revelation: ‘And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten (illuminate) it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.’ (Rev. 21:23)
That brings us to where the prayer says we’re lonely, which is oh so true in these days of deceit and strife, and though we may be amongst a crowd of people, our hearts can still be lonely. But the good news is that our God is always with us, He never leaves us. Though He may seem to be far away, the truth is that He is always around us, present and ready for action on our behalf, through His Holy Spirit that indwells us. And Psalm 91 – The Secret Place of the Most High – gives us that assurance:
‘I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust… Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation (dwelling place); There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear (lift) thee up in their hands, lest thou dash (strike) thy foot against a stone.’ (Ps. 91:2,9-12)
Oh friends, we cannot ask for any more assurance of our safety and closeness to Almighty God! And though we are also feeble in heart, when we place our trust in the Most High God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, there’s much help to be had. As the prophet Isaiah promised in His name: ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded (disgraced): they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.’ (Is. 41:10-11)
Oh my people, there’s no greater assurance than the faithful help of our Creator and Provider! None whatsoever! And though there’s a restless spirit within us, when we turn to Him, we find peace, the peace that’s not like what the world offers. As Jesus says: ‘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) Yes friends the peace of Christ far surpasses any other peace we might know. It’s that ‘peace of God which passeth all understanding, and which shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:7)
And sadly with our strife-filled world, bitterness, anger, hatred and all the negative emotions are ever so prevalent, but thankfully in God, there’s patience. And did Bruh Paul ever know and experience God’s patience! Here’s what he told Timothy: ‘And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and LOVE which in in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering (patience), for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.’ (1 Tim. 1:14-16)
Yes friends, our God showed much patience with Bruh Paul while he was persecuting the early Christian church, until He was ready to reform him and turn him into the most zealous of the apostles. So there is no need to fear, for He will do the same with us, when He’s ready. And because we are only a creation of God, with only finite understanding, we cannot understand how He operates.
But if we allow Him to lead us, these words of His ought to give us peace and not worry about the way we go. ‘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 explains it all, my people.
Now, let’s go home declaring (steupsss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And now it 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!
…in Jesus Christ…the human being finds…all they need to live a good life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new flock of believers, according to his divine power, act in obedience to his Word, arrogant, backsliders, be partakers of the divine nature, Bible, christianity, Christmas, compassion, courtesy to others, disaster, discontent, dissatisfaction, error of their ways, escalating instead of improving, escaped the corruption, eternal destiny, faith, faithfulness, foolish, forgotten God, free will, Friday chant, generosity, gentleness, given unto us all things, goodness, grace and peace be multiplied unto you, great and precious promises, help and guidance to do His will, holy spirit, I am the vine ye are the branches, Jesus Christ, joy, kindness, life becomes unbearable, live the abundant life, longsuffering, lose our bearings, lose sight of the essential facts, LOVE, lust, meekness, mercy, no longer need God's help, no one to blame but ourselves, not that we are sufficient of ourselves, our sufficiency is of God, patience, peace, prideful, problems, produce good fruit, salvation, seek God's wisdom, self-control, shed this mortal coil, simmering unrest, sinful world, smell the coffee, stand strong and steadfast, strength, strife, temperance, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that pertain to life and godliness, the examples faithful believers set, the fruit of the spirit, the knowledge of god, the necessity of keeping Jesus first place, to think anything as of ourselves, trusting faith, truth, wake up, water and nourish the fruit, wisdom, without me ye can do nothing
2 Corinthians 3:5. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.
And it’s the Friday before Christmas! Wow! What a wonderful long weekend this will be! Some of us not going back to work for almost a week, if we have vacation time and a good employer! (smile) Thus the many joyful shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ But please, let’s not forget to include Christ in all of our Christmas doings, for He is the reason that we are celebrating this joyful time, and without Him we are nothing. As He so rightfully reminds us in the Word: ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5)
Now that should be a scripture that’s always uppermost in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, because without Jesus in us and we in Him, we cannot produce any good fruit. For it’s His presence in us, as the Holy Spirit, that sows the seeds of good fruit, then gives us the strength and wisdom to water and nurture them, as well as the necessary patience to wait for them to blossom forth with much good fruit. And that’s exactly why so many of us supposed Christians are not bearing much fruit, or any fruit at all. We’re forgetting the necessity of keeping Jesus first place in all that we do, keeping Him uppermost in our minds as we live each day, and asking for His help and guidance to do His will in His way and in His time.
And by the way, I guess we can use a refresher re the fruit that Jesus refers to. (smile) Bruh Paul outlines it to the Galatians thus: ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), gentleness (kindness), goodness (generosity), faithfulness, Meekness (courtesy with others), temperance (self-control): against such there is no law.’ (Gal. 5:22-23) Yes friends, it’s ALL about Jesus, and the moment we forget or lose sight of that most essential fact, then we begin to slide, to lose our bearings and life becomes unbearable.
Consequently, there’s this other scripture that we should always keep in the forefront of our lives. They are these most interesting and poignant words of Bruh Paul to the Corinthians: ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor. 3:5) And until we have that fully planted in our souls, we won’t get anywhere. And that’s one of the reasons why our world is in such a chaotic state; we’ve become so filled with knowledge and supposed wisdom, which we feel is all our doing, and therefore we no longer need God’s help; we can handle it all. But if we’re so wise and great, why is there so much strife and disaster enveloping our once beautiful world eh?
It’s all because we’ve forgotten God, or worse yet, are trying to rid our society of Him, which is totally impossible. That just shows how foolish, arrogant and prideful we’ve become, if we believe that we can get rid of the Creator of the universe. And that’s why He’s given us free will; to make our own choices, be they good or foolish. We have no one to blame but ourselves for our foolish behaviour, because the Lord has given us everything we need to make a good life down here on earth.
As Peter attests to in his second epistle. ‘Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through (in) the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.’ (2 Pet. 1:2-4) And is there ever a lot of lust and corruption in our world today. It seems like there’s nothing else but that.
However, that scripture above tells us that God has already given us EVERYTHING we need for life and godliness. As parts of these two commentaries affirm: ‘We are prepared for anything. All the opportunities, information, relationships have already been given to us through knowing Him.’ As Believers, ‘Through the power of the Holy Spirit and His grace, we can seek God’s wisdom, choose to act in obedience to His Word, and live a fruitful life that reflects His glory.’
And there’s no disputing those words my brethren, for our wonderful God has done all He can to ensure that we have a decent earthly life, then, when we depart this earth, to end up with Him in heaven for all eternity. There’s no more that He can do! The rest of it all depends on us. How we respond to His commands will determine both our earthly and eternal destinies. And today, I will advise us to take a moment and consider the kind of lives we’re currently leading, and if they will enable us to live the abundant life that Christ died for us to live here on earth, and then catapult us to His waiting arms when we shed this mortal coil. It’s oh so important that we regularly check out our lives to see how we’re doing, so that we can make any necessary adjustments.
Now, let’s go to throne of grace, through our Chant, seeking divine aid to help us toe the line. 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!’
Ah friends, it’s ever so important that we wake up and smell the coffee and thus become better witnesses for Christ, if we expect to receive any divine aid! Much LOVE!
…only with Christ in us…and we in Him…that believers can do anything worthwhile…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a banner year for peace and love, a God of hope, a wonderful experience, adhere to Jesus, all should come to repentance, an acolyte of Satan, as a thief in the night, be caught up in the clouds, be not ignorant of this one thing, Bible, cast into the lake of fire, christianity, comfort one another with these words, compassion, crapaud smoke yuh pipe, deepen my breath, descend from heaven with a shout, encouragement, eternal death, eternal life, every one that doeth evil hateth the light, evil deeds, faith, free will, guided like a moth, he that doeth the truth comes to the light, hide from the light, his deeds may be made manifest, holy spirit, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, increase my awareness of you, intimacy with god, Jesus Christ, Jesus wins, kindness, know you all the more, laziness, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lest his deeds be reproved, live for Christ, longsuffering, LOVE, loyalty, men loved darkness rather than light, mercy, neither comes to the light, not willing that any should perish, obedience, one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, repentance, salvation, Satan, shall rise first, sincerity, sinful pleasures, slow my thoughts, so shall we ever be with the Lord, stay strong, tenderness, the amazing presence of God, the day of the Lord, the dead in christ, the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the fallen angel Lucifer, the Great tribulation, the heavens shall pass away, the judgement, the light is come into the world, the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, the Rapture of Christ's church, the trump of God, the voice of he archangel, their deeds are evil, to meet the Lord in the air, to the flame of Jesus, truth, warms the cockles of God's heart, we which are alive, wrought in God
John 3:20. For every one that doeth (practices) evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds shall be reproved (exposed).
Yes friends, on this last day of November, our lazy-day Saturday has arrived, windy and cold, but with more sunshine than cloud, and we’ll take it however it comes, for we can laze around in any kind of weather. (smile) And I did manage to get in some early morning laziness, so I’m not feeling too envious of those of you who can afford to spend the whole day doing nothing. But enough laziness, let’s get to the Lord’s business, and offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with all sincerity and truth.
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 it’s always a wonderful experience to come into the amazing presence of our great God; to get into deeper intimacy with Him, for that’s His greatest desire. So let’s never forget that He made us to have deep intimacy with Him, to LOVE Him as He LOVES us! The Lord needed a creation to LOVE, to show His great kindness and compassion to, in return for obedience and loyalty. And there’s nothing that warms the cockles of His heart like His creation seeking deeper intimacy with Him.
It’s unfortunate though, that with the free will He also gave us, not many of His creation are using it to choose Him, but rather to choose the sinful pleasures and evil deeds of the world controlled by the fallen angel Lucifer. It obviously breaks His heart to see so many of us falling under the evil spell of the great deceiver, but thankfully our God is the God of hope, hoping that many more, if not all of us, will one day receive His Son, Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
Listen, as Peter spells it out in his second epistle. ‘But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.’ (2 Pet. 3:8-10)
Oh my people, the Lord in His everlasting kindness is giving us a long time to come to repentance and thus obtain salvation, for He will prefer that none of His most marvellous creation suffers hellfire and damnation. However, He will not wait forever, and after the many warnings He’s given us, one day, Jesus will simply appear unexpectedly, like a thief in the night, bringing with the Him the final judgement of man. And if you’re still an acolyte of Satan, then you will suffer the same punishment as him, being cast into the lake of fire, with eternal separation from Almighty God.
Now that is the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul, which means you need to repent and receive salvation as soon as possible, in fact RIGHT NOW, for who knows if Jesus will return to Rapture us sometime today, and if you’re not ready, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe! You’ll have to go through the Great Tribulation which will be nothing like the earth has ever seen before, and after that, the judgement!
So, wouldn’t it be much better to be amongst this lot as Bruh Paul wrote to the Thessalonians. ‘For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump (trumpet) of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever (always) be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.’ (1 Thess. 4:16-18)
Oh my fellow believers, those are indeed comforting words! How can they not be? Knowing that when Christ returns to rapture His church that those of us who held on to Him till the very end, both dead and alive will rise to meet Him in the skies certainly gives one comfort and encouragement to stay strong and live for Christ despite the many trials and tribulations we will face in this evil and ungodly world.
And I like this brief commentary on the Rapture: ‘When Christ enters the cloud, he brings us with him, not just the first disciples. As he took on our humanity and took it to the cross, so he brings us into the presence and glory of God. As he pours grace upon us, he makes us sharers in the Divine Presence.’ Now what could be better than that eh? Absolutely nothing!
And yuh know the whole thing is not rocket science nuh, but simple common sense, for if the sinful pleasures of this world are short-lived, and Satan has nothing to eventually offer but hellfire and damnation, why take up with him eh? Why subjugate yourselves to his awful lies, deceits and half-truths of which he is a master. On the other hand, if you adhere to Jesus then you will probably enjoy a tough but decent life down here on earth, then a marvellous one with Him in heaven for all eternity. There’s absolutely no comparison! Jesus wins hands down every time!
But, for whatever reason, many of us seem enamoured with the keeper of the darkness and live for him. I guess it’s like Jesus said: ‘And this is the condemnation, that (the) light is come into the world, and men LOVED darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. For every one that doeth (practices) evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds shall be reproved (exposed). But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.’ (John 3:19-21)
Oh, my fellow saints, that’s a marvellous note for us to end on today! So please, let’s spend some of our lazy-day Saturday time pondering the truth of those words as they apply to us nuh. Are our deeds evil, thus we hide from the light…or are our deeds filled with truth, and thus we are guided like a moth to the flame of Christ? It’s time to take serious account of our spiritual condition! Much LOVE!
…we were granted wisdom and free will…that we could choose…eternal life with Christ…not eternal death with Satan…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things were made by him, alleviate our problems, an accurate perception, atonement for our sins, be filled with the knowledge of his will, being fruitful in every good work, Bible, cease not to pray for you, christianity, cycle of life, disobeyed your word, eternal destination, faith, forbearing the faults of others, fruitful in every good work, giving thanks unto the Father, god, happiness, holy spirit, immorality, in all wisdom, in him was life, In the beginning was the Word, increasing in the knowledge of God, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, joyfulness, logic, longsuffering, LOVE, made us meet, mass confusion, meditating on god's word, mercy, misery, morality, partakes of the inheritance, pateince, perseverance, practical situations, practical ways to apply theory, qualified us, ransom, redemption, sacrifices, sacrificial death, salvation, share in the salvation, sincere repentance, sincerely expressing gratitude to god, sinned, spiritual understanding, strengthened with all might, suffering, the Christian life, the crippling clutches, the darkness comprehends it not, the forgiveness of sins, the God who heals, the grim reaper, the life was the light of men, the light shines in the darkness, the saints in light, the skillful application of wisdom, the true nature of things, the Word was God, the Word was with God, this evil world, trials, tribulations, truth, walk worthy of the Lord, wisdom
John 1:1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And the cycle continues unabated. Yes friends, the cycle of life never stops, it just keeps rolling along from Monday to Sunday…Monday to Sunday…and back again. It’s like a constantly revolving Ferris wheel that simply keeps going up and down, round and round, but never stopping to disgorge its anxious and fearful passengers.
And the only way you can escape the crippling clutches of that forever cycle is by allowing the Grim Reaper to escort you home to your eternal destination, be it heaven or hell. That means while you’re caught in the vicious cycle of life, you have to learn to handle it with some semblance of hope and fortitude.
And the best way to do that is by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. And why is that? Because as John puts it in his gospel: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehendeth it not.’ (John 1:1-5)
Oh my people, logic dictates that if those words are true and Jesus was the Word and He made everything in creation, and life and light came through Him, then He should be the most knowledgeable about life and be the one most able to teach us how to handle it. Now, that sounds all well and good in theory, but how do we put it into practice?
And that’s the beauty of living for and serving Jesus; He doesn’t only give you theory, but also practical ways to apply the theory. And one of the best ways to put that theory above into practice is highlighted by the words of Bruh Paul’s prayer for the Colossians. He writes: ‘For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet (qualified us) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in (the) light:
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated (transferred) us into the kingdom of his dear Son (the Son of His LOVE): In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:’ (Col. 1:9-14)
So those are some of the things we need to learn to help us handle the vicious cycle of life. Let’s try and break them down nuh. And the first thing we need to do is discern God’s will for our lives, through meditating on God’s Word and through the leading and guiding of His Holy Spirit that indwells us for those purposes. Bruh Paul says that we need to do so with all ‘wisdom and spiritual understanding.
Now what are those things eh? The scholars explain that ‘Wisdom is an accurate perception into the true nature of things, while Understanding is the skillful application of this wisdom in practical situations.’ So basically, they are knowing the truth and knowing how to successfully apply that truth to our lives. And why do we need to know God’s will for our lives? So that we can ‘walk worthy of the Lord,’ or live properly and please Him.
And what does a worthy walk entail? According to the scholars: ‘the believer is (1) fruitful in every good work, productive in Christian service; (2) constantly increasing in the knowledge of God, ever coming to know the Lord better; (3) always “strengthened with all might” or becoming spiritually stronger and stronger; (4) in the habit of giving thanks, sincerely expressing gratitude to God in both the pleasant and unpleasant experiences in life.’
Now, the first thing we must understand about walking with God as a believer in His Son Jesus Christ, is that it’s not easy; it’s filled with sacrifices, and suffering and tough times and just life itself…however, it is the most interesting and rewarding life we can ever live on God’s great earth!
And here we’re talking about things like ‘Patience, which the scholars tell us is persevering through problems, trials and tribulations, and so forth. Also Longsuffering which is forbearing the faults and offences of others.’ And in all of that we still need to be ‘thanking the Father who made us fit to share in the salvation belonging to the saints who are in the light.’
And ‘Light is the ethical condition in which God’s children live, namely that of spiritual understanding, with its accompanying morality and happiness. Then we come to ‘Darkness, which is the religious state in which unbelievers exist, namely, that of spiritual ignorance, with its attending immorality and misery.’
And last but not least, possibly the most important is ‘Blood, the Blood of Jesus, which reminds the Colossians, and also us, of the enormous price and sacrifice paid to secure our redemption. Redemption then, is achieved by the atonement wrought by Jesus’ death.’ His sacrificial death paid the price for our sins, or He ransomed us through His death, thus leading to forgiveness of sins, if one believes in Him. So, as we said before, living the Christian life can be a tough go, but by all accounts, it can’t be beat.
And to help us accomplish our earthly tasks with joy and thanksgiving, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn asking for divine help to do better than we’re currently doing. That’s also one of the big benefits of living for Christ; you can go to Him at anytime to ask for help.
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!’
Let’s remember though, that asking for divine aid also includes our sincere repentance and a serious desire to seek God more fully. Much LOVE!
…the cycle of life…can best be lived…in association with its Creator…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a mighty being, anger, anger rests in the bosom of fools, anxiety, be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, be patient toward all men, be ptaient unto the coming of the Lord, be responsible, being steadfast, Bible, character trait, childlike attitude, christianity, Christians, comfort the feebleminded, compassion, confusion, crazy driving, displays great folly, disrepct, exalteth folly, faith, faithfulness, follow that which is good, forbearance, Friday chant, gentleness, god, great understanding, Halloween, has long patience, hastiness, hasty of spirit, he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, he that is slow to wrath, he that ruleth his spirit than he that takes a city, holy spirit, impatience, impatient soicety, impetuousness, increase of speed limit, Jesus Christ, joy, kindness, longsuffering, LOVE, meekness, nurture the seeds, patience, peace, render not evil for evil, restoring faith in you, return backsliders to your fold, road rage, self-control, serious problems, sinful world, speed kills, strong and steadfast, temperance, the ability to endure difficult circumstances, the error of their ways, the example we faithful believers set, the fruit of the spirit, the patient in spirit, the patient man shows good sense, the proud in spirit, the simmering unrest, the throne of grace, truth, unexpected storms, ungodly times, wake up and smell the coffee, wisdom, wise guidance
Ecclesiastes 7:9. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
So it’s Friday and all the Halloween nonsense is over now, except for the children fighting their parents to get the candy they collected last night, so that they can eat them in almost one go. But that’s the nature of children, and sadly, also the nature of many adults in our current society which emphasizes speed and the give it to me now, if not yesterday, childlike attitude. We can’t seem to wait for anything, that’s why we have things like road rage on crowed highways, and blow ups in the grocery lines when a cashier seems to be too slow for our liking. Also when our computers take too long to boot up or find some site we desire, we rage at the poor machine. (smile)
And though we know the motto; ‘SPEED KILLS,’ we continue to emphasize speed in too many areas of our lives. Take for instance the Ontario Provincial Government’s recent proposal to increase the speed limit on most of the big highways from one hundred to one hundred and ten kilometers per hour. In the first place the highways are usually so filed with traffic that you can seldom get up to the speed limit for any reasonable length of time. And secondly, too many drivers are already doing one twenty to one forty, with the hundred limit, so what do you think they’ll do with the one ten limit eh? Obviously up their speed!
But thank the Lord, I’m not on the highway everyday like some unfortunate people nuh. It’s bad enough when I do have to get on it. And with the crazy driving that’s taking place out there, it’s a wonder that we don’t have more accidents than the large number we already have. So what’s the problem then, you ask? I guess it’s basically a problem of patience, versus impatience. Our society has become a rather impatient one, but if we continue along that path, we will just destroy ourselves sooner rather than later. Our resolve then should be to learn or acquire patience, which as we all know is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Bruh Paul tells us in his letter to the Galatians: ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), gentleness (kindness), goodness, faithfulness, Meekness, temperance (self-control): against such there is no law.’ (Gal. 5:22-23) Yes friends, if those fruits flourish in us, then we’d be as holy and godly as we can ever be. (smile) But unfortunately they don’t just flourish when the Holy Spirit plants their seeds in our spirits, when we become believers. No. Like all the other seeds that sprout to healthy plants, we then have to nurture them; that’s water and feed and remove the weeds from around them, so that they can grow and flourish and show the world that Christ richly dwells in us.
And sadly, possibly the most difficult fruit of the Spirit to acquire is the one Bruh Paul terms longsuffering, or patience, or perseverance, for that cannot be acquired without undergoing problems which then causes it to grow. And what’s patience? This definition from Wikipedia shows how difficult it is to acquire. ‘Patience (or forbearance) is the ability to endure difficult circumstances. Patience may involve perseverance in the face of delay; tolerance of provocation without responding with disrespect or anger, forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties; or being able to wait for a long time without getting irritated or bored. Patience is also used to refer to the character trait of being steadfast. Antonyms or opposites include impatience, hastiness, and impetuousness.’
And, as we said earlier, for the Christian, patience is a most important trait for us to develop as we walk with God, for He doesn’t do anything according to our timetable, but according to His. And the Bible, the Lord’s Word, talks very often about the need for patience. So let’s look at a few of those scriptures on patience nuh. And nowhere is it more popular than in Proverbs, or wise words of Cousin Sol.
Listen up: ‘He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit (impulsive) exalteth folly.’ (Prov. 14:29) Or, as another translation puts it: “The patient man shows much good sense, but the quick-tempered man displays folly at its height” Then in the next chapter he writes: ‘A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife (contention).’ (Prov. 15:18) Or, “An ill-tempered man stirs up strife, but a patient man allays discord.”
And in chapter 16, Cousin Sol states: ‘He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.’ (Prov. 16:32) Or, “A patient man is better than a warrior, and he who rules his temper, than he who takes a city.” And then in Ecclesiastes, as the Preacher, Cousin Sol advises: ‘Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.’ (Eccl. 7:8-9) Or, “Better is the patient spirit than the lofty spirit. Do not in spirit become quickly discontented, for discontent lodges in the bosom of a fool.”
It could not be said any better my people. However, Bruh Paul adds his advice on patience thus in his first letter to the Thessalonians. ‘Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly (insubordinate), comfort the feebleminded (faint-hearted), support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.’ (1Thess. 5:14-15)
And we’ll close with this exhortation from James. ‘Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman (farmer) waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish (establish) your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh (near).’ (James 5:7-8) Yes my fellow saints, patience is a most important trait in all aspects of our lives, but it is difficult to obtain, and without the Lord’s help, possibly impossible. So let’s go to the throne of grace right now nuh, through our Friday Chant asking for divine help to handle all the negative stuff that’s coming against us.
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 I’ll just remind us that we won’t receive any divine help until we become better examples of Christian living! So let’s get on with it nuh! Much LOVE!
…the person who exhibits patience in his or her life…especially in this impatient society…is indeed a mighty being…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a declaration of hope, an accurate perception, be filled with, be filled with the knowledge of his will, be glad and rejoice, Bible, blessings, christianity, collect your beauty in my spirit, courage, creativity, curse, delivered us from the power of darkness, do not cease to pray for you, duty bound, eternal life, evil schemes of Satan, experience the sunshine, faith, favour, fruitful in every good work, giving thanks unto the Father, god, holy spirit, increasing in the knowledge of God, Jesus Christ, joint heir with Christ, joyfulness, longsuffering, LOVE, may my lightness be, negaive word, new mercies and compassions, partakers of the inheritance of the saints, pateince, practical circumstances, redemption, salvation, sit in heavenly places, smell the roses, spiritual understanding, strengthened with all might, success, supernatural strength, talent, teach me, Thank You Lord, the blood of Jesus, the forgiveness of sins, the penultimate day of our work week, the skilful application of wisdom, the true nature of things, the warmth of sunshine on my back, to appreciate the many colours, to celebrate your abundance, to look for beauty on heavy days, to revel in, trials, tribulations, truth, unto all pleasing, walk worhty of the Lord, wisdom
Colossians 1:10. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
And then it was Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week. And thank the Lord we’re only one day away from our starlight day of Friday! (smile) Oh, the expectations we weigh Friday down with; hopefully it lives up to it’s name and doesn’t disappoint us. But, regardless of whatever day it is, once we’re alive to experience the sunshine and smell the roses, let’s be glad and rejoice in it, because that’s God’s desire. It’s why He’s given us a brand new day with new mercies and compassions. And all God’s children said a loud and grateful, ‘Thank You Lord for allowing me to see another day on this troubled, but still beautiful earth! Amen.’
Now, here’s this month’s prayer from the InTouch Devotional that helps us to do just that. Please pray with me: ‘God, teach me to look for beauty on heavy days, to celebrate Your abundance and brilliance. I want to revel in the warmth of sunshine on my back, to appreciate the many colours You’ve created. I want to pause when the wind moves the trees just so, to admire the quirk in a friend’s personality. Though disappointments, losses, and struggles continue, I pray to laugh easily, to be frivolous with joy. May I collect Your beauty in my spirit and draw from it. May my lightness be a declaration of hope in Your goodness, today and always. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Yes friends, that’s the way we need to live this life; in full hope and trust in Almighty God, enjoying His goodness and mercy and all the wonderful things He’s made, even in the midst of all the troubles and tribulations we might face. And I believe these encouraging words from Bruh Paul to the Colossians give us some insight how to practically do all of what we’ve spoken of above.
Bruh Paul writes: ‘For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet (qualified us) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in (the) light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated (transferred) us into the kingdom of his dear Son (the Son of His LOVE): In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:’ (Col. 1:9-14)
Oh my people, that’s generally what’s expected of us: To know the Lord’s will for our lives, through studying and meditating on His Word and communing with Him through the Holy Spirit, with all wisdom or ‘accurate perception into the true nature of things,’ as well as understanding, ‘the skillful application of this wisdom in practical circumstances.’ And all of that is necessary so that we can walk (live) properly and please God.
And what does that mean in a practical sense? The scholars explain. ‘A worthy walk entails: the believer is (1) fruitful in every good work, productive in Christian service; (2) constantly increasing in the knowledge of God, ever coming to know the Lord better; (3) always “strengthened with all might,” becoming spiritually stronger and stronger; and (4) in the habit of giving thanks, sincerely expressing gratitude to God in both the pleasant and unpleasant circumstances of life.’
Now I know it all sounds wonderful in theory, but it’s not always easy to do in real life, for patience, which is persevering through trials and tribulations is only gained through experiencing those same trials and tribulations. (smile) And so is longsuffering, or bearing the faults and offences of others with a compassionate heart and mind. In other words we can only learn patience and longsuffering by going through trials and tribulations. The more trials and tribulations we go through, the better, hopefully, we’ll get at cracking those two tough nuts.
But at the same time, we need to remember all that the Father has done for us through His Son, Jesus Christ; bringing us out of darkness or bondage to sin, into the light of the truth of His Word, making us worthy to sit in heavenly places with Jesus, as joint heir with Him, redeeming us through the shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross of Calvary, offering salvation, forgiveness of sins, all with the marvelous end of eternal life. Now with all of that done by the Father on our behalf through the Son, how can we not LOVE both Father and Son and listen to the Holy Spirit which enlightens us to their desires?
Oh my fellow believers, living and working for Jesus is the most important and beneficial thing this world has to offer. So please, let’s wake up and realize it, and forget all the foolish lies, deceptions and evil schemes that Satan tries to distract us with nuh. For only by being close to Jesus can we ever obtain salvation and eternal life. Now let’s declare (chuh!!!) our undeserved Thursday Blessings, so generously bestowed on us to do the Lord’s earthly work.
Altogether: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (steups!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings for the benefit of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…true wisdom and understanding are only available…through sincerely living and working for Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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