27 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a grain of mustard seed, a hard row to hoe, a true relationship with Jesus, afraid, always striving to conquer our mountains, an opportunity to grow, because of your unbelief, belief, Bible, build a stronger sense of self-awareness, christianity, Christians, come up to scratch, cultivate new beliefs, divine aid, Dr. Robert H Schuller, earnest desire, faith, faith in christ Jesus, faithless, fasting, find a pass through, fruitful in every good work, giving thanks, God's will for our lives, have faith, holy spirit, humble servants, I will not quit, impregnable, in a better space, increasing in the knowledge of God, inroads into the enemy's territory, it shall move, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, joy, keep striving, lack of faith, living in joy and peace, look to heaven, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, nonsense, not quitting, nothing shall be impossible to you, O ye of little faith, pateince, peace, perseverance, Peter walking n water, pray, prosper us, pryaer, rebuked the winds and the sea, refreshed, remove hence, repentance in our hearts, rested, salvation, simply stay, sincerely seek your face, spiritual lives, spiritual understanding, strengthened with all might, strong faith in Christ, take a toll on your resilience, tenacity, thank you for life, the God who heals, The Possibility Thinker's Creed, the power to solve our many problems, the throne of grace, to alleviate our problems, trials, tribulations, truth, tunnel underneath, turn from our evil ways, turn the mountain into a goldmine, underlying foundation of faith, until I climb over, walk worthy of God, when faced with a mountain, wherefore didst thou doubt, why are ye fearful, wisdom, wise guidance, with God's help, work week
Matthew 8:26a. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?
So we’ve come around to Monday once more, and the ole work week nonsense begins again. (smile) But let’s hope and pray that we’re all in a better space than when we left work last week. That means we’ve rested and been refreshed in soul, body, minds and hearts, and strengthened with all might in the Lord, knowing His will for our lives with all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that we might walk worthy of him, being fruitful in every good work, while continually increasing in the knowledge of God, exerting patience and perseverance in any trials and tribulations, nonetheless, giving thanks for all He’s done for us and thus living in joy and peace.
Wow! Now that’s a hard row to hoe, but it’s basically what Bruh Paul prayed for in the opening chapter of Colossians. (Col. 1:9-12) That was his earnest desire for them. He’s certainly asking a lot of and for them. And you’ll notice that in his prayers he doesn’t pray for the believers’ problems to go away or be easily solved, but for them to get the might and understanding to handle them.
Today though, we all want our problems to go away with no effort or suffering whatsoever, but the Lord in His awesome wisdom doesn’t do it very often, for He expects believers to come up to scratch, to get stronger and face each new problem with greater tenacity and faith. So, this Monday morning, let’s look to heaven and offer up that kind of prayer for ourselves and all our fellow saints, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s territory and cause the heathen to want to come to Christ for rescue, earnestly seeking salvation and eternal life.
That brings us to this little poem by Dr. Robert H Schuller called ‘The Possibility Thinker’s Creed.’ It’s short and simple, but bold and strong. So please read with me. ‘When faced with a mountain, I will not quit! I will keep striving until I climb over, find a pass through, tunnel underneath, or simply stay and turn the mountain into a gold mine – with God’s help.’
Yes friends, when our mountains rear up before us, we are not supposed to give up or run from them in fear, because they seem so large and impregnable. One way or another we’re expected to make good use of those mountains…obviously with God’s help. The important thing is not quitting but always striving to conquer our mountains.
Remember what Jesus said to the disciples on the subject of mountains, when they could not cast out a demon spirit from a young child? ‘Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove (move); and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.’ (Matt. 17:20-21)
Oh my fellow believers, nothing happens in God’s kingdom without faith! Some things need little faith, while others need big faith, some even need prayer and fasting, but nothing happens in our spiritual lives without the underlying foundation of faith in Christ Jesus. And until we fully understand that, our lives will feel empty and lost, without a true relationship with Jesus. As one commentary says, losing or lack of faith can ‘take a toll on your resilience and undermine your sense of belongingness. But it can also be an opportunity to grow, build a stronger sense of self-awareness, and cultivate new beliefs that are more closely aligned with your current values, goals, and needs.’
And Jesus also admonished the disciples for their lack of faith while they were crossing the Sea of Galilee and a storm arose that looked like it would bring about their demise, but Jesus was unconcerned asleep in the back of the boat. And they awoke Him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.’ (Matt. 8:25-26)
Then there was also the incident with Peter walking on the water with Jesus, but when he saw the strong winds, he became afraid, although he was in Jesus’ presence, and cried out for Jesus to save him. ‘And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?’ (Matt. 14:31) Oh friends, it was Peter’s faith that allowed him to walk on the water in the first place, and when he became afraid and faithless, then he was obviously going to lose that power.
Likewise, with us, when our faith is weak, we can’t do a whole lot, but when we keep our faith strong, we can do ever so many more things in the name of Jesus. We’re much more powerful and productive! So, for help to raise our faith, to get strong in Christ, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Now, let’s remember God’s requirement for giving divine aid; praying, humbling ourselves, sincerely seeking His face, and turning from our evil ways! So let’s get to doing them nuh! Much LOVE!
…it’s all about belief and faith…belief and faith in Christ Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a critical position, a fight for life and death, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a new work week, alleviate our problems, be strong in the Lord, Bible, caught napping, cessation of hostilities, Christian, Christian witness, christianity, crapaud smoke we pipe, demonic onslaughts, departed from him for a season, disobeyed your word, divine aid, eternal death, eternal life, eternal separation from God, eternity, evil weapons, faith, God's guidebook, grace, having done all, holy spirit, in the power of his might, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mass confusion, meditate on God's Word, mercy, mickey mouse affair, negative situations, no cease fire, no quarter given, pain, pay a horrendous price, powers, pray, principalities, put on the whole armour of God, put the word into practice, renewed confidence, resist the enemy, rest, salvation, Satanic assaults, sincerely seek your face, sinned, spiritual foes, spiritual wickedness, stand against the wiles of the devil, strengthened by the Lord, strong faith in Christ, temporary truce, the God who heals, the rulers of darkness, the spiritual battle, to stand, truth, turn from our evil ways, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, wisdom, wise guidance, withstand in the evil day
Ephesians 6:10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Here we go again with a new work week, hope we are all prepared for it, with sufficient rest and renewed confidence and faith over the weekend, for the enemy is raising the level of spiritual warfare that’s taking place, daily putting more evil weapons and people into the fray. And if we are not aware and alert, we will certainly be caught napping and made to pay a horrendous price.
That’s why it’s ever so important for believers to get down with the Word, be much more acquainted with it; read it, study it, meditate on it, and put it into practice in our lives. For that’s the only way we will ever defeat the enemy. Remember, the Bible is God’s Guidebook for our earthly lives, and if we don’t know what it says, or how to put it into action, then crapaud smoke we pipe!
Friends, the enemy is not joking, this is not a friendly war… No! It’s a fight for life and death! If we lose it, then we’ll be facing eternal death and separation from Almighty God, and if we win, we’ll be spending eternal life with Him. And that’s the most important aspect of this whole earthly life; where we spend eternity!
And at the start of this new year, we cannot go wrong by examining some of the weapons we have to fight this spiritual warfare. Some of which are outlined by Bruh Paul in his epistle to the Ephesians, where he talks about the whole armour of God which is necessary for us to have, if we intend to fight and win the spiritual battle. He begins with this exhortation: ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.’ (Eph. 6:10)
And the scholars explain that verse thus: ‘Finally may be rendered “from now on” or “henceforth.” The spiritual battle Christians are engaged in exists “from now on until the Lord’s return: there is no quarter given, no cease-fire, no temporary truce, no cessation of hostilities, “From now on” till the end there is all-out war. The remainder of the verse may be paraphrased, “Let yourselves constantly be strengthened by the Lord, more precisely, by His mighty power.”
Oh friends, yuh see this is a most serious and deadly affair, not some li’l mickey mouse matter, where we playing childlike games. Bruh Paul then makes another most significant statement. ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:11)
Now the scholars tell us that the words used for ‘Put on in the Greek language, denotes a sense of urgency, demanding immediate attention,’ and that’s a very crucial fact right now as the battle lines are narrowly drawn. Meanwhile ‘To Stand has military overtones. This verb was used in classical Greek meaning to resist the enemy and hold a critical position in battle.’
That ought to bring home the seriousness of the situation to us. In other words, we cannot stand against the wiles or evil schemes of the enemy unless we’re dressed in the full armour of God. And believe me, Satan carefully crafts schemes and tactics against believers. So please don’t think that He’s just fooling around. He’s more serious about our destruction that ever.
Then Bruh Paul goes on to give us some idea of whom we’re fighting against. ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual wickedness (spiritual hosts of wickedness) in high places.’ (Eph. 6:12) So we’re not fighting against flesh and blood, but against spiritual foes.
The scholars explain that ‘Wrestle, used of hand to hand combat emphasizes the personal and individual nature of spiritual warfare waged against each local church and Christian. Flesh and blood refer to humanity. Such is not the church’s adversary. Instead, she opposes principalities (rulers), powers (authorities), rulers (world rulers), spiritual wickedness (wicked spiritual beings), that is, fallen angels, demons, and Lucifer himself.’
Then Bruh Paul reemphasizes the importance of God’s armour in our fight. ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.’ (Eph. 6:13) And the scholars explain that means ‘because we face such a formidable foe, we must avail ourselves of God’s provision lest the enemy destroy our Christian witness and ministry. The evil day refers to the periodic demonic onslaughts and Satanic assaults. Having done all includes both dressing oneself in God’s armour and resisting Satan. Having done all these, be ready, for the Devil will attack again and again.’
Now that’s something we have to be very cognizant of; the devil never stops for good. Every so often, he will take a break, especially if he is not getting anywhere with you, possibly to devise new strategy, but he will always come back while we’re alive, it’s his reason for living. We can clearly see that in the scriptures. After Satan unsuccessfully tempts Jesus, the Word says: ‘And when the devil had ended all the temptation (testing), he departed from him for a season (until an opportune time).’ (Luke4:13)
Yes my fellow saints, the devil doesn’t tempt us willy- nilly, but has very deep and deceptive strategies in place to encourage us to fall. However, we will not do that today, because we will go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help us overcome his evil schemes.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
But let’s remember that before divine aid can be granted, we need to humble ourselves, pray and sincerely seek God’s face. In other words, turn from our evil ways! Much LOVE!
…to fight God’s fight successfully…one must have His protective armour…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sense of happiness, a state of chaos, absolute power corrupts absolutely, abuse their power, alleviate our problems, authoritarian rulers, backroom dealings, believers must desire to make changes, Bible, Canadian Prime Minister to resign, cast off restraint, confusion, contentment, disobeyed your word, divine direction, divine revelation, don't have the coutry's best interest at heart, escalating turmoil, every man did that which was right in his own eyes, experts, faith, false pretenses, fighting traffic, free will, he who has ears to hear let him hear, he who has eyes to see let him see, holy spirit, human nature tends towards sin, humble ourselves, in those days, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, lack of spiritual leadership, lawless, Lord Acton, loss of productivity, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, modern day phenomenon, more power brings worse behaviour, no king in Israel, obedience to God's law, outlandish salaries, people deserve the government they get, positions of power, power broker, power tends to corrupt, pray, prophetic vision, reefuse to ask God's advice, road rage, Satan as guide and leader, scripture is the ultimate guide for life, seeking power for power's sake, sincere repentance, sincerely seek God's face, sinned, spiritual revelation, strife, technocrats, the Bible is our guidebook for living, the chaos of a visionless society, the God who heals, the gospel truth, the terrible toll of the traffic situation, the way the cookie crumbles, the wide and winding path to destruction, to line their own pockets, to stick his nose where he's not wanted, too few roads, too many vehicles, too much of a gentelman, treasure trove of wisdom, truth, turn from our evil ways, turned away from God, unrestrained, where there is no vision the people perish, wisdom, without God's guidance, working from home
Proverbs 29:18. Where there is no (prophetic) vision (revelation), the people perish (cast off restraint): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Another Monday, another new work week, which includes fighting the traffic both back and forth! But that’s the way the cookie crumbles these days. And while employers are trying to get their employees to come back into the office several days a week, some of the employees are fighting it because of the terrible toll the traffic situation takes on them, emotionally, physically and mentally. No wonder the modern-day phenomenon of road rage is increasing daily as the traffic situation worsens.
Now something’s got to be done to cut down on the traffic tie-ups which cause an increasing loss of productivity, to reduce the road rage and resolve the other modern-day phenomenon of working from home. (smile) And please don’t ask me how to do it, because I don’t have a clue, but that’s why we pay all those big-time experts and technocrats those outlandish salaries. Let them earn their money for a change nuh, instead of constantly earning it under false pretenses!
And it’s so sad to think that with all of our supposed wisdom and technological superiority, we can’t figure out the small problem of too many vehicles on too few roads. (smile) And even sadder still is that we refuse to ask the advice of the One who could most likely fix it without any problems; that’s Almighty God! But we don’t need nor want Him involved in our business, because we think we know it all, so we keep going down the wide and winding path to destruction with Satan as our guide and leader. How sad!
But that’s why God gave us free will; so we could make our own decisions, regardless of how foolish and faulty they are. And He’s too much of a gentleman to stick His nose in where He’s not wanted, needed, or asked to intervene! So where does that leave us eh? In a state of chaos, confusion and strife!
And with only six days into the new year, the turmoil in our world is already escalating in several arenas of strife; far away, close to home, as well as right here in this good land of Canada too, where many have been dissatisfied with our Prime Minister and so strenuously demanded his resignation, that he’s finally promised to step down. So now the backroom dealings are finally in full swing, with numerous people seeking to be the new power broker. And it’s so blatant that many are simply trying to get into power to line their own pockets, or simply for power’s sake, and truly don’t have the country’s best interest at heart.
Consequently, I believe a few worthwhile sayings on the subject of government and power will fit in nicely here. The first one says that the people deserve the government they get. And that’s no lie! For whoever you allow to get power over you, is basically whom you have chosen, so you cannot argue about the injustice or otherwise of it. You just have to live with it until you choose to change it.
The second saying is a quote attributed to the British Statesman Lord Acton, which says: ‘Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority.’
And what does that mean? This commentary explains it thus: ‘Power tends to corrupt: people in positions of power often abuse their power to do bad things. They become corrupted, or “morally compromised.” Absolute power corrupts absolutely: the more authority someone has, the worse their morality becomes.’ And that’s oh so true, for we can all think of several authoritarian rulers on the global stage right now who are guilty of that very abuse.
And the third bit of wisdom comes from Cousin Sol’s treasure trove of wisdom, the Book of Proverbs. On the subject, he wisely writes: ‘Where there is no (prophetic) vision (revelation), the people perish (cast off restraint): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ (Prov. 29:18) Basically, it means that where there is no spiritual leadership and divine guidance in a community or society, the people tend to become unrestrained, lawless and do whatever they want, which only creates chaos.
And we see that very thing happening all over the world right now, because we have turned away from God and therefore have no divine direction or spiritual revelation, because we do not think we need it. As one commentary says: ‘This reflects the biblical theme that without God’s guidance, human nature tends toward disorder and sin.’ And why not eh, when Beelzebub is the ruler of this evil and sinful world.
Meanwhile, blessed is he who keeps the law, means those who keep God’s law, or commandments, enjoy a sense of happiness, contentment and well-being. The same commentary above puts it thus: ‘The verse contrasts the chaos of a visionless society with the stability and blessing that come from obedience to God’s law. In a conservative Christian perspective, this emphasizes the importance of Scripture as the ultimate guide for life.’ And that’s the gospel truth, because the Bible is indeed our Guidebook for Earthly Living!
And that lack of vison in a society and the detriment it causes is well exampled by the state of Israel during the period when judges ruled. The Bible tells us in no uncertain terms: ‘In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.’ (Judg. 21:25) And that’s exactly where our world is heading right now, straight to hellfire and damnation, with the lack of spiritual leadership and divine revelation.
But thankfully all is not lost, for we believers in Christ Jesus can make a big difference if we so desire, because we have all the tools to do so. The problem is getting us to desire. So, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, and see if we can’t get the desire to turn things around nuh.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
But please note, as our prayer says, until we repent and turn from our evil ways, that desire to improve our world will not be forthcoming, and we’ll keep heading for certain destruction! Much LOVE!
…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…and he who has eyes to see…let him see…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great cloud of witnesses, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a rain warning, answer our prayers, be conformed to the image of Christ, bet your bottom dollar, Bible, broad is the way, christianity, climate change, constraints on the narrow path, contrary, depend on our faith, despising the shame, discouraged, disobeyed your word, divine aid, ease the pain, endured such hostility of sinners, endured the cross, enter ye in at the strait gate, eternal life, faith, fellowship, few find it, flooding, for the joy that was set before him, galvanizes us, heaven, holy spirit, humble servants, I am the way the truth and the life, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, lay aside every weight, lest ye be wearied and faint, light, living for Christ, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, many go in thereat, mass confusion, mercy, narrow is the way, natural diasters, negative situations, never giving up, New Year's Eve, no man comes to the Father but by me, nothing is guaranteed, perseverance, run with patience, running our race to the end, salt, salvation, sin, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, sinned, strait is the gate, strong faith in Christ, take anything for granted, that leads to destruction, that leads to life, that so easily besets us, the author and finisher of our faith, the God who heals, the main priority in your life, the only constant, the only one, the path to salvation, the power to solve our problems, the race set before us, the same yesterday today and for ever, the throne of grace, torubled times, treacherous times, truth, turbulent times, turn from our evil ways, uncertain times, vim and vigour, water damage, white christmas, who can lead us on the right path, wide is the gate, wisdom, wise guidance
Hebrews 13:8. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today and for ever.
Ah friends, can you believe it, on this Monday morning, the eve of New Year’s Eve, the Greater Toronto Area has been handed a rain warning, and not a snow warning. Flooding and all sorts of water damage is expected if the rain continues to fall as it’s been doing since Sunday morning. In fact, the entire Christmas week has been damp, foggy and cloudy, with no sunshine whatsoever. Unfortunately, the purists weren’t blessed with a white Christmas either, and now, whatever little snow was around, has been washed away with the rain and the springlike temperatures.
But that’s the way of climate change! Two decades ago, you could bet your bottom dollar that you would have a white Christmas and also a white New Year’s Eve, but things have changed so much, that today nothing is guaranteed to be the way it was. Those who never had snow, now have it, and those who had it don’t. It’s the same with drought and rainfall. We are also experiencing more natural disasters than ever. It’s sad, but our world has recently become so contrary that it’s not funny, and we can no longer take anything or any situation for granted.
So what does that mean eh? I guess we just have to depend on our faith even more than before; trust the promises of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, like we’ve never hitherto done, because He seems to be the only constant in today’s crazy, chaotic, disaster- filled world. For what does the Bible tell us? ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today and for ever.’ (Heb. 13:8) Now that, you cannot say about any other body or thing. And that’s why it’s of the utmost importance for us to put ALL of our faith and trust in Jesus, because He is the ONLY ONE who can lead us along the right path to that glorious place called heaven.
And if you don’t believe me, then let’s check out some promises of scripture that prove it. And the first one is this very important one about the right path to tread. Jesus strongly advises: ‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in there at: Because strait (how narrow) is the gate, and narrow (difficult, confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt. 7:13-14)
In other words friends, Jesus is simply saying that the wide and winding road, where you can do whatever you like, where Beelzebub rules, leads only to destruction, and many people are unfortunately following it. However, the path that leads to salvation and eternal life is straight and narrow, and you cannot do whatever you want whenever you choose to. No, because there are some constraints on the straight and narrow path, constraints placed there to keep us, holy, righteous, justified, sanctified, thus living sincerely for Christ.
But unfortunately, not as many people are walking that path as the wide and dangerous one. And it’s our job to get out into the world, be the salt and light thereof, exuding a powerful flavour and a blinding light to help bring others to the wise, straight and narrow way, where they can encounter Jesus, accept His free gift of salvation, and live the abundant life that He died for us to have.
And what about this other promise eh? Where Jesus declares to the disciple Thomas: ‘I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) Now that also states it plain and clear that one cannot get to the Father, or heaven, unless Jesus is your Lord and Saviour! That’s an even bigger reason for you to have Him as the main priority in your life!
Then there are these most encouraging words of Hebrews: ‘Wherefore (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (be discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:1-3)
Oh my fellow believers, what a powerful scripture that is ! Let’s hope that it opens up or refreshes our faith, and thus galvanizes us to do as it says! That’s remember the faithful, the heroes of faith, who have gone before us, running their race with vim and vigour, and attempt to do likewise. However, to do that properly, we have to lay aside anything that’s weighing us down, be it clothing, or excessive body weight, or whatever; then disassociate ourselves from any known sins that are entangling us and preventing us from running our race properly.
And finally, running our race with perseverance, getting back up every time we falter or fall, and keep going right until the end, never giving up, using the originator and perfector of our faith, Jesus Christ as the example to be attained, be reached or accomplished! Now, that’s what we believers need to do in these troubled and trying times; look to Jesus because the Father desires us all to be made in His image. The scriptures tell us: ‘For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first born among many brethren.’ (Rom. 8:29)
Yes my fellow saints, the Lord desires all who follow Jesus to be the spitting image of Him, our big Brother. (smile) And to help us work toward that goal, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help in these treacherous and uncertain times.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And before we get too excited (smile) let’s remember that divine aid is only granted when we turn from our evil ways, humble ourselves, pray and sincerely seek God’s face! Much LOVE!
…please remember that…Jesus is the Only One…we can depend on in these turbulent times…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a froward heart, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a picture of Christ, a worthwhile image of his creator, acknowledging God's sovereignty, administers social justice, baking, behave wisely, Bible, Christian faith, christianity, Christians, Christmas, Christmas parties, clean up our act, cooking, cut off all wicked doers, destroy all the wicked of the land, divine aid, faith, faithfully promised to hear our prayers, fellowship, focused on the heavenly prize ahead, forgetting those things which are behind, gratitude, holy spirit, humble servants, humility, I count not myself to have apprehended, I press toward the mark, I will sing of mercy and judgement, in a perfect way, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, joy, keep love first place in our hearts, keeps his personal life pure, kiness, laid hold of perfection, let the love of christ shine forth, LOVE, love on earth, mass confusion, mercy, need to see real love in action, no greater gift than love, perfection in Christ, praise, pray, reaching forth, salvation, secretly slanders his neighbour, seriously disobeyed your word, set no wicked thing before mine eyes, shopping, sincere repentance, sincerely seek God's face, sing praises, sings to the Lord, spiritual maturity, strong faith in Christ, the attribute of God's love, the eve of Christmas Eve, the eyes of believers, the foundation of our faith, the God who heals, the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, the moral corruption, the perfect king, the prize, this one thing I do, to hear our prayers, to those things that are ahead, transforms man, truth, turn from our evil ways, Walk with a Perfect Heart, we have all sinned, wickedness, wisdom, without love man is a wild animal, workers of iniquity
Philippians 3:14. I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Christ Jesus.
And then it was Monday; the eve of Christmas Eve, and all the last-minute Christmas parties, shopping, cooking, baking etc. are in full swing. But in the middle of all that confusion, let’s not forget who’s responsible for all the joy, peace, kindness and LOVE on earth, Jesus Christ! Let’s also remember that there’s no greater gift than LOVE, which this Christmas season is all about. No friends, we can’t say it too often, that without LOVE, mankind is nothing but a wild animal! It’s the attribute of God’s LOVE in him that transforms him into the worthwhile image of his Creator.
So, on this Monday before Christmas, let’s keep LOVE first place in our hearts nuh. Let it be the barometer of everything we do, with everybody we come into contact with. Let’s promise to allow the LOVE of Christ to shine forth in us, as we venture forth into the world today, for our world badly needs to see real LOVE in action after all the strife and disasters, both natural and manmade, that we’ve been recently experiencing. End of sermon!
And that brought my writing to a standstill. (smile) But as they say, when in doubt, search the Psalms, and so I did, and came up with this winner that I believe many of us are not familiar with. It’s Psalm 101, the words of Bruh David titled, ‘Walk with a Perfect Heart.’ So, let’s read it together. ‘I will sing of mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS) and judgement (justice): unto thee, O Lord, will I sing (sing praises).’ (Ps. 101:1)
And like all good prayers, Bruh David begins with praise and gratitude, humbly acknowledging God’s sovereignty and majesty. Then he promises: ‘I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect (blameless) heart. I will set no wicked (worthless) thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave (cling) to me. A froward (perverse) heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person (wickedness).’ (Ps. 101: 2-4)
Now there’s nothing in those statements that ought to surprise us, for those are all promises that the believer ought to make, ought to be working towards, because they are the basis, the foundation of our faith, and moves us forward towards spiritual maturity. Yes, a believer ought to have as blameless a heart as possible, not look at things that are not worthwhile, dislike the work of those that turn aside from the faith, give up all the perverseness of heart that he had before He was saved, while not associating with those who practice wickedness.
The problem though, is how successful are we in those areas of our Christian faith? We are all at different levels, but we should all be reaching forward to the things that are ahead of us. Or as Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Philippi: ‘Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended (laid hold of it – perfection in following Christ): but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth (forward) unto those things which are before (ahead). I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 3:13-14)
Now that’s how all good and true believers ought to be; leaving those things that are behind, behind, and instead, pressing forward towards spiritual maturity! That brings us back to the psalm, where Bruh David continues: ‘Whoso privily (secretly) slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off (destroy): him that hath an high look and a proud heart will I not suffer (endure).
Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect (blameless) way, he shall serve me. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry (be established) in my sight. I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers (workers of iniquity) from the city of the Lord.’ (Ps. 101: 5-8)
So what is that all about eh? Besides being a very good example for us to follow, the scholars tell us that ‘Psalm 101 describes the perfect king. It expresses David’s own aims but, at the same time is a picture of Christ, his descendant, who will in fact fulfil this ideal picture. The ideal king sings to the Lord (vs. 1), keeps his personal life pure (vs. 2-4), and administers social justice (vs. 5-8).’
And sadly, only Jesus Christ in all His majesty and power can ever fulfil that ideal role, for we humans don’t have the wherewithal to do so. But that doesn’t excuse us from trying to do our best, from reaching forward to the things ahead and above and leaving the past in the past. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these desperate times.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
However friends, I must remind us that however much we plead with God, we won’t receive any divine aid until we clean up our act; turn from our evil ways, repent and sincerely seek God’s face! Much LOVE!
…the eyes of believers…ought always to be focused…on the heavenly prize ahead…not the moral corruption we’ve left behind…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a positive scenario, a son is given, a spiritual dynamic, a virgin shall be with child, activates the transformative impact, be it unto me according to thy word, behold the handmaid of the Lord, being a just man, bring forth a son, call his name Jesus, conceive in thy womb, consternation, Counsellor, declaring the end from the beginning, disobeyed your word, divine aid, Everlasting Father, faith, fear not, for with God nothing shall be impossible, forgiveness, found favour with God, God's creative power, holy spirit, how shall this be, humble ourselves, humble servants, I am God, I know not a man, I will do all my pleasure, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the reason for the season, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, my counsel shall stand, not willing to make her a public example, of the increase of his government, omnipotent god, overshadow thee, praise Your Holy Name, pray, predicament, prophecy, put her away secretly, remember the former things of old, salvation, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, strong faith in Christ, the Birth of Christ, The Christmas season, the God who heals, the government shall be upon his shoulder, the highest appreciation, the Holy Ghost, the mighty God, the negative scenario, the power of speaking God's truth, the Prince of Peace, the protective umbrella of jesus, the Son of God, the word of the gospel, the zeal of the Lord of hosts, there shall be no end, thou that art highly favoured, to alleviate our problems, trusts in god's faithfulness, truth, turn from our evil ways, unto us a child is born, wisdom, wise guidance, Wonderful
Luke 1:37. For with God nothing shall be impossible.
Now, it’s definitely not a good morning on which to begin our work week; a cold, wet, cloudy Monday, with a promise of snow later on in the day. But dem’s the breaks. That’s the kind of climate we live in at this time of year. But we can break that negative scenario with a positive one; that of Jesus’ birth, as we celebrate it in this Christmas season. What a joy and privilege it was, when His awesome birth brought a season of peace and goodwill to all men. And we all know how Jesus’s birth was foretold by the angel.
Yes, what a most remarkable story, where the angel Gabriel appears to Jesus’ mother, Mary, when she was just an engaged teenager, and greets her thus: ‘Hail (rejoice) thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.’ (Luke 1:28) Obviously Mary was puzzled by this unexpected enthusiastic greeting. But the angel says unto her, ‘Fear not Mary, for thou hast found favour with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.’ (Luke 1:30-31)
And then he tells her about all the great things Jesus would do. (Luke 1:32-33) But Mary doesn’t seem to pay much attention to that, for her next question is, ‘How shall this be, seeing I know not a man (I am a virgin)? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest (the Most High) shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (One) which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.’ (Luke 1:34-35)
Can you imagine Mary’s consternation at the predicament the birth of a child while still unmarried would put her in. But then the angel explains that her cousin Elisabeth, hitherto barren, was now six months pregnant, ‘For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ (Luke 1:37) But the best part of this whole story is Mary’s final answer to Gabriel. ‘And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. and the angel departed from her.’ (Luke 1:38)
Wow! Can you imagine that teenaged girl simply accepting the angel’s message without any trepidation or apparent thought for what would certainly be an untenable situation in that rigid Jewish society. However, as Gabriel had said earlier on, nothing is impossible with God, and He fixed the situation. When her betrothed Joseph discovered she was with child and they weren’t yet married, the Bible says: ‘being a just (upright) man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily (secretly).
But while he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived (begotten) in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS (Saviour): for he shall save his people from their sins.’ (Matt. 1:19-21)
Oh friends, don’t you just LOVE how our God orchestrates things that seem impossible to us. Instead of having Jospeh put away Mary, He has him marry her just like nothing was wrong. The Bible then shares with us the important prophecy of this occasion foretold long ago. ‘Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet (Isaiah), saying, Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted (translated) is, God with us.’ (Matt. 1:22-23)
That reminds us of the prophetic power of our God, or as Bruh Paul says: ‘who quickeneth (gives life to) the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.’ (Rom. 4:17c) It’s like He said through the prophet Isaiah: ‘Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else ; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times, the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:’ (Is. 46:9-10)
Oh, my people, there is certainly none other like our omnipotent God, who went about fulfilling prophecy from the very beginning of time right up to now, with many other prophecies yet to be fulfilled as the world spins. Now, here’s an interesting commentary on the subject. It asks, ‘What does it mean to call things that are not as though they were?’ Then answers: ‘By embracing the power of speaking God’s truth over others, believers participate in a spiritual dynamic that acknowledges God’s creative power, trusts in His faithfulness, and activates the transformative impact of the word of the gospel over others.’
Yes friends, we can also be a part of God’s prophetic world if we acknowledge His truths and His power. And one of the most powerful and important prophesies to mankind is that spoken by Isaiah, concerning the birth of Jesus, who was to bring salvation and forgiveness to the people!
‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is. 9:6-7)
And this Christmas season we’re about to celebrate is only the fulfilling of the first part of the prophecy, so let’s wake up and make sure we’re living under the protective umbrella of Jesus, before the last part of that prophecy unfolds. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to improve our world and our particular circumstances.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Now, let’s remember that no divine aid will be forthcoming unless and until we humble ourselves before the Lord, seek His face and turn from our evil ways! Much LOVE!
…Jesus is the reason…for the Christmas season…let’s remind the world of that…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, abundant provision, all the days of my life, alleviate our problems, divine aid, faith, flying wingman for you, for His name's sake, God's goodness, grin and bear it, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he restores my soul, holy spirit, honoured position, humble servants, I am the good shepherd, I bless you and praise your holy name, I know my sheep and are known of mine, I shall not want, I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, I will fear no evil, in the presence of mine enemies, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus riding shotgun, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, leads me beside still waters, leads me in the paths of righteousness, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, my cup runneth over, my peace I give to you, neither be afraid, not as the world giveth, pain, pray, repentance, salvation, separation from Almighty God, shame, sincerely seek your face, sinned and disobeyed your Word, strong faith in Christ, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, the God who heals, the King of Kings, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord of lords, the peace of Christ, the peace of God which passeth all understading, thou anointest my head with oil, thou art with me, thou preparest a table before me, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, truth, turn from our evil ways, winter's finally arrived, wisdom, wise guidance, without faith it is impossible to please God
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Well friends, it’s seems like winter has finally arrived, with minus temperatures and flurries of the white stuff happening in my area. However, cottage country, just north of the Greater Toronto Area, was bombarded with oodles of snow early in the weekend, so badly that roads were closed and thousands out of power. I guess it’s only a matter of time before we get our fair share down here. But one can only grin and bear it, especially when you have the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, Jesus Christ, flying wingman for you. (smile)
Oh my people, Jesus is all we ever need, for with Him running our lives through the power of His indwelling Holy Spirit, we will not want for anything. Like Bruh David declares with such assuredness in his most famous psalm: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) The question now is do we believe that statement as strongly as Bruh David did when he wrote it? We better had, otherwise we’ll lose out on so much of God’s goodness and mercy by being unsure and insecure.
Remember what Hebrews says: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6) Yes friends, it’s of the utmost importance that we believe God is who He says He is, and can do what He says He can do, if we want to enjoy benefits like what Bruh David continues to write about in Psalm 23. ‘He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.’ (Ps. 23:2)
How wonderful is that peace which God provides to those who believe and diligently seek Him! It cannot be beaten by anything or anyone the world has to offer. As Jesus so rightly characterized His peace: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) And why don’t we need to be troubled or afraid when we have the peace of Jesus? Because, as Bruh Paul explains to the Philippians: ‘And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:7)
Yes my fellow believers, the peace that Jesus gives is one that far surpasses anything that can be found on earth, because it is the peace of Almighty God Himself! And with the peace of Jesus riding shotgun by his side, Bruh David could afford to write: ‘He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.’ (Ps. 23:3) Of course, when you are filled with the Holy Spirit of Jesus, He restores your soul and helps you to walk a path of righteous behaviour. That’s why the Holy Spirit indwells us; to help with those tough endeavours!
And Bruh David takes it up several notches when he adamantly proclaims: ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:4) Wow! What an awesome declaration! (chuh!!!) Can you imagine walking through the valley of the shadow of death without fear? Only if Jesus is the your Guide and Protector! And please notice that Bruh David specifies ‘walking through’ not stopping in ‘the valley of the shadow of death.’ He’s assured that he will make it safely through because Jesus is the Number ONE person in his heart!
And he gets even bolder and more courageous on the Lord’s strength as he continues: ‘Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.’ (Ps. 23:5) Now that’s certainly something to think about! We must be very important to the Lord for him to do all those extraordinary things for us. And so we are, as Bruh David concludes: ‘Surely goodness and mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS) shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:6)
And why not, for that is the eventual reward for belief, obedience, trust and faithfulness in Almighty God; He of Abraham, Issacc and Jacob! Ah my fellow saints, the psalm is simple but powerful, as it depicts God as our shepherd, who guides, protects, and provides us with a good life. We are the sheep of His pasture who follow Him closely. As Jesus says: ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of them.’ (John 10:14)
And I like how the scholars characterize our relationship to God. ‘The believer is more than a dependent sheep, however; he is also like an honoured guest, since the Lord prepares a table for him. Connected with this honoured position is abundant provision, vindication before one’s enemies, an eternal celebration of God’s goodness.’ Now it doesn’t get any better than that, so why do we still hobnob with the old devil Satan who can do absolutely nothing good for us, just cause us pain and shame and eternal separation from God?
It’s therefore high time to remove him from our lives, and to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these times of dire need. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And it should be obvious that we won’t receive any divine aid until we do like our prayer indicates; that’s humble ourselves, turn from our evil ways and sincerely seek God! Much LOVE!
…with Jesus as our Good shepherd…who needs anyone else…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a dislike of Monday, a fruitful life, action and sacrifices bring rewards, be of good cheer, bearing our cross for christ, disaster filled world, divine aid, every man to his own place, face the music, faith, grace, have it more abundantly, hear and answer our prayers, holy spirit, humble ourselves, I am come, I am not alone, I am the good shepherd, i have overcome the world, in me ye might have peace, in the world, intimidating, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, joy, live the abundant life, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, pray, reassurance, rewards, salvation, sincerely seek God, talk is cheap, the Father is with me, the God who heals, the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep, the great life awaiting us in heaven, the thief comes but to steal, the throne of grace, they might have life, tirbulation, truth, turn from our evil ways, unprepared to meet Monday, wisdom, wise guidance
John 10:10b. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Yoo Hoo friends, the weekly rat race has begun! Yes, unfortunately, it’s Monday and we have to be about the Lord’s business in this crazy and disaster filled world. And although we have to keep doing the same thing over and over for many years, many of us never seem to like or accept it. Why is that eh? Who knows? We all have different reasons for disliking Monday and all the uncomfortable, unlikable and intimidating things it brings, or stands for.
But yuh know what? We had better learn to handle it with grace and assuredness if we intend to live the abundant life that Christ died for us to enjoy on this here earth. Remember His most reassuring words? ‘The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and 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 his sheep.’ (John 10:10-11)
Yes friends, that’s what Jesus did: give His life so that we could enjoy an assured and fruitful life right here on this earth, not wait until we reach heaven to do so. But so many of us get so overwhelmed and distressed about having to go back out to work on a Monday, that we’re wasting, making His death on our behalf of no effect.
Now, few of us are overjoyed to get up early on a morning, especially a Monday morning, and get out into the evil world and face all the stuff that will and might come against us. However, it is all a part of doing life with Christ down here on earth, and we should not allow it to get us miserable and annoyed, or intimidated. The problem though for many of us is that we’re not properly prepared to meet Monday.
Even some of us who go to church on Sunday and are spiritually refreshed and renewed, still find it difficult to get up and get out on Mondays. And I’ll like to propose an interesting way to handle the situation; look at it as part of bearing our cross for Christ. (smile) Remember how He characterized being one of His disciples? ‘If any man will come after (follow) me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23)
And there ought to be some joy and reassurance in following Christ, despite how difficult it can oftentimes be. But if there’s little or no joy in living for Christ, then what’s the point? Remember again, what He said to the disciples before His crucifixion. ‘Behold the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own (place), and ye shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:32-33)
So when all of Jesus’ followers ran away and left Him alone to face the music, He was not really alone because the Father was right there with Him, to strengthen and encourage Him. Likewise, when we are deserted and think we’re alone, we’re not really, for Christ is always with us through His indwelling Holy Spirit, which is there to guide, comfort, strengthen and reassure us of Christ’s promises. Promises like this one: ‘…and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b)
So you see my brethren, this wasn’t meant to be an easy life, one of only sunshine and roses, but it’s a tough nut to crack. It was tough for Jesus, and as He says above there, it will also be tough for us, but with His Spirit, His peace, mercy, grace and anointing we can certainly handle it in a fairly joyful manner, if we put our minds and hearts to it. And if we think about the rewards and the great life waiting for us in heaven, for all eternity, this comparatively short earthly life will be a cakewalk. (smile)
Awright…that might be stretching it a bit, (smile) but the truth of the matter is that many of us can be, and ought to be more receptive to life than we are, if Jesus is truly our Lord and Saviour. And that’s enough preaching for today! (smile) Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help us in these times of dire need.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Now, as our prayer states, if we truly desire to receive divine aid, we must humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek God’s face. So let’s get on with it nuh, because we desperately need that divine aid! Much LOVE!
…talk is cheap…but it’s action and sacrifices that bring rewards…
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
28 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abounding in the work of the Lord, ambassadors, another person's bad, answer our prayers, Bible, bite us in the butt, bursting with enthusiasm, christianity, climate change, deliverance is of the Lord, divine aid, do worthwhile things for Jesus, down payment on your salvation, earthly representatives, eternally sealed by the Holy Spirit, faith, forevermore, from this time forth, from whence comes my help, get out into the evil world, god, good spirits, grieve not the holy Spirit of God, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, I will lift up mine eyes to the hills, in all these things, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, my help cometh from the Lord, negative situations, neither slumber nor sleep, nothing shall separate us from the love of God, one person's good, pray, safety is of the Lord, salvation, sealed unto the day of redemption, sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, seek your face, sincere repentance, steadfast, strong faith in Christ, thanks be to God who gives us the victory, the earnest of our inheritance, the God who heals, the gospel of your salvaion, the Lord is thy keeper, the Lord is thy shade, the Lord shall preserve thee from all evil, the Lord shall preserve thy going out and coming in, The sun shall not smite thee by day, through him that loved us, truth, unexpected storms, unmoveable, unseasonal warm weather, upon thy right hand, we are more than conquerors, which made heaven and earth, wisdom, wise guidance, wreaking havoc, your labour is not in vain
Psalm 121:2. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
Well a good Monday to all you my wonderful Scrip-Bits friends and family! We do hope that this new work week finds you in good spirits, just bursting with enthusiasm and desire to get out into the evil world and do worthwhile things for Jesus, as He expects of us, His ambassadors and earthly representatives.
Now would you believe that this week – the end of October, beginning of November – we’re supposed to see more unseasonal warm weather, with temps getting up into the high teens. Oh, we’re never going to refuse it, but it’s strange to have so much warm weather at this time of year in the northern climes. And although climate change is wreaking havoc elsewhere around the world, I guess we have to say thanks to it for this unseasonal warm weather. But as they say; someone’s good is someone else’s bad.
Let’s hope and pray that it doesn’t turn around and bite us in the butt with a terrible winter. (smile) But that’s why we worship and adore Almighty God through His Son Jesus Christ; He is able to protect us from all harm on this earthly journey. Psalm 116 titled ‘God Neither Slumbers Not Sleeps’ says it perfectly. ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills (mountains), from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved (to slip): he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper (protector): the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve (keep) thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.’ (Ps. 116:1-8)
Oh friends, our God is truly our Protector; the One to whom we ought to cry out to in times of need. He’s promised it, and He always keeps His promises. And the prophet Jeremiah confirms that man’s help does not come from the hills or mountains, as he says to his people Israel: ‘Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.’ (Jer. 3:23) And Cousin Sol totally agrees, when he writes in proverbs: ‘The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety (deliverance) is of the Lord.’ (Prov. 21:31)
Meanwhile, Bruh Paul says it thus to the Corinthians in his first missive: ‘But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain (futile) in the Lord.’ (1 Cor. 15:57-58)
Yes my fellow believers, Christ has given us the victory though His finished work here on earth, and thus we can stand strong and steadfast in it and do what we need to do maintain that victory, for which we will be well rewarded. For as Bruh Paul so eloquently and reassuringly said to the church at Rome, re the trials and tribulations we would face for Jesus’ sake:
‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:37-39)
And that’s an indisputable fact my people! How can anything separate us from the LOVE of God in Christ Jesus when we’ve been eternally sealed by the Holy Spirit eh, as declared by these two scriptures? ‘That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ (Jewish believers). In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest (the down payment or deposit) of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.’ (Eph. 1:12-14)
Oh friends, after we believed, we were sealed by Jesus with the Holy Spirit, as a down payment or guarantee of our salvation. And this next scripture, also from Ephesians simply says it this way: ‘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’ (Eph. 4:29-30)
That’s it in a nutshell my fellow saints! We can do all we need to do for Jesus, and we cannot ever be torn away from Him. So with that resounding assurance, let’s get out there and work our fingers to the bone for Him, like He did for us nuh. That’s only fair. And to help us in that cause, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn asking for help in these dire times of need.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And the operative words in that prayer are ‘when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.’ Yes, that’s when divine aid will come rushing down from heaven. Much LOVE!
…nothing whatsoever…can ever separate us…from the LOVE of God through Christ Jesus
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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