The Overwhelming Need For Christians to Set Examples of True Godliness in this Ungodly World!

19 Dec 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ephesians 4:32.        And be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

It’s down to six my people… six days before the big celebration of Christmas Day when all the world will ring out with joyful song, celebrating the miraculous, incarnate birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Yes, it’s that marvellous fact that has us busy with all sorts of preparations, but let’s make sure that the most important preparation takes place in our hearts, as we hold Jesus near and dear, and remember all that He’s done for us. 

Sadly though friends, today we’re on an even later bus than yesterday, because I had to go out early for some tests and then run an errand that I could not do yesterday, so by the time I got back home, I had to rest, remember the ole fella is no longer a spring chicken, (smile) but today for sure, we’re going to be shorter than ever. So let’s get to this interesting and most appropriate poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin titled ‘Slow Growth.’ Who knows if I’ve ever shared it before, but I know that it relates to many of us in this greedy, busy and impatient society. 

Please read with me. ‘In my fretful impatience I am so often inclined to ask “Why can’t she change?”  “Why is he always so slow?” “Will they ever learn from past mistakes?” And then You begin to impress me With my own slow progress upward. I see your stretched patience. I remember how long You’ve waited for me. And I grieve that my attitude Is so often intolerant. O God, keep fresh the imprint Of my own need to grow And make me more flexible More understanding And always more LOVING.’ 

Yes my brethren, all of us can learn from those few words about the intolerant society we now live in. We’ve possibly never been this intolerant, although we are at the pinnacle of our growth; the richest, as well as the most technologically advanced, and mentally enlightened. And you’d think that that would guide us to share more of all that our new world has provided. However, that’s not true, for the rich are getting richer as they get greedier, the poor are getting poorer as they have what little they possess taken away from them, and rich nor poor seem to care about their fellow brethren as much as they ought. 

The essence of selfishness, the picture of Me, Myself and I, has unfortunately taken over our world. There’s so much in our world that nobody ought to be starving or suffering from serious want, as so many are today, even in the supposedly rich and generous countries. That’s why this Christmas season is the ideal time to try and turn things around, as there’s so much giving and kindness, although a lot of it is hypocritical and superficial. 

And the best way to begin is by following this wonderful advice from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. ‘And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you with all malice: And be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:30 -32) And for your information, that last verse is the Bible Promise of our poem ‘Slow Growth.’ 

So please, let’s use those words as our motto for this Christmas season nuh, opening our arms and hearts to others with the kindness and forgiveness that God has so generously bestowed on us through the sacrifices of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant to ask for divine help to do just that. 

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 with all the confusion and wrongdoing in our world, it’s now time for us to wake up and be better witnesses for Christ… if we desire His help. Much LOVE!

…let’s think and act like God….showing…LOVE, peace, forgiveness, kindness, mercy and justice…to each other…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 September 2018 Mark 6:31.

11 Sep 2018 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mark 6:31.   And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart (aside) into a desert (deserted) place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. 

Here we go again friends with the hurricane season! Hurricane Florence is barreling towards North Carolina today! I guess all we can do is pray that at the last minute the storm will veer away from the land, and if not, that it does not do significant damage. 

Ah Lord eh! As the ole people would say; when it’s not one thing, it’s another. But it’s all a part of life and we just have to keep on keeping on in Christ, regardless of what adversity comes against us. But here is an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that assures us that every so often, it’s wise to step aside from the rat race that’s life nowadays and rest a spell. It’s titled ‘Moments of Leisure. 

Please pray with me. ‘Lord, thank You for the moments of leisure And peaceful solitude I can legitimately snatch Here and there Without apologizing. Thank You for assuring me That I needn’t condemn myself When I spend some time Reading or resting Or shopping just for fun. Thank You for convincing me That there’s no glory In a rat race. 

I’ve discovered, dear Lord That an hour or two “Away from it all” Calms my inner muddle And cuts through the confusion. Without a driving sense of urgency I think more clearly – I plan more wisely. I am more patient, more LOVING More understanding with my family. I even accept with calmness The multiple demands imposed upon me. Thank You so much, dear God For the certain knowledge that Jesus (Who always obeyed the Father) Went apart from the crowd to rest. So must I!’ 

Yes friends, it’s essential that we step aside once in a while from our oh so busy lives and just smell the roses and enjoy the wafting breezes sent from heaven to calm our convoluted and confused spirits! Taking this world too seriously will only lead to breakdowns in all areas of our lives. Our bodies, minds, and souls simply were not meant to keep on going continually at the fast pace the world is dictating these days. 

So please step aside and rest every so often. Just leave the world and all of its nonsense alone for a spell and rest in the comfort of your God, doing whatever makes you calm and comfortable. It’s not a sin to do that. It’s more likely sinful to continue on the fast track when your body is crying out for rest and release. 

And we have a perfect example of that necessity in our Bit and the Bible Promise for the poem. After Herod killed John the Baptist and gave his head on a charger to His wife, the disciples came and told Jesus about it, also about what they had done and taught. 

‘And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart (aside) into a desert (deserted) place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. And they departed into a desert (deserted) place by ship privately (by themselves).’ (Mark 6:31-32) 

Oh my people, if our Lord and Saviour saw the need for occasional rest and privacy, why wouldn’t we eh? Instead of allowing the world to drive us unceasingly in our efforts to gain earthly wealth and power, we need to slow down every so often and take a break from it all. 

And right after that instance above, He fed the multitude of five thousand with five loaves of bread and two small fishes, then He sent them away again to rest. ‘And straightway he constrained (compelled) his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before (before him) unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people (multitude). And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.’ (Mark 6:45-46) 

Even Jesus needed to rest and recuperate after doing those miracles and having so many people around Him just pleading for their own desires to be fulfilled. It does take a toll on the human body when it’s bothered and badgered too much. And please note what Jesus went away by Himself to do; pray. Pray to His heavenly Father to ‘renourish’ His spiritual self and seek the Father’s guidance, for He came to do the Father’s work, and that necessitated occasional deep communion. 

So my brethren, we need not take the fast track that the world offers us. We have the option of taking the slower one that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ offers. So which will it be eh? It’s all up to us individually, but I do hope that the Spirit of wisdom guides us to accept the latter, because that’s the wiser and more amenable choice. 

Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know who and whose we are. In strong voice and true heart: ‘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 the world.  Amen!’ 

So let’s go out and do exactly that nuh! Much LOVE!

…the race is not for the swift…but for the sure of foot…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 September 2015 Mark 6:31‏

15 Sep 2015 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mark 6:31.   And he (Jesus) said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart (aside) into a desert (deserted) place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

Aye mih Scrip-Bit family! Welcome to a bright, beautiful and bountiful Tuesday in God’s great universe! All the elements are present for it to be another meaningful day in our lives. 

So let’s make it one nuh, with prayer, obedience, faithfulness and thankfulness to Almighty God, who LOVES us so much that He sent His only Son to die on the cross at Calvary so that He could purge our woeful sins and allow us to have fellowship with Him once again. That ought to count for something now my people. 

Unfortunately though, the noise persists outside of my house, for it seems as though they are finally digging up and paving the main road in my area. Oh what a miserable spring and summer it’s been with noise and all sorts of big machinery in the area supposedly fixing drains and culverts and lanes and what have you. 

To my way of thinking, some of it didn’t seem necessary, and some people are of the opinion that it’s only a make work programme… What you say? You thought it was only in the West Indies we had that stuff! Well apparently not! And every so often the house vibrates from the noise outside. Ah chuh! 

But like the tests the Lord puts us through, we just have to grin and bear it, knowing that it will all eventually work out for our good with well paved roads etc.etc. There it goes again, the shaking, the vibrating of my poor house. This time it only lasted for a few seconds though. Oh glory to God. I spoke too soon though, it’s back again. 

Anyway, listen to this interesting poem from the One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one’s titled ‘Moments of Leisure.’ 

And it says: ‘Lord, thank You For the moments of leisure And peaceful solitude I can legitimately snatch Here and there Without apologizing. Thank You for assuring me That I needn’t condemn myself When I spend some time Reading or resting Or shopping just for fun. Thank You for convincing me That there’s no glory In a rat race.

I’ve discovered, dear Lord That an hour or two “Away from it all” Calms my inner muddle And cuts through the confusion. Without a driving sense of urgency I think more clearly – I plan more wisely. I am more patient, more LOVING More understanding with my family. 

I even accept with calmness The multiple demands imposed upon me. Thank You so much, dear God For the certain knowledge that Jesus (Who always obeyed the Father) Went apart from the crowd to rest. So must I!’ 

Oh Friends, is all of that ever so true! We do need to take some time apart from the crazy rat race that our society, our world has become in the last generation or so. If we don’t, the busyness and the numerous demands on our time and energy will certainly drive us crazy and bring us to our grave much earlier than we want to. 

Notice how the stress factor has soared off the charts in the last couple decades. Before that stress was not a well-known, or rather an unknown entity, because people had lots of free time and other endeavours to relieve and release it. But with the coming of this communication and technological age it’s just become our worst enemy. 

One very important proviso in this story though, is that we don’t use rest and leisure as an excuse for laziness and its other cronies. Rest if you must, but don’t abuse it. 

And the Bible promise for that poem is also our Bit for today. ‘And he (Jesus) said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart (aside) into a desert (deserted) place, and rest a while; for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure (time for themselves) so much as to eat.’ 

Oh my brethren, we all know about those oppressive times, because we all have experienced them at some time or another! But sadly some of us are still experiencing them too often, and that is definitely not good for our health and well-being. 

And you see Jesus‘ wisdom in calling His disciples apart to rest. They had just come back from a missionary journey and people were milling all around them, so that they had no time to rest, not even to eat. Yes Friends, sometimes we have to do that too today in our overly busy and zealous society, otherwise we’d just crumble under the pressure. 

And the Good Book continues: ‘And they departed into a desert (deserted) place by ship privately (by themselves). And the people (multitudes) saw them departing, and many knew him (Jesus), and ran afoot thither out of all the cities, and outwent  (arrived before) them, and came together unto him (Jesus). 

And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people (a great multitude) and was moved with compassion towards them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.’(Mark 6:32-34) 

Oh Friends, yuh see that? Even though Jesus tried to get away from the multitude for some rest, they followed Him from all over, and even came to His disembarking point before Him! And Jesus, with a heart ever so filled with compassion had no other choice but to minister unto them, because they looked so lost and frail and feeble, like sheep without a shepherd. 

However my fellow believers, let’s remember that that was Jesus, God in the flesh, and He had more parts than us, who are merely flesh, and when the busyness and distractions of this life bombard us, as they will do, we don’t always have to embrace them. 

Sometimes it is necessary to show compassion, but then it’s also necessary for us to rest and recuperate, otherwise we won’t be able to deal successfully with the circumstances that surround us. Now that’s the wisdom of longevity! Much LOVE!

…there’s a time for every purpose under heaven…so rest if you must…but be careful it doesn’t turn into laziness…indolence…or sloth…