The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Living by the Dictates of Christ and Vetting Their Plans First with God!

Matthew 7:24.       Therefore whosoever heareth these saying of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man who built his house upon a (the) rock.

Then it was Wednesday; the day we catch our second wind. And unfortunately we’re on a late bus because I finally went to my church group today after missing several weeks. And they were all glad to see me, like I’d risen from the dead (smile) Then I ran a couple of errands, then had to come home and rest, before writing the Bit. So that’s my story…and I’m sticking to it. 

Anyway,  it’s a bright and sunshiny, comparatively warm day, with a little more of the snow melting.  However, the computer is calling for a fair amount of rain tomorrow. But we’ll wait and see how that pans out, for as Jesus says; ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow (do not worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34)

Yes, though we should not completely forget about tomorrow, we must concentrate on the day before us, for as the scholars explain: ‘This means that each day has its own troubles and challenges to be responsibly handled, without worrying about the hypothetical problems that could arise tomorrow.’ So let’s focus on today while we’re alive to do so, for who knows, we might not even be around to handle tomorrow’s challenges. (smile) That just points to how fragile life really is. You can be here today in flourishing health, but the next, for one reason or another, you’ve gone home to meet your maker.

That’s why it’s so important to cherish your friends and LOVED ones all the time. Let them know without any doubt that you sincerely care about them. It’s also important to stop all strife and resentment, do it now, don’t put it off for tomorrow, for without a moment’s notice, they can just vanish out of your life, and then you’re left holding all sorts of guilt and regrets, that you didn’t tell them you LOVED them, or didn’t straighten our your selfish and child-like disagreements. That’s why we are always admonished to not put off for tomorrow, what we can and should do today, because tomorrow might just be too late.

The very same thing goes for accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour! Why put it off for tomorrow when you can do it today eh? That reminds us of  Jesus’ parable about the rich fool. This fellow was blessed with an abundant harvest, and instead of sharing it, in his foolish wisdom decided to tear down his old barns and build bigger and better ones to store the abundant harvest. (Luke 12:13-18)

And as Jesus tells it, he then revels in his own wisdom: ‘And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.’ (Luke 12:19-21)

Yes friends, that doesn’t only show a lack of respect for God and the abundance He blesses us with, but also too much emphasis on planning for tomorrow, or defining our lives by our possessions. Oh, he was going to ‘take his ease, eat drink and be merry.’ Hn! But God had other plans for Him. That’s what happens when we are not in tune with God’s will for our lives. We plan to do stuff that He doesn’t agree with, and next thing we know, all our plans fall apart. Not necessarily because they are bad, but because we didn’t first consult God before making them.

And I’ve learned that from hard experience during my numerous years. There have been things I tried to do without any success, but later on those same things just fell into my lap, most likely because it was God’s right time. So before we make any great plans, let’s make sure we talk to our heavenly Father first on the wisdom of those plans, for sometimes He might say a definite No; or simply wait.  But let’s remember it’s all in His hands.

That brings us to these other wise words of Jesus, where He talks about building foundations on rock or sand. ‘Therefore whosoever heareth these saying of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man who built his house upon a (the) rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a (the) rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.’ (Matt. 7:24-27)

Oh my brethren, that’s exactly what happens to those of us who supposedly are of the faith, but yet refuse to do what Jesus expects of us. Like the rich fool, and the fellow who built on the sand, our houses will eventually tumble down if we don’t buck up and start behaving the way we ought to. We can see definite damage already happening all over the world, because people are not listening to and following Jesus’ teachings. You can’t be a saint while behaving like a sinner. Saints do saintly things, while sinners do sinful things, and a lot more of the later is currently happening in today’s society.

No wonder life is so topsy-turvy. There is no real truth and LOVE to it; just false voices crying out the devil’s lies. But all is not lost. We are the children of the Most High God Jehovah, and if we decide to get up and turn things around, then that is exactly what will happen. However, we first have to make that a concrete decision,  then live up to it. That though will only come to pass through a lessening of the divisions and dissensions in Christ’s church. Let’s hope and pray that we will wake up real soon and see our errors, and become willing to change them, not only for our sakes, but more so for those of our descendants.

Now let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And that’s a good future, but there’s an even more glorious one in store for those who endure with Jesus right to the very end, one that our puny minds cannot comprehend. So let’s make plans to endure to the end and thus enjoy that more than glorious future together nuh! Much LOVE!

…you cannot be a true Christian…and not live by the dictates of Christ…

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

The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Having the Same Mindset as Jesus, if They Desire to Live and Work for Him!

Philippians 2:5.         Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

And if you are not one of the smart, blessed or lucky ones who have the day off, (smile) then you would have gone out to work in the bad weather this Monday morning, a few days before New Year’s Eve. Let’s hope you were careful on the roads, for most likely they were very treacherous, what with the combination of rain, snow, freezing rain and sleet we’ve had this weekend. 

Now, although Christmas Day has passed, the season isn’t over, so please keep the peace, LOVE and joy going, wherever you may be, for we desperately need to turn things around in our old world for this new year. Jesus is depending on us to do the jobs we signed up for when we became His disciples. It’s like He said: “If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) That means getting out there every day with a good attitude, even though life might not be the greatest, and showing the world a true reflection of Jesus. 

Obviously it’s not easy, but it’s what is expected of us as true and sincere believers. None of us like the idea of sacrificing anything, but do you think Jesus liked the idea of sacrificing Himself on that rugged cross? No way! But the Father asked it of Him, for our benefit, and since He LOVED the Father and wanted to be obedient to Him, He valiantly put His life on the line for us. 

And Bruh Paul puts it very plainly in his letter to the Philippians. ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (emptied himself of all his privileges): And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:5-8) 

Yuh see that my fellow believers, Jesus gave up everything He had to come to earth to die in our place. So, please don’t tell me that we can’t suffer and sacrifice a little on His behalf. And that’s exactly why our world is in such an evil and ungodly mess; we Christians have gotten too comfortable and fearful and thus are not willing to go to bat for Jesus as much as is necessary, but we keep crying out to Him for help when troubles befall us and bold facedly expect Him to help us. 

But don’t forget that it takes two to tango, and two hands to wash each other, so if we need Jesus’ help, we must do what He desires. Remember His words: ‘If you LOVE me, you will keep my commandments.’ (John 15:15) So all the empty talk we spout about Jesus is just that; talk without any worthwhile action. And please note that Jesus does not expect us to kill ourselves on His behalf, but just to do an honest day’s work, like we would do for our earthly employers. 

But then, that brings up the interesting question of how many of us in today’s greedy and selfish society, do an honest day’s work? Hn! Definitely not the majority, since the general trend is to do as little as possible, or as little as we can get away with. But that is not the way Jesus wants His believers to behave. 

Bruh Paul also made that quite clear when he said in his letter to the Colossians: ‘And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. For he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: And there is no respect of persons.’ (Colo. 3:23-25) 

Yes friends, when we live for Christ, we are expected do things diligently and excellently, as though we are doing it for Him, for in the end we will receive the reward for our good attitude from Him. And likewise, if we do wrong, we will also receive the tough consequences for our disobedience, for God is impartial. Now, to help us handle all that is coming and will come against us, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these turbulent 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!’ 

Now it’s up to us to do what our prayer says; turn from our evil ways, so that God can prosper us. And that in turn means going to God for help in all sincerity and truth…if we truly desire divine aid. Much LOVE!

…it’s high time Christians action what we so lustily sing…Stand up…Stand up for Jesus…the trumpet call obey… 

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