01 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a great family, a new arena of strife, allow our guilt to become a burden, be strong and of a good courage, big and bold prayers, bring my soul out of trouble, broken right now, christianity, Christians, climate change, come to know and love God like we do, cut off mine enemies, deliver me from mine enemies, despise not the chastening of the Lord, destroy all that afflict my soul, determine to have our own way, disobedience, duty bound, eager to show us his kindness, even when we're faithless, faith, fall flat on our faces, favour, fear not, finally renewed commitment, for thy name's sake, for thy righteousness sake, forgotten the exhortation, fulfilment, give into temptation, glad to teach us the proper paths, God cannot deny Himself, God cannot excuse disobedience, God is compassionate and unchanging, God is determined to bless us, God is forever faithful, God is omnipotent, God will never let us down, God will never let us go, God will never let us off, God's reliable faithfulness, God's supernatural wisdom, good friends, good health, gospel truth, he will never fail thee nor forsake thee, He will never leave nor forsake us, holy spirit, I am persuaded, I am thy servant, I flee unto thee to hide me, in the image of Christ, in the name of Jesus, Jesus Christ, lead me into the land of uprightness, lifts our spirits, LOVE, may David's prayer be our prayer, mercy, must have access to our hearts, my son, negative word, no signs of peace in our world, nor be afraid of them, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him, nothing can separate us from God's matchless Love, nothing can separate us from the Love of God, of thy mercy, One Year Book of Bible promises, promotion. curse, prosper and succeed, Quicken me, rebellion, receive clear direction for my life, resist, resist until we feel exhausted, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, scourgeth every son he receives, self-control, speaks to you as children, strengthens our faith, strong will, success, teach me to do thy will, the beginning of May, the BIBLE, the Lord thy God doth go with thee, then confession, thou art my God, Three Discoveries, thy spirit is good, tough truth, truth, until comviction comes, use our blessing's on behalf of others, Whom God loves he chastens, windstorm, wisdom
Psalm 143:10. Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
And this Thursday, the first day of May, looks like it’s going to be a somewhat wet and cloudy one, although the sun is fighting a valiant battle to come out. But the winner of the contest is not as important as the fact that we’re now into the fifth month of 2025, almost half of the year is gone, and our world is no closer to any kind of peace and quiet. Instead, every day, a new arena of strife is popping up, with none of the old ones being settled. Even the climate change situation seems to be getting worse.
And I never realized how much damage that windstorm of two days ago had caused until yesterday, when I saw the pictures of fallen trees, damaged house, and learned that thousands of people were without power. As the duchess said when I mentioned it; although your area might be fine, you never know what’s happening elsewhere. And that’s the awful truth of this situation, for there wasn’t much damage in my area. So, please, let’s pray for those who suffered serious damage to their lives and properties, being thankful that we were spared such misfortune.
And here’s something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that reassures of us God’s goodness, faithfulness and LOVE for His human creation. It’s titled ‘Three Discoveries.’ And yes, I’ve shared this one before, (smile) but we all know these writings are so wonderful that they can be shared over and over and over again, as each time we read or hear them, they lift our spirits and strengthen our faith. So please read with me:
‘I have made three overwhelming discoveries regarding God’s reliable faithfulness. The first: God will never let us go – NEVER! We may fall flat on our faces. We may resist until we feel exhausted, but nothing can separate us from His matchless LOVE. The second: God will never let us down – NEVER! He is forever faithful, even when we are faithless. He cannot deny Himself. He will never leave us nor forsake us. The third: He will never let us off – NEVER! Whenever we give in to temptation, when we determine to have our own way – He says with all the LOVE of His Father-heart, I LOVE you too much to excuse disobedience .” Whom He LOVES, He chastens.
God is determined to bless us. He is eager to show us His kindness. He is glad to teach us the proper paths; but He must have access to our hearts. He will allow our guilt to become a burden until conviction comes, then confession, and finally renewed commitment! May David’s prayer be our prayer.’ And yes my people, all of what we’ve read there is the gospel truth! Our wonderful God is all about growing us up into strong, faithful children, in the image of His Son, Jesus Christ!
And there are scriptures to back up each of those three discoveries. So let’s check out a few nuh. As per the first one – God will never let us go, listen to this rock solid statement from Bruh Paul to the Romans nuh. ‘For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, not 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. 8:38-39) No friends, it could not get any surer than that!
Then, as per the second discovery – God will never let us down. Wow! There are so many scriptures that speak of His faithfulness that it would take us a whole day to go through them. (smile) But here’s one of the earliest promises of faithfulness. Its one Moses made to the children of Israel as he encouraged them re their journey into the Promised Land. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6) And the Lord Himself commanded Joshua in the same manner, several times, when He made him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. (Josh. 1:7-9)
Now, per the third discovery – the Lord will never allow us to get away with disobedience or rebellion, we took a good look at that only a few days ago, when we considered some of the scriptures that tell of God’s chastening of His children. Scriptures like this one: ‘And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, (sons of God), My son, despise not thou the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he recieveth.’ (Heb. 12:5-6) Lots of tough truth in those verses my brethren, (smile) but that’s just the Lord’s way.
So, we’ve seen scriptures that corroborate the three discoveries, but we’re yet to discover what the last line of the prayer means. ‘May David’s prayer be our prayer.’ And what was Bruh David’s prayer? It comes from Psalm 143, where he’s pleading with God for guidance and deliverance as he’s once again best by enemies. ‘Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me (unto to thee I take cover). Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. Quicken (revive) me, O Lord, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble. And of thy mercy cut off (put an end) to mine enemies, and destroy them all that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.’ (Ps. 143:9-12)
Oh friends, Bruh David was not afraid to pray big and bold prayers, because he knew that God was omnipotent, could do whatever He desired. Likewise, we should not be afraid to cry out to God when we’re in distress, because He desires us to call out to Him for help. He’s our Father, we’re His children, so whom else are we going to look to for help eh? And He’s gone even one step further by giving us undeserved blessings to do His earthly work, what we call our Thursday Blessings. So, let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (steups!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…God’s goodness, LOVE, mercy, grace, and faithfulness…will never change…for that’s who God is…a compassionate and unchanging God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a deep desire for personal righteousness, a hungry animal, a message of hope, a mighty rushing wind, a new heart will I also give you, a new spirit will I put within you, a renewed relationship with God, a sound from heaven, a spiritual transformation, a strong will, a thirsting soul, as generously as the Lord shared them with us, as the hart panteth after the water brooks, began to speak with other tongues, believers, blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, broken right now in the name of Jesus, broken the gates of brass, cause you to walk in my statutes, christianity, cloven tongues like fire, complete satisfaction, curse, cut the bars of iron asunder, divine protection, early will I seek thee, everything originates from God, faith, favour, filled with the Holy Ghost, for his goodness, fulfilment, give you an heart of flesh, good health, he filleth the hungry soul with goodness, he satisfieth the longing soul, his wonderful works to the children of men, holy spirit, I will bless thee while I live, in a dry and thirsty land where no water is, Jesus Christ, keep my judgements and do them, lift up my hands in thy name, LOVE, mercy, my flesh longs for you, my lips shall praise thee, my soul longeth for thee, my soul thirsteth for god, negative word, O God thou art my God, obedience to God's law, oh that men would praise the Lord, Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in the New Testament, other languages, outpouring of righteousness, panting for food or water, promostion, proof of their spiritual rebirth, propser, put my spirit within you, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, share our blessings with others, so panteth my soul after thee O God, spiritual poverty, spiritual rebirth, spiritual renewal, succeed, supernatural wisdom, take away the stony heart out of your flesh, the Beatitudes, the BIBLE, The Day of Pentecost, the Holy spirit indwelling believers, the indisputable truth, the living God, the penultimate day of our work week, the prophecy of Ezekiel, the sons of Korah, they shall be filled, thy loving-kindness is better than life, to see thy power and thy glory, truth, underserved blessings, When shall I come and appear before God, wisdom, yearning for perishable things, yearning for spiritual things
Psalm 107:15. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-KINDNESS), and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
So we’ve come to Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week, a warm and sunshiny day, and we’re just panting for Friday, like a hungry or thirsty animal panting for food or water. Oh, how I wish we could be like the sons of Korah say in Psalm 42: ‘As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’ (Ps. 42:1-2)
And Bruh David corroborates it in Psalm 63, ‘A Thirsting Soul’ while in the wilderness, running from his arch enemy King Saul. He writes: ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul longeth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;’ (Ps. 63:1)
Yes friends, it’s the living God we should be panting and thirsting for; not the day when we get a break from work! For who do you think allows you to have that break eh? In the long run, it’s the living God! In fact everything that you have or get, initially flows from Almighty God! It might come through other people, but it all originates from the grace, mercy and LOVE of our heavenly Father! As Bruh David spells out in the next couple of verses. ‘To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee (looked for thee) in the sanctuary. Because thy LOVING-KINDNESS is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.’ (Ps. 63:2-4)
Now that’s how we supposed believers ought to be behaving, not looking forward to the material, perishable things of the world, as so many of us are currently doing. It’s like Jesus says in the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt. 5:6)
And the scholars offer this interesting explanation of that verse. ‘These future possessors of the earth are its presently installed rightful heirs, and even now they hunger and thirst for righteousness. They experience a deep desire for personal righteousness, which in itself is a proof of their spiritual rebirth. Those who are poor and empty in their own spiritual poverty recognize the depth of their need, and they hunger and thirst for that which ONLY God can give them. They shall be filled refers to a complete satisfaction. The psalmist proclaimed: “He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” (Ps. 107:9)
And that’s the indisputable truth my fellow believers! When we sincerely hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God, He fills us up, because that is His very nature, which He cannot deny. And we find one of the best examples of that in the Book of Acts, on the Day of Pentecost when the church members were sitting together in a room, ‘And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues (in other languages), as the Spirit gave then utterance.’ (Acts. 2:2-4)
Oh my brethren, that was certainly an unusual outpouring of righteousness all at once, but it marked the beginning of the Holy Spirt indwelling believers and not operating outside on certain occasions. It’s what God promised the Israelites in the prophesy of Ezekiel. ‘A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements, and do them.’ (Ezek. 36:26-27)
And this commentary offers an explanation of those verses. ‘They promise a spiritual transformation, where God will replace the Israelites’ “heart of stone” (stubbornness, resistance) with a “heart of flesh” (responsiveness, obedience), and infuse them with a “new spirit,” symbolizing a renewed relationship with God and obedience to His laws. This promise is a type of the New Covenant, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, offering spiritual renewal to all believers.
In essence, Ezekiel 36:26 is a powerful message of hope and spiritual renewal, promising a restoration of the Israelites’ relationship with God through a transformation of their hearts and minds. This transformation is also seen as a foreshadowing of the New Covenant, where God’s spirit dwells within believers, enabling them to live in obedience and righteousness.’
Now that ought to help us believe God’s Word even more, as those prophecies in the Old Testament keep being fulfilled in the New Testament. Consequently, our behaviour ought to be like the psalmist says in Psalm 107: ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-KINDNESS), and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he hath broken the gates of brass (bronze), and cut the bars of iron in sunder.’ (Ps. 107:15-16)
Yes, friends, the Lord has broken all our chains and released us from the prison of sin and being hell bound through the auspices of Christ’s work on the cross of Calvary. That means we should be thankful, grateful and show it through our obedience and LOVE, especially since He’s further showered us with our Thursday Blessings, undeserved blessings to do His earthly work. So let’s declare and activate them right now nuh.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (yeah!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and share those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…instead of yearning for perishable earthly things…we ought to ye yearning for imperishable spiritual or heavenly things…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a strong will, abundance, brake it and gave to the disciples, by whom the Son of man is betrayed, Christ's Last Supper, christianity, clear direction for my life, come to know and love Jesus, commemorating the memory of Jesus, consternation, courage, creativity, curse, drink it new with you, drink of the fruit of this vine, drink ye all of it, duty bound, enabled God to forgive sins, example of humility, exceeding sorrowful, faith, favour, for the remission of sins, goes as it is written of him, good for that man he had not been born, he that dippeth his hand with me, he took the cup and gave thanks, Holy Communion, holy spirit, Holy Thursday, humility- a lost attitude, in my Father's kingdom, in the name of Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus too bread and blessed it, Jesus' sacrificial death, Lord is it I, LOVE, Maundy Thursday, mercy, my time is at hand, negative word, one of you shall betray me, prosper, redemption from Egyptthe cup of blessing, salvation, self-disicpline, shed for many, success, supernatural wisdom, surprise announcement, take eat this is my body, talent, the BIBLE, the bread of affliction, the covenant was sealed with blood, the cup of blessing, the current attitude is to exalt oneself, the greatest among you shall be your servant, the intimate nature of the betrayal, the Passover, the redemption from sin, the same shall betray me, the Son of man, this is my blood of the new testament, truth, washing of feet, which our fathers ate in Egypt, whoever shall exalt himself shall be hubled, wisdom, woe unto the man
Matthew 26:28. For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission (forgiveness) of sins.
At last it’s Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday, according to which religion or geographical area you belong to. Anyway, it’s the second saddest day of the year, after Good Friday. It’s the fifth day of Holy Week and is known for the Celebration of Christ’s Last Supper with His disciples, where He gave us the discipline of Holy Communion to remember Him by.
That night Jesus also gave the disciples a warning example of the humility He expected from them, and consequently from us by washing their feet. It was one of the lowliest jobs in existence and was usually done by slaves. However, Jesus doffed His clothes and donned a towel and washed their feet letting them see and experience the full meaning of the words He had spoken to them before: ‘But he that is the greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased (humbled); and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted (lifted up)’ (Matt. 23:11-12)
But sadly that state of affairs doesn’t exist in today’s world nor enough in Christ’s church, for the current attitude is to exalt oneself above others; the higher, the better. Humility is a lost attitude in these proud and arrogant times, and when it’s found, it’s considered weakness and foolishness by the majority of our fellow men. But let’s not forget that Jesus’ kingdom is an upside down one, where you believe before you see, you humble yourself and not exalt it, and several other attitudes that the world considers nonsense.
Anyway, on that famous night of the Last Supper, Jesus skewed the usual Jewish Passover meal, when He sat with them in the room He had directed them to go and arrange. When they asked where they were to prepare the meal, He’d said: ‘Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master (teacher) saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at thy house with my disciples.’ (Matt. 26:18) And they did as instructed.
The Bible then tells us: ‘Now when the even (evening) was come, he sat down with the twelve. And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?’ (Matt. 26:20-22) Can you imagine the consternation that surprise announcement must have made amongst the twelve, with each wondering if it would be them.
But Jesus answered and said, ‘He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: (Dan. 9:26) but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He (Jesus) said unto him, Thou hast said (said it).’ (Matt. 26:23-24) Now the Bible doesn’t tell us what happened directly after those statements. But the scholars tell us that He that dippeth reveals the personal and intimate nature of the betrayal, and Thou hast said means “yes.”
After those eye opening comments, the Bible continues: ‘And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, Drink ye all of it (drink from it all of you); For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission (forgiveness) of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom. And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.’ (Matt. 26:26-30)
Yes friends, that’s the advent of what we call Holy Communion, the commemorating or honouring the memory of Jesus, of His sacrificial body and blood when we celebrate it. Now, let’s hear some interesting explanations from the scholars on what we’ve just read. As per ‘Jesus took bread: The head of the Jewish household was accustomed to doing this during the Passover feast. Jesus gave a completely new significance to the action. This is my body: During the Passover feast, the Jewish householder took bread in hand and said, “This is the bread of affliction which our fathers ate in the land of Egypt,” meaning of course, that one represented the other.
By His words the Lord changed the whole significance and emphasis of the feast from looking back to the typical redemption from Egypt to faith in the redemption from sin accomplished by His death. The bread and wine were only outward symbols of our Lord’s death. Nothing in the Gospels indicates that these were to be viewed as a means of grace, sacraments, or that they were physically necessary for one’s salvation. Per The cup: Three cups were passed around by the Jewish householder during the Passover meal; the third, which is probably the one referred to here, being known as “the cup of blessing.”
Then My blood of the new testament taken from the Greek Septuagint version (the earliest Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) of Exodus 24:8, with allusions to Jeremiah 31:31 and Zechariah 9:11. The covenant in Exodus 24:8 was sealed with blood. The word testament can also mean a covenant. Shed for many for the remission of sins: Here is a clear statement that the death of Jesus was necessary to enable God to forgive sins. It, in fact made it right or morally justifiable for Him to do so. That day refers to the time when He comes again in glory.’
Now, I do hope that we all learned some new and interesting stuff from the scholars explanations. I did. But it’s time to for us to declare (oh no!!!) our Thursday Blessings, undeserved blessings the Lord bestowed on us do His earthly work. So let’s do that as one loud and sincere voice nuh. ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
That means we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Holy Communion…serves to remind us…of the overall importance of Jesus…especially His sacrificial death…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a breakdown in communication, a daily commitment to living for Christ, a lack of true discipleship, a radical transformation of life, as I am not of the world, be better witnesses for Christ, behaving holy on Sundays, behaving like the rest of the world the rest of the week, chaotic place, christianity, Christians, Christians must do a better job for Christ, come to know and love Christ, courage.curse, creativity, divine protection, duty bound, embrace the difficulties of, faith, favour, for their sakes, given them thy word, God's supernatural wisdom, grace, greedy, have my joy fulfilled in themselves, holy, holy spirit, I sanctify myself, if any man will come after me, Jesus Christ, Jesus' kingdom is not of this world, keep them from evil, lawless, let him deny himself, listen to, live a life modelled after Jesus, living a life dedicated to jesus, LOVE, mercy, negative word, no excuses, not living up to our covenant with Jesus, our dailu walk with Christ, our lives should be worthwhile testimony be, penultimate day of our workweek, personal desires, promotion, prosper, pull up our socks, putting aside personal desires, righteous, run the enemy out of town, salvation, sanctified through the truth, sanctify them through thy truth, set us apart for His holy purpose, showing unbelievers the light of Christ, succeed, success, supernatural strength, take up his cross daily and follow me, the anointing, the BIBLE, the bright light of Jesus, the challenges that come with following Jesus, the commitment to follow Jesus, the cost of following Jesus, the sad truth, the still small voice of the Spirit, the ultimate call to discipleship, the world hated them, they are not of the world, thy word is truth, tighten our britches, to prioritize God's will, to sacrifice worldly gains for eternal rewards, truth, undeserved blessings, we're not following the script, will prevail over the darkness of Satan, willing to make certain sacrifices, wisdom, worldly attachments'
John 17:16. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
So, the penultimate day of our workweek, Thursday, rolls around with cool temps and a shallow cloud cover. Who knows what the rest of the day will be like. Let’s hope that the bright rays of the battling sun will prevail over the dark clouds, just like the bright light of Jesus will prevail over the sinful darkness of Satan! And all God’s people said a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’
Yes friends, I know our greatest desire is for the enemy to be run right out of town on the very next train, but unfortunately that will not happen unless we pull up our socks, tighten our britches and begin being better witnesses for Christ! Obviously, you don’t want to hear that, but it’s the sad truth. The world would not be such an evil, hateful, greedy, lawless and chaotic place if we Christians were doing a better job of showing the unbelievers the marvellous light of Christ through the rich examples of our own lives. Instead of being holy on Sundays, then behaving like the rest of the world on Monday to Saturday, we have to behave holy and righteous each and every day.
Remember what Jesus said about us when He prayed for the Father’s help before He left this world. ‘And now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from evil (evil one). They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they might also be sanctified through the truth.’ (John 17:13-19)
Yes my people, we’re not of this world, so we’re not supposed to behave like this world. And Jesus steadfastly prayed that the Father would sanctify us, set us apart for His holy purpose, but, unfortunately, we’re not following the script as laid out by Jesus. And it’s obvious that we’re not perfect and we will all make mistakes here and there, but on the whole our lives should be a worthwhile testimony to the unbeliever.
Remember what we agreed to when we became Christians, disciples and followers of Christ? Jesus said it thus: ‘If any man will (desires to) come after (follow) me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) That’s the agreement we made when we became Christians, followers of Christ. But sadly, not enough of us are living up to that covenant. Too many of us are still dithering and wavering when coming to denying ourselves and daily taking up our cross. We refuse to make certain sacrifices that are necessary to serve Jesus, and dredge up all kinds of excuses not to take up our cross.
And if we don’t understand what all this means, then this commentary explains it fairly well. As for the Context: Jesus is speaking to his disciples, emphasizing the cost and commitment involved in following him. “If any man will come after me…”: This is a conditional statement, meaning that if someone desires to be a follower of Jesus, they must be willing to make certain sacrifices. “let him deny himself…”: This means putting aside personal desires, ambitions, and worldly attachments in order to prioritize God’s will and follow Jesus.
“…and take up his cross…”: The “cross” symbolizes the suffering, hardship, and challenges that come with following Jesus. It’s a call to embrace the difficulties of living a life dedicated to Christ. “…and follow me.”: This is the ultimate call to discipleship, urging individuals to live a life modelled after Jesus’ teachings and example. Meaning of Discipleship: To follow Jesus requires a radical transformation of life, a willingness to sacrifice worldly gains for eternal rewards, and a daily commitment to living for Christ rather than oneself.’
Oh my people, truly following Jesus is not always easy, but it’s always worthwhile. Remember too, He doesn’t ask us to do anything that He Himself did not, or would not do, plus He always gives us the tools, the grace and mercy, the anointing to do whatever He asks of us. Then we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us to lead and guide our daily walk with Him, but probably too many of us don’t listen to the still small voice of the Spirit, and insist on doing our own thing. That will obviously lead to a breakdown in communications and thus a lack of true discipleship.
My fellow saints, it’s time we owned up to our shortcomings on Jesus’ behalf and make amends by turning our lives around, becoming true disciples and living sincerely for Him, truly desiring to make a difference in this ungodly and evil world. And God’s so good to us, that He’s even bestowed on us underserved blessings to help with His earthly work, so there are no excuses not to do our godly bidding. We call those tools our Thursday Blessings. So, let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, (yesss!!!) we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…to be a true follower of Jesus…you cannot behave like the world…because Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, a zone of comfort and security, adaptability to change is a key in mental health, Bible, change for change sake, change is difficult to handle, change must be constrained by God's Word, christianity, Christians, clear direction for my life, climate change, comparing existing things to the flow of a river, constant transition, curse, eventual destruction of the wicked, every good and perfect gift is from above, everything must change, faith, favour, fear of change leads to depression, freezing rain, God's character doesn't change, good family, good freinds, good health, Heraclitus, his compassions never fail, holy spirit, I am the Lord I change not, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, negative word, neither shadow of turning., nothing stays the same, one of those days, prosper, results in stagnation, salvation, succeed, talent, the Father of lights, the fear of cahnge, the inability to change, the inherent nature of constant flux, the instability of life, the only constant in life is change, the topic of change, the Unchanging God, truth, when you are finished changing you're finished, wisdom, with whom is no variableness, ye sons of Jacob are not consumed, you could not step twice in the same river
Malachi 3:6. For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
Oh my people, as the song says, yesterday was just another one of those days, one where we see the ever-increasing action of climate change. First came the snow in the early afternoon, light, but then heavy, thankfully though not the 6 cm that was forecasted. Then came the freezing rain, and you could hear it hitting against the windows like it was trying to break them. So you can imagine the mess that weather situation caused in the evening drive home. Then came the rain, and that lasted for most of the night, only stopping sometime this morning.
Now it’s mostly cloudy with a ray of sunshine peeping through. However, they are forecasting heavy rain again for later, although the temperature is supposed to be in the high teens, and wonder of wonders, 9 cm. of snow for next Tuesday. And I’m not going to doubt them, because they have been right the last few times, except for the amount of snow we’ve received. (smile)
That brings us to this interesting topic of changes or changing. It’s been said that the only thing that doesn’t change is change. And this commentary tells us: ‘The saying “the only constant in life is change,” attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus, highlights the inherent nature of constant flux and transition in the world and our lives.’ So, we’re to assume that everything and everyone changes , possibly several times during their existence. And furthermore, many of us find change, be it good or bad, very difficult to handle.
And this commentary by Arapahoe Tim from his arapahoelibraries.org website attempts to give us an even broader understanding of the topic. He begins by quoting the other Greek Philosopher Plato. “Heraclitus, I believe, says that all things pass and nothing stays, and comparing existing things to the flow of a river, he says you could not step twice into the same river.” Then he continues: ‘One constant since the beginning of time might be change, however, the fear of change is also a constant. Since times immemorial, humans have liked routine. It makes us feel in control of our lives.
When that fear of change becomes irrational our ability to control it becomes a phobia, particularly Metathesiophobia. A Metathesiophobe feels they have no control over their lives due to constant change. Metathesiophobes tend to live in the past and are unwilling to progress, which often leads to depression which can seriously impact their professional and personal lives.
If a society or country rejects change there is no growth, no progress. The inability to change, progress, or grow can result in stagnation. Stagnation rejects realizing one’s full potential. Stagnation is not a healthy flowing river; it is an idle and stale pond.’ Then the writer ends with this quote from the U.S President Benjamin Franklin. “When you are finished changing, you are finished.”
And there’s no doubt that change is good, but change just for the sake of change is not wise. If the change improves things, then it makes sense, but if it doesn’t, then why change eh? Meanwhile, this other commentary from Hope Gilette on the psychcentral.com website further explains: ‘Change is all around us. Some change is fixed, like the shift of one season to another, while other change is evolutionary and progressive, tossing new circumstances our way as time goes on. It’s natural to dislike change — it often requires you to come out from a zone of comfort and security. But adaptability, the process of reinventing your behaviors, thoughts, and emotions, can be a key protective feature in mental health.’
And there’s truth to it all, but there’s one good thing to be thankful for; that our wonderful God does not change, otherwise we’d be up the proverbial creek. (smile) All the changes in life would drive us crazy, if we didn’t have at least one solid and unchangeable entity to turn to in times of change. And He summarily declares it through the prophet Malachi: ‘For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ (Mal. 3:6) This commentary explains it thus: ‘This means he doesn’t change his character, his plan, or his mind. Frankly, with the instability of life, this is the security we all long for—consistent unconditional love. The Unchanging God.’
Now that’s certainly good news, for if God wasn’t steadfast and unruffled, He would have destroyed us long ago for all the disobedience and ungodly things we do. But because of His great LOVE for us, He’s stuck with His original plan of salvation, but certain eventual destruction of the wicked and their endeavours. And the prophet Jeremiah reminds us of that most salient fact in his Lamentations. ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.’ (Lam. 3:23)
Then we have another couple reminders of God’s unchangeable nature. This first one from Hebrews that declares: ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.’ (Heb. 13:8) And last but by no means least, James throws in his two cents worth, when he writes: ‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness (variation), neither shadow of turning.’ (James 1:17) And do we ever have plenty of good and perfect gifts that the Father has bestowed on us, gifts to enable us to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings, and it’s necessary to declare and thus activate them right now.
So as one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having activated those perfect gifts, we’re now duty bound to go out and use them on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that others can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…change is a necessary aspect of life…but it must be constrained by God’s Word…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a joy, bangles, baubles, bright shiny things, broken right now in the name of Jesus, climate change, curse, dem's the breaks, Demas hath forsaken me, discouraging message, divine protection, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, favour, following Jesus is a serious commitment, fulfillment, go thou and preach the kingdom of God, hands fixed securely on the plough, having loved this present world, he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever, holy spirit, if any man love the world, is fit for the kingdom of heaven, Jesus Christ, lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, let the dead bury their dead, life's lesser matters, look to the future not the past, looking back, looking back means you're not dedicated enough, LOVE, love not the world, lust of the flesh, mercy, meritorious benefits, moth and rust doth corrupt, negative word, no man having put his hand to the plough, not looking back, only a life with Jesus lasts forever, personal desires, physical desires, plow means work or task, pride, pride of life, prosper, rewards for faithful service, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, self-interest, share generously, springtime, strong faith in Christ, succeed, supernatural strength, supernatural wisdom, the disciple has more important things to do, the love of the Father is not in him, the lust of the eyes, the lust thereof, the spiritually dead, the spiritually dead can bury the physically dead, the spiritually living, the world passes away, thieves break through and steal, things of the world, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, where your treasure is there will be your heart also, winter climate, wisdom, working for God on earth
Luke 9:62. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit (suitable) for the kingdom of heaven.
Oh friends, Thursday has opened bright and sunshiny from the very beginning, although it’s still somewhat chilly. Let’s hope it stays that way…but luck of all luck, I just looked down at the bottom of the computer and saw this dreary and discouraging message: ‘3 cm of snow on Sunday.’ Brother, I thought that since we’re in springtime, we were all over with that white stuff, but apparently not. And we can’t write off the report, because last week when it said snow on Monday, we did get snow early on Monday morning, although not a great amount and it melted very quickly.
But dem’s the breaks! If you live in the winter climate, you must expect winter weather at any time, especially with the crazy weather patterns that we’re currently experiencing in the throes of climate change. Anyway, not to worry, we will overcome whatever comes against us through strong faith in, and the help of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. He’s promised it, and He keeps all of His promises.
So, today, let’s look at a couple of interesting verses from Luke’s gospel. The story behind it is that one man wants to follow Jesus, but he wants to go and bury his father first. To which Jesus replies: ‘Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.’ (Luke 9: 60) Now that sounds somewhat rough and unfeeling of Jesus, but this commentary explains it thus: ‘The man needs to let someone else bury his father; he needs to spread the news of the coming of God’s kingdom. Jesus’ play on words most likely means that the spiritually dead—those who refuse to follow Him—can bury the physically dead; in this case, the spiritually living—the disciple—has more important things to do.’
That leads to this next situation. Another man wants to go and say farewell to his family before following Jesus. ‘And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit (suitable) for the kingdom of heaven.’ (Luke 9:62) Now that’s a big statement my people! And what does it mean? The scholars put it thus: ‘One who makes life’s lesser matters of greater priority than God’s work is of little use to him.’
Then this commentary explains: ‘Luke is showing that following Jesus is a serious commitment. We can’t look back at the past; we need to keep our eyes on our work and where it will take us in the future.’ Meanwhile this other commentary says: ‘Plow is synonymous with work or a task. The implication is that once you begin your walk with Jesus, but then look back to the worldly life you lived once before (i.e.: in longing for), you are not dedicated enough to continue and/or complete that task.’
There you have it my brethren: Basically, once we have begun our walk with Jesus we cannot look back or long for the things of the past, but need to press on to the things of the future that Jesus has in store for us. That’s why we have this statement in our Wednesday Wail: ‘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.’ It’s all about looking to the future my brethren!
And we have an interesting comment on just that from Bruh Paul to Timothy: ‘Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica…’ (2 Tim. 4:9-10) Now, that’s the kind of thing Jesus is talking about. We cannot just up and leave our ministry for the world and expect everything to be hunky dory.
As John so rightly puts it in his first epistle. ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (physical desires), and the lust of the eyes (personal desires), and the pride of life (self-interest), is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’ (1 John 2:15-17)
Ah mih people, I know Satan and his evil cronies are always throwing baubles, bangles and bright shiny things in our faces, and it’s hard to stay away from the entrancing and captivating things of the world, but we need to seriously realize that most of those things are either not necessary, ungodly, or not a part of God’s will for us, plus they will not last forever. Only a life with Jesus will last forever!
Jesus made it quite clear, when He delivered these teachings. ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through and steal. For where you treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:19-21)
Yes friends, we should not be so taken up with accumulating things here on earth, which rust and rot and thieves can steal, but with accumulating treasures in heaven, where they are safeguarded from moths, rust and thieves. And according to the scholars: ‘The concept of laying up treasures in heaven is not pictured as one of meritorious benefits, but rather of rewards for faithful service, as illustrated elsewhere in the teachings of Jesus.’
And yuh know what, our God is such a great God that He’s bestowed undeserved blessings on us so that we can better do His earthly work and thus earn more heavenly rewards for faithful service. We call them our Thurseday Blessings. So, let’s declare them out loud and thus activate them nuh. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having activated those blessings it’s now our bounden duty to go out and use them to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…working for God on earth…should be a joy…as we consider…the treasures we’re building up in heaven…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a tug-of -war, abudance, according to the inward man, alive and kicking, another law in my members, battlefields between the flesh and the Spirit, being controlled by the flesh, Bible, blessings, bringing me into captivity, carnal acts, christianity, contrary to one another, contrary to sound doctrine, contrasting the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit, curse, divine protection, faith, favour, fight like we do, from the body of this death, God's daily compassions, governed by the Holy Spirit, holy spirit, I delight in the law of God, I serve the law of God, I thank God through Jesus Christ, if a man uses it lawfully, in Christ we have everything we need, Jesus Christ, keep sin out of our lives, LOVE, mercy, moral lives, negative word, no match for the power of the Holy spirit, nothing good in the flesh, O wretched man that I am, our flesh longs for the law of sin, our hearts long for the law of God, predicament, promotion, salvation, sin that dwells in me, sold under sin, success, talent, the carnality of our flesh, the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, the inherited sin nature, the law is good, the law is not made for the righteous man, the law of sin, the law of sin and death, the restraints of the law, the sins of the flesh, the spirit against the flesh, thoughts and deeds that yield only to death, truth, turn away from the flesh's evil yearnings, walk in the Spirit, walking in the Spirit, warring against the law of my mind, weaknesses, who shall deliver me, wisdom, with the flesh, with the mind, ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh
Galatians 5:16. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
And it’s a wet and cloudy Thursday morning, the sunshine we’ve had the last few days has disappeared, but life is still great, because we still have Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, and with Him we have everything we could ever need or want! Glory be! Now, as promised yesterday, if God saved life today, we’d continue looking at Bruh Paul’s words as he explains his struggles with his sin nature. And since we’re alive and kicking, through God’s great and daily compassions, let’s keep that promise. (smile)
So, yesterday we saw how Bruh Paul struggled to overcome the carnality of his flesh, not understanding why he did things he didn’t want to do and didn’t do the things he desired to do, claiming that there was nothing good in his flesh, and that fact caused his predicament. And he goes on to further say: ‘Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would (want to) do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after (according to) the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.’ (Rom. 7:20-23)
And so it is with us; our flesh and our hearts play a constant tug-of-war with each other. Our hearts longing after the law of God, while our flesh longs for the law of sin. And thus, many of us cry out like Bruh Paul: ‘O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death (this body of death)? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.’ (Rom. 7:24-25)
And the scholars explain that ‘the law of my mind refers to the influence of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life to obedience and good works; which in Rom. 8:2 he refers to as: “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” The law of sin meanwhile refers to that in man which is sold under sin. It is the “law of sin and death” in Rom. 8:2. So, apart from the indwelling Holy Spirit, the law of sin would dominate Paul’s life.’ Just as certainly as it would do ours!
Then, as per verse 24, ‘O wretched man: The reference here is to Paul’s tragic condition of defeat and frustration. The body of this death is not the physical body, but the inherited sin nature from Adam. It is that in him which is continually inclined towards thoughts and deeds that yield only to death.’
Yes friends, although Bruh Paul was a great and zealous apostle, he was also a man, just like us, which means he had all the same weaknesses that we have, and had to fight, just like we do, to stay on the straight and narrow path. That means to stop berating ourselves when we act carnally. However, to mitigate or lessen those carnal acts, we need to grow spiritually by more studying of and meditation on God’s Word, while also paying closer attention to the voice and guidance of the Holy Spirit. That’s the only way we will ever turn down the cries of the flesh for its base desires.
And Bruh Paul offers these words of advice in his letter to the Galatians. ‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.’ (Gal. 5:16-18)
Oh friends, our lives are indeed battlefields between the flesh and the Spirit, because they both have yearnings and desires either to do good or to do evil. Consequently, they thwart each other and thus cause us to do things we don’t want to do. However, the situation is not hopeless, for when we are led by the Spirit and yield to His good wishes and desires, then we turn away from the flesh’s evil yearnings and keep sin out of our lives. But we need to consciously make that decision to be led by the Spirit, and when we do, we’re not under the law because then we don’t need the restraints of the law, since our moral lives are then governed by the Holy Spirit.
And as Bruh Paul said to Timothy: ‘But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane…etc. etc… and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;’ (1Tim. 1:8-10) Yes my brethren, the law is made for those irresponsible and disobedient people, not we faithful believers in Christ Jesus.
Now, here’s one last interesting piece of advice in the war against the flesh. The scholars tell us that ‘By contrasting the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21) with the fruit of the Spirit (vs. 22-23) the believer can know whether he is walking by the Spirit or being controlled by the flesh.’ Now that’s an exercise we can all spend some valuable time on today. (smile)
But that’s not all! Our great God has, in His amazing generosity, also bestowed undeserved blessings on us to help do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings, which we can activate right now by simply declaring (steups!!!) them in all sincerity and truth. As one strong voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And with that declaration (yesss!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the sins of the flesh…are no match for the power of the Holy Spirit…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a guarantee of salvation, a new creation, a positive outlook on life, a significant undertaking, accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour, after you believed, all things are become new, avoiding wrongdoing, baptism, born spiritually, christianity, clear direction for my life, conflict of rules, courage, creativity, curse, down payment on our inheritance, enter in at the strait gate, eternal life, except a man be born again, faith, favour, forgiveness of sins, fulfillment, giving up our old way of life, God's Word, he cannot see the kingdom of God, holy spirit, if any man be Christ he is a new creation, Jesus Christ, lead and guide us, LOVE, mercy, negative word, Nicodemus, old things are passed away, perceives Christ in a new way, repentance, salvation, Satan, Satan bombards us with temptations, sealed for all eternity, sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, self-control, self-disciplime, supernatural wisdom, take it all in stride, the BIBLE, the earnest of our inheritance, the gospel of your salvation, the importance of staying on the right path, the new life that Christ has planned for us, the paths of righteousness, the way God planned it, the wide gate that leads to hell, the word of truth, truth, underserved blessings, until redemption of the purchased possession, vital union with Christ, wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, wisdom
2 Corinthians 5:17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
And then it was Thursday, our penultimate day of the work week. But can you imagine that the week is almost finished? It seems like it was only yesterday I wrote about it beginning. (smile) But that’s the way God planned it, so we just have to take it all in stride. And we can do that because He’s given us the tools to do so, if we sincerely pay heed to His Word and Holy Spirit that dwells within us to lead and guide us in the paths of righteousness.
Now, let’s look at this interesting verse from 2 Corinthians that describes in basic terms what happens when we accept Christ as Lord and Saviour. Bruh Paul writes: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ (2 Cor. 5:17) Now that’s something we all ought to know, accept and make happen. As the scholars explain: ‘When a man comes into vital union with the risen and glorified Lord, he is a “new creation” and perceives Christ in a new way.’
That’s why Jesus told Nicodemus, the Jewish leader who came to Him by night to find out who He really was: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (spiritually, from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:3) That tells us right away that coming into union with Jesus is a significant undertaking. It’s easy to begin; simply asking God to forgive your sins and sincerely promising to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour. But then the road gets somewhat difficult, because Jesus has His own rules and regulations, which very often conflict with those of the world.
No wonder Bruh Paul declares that when you’re born again, old things are passed away and everything then becomes new, for that’s how Jesus wants them to be, and He helps us make them so. The scholars tell us, ‘that indicates a decisive break with the old life at the moment of salvation.’ Yes friends, we have to let go a lot of our old life, the things we did, the places we went, and the people we hung out with, because those things prevent us from getting into the new life that Christ has planned for us.
And giving up our old way of life is not always easy to do, especially when Satan keeps bombarding us with temptations to revert to that old way. But if we are serious, and strong, we can resist the devil’s wiles through the power of the Holy Spirit that immediately comes to dwell in us at salvation, and by learning God’s Word from the Bible and putting it into practice. For this relationship with Jesus is a very binding and lasting one, as described by Bruh Paul in his letter to the Ephesians.
‘That we should be to the praise of his glory, (glorify God), who first trusted in Christ (Jews). 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 (down payment, deposit) of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.’ (Eph. 1:12-14)
So, Bruh Paul is pointing out that the Jews first believed in Christ, then the Gentiles, but there’s no difference between the two groups, because they are both under the umbrella of Jesus who’s sealed them as His for all eternity. Or, as this commentary informs us: ‘being “sealed by the Holy Spirit” signifies that God has marked believers as belonging to Him, and it’s a guarantee of their salvation and future inheritance.’
Now it’s important to note that we won’t lose our salvation if we revert to some of our old ways, but it’s oh so necessary to adopt the new ways that Jesus desires of us, so that we can walk hand in hand with Him. Remember how Jesus puts it in the gospel of Matthew? ‘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 thereat: Because strait is the gate (how narrow is the gate), and narrow (difficult or confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt. 7:13-14)
And what does that mean? This commentary states: ‘The straight and narrow path” is an idiom that refers to a course of behavior that is honest, moral, and correct, emphasizing the importance of staying on the right path and avoiding wrongdoing.’ And this other commentary explains: ‘the gate that opens on the path to eternal life is “strait”—that is, narrow—since repentance and baptism in the name of Christ is the only gate. The narrow gate is contrasted with the wide gate that leads to hell.’
So, basically, the world says we can do about almost everything, that gives us much leeway, or a broad path. However, in Jesus’ kingdom, there are a lot of things that believers are not expected to do, which makes our path somewhat restricted, and the sinful nature of man draws many more of us to the wide and broad path that leads to destruction than to the narrow one that leads to eternal life. But as we said earlier on, God gives us tools to handle our every situation, and some of those tools we call our Thursday Blessings. So, let’s declare them right now nuh, so that we can activate them and keep on rolling even stronger in Christ.
As one sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And now that we’ve been strengthened with God’s undeserved blessings, it’s time for us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…If you’re born again…and don’t act somewhat differently than before… then something’s wrong, somewhere…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cold and windy day, a compassionate heart, a living wage, a modicum of circumspection, a natural human emotion, a wrathful man stirs up strife, abundance, allow the devil to breach our spiritual armour, an albatross around one's neck, anger does not produce the righteousness of God, anger must be tempered, anger rests in the bosom of fools, be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, be ye angry and sin not, better is the end than the beginning, better than he that takes a city, better than the mighty, better than the proud in spirit, christianity, curse, divine protection, duty bound, faith, favour, fools are predominant in our world, God's supernatural wisdom, grin and bear it, he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly, he that is slow to anger appeases strife, he that is slow to wrath, he that refrains his lips is wise, he that rules his spirit, house ownership, in the multitude of words, Jesus Christ, leaking basements, let every man be swift to hear, let it all hang out, let not the sun go down upon your wrath, LOVE, mercy, negative aspects of house ownership, negative word, neither give place to the devil, of great understanding, promotion, salvation, slow to speak, slow to wrath, spiritual armour, success, talent, the BIBLE, the lead and guidance of Jesus, the patient in spirit, the wrath of man, there wanteth not sin, this fallen world, truth, wisdom, worketh not the righteousness of God
Ecclesiastes 7:9. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
Well, this second day of Lent, Thursday, has opened cold and wind and somewhat cloudy. But that’s fine by me, because that means the rain’s stopped falling and the snow has stopped melting and consequently my basement has stopped leaking, for however long the dry and cold weather continues! Glory Be!
Ah friends, this owning a house racket is the biggest scam in our country. They tie you to a mortgage for umpteen years, at prices you can barely afford, and give you all the glowing accounts of house ownership, but never tell you a word about the many negative aspects, like the fast-risinginsurance premiums, ever increasing taxes and ever diminishing returns on those taxes, the untimely repairs and the numerous unforeseen things involved in owning a house. And sometimes I think it’s good that house prices have skyrocketed so that young people cannot afford them, and consequently don’t get shackled with a lifelong albatross around their necks.
But that’s just my take on the subject, having been an owner of several homes, both old and new over the years. And believe me, even the new ones have unforeseen problems that can be both expensive to fix and also frustrating, because when you buy something brand new, you don’t expect to have any more layouts of time and money for a while.
And it wouldn’t be so bad if most of us were making a living wage, meaning one that we can afford the necessities of life without too much hassle. But that’s not true for a majority of the population. However, that’s life in this fallen world my brethren, and we just have to grin and bear it as best we can, sincerely following the lead and guidance of Jesus’ Word and His Holy Spirit which indwells us.
Enough of my complaining though, let’s check out some interesting and very appropriate words from Cousin Sol, writing as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes. He declares: ‘Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.’ (Eccl. 7:8-9)
Excellent words of wisdom my people! And how I wish our world would hear those words and take them to heart, because right now it’s filled with an overabundance of proud, egotistic, entitled, angry, dissatisfied and vengeful humans. And if you follow Cousin Sol’s logic, then fools and foolishness are indeed predominant, because anger now has such a deep-seated position in today’s society. And it’s sad that there are so many scriptures that reject and rebuke that kind of attitude and behaviour, yet we persist in making it so predominant in today’s world.
So to help us get a better perspective on the problem, and hopefully turn things around, let’s check out a few scriptures that detail the folly of anger and pride, beginning with this poignant one from James, where he talks about being hearers and doers of the word. ‘Wherefore my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not (does not produce) the righteousness of God.’ (James 1:19-20)
It could not be said any clearer and more straightforward than that my fellow believers. And we all know it, because whenever we get angry, we do and say things that don’t mix and mingle well with the Lord’s expectations. And that’s why we ought to not get angry too quickly, always try and instill a modicum of circumspection. (smile) But if we do get angry, let’s keep these words of Bruh Paul to the Ephesians in mind. ‘Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.’ (Eph. 4:26-27)
Yes friends, the scripture acknowledges that anger is a natural human emotion, but it must be controlled and not lead to sin. The scholars put it thus: ‘Sinful anger is to be replaced by (briefly held) righteous indignation, that the devil may not be given opportunity.’ Oh so true! But unfortunately, not enough of us, both believers and unbelievers, ever tend to follow that route. Instead, we let it all hang out, and thus give the devil lots of space to breach our spiritual armour.
But getting back to the scriptures on anger and pride, Cousin Sol has several in Proverbs. Let’s check out a few of them. This first one says: ‘In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth (restrains) his lips is wise.’ (Prov. 10:19) In other words, when you talk too much you run a much higher risk of committing sin than when you keep your words few.
Then there’s this: ‘He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit (impulsive) exalteth folly.’ (Prov. 14:29) That’s self-explanatory. And what about this one? ‘A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife (contention).’ (Prov. 15:18) That’s also self-explanatory. (smile) And we’ll finish with this one: ‘He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.’ (Prov. 16:32) Yuh see mih people, being slow to get angry is much better than being a mighty warrior. (smile)
And to help us do His earthly work properly, our good God has bestowed showers of undeserved blessings upon us. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (awright!!!!) we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…anger comes naturally…but like fire…it must be tempered…lest it cause serious and unnecessary damage…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a great family, a sense of shame or remorse, a tooth for a tooth, abundance, all scripture is given by inspiration of God, an eye for an eye, angry attitudes, avenge not yourselves, basement leak, be not overcome of evil, be tenderhearted, be ye all of one mind, christianity, clear direction for my life, courage, courteous, creativity, curse, duty bound, equipped to do good works, faith, favour, give place unto wrath, give way to anger, go two miles when asked to go one, God has the right to avenge, God's supernatural wisdom, good freinds, good heallth, good will always prevail over evil, haing compassion on each other, have regard fro good things, heap coals of fire on his head, holy spirit, if he thirst give him drink, if thine enemy hunger feed him, in the sight of all men, inherit a blessing, instruction in righteousness, Jesus Christ, like manna from heaven, live peacefully with everybody, LOVE, love as brethren, make the right choices, mercy, negative word, not rendering evil for evil, overcome evil with good, profitable for doctrine reproof correction, prosper, provide things honest to all men, recompense to no man evil for evil, salvation, self-control, snow raining down, strive to be kind, succeed, talent, the BIBLE, the Lord shall reward thee, the man of God may be perfect, truth, turn the other cheek, vengeance is mine saith the Lord, when it's not one thing it's another, wisdom
Romans 12:21. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Oh friends, I woke up this morning, looked outside and saw snow raining down like manna from heaven and thought the balmy weather was over. But a short while later the snow stopped and it began melting. And therein lies the source of my biggest problem this Thursday morning. Ah Lord eh! But as the old people would say, when it’s not one thing in this life, it’s certainly another!
I came down to write the Bit about an hour ago, only to discover an unknown leak in the laundry room of my basement that the melting snow was seeping through, apparently for some time now, because all the stuff on the ground around it was wet, and water was flowing down to the furnace. We thought that the furnace was leaking, and called the furnace people, but I’m not so sure about that now nuh. (smile) So I obviously had to move things around and clean it all up, plus set some preventive measures in place so that the new leak would not spread water all over the laundry room floor.
By the way, the furnace repair man eventually came, wasted a half hour more of my time, only to reaffirm my suspicion, the furnace was not leaking, it was the water from the leak on the wall finding its way down to the drain at the bottom of the furnace. No wonder the Bit keeps getting delayed. (smile) Anyway, as promised, today we’ll continue with the words of Bruh Paul from Chapter 12 of Romans. And my fellow believers, these are some very important ones pertaining to our behaviour between good and evil.
So please read and inwardly digest with me. ‘Recompence (repay) to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest (have regard for good things) in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in (depends on) you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not your selves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:17-21)
Ah mih people, those instructions are indeed godly and good, but very difficult to maintain in this evil and vengeful world. Nonetheless, as believers in Christ we have to try our best and live up to them. Not repaying evil for evil seems to be the same thing Jesus teaches on forgiveness in Matthew 5:38 42., about not giving an eye for an eye, or a tooth for a tooth, turning the other cheek and going two miles when asked to go one. It’s just not a natural human reaction. But the truth of the story is that Jesus’ kingdom and ways are different to normal human reactions.
And Peter also weighs in on the topic. ‘Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, LOVE as brethren, be pitiful (tenderhearted), be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing (reviling) for railing (reviling): but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. (1 Pet. 3:8-9)
Next comes the admonishment to live peacefully with all men. Now that’s truly difficult to do with the angry, hateful and resentful attitudes that are now running rampant in our world. Then there’s the big one, where we are advised not to give way to anger and take vengeance in our own hands, for that is the Lord’s jurisdiction. The scholars say that ‘Paul quotes Deuteronomy 32:35 to show that only God has the right to avenge, and he certainly will avenge.’
As per heaping coals of fire on an enemies head by treating him good, the scholars believe that Bruh Paul might have been referring to ‘a sense of shame or remorse engendered when we treat an evildoer kindly. Paul is discussing personal, not national enemies. He is not teaching pacifism.’ And it’s interesting to note that Bruh Paul might have gotten those words of being kind to our enemies and heaping coals of fire on an enemy’s head from the wisdom of Cousin Sol. In Proverbs 25, he solemnly states: ‘If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee.’ (Prov. 25:21-22)
Now, isn’t it interesting that throughout the Bible you have different people reiterating different things from by gone times to reinforce the stuff they want to get home to their readers and/or listeners. That’s why the Bible is such a wonderful Book, it gives encouragement, wisdom and spiritual understanding all the way through, from the first page to the last. That’s why Bruh Paul could attest to these facts to Timothy: ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’ (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
And one of the most important of those facts that are good for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness is this last one that Bruh Paul wrote in our scripture passage for today: ‘Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:21) Once again, that’s a hard nut to crack, especially with all the evil that’s floating around in our current world. However, we are required to do our best, obviously with God’s help. And to show how our God is a good and wonderful God, He’s generously bestowed on us all kinds of tools to help us do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So, let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh.
As one strong voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
Now, we’re fully equipped to do God’s work, and therefore duty bound to go out and share those blessings with others just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Let us always strive to be kind and make the right choices…for in the end…good will always prevail over evil…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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