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 Importance of Lent and the Temptations of Jesus in a Christian’s Life! Pt. 1.

Matthew 4:4.        But he (Jesus) answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Oh friends, it’s Wednesday, our second wind day…and unfortunately we on a late bus! But many of us shouldn’t need to catch a second wind, since this is only our second day of work this week, unless we’re still tired rom the Family Day celebrations this past weekend. (smile) However, we will certainly need some help to deal with the serious freezing rain that’s happening in our area. The above freezing temps of the last few days have suddenly disappeared and the computer is calling for snow later. So let’s get prepared for another round of snow and cold temperatures, for that’s what happens in winter. (smile)

Now, today is also a special day in the life of the Christian Church; Ash Wednesday, which begins the season of Lent. Lent represents the forty days that Jesus spent in the wilderness fasting and being tempted by Satan, without wavering in His faith. During these forty days before Easter the believer is expected to carry out a serious discipline of fasting, repentance, prayer and self-examination. However within those confines there are certain parameters of do’s and don’ts. And we’ll begin with this interesting scripture from Joel, who after warning about the Dark Day of the Lord, (Joel 2:1-11) then announces the Lord’s Call to Repentance.

And is there ever a great need for repentance in today’s very sinful world! Not only from the unbelievers, but also from we supposed believers. So, listen up, as Joel writes: ‘Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend (tear) your heart, and not your garments, and turn (return) unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness (LOVING-KINDNESS), and repenteth him of the evil (relents from doing harm).

Who knoweth if he will return and repent (turn and relent), and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering (meal or grain) unto the Lord your God? Blow the trumpet (ram’s horn) in Zion, sanctify (consecrate) a fast, call a solemn (sacred) assembly.’ (Joel 2:12-15) Now friends, that’s possibly what we need to do; call a big, sacred fast, and turn back to the Lord our God, from whom many have turned away in the search for physical pleasure and material wealth.

But before we move on, hear this crucial explanation from the scholars . As per ‘rend your heart and not your garment,’ they say: ‘The customary way a Jew showed his grief was to tear his outer garment. This external sign could be meaningless. The tearing of the outer garment is useless unless the heart is also broken in repentance and contrition.’ And sadly, that’s what many of us do nowadays; have outward shows of fasting, repentance and all the other sacrificial stuff when in reality our hearts are not truly involved.

That’s why Jesus warned us thus about fasting. ‘Moreover when ye fast, be not as the hypocrites (pretenders), of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.’ (Matt. 6:16-18) Ah mih people, this society has become such a place of show and falsehood, of outward deceitful doings to please man, and raise our societal stature that you don’t know what or whom to believe. But as true disciples of Jesus, we should not be doing anything just to be seen and uplifted by mankind.

And we could not talk about Ash Wednesday and not consider the temptations that Jesus suffered after being baptized by John the Baptist in the River Jordan, with the Spirit of God descending like a dove, alighting on Him, and the voice from heaven saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ (Matt. 3:16-17)  After that, the Bible tells us: ‘Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered (hungry) And when the tempter came to him, he said, if thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he (Jesus) answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’ (Matt. 4:1-4)

And according to the scholars, the victory in each aspect of the temptation is related to Jesus’ use of Scripture. It is written: First He quotes Deuteronomy 8:3, about man not living by bread alone, but by the Word of God. The source of bread is more important than the bread itself. Later, during the conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus would say to the disciples, “I have meat to eat that ye know not of.” (John 4:32) Jesus’ source of strength was obedience to the Father’s will and He would not even work a miracle to avoid personal suffering when such suffering was a part of God’s purpose for Him.’

Wow! Not many of us would have the resilience and obedience to suffer for suffering sake. And imagine the contradiction in Jesus’ earlier situation nuh, where, after being highly praised by the Father, the Spirit led Him into the wilderness to suffer and be tempted. But that’s often how it is in the Will of God, and we just have to learn to live with it, by looking at the rewards at the end. Now there are two other temptations that Jesus experienced in the wilderness, but because there is so much information contained in them, it would make the Bit much too long if we included them today. So, if God spares life tomorrow, then we will continue with those other temptations.

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 for those who endure to the end with Jesus, there’s an even more glorious future to enjoy. So, hope to see you there! Much LOVE!

…the Bible…the Word of God…contains ALL we need to live this earthly life…

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