25 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a refresher course, a sense of urgency, able to withstand, against principalities, avail ourselves of God's provision, be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, be strong in the Lord, common sense, conquer Monday, demonic onslaughts, demons, departed from him for a season, destroy our Christian witness, divine aid, efficient weapons, evil schemes of Satan, face a formidable foe, faith, faithfully promised, fallen angels, flesh and blood, flex our muscles, hand to hand combat, have the victory through Christ, having done all to stand, holy spirit, humble servants, immediate action, in the evil day, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep the ball rolling, life-saving obligation, logic, LOVE, meat and potatoes, mercy, never give up, never say die, powers, pray, proper protection, put on the whole armour of God, resist the enemy, salvation, Satan himself, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, sinned and disobeyed your Word, spiritual warfare, spiritual wickedness in high places, strong faith in Christ, the church's adversary, the devil had ended all the temptation, the devil's strategy, the God who heals, the individual nature of spiritual warfare, the lion of the work week, the Lord's armour, the mass confusion in our world, the milk of the word, the power of his might, the power to solve our problems, the power to tame lions, the rulers of darkness, the throne of grace, the wiles of the devil, to alleviate our problems, to hear and answer our prayers, tools to fight, truth, turn from our evil ways, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, wisdom, wisdom for the ages, wise guidance
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.
Welcome to Monday friends; the lion of the work week! But please remember that through Jesus Christ, we have the power to tame even the most ferocious lion, which means we can conquer Monday, without any trouble, if we put our minds to it. So, let’s do just that nuh; by getting out there and showing Monday that we have it all together, and there’s nothing it can throw at us that we cannot handle.
However, before we can flex our muscles on Monday, we need to fulfill one important, life-saving obligation; that’s putting on the Lord’s armour before we go out to battle with Monday, for if we don’t, he will certainly come out victorious, since it’s the Lord’s armour that keeps us protected and gives us the tools to fight. Consequently, it will do us a lot of good to have a brief refresher course on the armour of God. (smile) And we find that master fighter, Bruh Paul, talking about it in his letter to the church at Ephesus.
This is what He says to them: ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph. 6:10-13)
That my people is the general why of the situation. The fight is not against human flesh but against spiritual wickedness, especially those in high places, that are controlling our world. And the scholars give us some interesting and important explanations, like ‘Put on, denotes a sense of urgency, demanding immediate action.’ And we do need to get the ball rolling with no hesitation whatsoever.
Then, ‘to stand, means to resist the enemy and hold a critical position in the battle. While the wiles of the devil (the Devil’s strategy): means that Satan carefully devises schemes and tactics against believers. And as per ‘wrestle, used of hand-to-hand combat, emphasizes the personal and individual nature of spiritual warfare waged against each local church and Christian. Flesh and blood refers to humanity.
Such is not the church’s adversary. Instead, she opposes principalities (rulers), powers (authorities), rulers (world rulers), spiritual wickedness (wicked spiritual beings), that is fallen angels, demons, and Lucifer himself.’ So friends, you see the powerful consortium of evil and wickedness that we are up against.
That’s why Bruh Paul wrote ‘Wherefore, meaning because we face such a formidable foe, we must avail ourselves of God’s provision lest the enemy destroy our Christian witness and ministry. The evil day refers to the periodic demonic onslaughts and Satanic attacks. Having done all includes both dressing oneself in God ‘s armour and resisting Satan. Having done all these, be ready, for the Devil will attack again and again.’
Yes mih bredrin, that’s one thing about Satan and his evil cronies, they don’t ever give up, they keep coming back again and again. It’s like when the Devil tempted Jesus unsuccessfully, the Bible says: ‘And when the devil had ended all the temptation (testing), he departed from him for a season.’ (Luke 4:13) That means he did not go away forever, but just to recover himself and come up with some more evil schemes.
And that’s the way we Christians ought also to be, never give up, never say die, especially when we know that we already have the victory though Jesus Christ, but we do need to protect it. And please note that Bruh Paul keeps talking about putting on ‘the whole armour of God.’ Yes, that’s all of it, not bits and pieces, because it’s only with the complete armour that we can ever fight any battle victoriously.
Now that was the milk of the armour of God, (smile) understanding why it’s necessary to be protected, and from what. And I believe that we will leave the meat and potatoes of the situation for tomorrow, if God spares life, because we have enough heavy stuff to understand today, and the rest of it is also difficult to understand and will only make the Bit long and unwieldy. So, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help in these evil and ungodly times.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And as we can see from our prayer, there are things we first need to do before divine aid is forthcoming; like turn from our evil ways, pray, humble ourselves, and sincerely seek the Lord’s face. So why don’t we concentrate on doing those things eh my people, beginning right now, so that heaven will shower down blessings on us. It’s wisdom for the ages! Much LOVE!
…it’s simple logic and common sense…one cannot go into battle without proper protection and efficient weapons…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a critical position, a fight for life and death, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a new work week, alleviate our problems, be strong in the Lord, Bible, caught napping, cessation of hostilities, Christian, Christian witness, christianity, crapaud smoke we pipe, demonic onslaughts, departed from him for a season, disobeyed your word, divine aid, eternal death, eternal life, eternal separation from God, eternity, evil weapons, faith, God's guidebook, grace, having done all, holy spirit, in the power of his might, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mass confusion, meditate on God's Word, mercy, mickey mouse affair, negative situations, no cease fire, no quarter given, pain, pay a horrendous price, powers, pray, principalities, put on the whole armour of God, put the word into practice, renewed confidence, resist the enemy, rest, salvation, Satanic assaults, sincerely seek your face, sinned, spiritual foes, spiritual wickedness, stand against the wiles of the devil, strengthened by the Lord, strong faith in Christ, temporary truce, the God who heals, the rulers of darkness, the spiritual battle, to stand, truth, turn from our evil ways, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, wisdom, wise guidance, withstand in the evil day
Ephesians 6:10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Here we go again with a new work week, hope we are all prepared for it, with sufficient rest and renewed confidence and faith over the weekend, for the enemy is raising the level of spiritual warfare that’s taking place, daily putting more evil weapons and people into the fray. And if we are not aware and alert, we will certainly be caught napping and made to pay a horrendous price.
That’s why it’s ever so important for believers to get down with the Word, be much more acquainted with it; read it, study it, meditate on it, and put it into practice in our lives. For that’s the only way we will ever defeat the enemy. Remember, the Bible is God’s Guidebook for our earthly lives, and if we don’t know what it says, or how to put it into action, then crapaud smoke we pipe!
Friends, the enemy is not joking, this is not a friendly war… No! It’s a fight for life and death! If we lose it, then we’ll be facing eternal death and separation from Almighty God, and if we win, we’ll be spending eternal life with Him. And that’s the most important aspect of this whole earthly life; where we spend eternity!
And at the start of this new year, we cannot go wrong by examining some of the weapons we have to fight this spiritual warfare. Some of which are outlined by Bruh Paul in his epistle to the Ephesians, where he talks about the whole armour of God which is necessary for us to have, if we intend to fight and win the spiritual battle. He begins with this exhortation: ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.’ (Eph. 6:10)
And the scholars explain that verse thus: ‘Finally may be rendered “from now on” or “henceforth.” The spiritual battle Christians are engaged in exists “from now on until the Lord’s return: there is no quarter given, no cease-fire, no temporary truce, no cessation of hostilities, “From now on” till the end there is all-out war. The remainder of the verse may be paraphrased, “Let yourselves constantly be strengthened by the Lord, more precisely, by His mighty power.”
Oh friends, yuh see this is a most serious and deadly affair, not some li’l mickey mouse matter, where we playing childlike games. Bruh Paul then makes another most significant statement. ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:11)
Now the scholars tell us that the words used for ‘Put on in the Greek language, denotes a sense of urgency, demanding immediate attention,’ and that’s a very crucial fact right now as the battle lines are narrowly drawn. Meanwhile ‘To Stand has military overtones. This verb was used in classical Greek meaning to resist the enemy and hold a critical position in battle.’
That ought to bring home the seriousness of the situation to us. In other words, we cannot stand against the wiles or evil schemes of the enemy unless we’re dressed in the full armour of God. And believe me, Satan carefully crafts schemes and tactics against believers. So please don’t think that He’s just fooling around. He’s more serious about our destruction that ever.
Then Bruh Paul goes on to give us some idea of whom we’re fighting against. ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual wickedness (spiritual hosts of wickedness) in high places.’ (Eph. 6:12) So we’re not fighting against flesh and blood, but against spiritual foes.
The scholars explain that ‘Wrestle, used of hand to hand combat emphasizes the personal and individual nature of spiritual warfare waged against each local church and Christian. Flesh and blood refer to humanity. Such is not the church’s adversary. Instead, she opposes principalities (rulers), powers (authorities), rulers (world rulers), spiritual wickedness (wicked spiritual beings), that is, fallen angels, demons, and Lucifer himself.’
Then Bruh Paul reemphasizes the importance of God’s armour in our fight. ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.’ (Eph. 6:13) And the scholars explain that means ‘because we face such a formidable foe, we must avail ourselves of God’s provision lest the enemy destroy our Christian witness and ministry. The evil day refers to the periodic demonic onslaughts and Satanic assaults. Having done all includes both dressing oneself in God’s armour and resisting Satan. Having done all these, be ready, for the Devil will attack again and again.’
Now that’s something we have to be very cognizant of; the devil never stops for good. Every so often, he will take a break, especially if he is not getting anywhere with you, possibly to devise new strategy, but he will always come back while we’re alive, it’s his reason for living. We can clearly see that in the scriptures. After Satan unsuccessfully tempts Jesus, the Word says: ‘And when the devil had ended all the temptation (testing), he departed from him for a season (until an opportune time).’ (Luke4:13)
Yes my fellow saints, the devil doesn’t tempt us willy- nilly, but has very deep and deceptive strategies in place to encourage us to fall. However, we will not do that today, because we will go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help us overcome his evil schemes.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
But let’s remember that before divine aid can be granted, we need to humble ourselves, pray and sincerely seek God’s face. In other words, turn from our evil ways! Much LOVE!
…to fight God’s fight successfully…one must have His protective armour…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a dictatorial agenda, a great cloud of witnesses, as a good soldier of Christ, become discouraged in your souls, but of power love and a sound mind, consider the bigger picture, despising the shame, dictatorial times, equality, expand there sphere of power, exploitative rulers, faith, finished my course, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, for he who promised is faithful, godly traits, holy spirit, human predators, hurry, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I have fought a good fight, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, jusrice, kept the faith, led like lambs to the slaughter, lest ye be wearied and faint, let us hold fast the profession of our faith, LOVE, lust for power, negative emotions, negativity, peace, personal aggrandizement, put on the whole armour of God, restricting rights and privileges, run with patience, Satanic behaviour, share His love with my neighbours, strife, the author and finisher of our faith, the beloved of God, thou therefore endure hardness, too busy seeking our own small-minded interests, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, turn things around, wannabe rulers, wisdom, without wavering, worry
Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; for he who promised is faithful;)
And then it was Tuesday, the day after Labour Day Monday, which means all the partying done for another season, and is only serious business on the mind now. What with all the strife and negative emotions that are currently plaguing our world, it’s about time we got serious and began doing something about it. Oh friends, the negativity and Satanic behaviour in our world are too far flung, widespread and deep for us to just leave them be!
And if we ever hope to turn things around, we must make a sincere and positive effort, starting right now, to combat them with godly traits like peace, LOVE, justice and equality. We need to get rid of the many sick, power-hungry, exploitative rulers and wannabe rulers, who only want to expand their sphere of power and deepen their own pockets with a dictatorial agenda. That’s the only way our world will ever improve!
You know, when I was young and reading the history of so many dictators and crazy rulers, I often wondered how they ever came to be. But now in my old age, I’m living the reality of it, seeing how it actually comes about. And how is that eh? Because too many of us go around like lost or doh care sheep, not paying sufficient attention to what’s happening in the world around us, especially in these times when we have the news from all around the world right at our fingertips.
That’s one of the reasons why dictators are able to arise and thrive; the people don’t take them seriously enough, not realizing the imminent death and withdrawal of many of their God-given rights in the society. We’re too busy seeking after our own small-minded interests to consider the bigger picture, figuring that whatever happens won’t affect us. But that’s a total lie; for whatever happens in a country affects all who live in it!
Consequently we don’t stand up and fight off the predators the way we ought to. Then, when they get in power and begin restricting our rights and privileges, we make a big outcry about it. But then it’s too late. We should have stopped them in their tracks before they got entrenched in power. And unfortunately that reminds me of a line in the scriptures that talks about Jesus and many of his followers being led like lambs to the slaughter. (Is. 53:7, Rom. 8:36)
But the truth is that many more than just followers of Christ are being led like lambs to the slaughter under the rule of greedy, power-hungry, Satan- inspired rulers, who are willing to do just about anything to gain the power and other ungodly things they desire. And it’s only when the people know their rights, and are not afraid to stand up strong, to these human predators, that the society can ever progress in a true, just and godly manner.
And the sad fact is that right now in our strife filled and angry world, there are many rulers who have been able to seize the reins of dictatorial power, and many more wannabe rulers who are doing their best to do the same. It seems like dictatorial times are cyclical; you’ll have several of them for a season, and then it’s followed by a sort of recession as they gradually die off, because most of the power is embodied in only one man.
We saw the rise of the dictator in the last part of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th, then they all died off. However, we’re now seeing the rise of another season of autocratic, selfish, greedy and ungodly leaders, to whom human rights and lives don’t mean a thing in themselves, and are only important as they can be used to feed their lust for power and personal aggrandizement.
Now stopping these human predators is not easy, never was, and never will be, but that doesn’t mean they are unstoppable, just that we have to work extra hard to stop them from rising up, or to topple them after they have attained power. And where do we begin? I believe first of all by receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, then using all the rights and powers we access by His work and that belief to stand strong and fight the greedy powers that be.
We need to use scriptures like: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; for he who promised is faithful;) (Heb. 10:23) Yes friends, the first step is to hold on strong to our faith in Jesus, for with Him we can defeat anybody and anything, as the scriptures say: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:13) But without Him, we cannot do much of anything. As he says: ‘for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
But to help us in our fight, we also need to put on the spiritual armour of God, as Bruh Paul says in Ephesians. ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:11) Then there’s this scripture that further admonishes us to stand strong and look to Jesus. ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us,
Looking unto Jesus, the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:1-4)
Oh my people, that’s the basis for our unending fight; the strength and perseverance of Jesus, who cared not for the hostile opinions and behaviour of others, but concentrated on doing His Father’s work. Likewise, we should be concentrating on doing His work, not letting the opinions or behaviour of the ungodly frighten us into not making a positive, godly difference in the world.
Remember, ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) That means we don’t need to be afraid of the enemy, for we have the power, the Spirit and LOVE of God to resist and rebuke him. Thus we need to do like Bruh Paul told Timothy: ‘Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Christ.’ (2 Tim. 2:3)
And if we do that, then we’ll be able to say like Bruh Paul did: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith.’ (2 Tim. 4:7) And that’s all the Lord really expects of us; to put up a good fight in His name. Now, for those of us who are trying our best to do just that, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know whom we belong to, lock, stock and barrel.
As one voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, it now behooves us to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…we can only soldier on successfully…with the power, the armour and Spirit of Christ in us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: .praying always in the Spirit, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a sense of urgency, against the wiles of the devil, an opportune time, answer our prayers, be strong in the Lord, Bible, christianity, defeat the enemy, demonic onslaughts, divine aid, dressed in spiritual armour, faith, fight to the death for Christ, for a season, God's provision, having done all to stand, holy character, holy spirit, humble ourselves, in the power of his might, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, LOVE, moral conduct, negative situations, powers, pray, principalities, put on the whole armour of God, quench the fiery darts, ready for the challenge, repentnace, resisting Satan, Satanic assaults, sincerely seek your face, sitting ducks, spiritual battle, spiritual wickedness in high places, supplication for the saints, the best defence is offence, the breastplate of righteousness, the enemy destroy our witness, the God who heals, the helmet of salvation, the individual nature of spiritual warfare, the preparation of the gospel of peace, the rulers of darkness, the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, the throne of grace, the truth of God's word, the whole armour of God, truth, waging spiritual war, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, wisdom, wise guidance, withstand in the evil day, ye may be able to stand, your feet shod, your loins girt about with truth
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (carefully crafted schemes) of the devil.
Come on down Monday…the followers of Jesus are ready for your challenge! We’re dressed in our spiritual armour just rearing to get out on the battlefield and fight to the death for Christ! Ah friends, those are easy words to spout, but much harder to put into real, live action. And now is as good a time as any to review and remember what we mean by our spiritual armour.
Bruh Paul spells it out very nicely for us in his epistle to the Ephesians. He writes: ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (carefully crafted schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:10-11)
Oh my fellow believers, as the scholars tell us, those words ‘Put on,’ denote a sense of urgency, demanding immediate action.’ We cannot wait to see what the enemy is up to we have to be ready asap. And any soldier going into battle must secure protective equipment before they hit the battlefield, otherwise they will be sitting ducks for the enemy. And although we’re not waging a physical but spiritual war, we still need protective armour to assist us in our fight.
Now what’s this spiritual war, you ask? Listen to Bruh Paul tell it: ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.’ (Eph. 6:12)
And the scholars explain it thus: ‘Wrestle, used of hand-to-hand combat, emphasizes the personal and individual nature of spiritual warfare waged against each local church and Christian. Flesh and blood refers to humanity. Such is not the church’s adversary. Instead, she opposes principalities (rulers), powers (authorities), rulers (world rulers), spiritual wickedness (wicked spiritual beings), that is, fallen angels, demons, and Lucifer himself.’
Yes, the spiritual battle is not only against the church, but also against individuals, which means, each and every believer needs that spiritual protective armour. That’s why Bruh Paul writes: ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.’ (Eph. 6:13)
And per the scholars, that means ‘because we face such a formidable foe, we must avail ourselves of God’s provision lest the enemy destroy our witness and ministry. The evil day refers to the periodic demonic onslaughts and Satanic assaults. Having done all includes both dressing oneself in God’s armour and resisting Satan. Having done all these, be ready, for the Devil will attack again and again.’
Of that you can be very sure my brethren. The devil will never stop completely, as the Bible tells us re the temptations of Jesus. ‘And when the devil had ended all the temptation (testing), he departed from him for a season (until an opportune time).” (Luke 4:13) So when he stops tempting you, he’s not gone forever, but only until he sees another opportunity.
And we finally come to the big question, what is this armour of God that we’ve been talking about. Let’s listen to Bruh Paul again from his letter to the Ephesians. ‘Stand therefore, having your loins girt about (your waist girded) with truth (the knowledge of the truth of God’s word), and having on the breastplate of righteousness (a holy character and moral conduct): And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace (an eagerness or willingness to advance against the Devil, and take the fight to him).
Above all taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked (one). That means ‘taking God at His word believing His promises. Such trust will protect one from doubts induced by Satan.’ And take the helmet of salvation (the hope or assurance of salvation), and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (selected verses of Scripture):
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for the saints.’ Meaning that ‘prayer is indispensable; without prayer God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. And we must be vigilant in the matter of prayer, praying always when Satan attacks, not only for ourselves, but for all saints, with the help of the Holy Spirit.’ (Eph. 6:14-18)
Now that’s how we’ll be able to handle Monday and whatever the devil decides to throw at us. But we have to be proactive, not wait for the devil to come, but take up the Lord’s armour and go after him. As they say, the best defence is offence! Oh friends, I do hope this brief review on God’s protective spiritual armour reawakens our spirits and our desire to fight for Christ. And if we’ve gotten off-course, sets us back on course, keeps us on the straight and narrow road that leads to heaven and Christ.
And having said all that, let’s go the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And a word to the wise; the only way we’ll ever see divine aid is if we humble ourselves, pray, sincerely seek God’s face, and turn from our evil ways. Much LOVE!
…without God’s protective spiritual armour…the believer cannot defeat the enemy in spiritual battle…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Jun 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a snowball's chance in hell, against forces of spiritual wickedness, an individual and corporate matter, avail ourselves of God's provision, Bible, christianity, Christians should never quit, deliver us from this present evil world, departed from him for a season, developed evil to a high science, endure to the very end, faith, fighting a spiritual battle, fully clothed in the Lord's armour, god, God's breath of life, grace be to you, halfway home, hands on the plough, having done all to stand, holy cahracter, holy spirit, Jesus Christ, knowledge of the truth of God's Word, LOVE, moral conduct, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not looking back, our Lord Jesus Christ, peace from God the Father, praying always with all prayer, put on the whole armour of God, quench the fiery darts of the wicked one, rebuking the enemy, salvation, spiritual combat, spiritual warfare, thank God, the breastplate of righteousness, the devil never quits, the helmet of slavation, the preparation of the gospel of peace, the protective armour of God, the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, the wiles of the enemy, the Word of god, to a glorious future with Jesus, to successfully navigate this evil world, to whom be glory for ever and ever, truth, until an opportune time, watching thereunto, Wednesday Wail, who gave himself for our sins, willing to advance against the enemy, wisdom, with all perseverance and supplication for all saints, ye may be able to stand, your feet shod, your loins girt about with truth
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.
Well a good Wednesday morning to all you my Scrip-Bit friends and family out there in this crazy and turbulent world! And I do hope we all are handling our trials and tribulations in a calm and godly manner. Now, as Bruh Paul was won’t to greet the churches in his letters, and this particular one to those in Galatia: ‘Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world (age) according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’ (Gal. 1:3-5)
Yes friends, do we ever need the grace and peace of our Triune God if we’re to successfully navigate this evil and lawless world. And if Bruh Paul thought his time was bad and evil, he should be living now, when we’ve developed evil to a high science. And the only way to navigate this evil world successfully is as Bruh Paul writes to the Ephesians. ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:11)
Oh my brethren, if we’re not fully clothed in the Lord’s armour, then we don’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell of rebuking the enemy. Let’s understand that from the get-go. ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (hosts) of wickedness in high places.’ (Eph. 6:12) That means we’re not fighting a physical but spiritual battle, against forces of spiritual wickedness: ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up, put on) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph. 6:13)
Ah mih people, it’s a tough fight in which we’re involved, one to the death, for the enemy is not going to give any leeway, neither should we. And we can’t do that, we can’t stand our ground, without being fully clothed in God’s armour. The scholars explain that last verse thus: ‘Wherefore means “because of this,” that is, because we face such a formidable foe, we must avail ourselves of God’s provision lest the enemy destroy our Christian witness and ministry. The evil day refers to the periodic demonic onslaughts and Satanic assaults. Having done all includes both dressing oneself in God’s armour and resisting Satan. Having done all these, be ready, for the devil will attack again and again.’
That reminds us of this scripture from Luke after the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness. ‘And when the devil had ended all the temptation (testing), he departed from him for a season (until an opportune time.’ (Luke 4:13) Yes mih bredrin, the devil never quits. If you successfully resist for a time, then he will go away, but be sure that once you’re breathing God’s breath of life, he will surely come back at a later date, with more evil schemes to test you. That’s why we have to stay always dressed in that protective armour of God. And what’s this protective armour you ask?
Well let’s refresh our memories. And to help us better understand Bruh Paul’s words, I have embedded some of the scholars’ explanations in the verses. He writes: ‘Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth; (or your waist girded with a knowledge of the truth of God’s word), and having on the breastplate of righteousness (that’s a holy character and moral conduct. Obedience to the “truth” known produces a godly life (righteousness). And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace (that’s eagerness that comes from the gospel of peace, or a willingness to advance against the enemy and take the fight to him. The gospel gives peace to the believer freeing him from anxiety, though he advances against a powerful opponent).
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked (one). (And that shield of (which is) faith means taking God at His word by believing His promises. Such trust will protect one from doubts induced by Satan.) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: (This helmet is the hope of salvation, the certainty (assurance) of salvation. And the sword of the Spirit is God’s word, possibly referring not to the whole Word of God, but to certain portions or selected verses of scripture). Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for the saints.’ (Eph. 6:14-18)
Oh my people, those first six parts of armour are important to keep us from the devil’s evil schemes, but they are of no use without the mammoth assistance of prayer. As the scholars say: ‘Without prayer God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. Prayer is indispensable. Always means on every occasion that Satan attacks. In the Spirit signifies that with the Spirit’s help such prayer for divine aid is to be made. Watching thereunto means “being vigilant in this very matter” of prayer. They are to pray not just for themselves but for all saints; spiritual combat is both an individual and corporate matter.’
Oh my fellow saints, let’s hope that that revision of how to protect ourselves from the evil schemes and temptations of Satan are timely, and that we renew our vigilance and understanding of God’s armour, of His provision for our protection, and that we faithfully put it on and stand. Yes, that we stand strong against the evil forces of this world of darkness. And for those of us who are sincerely trying to do that, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) 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 if we endure with Christ to the very end, then it’s been promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So please, let’s be wise and plan to meet at the very end and enjoy that more than glorious future nuh! Much LOVE!
…no soldier goes into battle without the proper protective armour…neither should Christians…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crown of life shall be, a crown of righteousness, a good soldier of Christ, anti-slavery stance, Bible, christianity, Dudley Atkins Tyng, endure hardness, evangelical revival, faith, fellowship, fight mano a mano, finished my race, from victory unto victory, George Duffield Jr, god, having done all to stand, holy spirit, I have fought a good fight, I was glad when they said unto me, Jesus, Jesus Christ, joy in the house of the Lord, kept the faith, let us go into the house of the Lord, LOVE, mercy, no man entangleth himself with the affairs of this world, praying always with all prayer, put on the whole armour of God, rocking reggae riddim, spiritual wickedness in high places, stand against the wiles of the devil, stand in his strength alone, Stand up Stand up for Jesus, standing on Christ my Saviour, Standing on the promises of God, that love his appearing, the arm of flesh will fail you, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace, the helmet of salvation, the righteous judge, the shield of faith, the strife will not be long, the sword of he Spirit, the victor's crown, this day the noise of battle, warlike imagery, we wrestle not against flesh and blood
2 Timothy 2:3. Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Christ.
Awright friends, it’s another Sunday in the life, the first one in this new month of March, which also makes it the third Sunday in Lent of this early Easter Season. Therefore, all roads lead to the Lord’s Sanctuary for prayer, praise, worship and thanksgiving! In Psalm 122 – titled ‘Joy in the House of the Lord,’ Bruh David got it oh so right when he said: ‘I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.’ (Ps. 122:1) Of course, for where can more and better joy be found than in the Lord’s house eh? Technically speaking, NOWHERE! For where the Lord inhabits, that’s where His joy is to be found.
And some of us might be wondering why Bruh David made that statement. Well this commentary sheds some light on it. ‘I was glad when they said to me: David had in mind both the community (when they said) and the individual (I was glad). He pictured the individual coming together with the group to go into the house of the LORD. That invitation and the acceptance of it made him glad.’ And I do hope that our invitation to go into God’s house will bring acceptance, which will certainly make us glad! (smile)
Now, today’s song of worship is none other than the great favourite, the Christian military song ‘Stand Up Stand up for Jesus,’ written by American preacher George Duffield Jr. (1818-1888) in Philadelphia in 1858, apparently inspired by the dying words of a Presbyterian colleague, Dudley A. Tyng. Ousted from his own congregation for his strong anti-slavery stance, Tyng preached to large crowds in weekday meetings sponsored by the YMCA. His work spearheaded an evangelical revival in Philadelphia early in 1858.
At Tyng’s deathbed, caused by a farm accident in which he lost an arm, Duffield and others asked if he had any final message. Tyng replied, ‘Tell them to stand up for Jesus!” At Tyng’s memorial service on April 25, 1858, Duffield preached on Ephesians 6:14 and concluded his sermon by reading his new hymn text, “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus.” We all know and LOVE it, so let’s belt it out with sincere fervour, allowing our sacrifices of praise to rise to high heaven in a scintillating, up-tempo rocking reggae riddim, a la Jamaican gospel singer, Miss Carlene Davis.
Singing: ‘Stand up, stand up for Jesus ye soldiers of the cross; lift high his royal banner, it must not suffer loss: from vict’ry unto vict’ry his army he shall lead, ’til ev’ry foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed. Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the trumpet call obey; forth to the mighty conflict in this his glorious day: ye that are men now serve him against unnumbered foes; let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose. (Chorus: Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus, children stand up. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus children stand up. Yes we are standing on Christ my Saviour, standing on the promises of God. Standing on the promises of Christ my Saviour, standing on the promises of God. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus, children stand up. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus children stand up.)
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in his strength alone; the arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own: put on the gospel armor, each piece put on with pray’r; where duty calls, or danger, be never wanting there. Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long; this day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song: to him that overcometh a crown of life shall be; he with the King of glory shall reign eternally. (Chorus: Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus, children stand up. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus children stand up. Yes we are standing on the promises of Christ my Saviour, standing on the promises of God. Standing on the promises of Christ my saviour, standing on the promises of God. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus, children stand up. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus children stand up.)’
Wow! What an inspiring song in these dark and dangerous times! And believe me, if we are true and sincere Christians, we don’t need anyone or anything to tell us that we need to stand up strong for Christ, and fight a good fight the way world is moving towards the enemy’s camp. But nonetheless, there are several scriptures that encourage us to stand up as soldiers on Christ’s behalf. So let’s look at a few of them nuh. And first off the block is this one from Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Christ. No man entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.’ (2 Tim. 2:3-4)
And Jesus has surely chosen us to be soldiers in His cause, which means we cannot be entangled in the affairs of this world, but need to concentrate on fighting the battle we signed up for. And as was said above, the military basis of the song comes from Bruh Paul’s fighting words to the Ephesians. ‘Finally my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (schemes) of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood (humanity) but against principalities (rulers), against powers (authorities), the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual wickedness (wicked spiritual beings) in high places.
Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth (girded your waist with truth or knowledge of the Lord’s Word), and having on the breastplate of righteousness (holy character and moral conduct); And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace (an eagerness that comes from the gospel of peace to advance against the devil and take the fight to him);
Above all, taking the shield of faith, (taking God at His Word, trusting Him, believing in His promises), wherewith ye shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one.
And take the helmet (hope) of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (that dangerous two-edged sword). Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph. 6:10-17)
There you have it friends, the necessity for Christians to take up their spiritual armour and join the spiritual fray against Beelzebub. If we don’t, things will just get from bad to worse. And as one commentary states: ‘The challenge of “Stand Up for Jesus” is proclaimed through the military metaphors Paul uses in Ephesians 6:10-18. Although some decry the warlike imagery, the spiritual battle that Christians must fight is very real. Christ’s victory is assured even if we do not always move “from victory unto victory” in our earthly lives.’
Now that’s certainly true, but still on our way out, we need to be able to say like Bruh Paul did to Timothy: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:7-8) Oh my fellow saints, that’s what’s in store for us if we stand strong and steadfast for Christ and fight the enemy mano a mano! Let’s hope we’ll all be there receiving our crowns of righteousness on that final day! Much LOVE!
…all Christians…are soldiers in Christ’s army…and must behave accordingly…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
28 Aug 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bitter pill in his mouth, a toothless lion, bring glad tidings of good things, disciples are on duty 24/7, how beautiful are the feet, impenetrable suit of spiritual armour, Jehovah Rapha, longsuffering, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, no weapon formed against thee shall prosper, of them that preach the gospel of peace, perseverance, put on the whole armour of God, sincere repentance, Spirit led freedom, takes root in a person's life, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the God who heals, the Great Commission, the helmet of salvation, the heritage of the servants of the Lord, the keys of hell death and the grave, the shield of faith, the truth of the gospel, the two edged sword of the Spirit, turn from our evil ways, wise guidance, with a loud bark but no bite
Romans 10:15. How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.
Hold on children…Yes, children of God…Please hold on securely to Jesus this Monday morning, as the evil one and his ungodly minions get their ammunition together in the workplace, to try and belittle you, to discount your witness and testimony for our Lord and Saviour! But remember our God faithfully promised that ‘No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of (from) me, saith the Lord.’ (Is. 54:17)
Yes my fellow believers, that’s the promise of our faithful God, who’s stating that ‘anyone who is seeking to do evil against believers will fail. Though for a time it may seem that we are defeated in a situation, God assures us the victory.’ So please don’t let the loud mouths pushing Satan’s agenda, to discombobulate or confuse you with their foolishness. You have your own agenda to foster and promote, the Great Commission of Christ. And as the Bible says: ‘How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.’ ( Rom. 10:15)
Now, that’s what you’re about: beautiful feet spreading the good news and glad tidings of Christ’s gospel, and nothing in this world is more important than that! And I like this commentary on that scripture. ‘Paul knows that the feet of the gospel preachers are beautiful because of the nature of the gospel. The good news of Jesus Christ sets people free from sin, destruction and eternal judgment. When the truth of the gospel takes root in a person’s life they are given Spirit led freedom to overcome all vices of life.’
Wow! That’s why it’s so wonderful to spread the good news of Christ’s gospel! And that’s exactly why the devil doesn’t want us spreading it. He knows that once it gets into your system, your inner man, he’s lost the battle, and he can’t stand losing, it’s like a bitter pill in his mouth, especially after Christ Jesus won the victory over death, hell and the grave, took away the keys to those places and left him a toothless lion just running around with a loud bark, but no bite.
So today, let’s wind up our faith, raise our confidence sky high with all the scriptures buried deep in our hearts, and unleash them against the enemy and his evildoing cronies, letting them know that they are in a serious spiritual battle and the children of God, the saints of the Most High God are not to be toyed with, or considered to be easy pickings. (smile) Especially not when we’re dressed in our immaculate and impenetrable suit of spiritual armour; the whole armour of God, that allows us to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.
No sir! We are indeed invincible when our loins are girded with the belt of truth, our chests protected by the breastplate of righteousness, and our feet shod with the preparation or eagerness of the gospel of peace, and our heads protected by the helmet of salvation. And armed to the teeth with the shield of faith in one hand to quench the fiery arrows of the evildoers, and in the other hand, the mighty two-edged sword of the Spirit, that’s the inerrant and infallible word of God! And as a lagniappe or extra, in our back pockets we have the awesome power of prayer to guide us with all perseverance and longsuffering! (Eph. 6:10-18)
Now, how can anyone thus prepared for battle be defeated eh? No way Jose! Ah friends, that’s the way we need to go out every day, dressed to the nines with God’s armour, unleashing His amazing word, while filled with His Holy Spirit who leads and guides us in spiritual battle. And yes, it all sounds wonderful and heroic, but the truth is it takes plenty of practice, plenty of sacrifice, plenty humility, and plenty backbone and belly. Like everything we want to be good at, we have to spend a lot of time on it.
Thus, to be good at spiritual battle means reading, studying and meditating on the word, knowing it, so you can put it into action. Then continually going up against Satan’s temptations and besting him nine times out of ten. And believe you me, when you tell the Lord that you want to be a warrior for Him, He is going to provide you with lots of opportunities to prove yourself. So it’s not an easy task to live and fight for Christ, but it’s very interesting and rewarding. And here are the basic credentials Christ set out for discipleship. ‘If any man will come after (follow) me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23)
Yuh see that mih bredrin, following Jesus calls for daily involvement, daily participation in activities on His behalf; be it beating down the devil and his evil cronies, spreading the gospel, or simply being kind and offering an encouraging smile to someone in need. Once you’re a disciple of Christ you’re always on duty, 24/7! And we need to remember that as we go out to do battle today.
Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, to ask for divine help to handle our many earthly problems. Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world.
Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And as always, to receive divine intervention, we need to improve our covenant behaviour! Much LOVE!
…being a true disciple of Jesus…means putting your best foot forward…as often as possible…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
19 Jul 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a challenge to get on our horses and ride, a crying shame, a personal desire to sacrifice for Christ, able to stand against the wiles of the devil, after one time is two, artificial intelligence, be strong in the Lord, bounden duty, but of power love and a sound mind, endure to the end, evil doers are bullies, evil is ruling the roost, eyes fixed straight ahead, fighting the good fight, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, girding your waist with the truth of Christ, hands on the plough, in the power of his might, life's basic behaviour does not change, LOVE, mano a mano, more pervasive and distrustful, not turning back, prayer the vital umbrella, put on the whole armour of God, putting ourselves out for Christ, ride for Jesus, sacrificing, so glad to be alive, spiritual battles, take advantage of their physical strength, the breastplate of righteousness, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the gospel of peace on your feet, the Great Commission, the helmet of slavation, the loud voices of Christians, the shiled of faith, the sword of the Spirit, the Word of god, there is no new thing under the sun, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, without proper regulations
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.
Oh friends, this Wednesday is going to be another glorious summer’s day! It might not be boiling hot, but it’s sunny, nice and cool, just the way I like it! (smile) After being in this climate of changing seasons for so long, it seems like I can’t handle the heat as well I use to it. I guess it’s like the old people would say; after one time is two. And isn’t it amazing that for almost every scenario in our lives today, we can quote something from our fathers and forefather’s generations that tie in so nicely with them. It just goes to show that the basics of life don’t change that much from generation to generation.
As Cousin Sol so wisely said, writing as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes: ‘The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.’ (Eccl. 1:10) And that’s basically true, for though we might have some new inventions, our basic behaviour and the things we do through this life are just like the ancients did. Get up, work, eat, sleep, party, be sinful, and hopefully praise God, while LOVING each other, then die.
It’s only the how, not the why, that’s been changed down through the ages. We have invented ways to live better, but also ways to be more sinful and ungodly, and, unfortunately, the latter behaviour is what’s currently ruling the roost in our world, which is a crying shame! One would have thought that by now, with all of our enlightened accomplishments and vast learning, mankind would have realized that godliness is ever so much better than evil doing and sinfulness. But no, the devil has gotten his evil claws into so many of us, that godliness is running in second place in our world, and a far second place too.
This however is wholly unacceptable my fellow believers. We cannot allow the evil doers to control our world, especially after all the sacrifices our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ made on our behalf! No! We have to get up, put away our fear, or whatever is holding us back, and attack the enemy full force, mano a mano, not run away from him like scared rabbits, as so many of us are now doing. Jesus stood up staunchly for us, it’s now our turn to stand up staunchly for Him, and He’s already given us all the tools to do the job, the great Commission, that He desires of us.
And it’s all so easy; tell people about Him and the good things He wants to share with them, and live in a manner that will cause others to want what we have, the intimate relationship with Him. But it does mean putting ourselves out, sacrificing and not always living the easy, carefree, doh care life. And that’s what so many of us supposed believers shy away from. With all the wonderful amenities in our world, it’s become so easy to just relax on our lollies and do almost nothing, but still exist.
And with the recent upgrade and breakthrough in Artificial Intelligence, brother, we’ll be doing even less than before, because this new invention will even think for us. Are we on our way to obsolescence my people? Who knows, but it ought to give us definite cause for concern, when our society is already filled with all sorts of fakes and untruthfulness, now we’re going to be even less sure if a real person was involved in a particular situation or thing, or whether it was the work of Artificial Intelligence.
It’s already such a big part of our world, and without proper regulations, it’s only going to get bigger, more pervasive and more distrustful, like all of mankind’s inventions, especially with the evil and untrustworthy minds that are currently at the forefront of our world. And if any serious and worthwhile changes are going to be made in our world, it will have to be through the loud voices of Christians, because we are the only group who seem to want goodness, mercy and the LOVE of God to flourish.
But that’s our very problem; our voices aren’t being heard, because they’re not plentiful or loud enough to make a difference, and until we make them loud and plentiful, nothing will ever change! That’s why I’m calling on us to rise up today, as one solid and unified body of Christ, His marvellous church, and dare the evil doers to stop us from taking over our heavenly Father’s world! It’s well known that evil doers are basically bullies who take advantage of their strengths, but are basically cowards underneath, and this is indeed a challenge for us believers to get on our horses and ride, ride for Jesus, like we should have been doing long ago!
And it’s important that we don’t just rush in willy nilly without a proper plan and proper safeguards. That means before we go into battle, we must put on the whole armour of God! As Bruh Paul wrote to the Ephesians: ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:10-11) Then in verse 12, he goes on to explain that it’s not a physical battle we’re fighting, but a spiritual one. However, we still need protection even in spiritual battles, just a different kind. And what’s that you ask?
Briefly speaking, it’s the truth of Christ girding your waist; the breastplate of righteousness guarding your chest; the eagerness of the gospel of peace on your feet; the shield of faith with which to divert the fiery arrows of the enemy; the helmet or hope of salvation to protect your head; the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God to fell your enemies, and finally prayer, which brings everything under its vital umbrella and without which no battle can be won!
So we have all that we need to fight the enemy, except the courage and desire to do it. But please, let’s remember that our great ‘God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) That means the only thing holding us back is our desire to engage the enemy, because we have everything else. And, sadly, that desire must come from deep within each of us, it must be a personal desire to sacrifice on Christ’s behalf. No one can make us do it.
And for those of us who are willing to put up that fight, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful, irreversible position in Christ Jesus. Altogether now: ‘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 if we endure to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So let’s promise ourselves to see it nuh! Much LOVE!
…fighting the good fight for Christ…is the believer’s bounden duty…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
31 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, a means of restoring faith in you, a testament to our faith, a testament to our maturity, able to stand against the wiles of the devil, be not afraid, be strong and of a good courage, desperately need your help, dividing asunder of soul and spirit, for all saints, Friday chant, inclement weather, it's not a physical but spiritual battle, Jesus is on our side, Jesus is our strength shield and high tower, Jesus keeps His promises, LOVE, neither be thou dismayed, omnipotent help, our sinful world can wake up, praying always, put on the whole armour of God, quench the fiery darts of the wicked one, sharper than any twoedged sword, simmering unrest, sincerity, smell it sweet and strong, surrender, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the Lord thy God is with thee, the Lord's spiritual armour, the pandemic, the shield of faith, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the sword of the Spirit, the Word of god, the Word of God is quick and powerful, trusting faith, wake up and smell the coffee, watching thereunto, with all perseverance and supplication, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.
And, as been happening these last few weeks, our ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ sentiments were again met by inclement weather; today it’s rain, with promises of snow in the forecast. Chuh! Some force or the other seems desirous of putting a proverbial spoke in our weekend plans. (smile) But please let them know that whatever they throw at us, we can handle it, because we have Jesus on our side! He is our strength, our shield and high tower! Yes friends, once we have Jesus as the mainstay of our lives, we can handle anything. He’s promised it, and He keeps His promises.
And I just LOVE this verse of scripture where the Lord says to Joshua, when He made him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9)
It could not be any clearer than that my faithful brethren. He said it to Joshua a long time ago, but it’s the same thing He’s saying to us right now too. Be strong and courageous, because He is with us, wherever we go. It’s a testament to our faith, to our maturity, and it’s not always easy to adhere to, especially when the enemy keeps throwing fiery darts at us, like is happening right now with our world in such an evil mess.
But remember too that we have the Lord’s spiritual armour to protect us from all the enemy’s assaults. As Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus. ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:11) That’s because we’re not in a physical but spiritual battle.
And he continues: ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about (your waist girded) with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked (one). And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph. 6:13-18)
Now there we have the spiritual armour with which we need to be constantly clothed. That’s the only way we can fight the enemy mano a mano and defeat him. But most importantly, we also have to put on that armour. It doesn’t just get on us automatically. We have to PUT ON, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the helmet of salvation, then TAKE UP, the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Only then are we ready to engage the enemy in combat, to stand and face him… And not even then, because we still have to engage in prayer and supplication for all believers. Remember prayer is the mightiest weapon we have, and it must be involved in all we do. The whole point of all of this my brethren is that we have protection from the enemy, but we have to make a conscious decision to take it up and to put it on! It won’t do us any good otherwise.
And please take a good look at our armour and you’ll see how excellent it is: truth, righteousness, peace, salvation, faith, the word of God, and prayer. Wow! Nothing can defeat us if we have those things in our armoury! And remember too, the mighty sword that’s the word of our God.
How does the author of Hebrews describe it? ‘For the word of God is quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest (hidden) in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him that we have to do (give account to).’ (Heb. 4:12-13)
Yes my people, the word of God is indeed mighty and powerful, living and sharp as the proverbial sword, and we cannot get away from it, because through God’s Spirit it can discern our very thoughts and open us up to the Lord Himself. That means nothing; thoughts, words, deeds, actions are hidden from our great God! So it’s useless trying to hide anything from Him, like so many of us still insist on doing.
And it’s only when we come to him in sincere repentance, open up ourselves, surrender to His goodness and mercy, that we can truly enjoy all the benefits of His protection and LOVING-kindness. And right now, we badly need those things with the level of evil that’s so very prevalent in our world. So, let’s go to him, through our Friday Chant, laying bare our souls, asking for His divine assistance.
As one strong but sincere voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land.
So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to return backsliders to your fold, show them the error of their ways.
And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now let’s go out and keep our promises, so that the Lord can keep His. Much LOVE!
…to go to God…sincerity and surrender…are of the utmost importance…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
26 Dec 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a discerner of thoughts and intents, able to stand against the wiles of the devil, Boxing Day, buckle down in our faith, destroy our Christian witness, dig deeper in God's word, evaluate goals for the new year, feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, having done all to stand, helmet of salvation, humble servants, Jehovah Rapha, licking his chops, mass confusion, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, moving in for the kill, put on the whole armour of God, raise the level of our faith, sharper than twoedged sword, shield of faith, sincere repentance, soldiers in Christ's army, spend time in self-evaluation, sword of the Spirit, take unto you the whole armour of God, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the God who heals, the power of prayer, the Word of God is quick, turn for our evil ways
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.
Now this is one Monday that we all are going to LOVE! Yes, It’s Boxing Day, and a holiday for many of us, meaning an extension of the Christmas celebrations for another day. It’s always good when a Public Holiday falls on the weekend, because it gives us the next day off in lieu of the holiday. And since Christmas Day fell on this Sunday, and New Year’s Day will be falling on the next Sunday, lots of time off is in the offing. (smile) But please, let’s not use all our free time for physical celebrations, do spend some in valuable self-examination, looking back at what we did in 2022, and evaluating our goals and dreams for the new year of 2023, which will be another tough cookie.
That means we have to buckle down in our faith, in our walk with God; either giving Him more of our time or simply digging deeper into His Word to find more of His eternal wisdom and understanding, for we will need those things even more in the turbulent days ahead. Why? Because life seems hell bent on getting more difficult and unnerving in the near future, than getting easier. And now is when believers need to strengthen their faith in Almighty God so that we can stand strong and steadfast in His name against the evil enemy who is putting up a stout fight, with no intentions of backing down.
And with all the ungodly and negative stuff that’s happening in our world we must know that we’re in a fight for our lives, both spiritually and physically. But the good news is that we already possess the weapons to win that fight, provided we want to use them, and not simply give up in fear. NO! Not on your life! As soldiers in the army of Christ we must arm ourselves and fight the enemy mano a mano! That’s our God-given purpose, our bounden duty, which too many of us are currently shirking.
But friends, this upcoming year of 2023 will separate the boys from the men, the sheep from the goats, and hopefully we’ll be numbered amongst the men and the sheep. But not unless we get serious about God, do like Bruh Paul says: ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:11) And please remember we’re not talking about physical warfare, but spiritual: ‘against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual wickedness in high places.’ (Eph. 6:12)
That means you won’t see the demons and the powers of darkness that are coming against you, including Lucifer himself, but you’ll feel them invading your spirit, attempting to lead you astray, away from the straight and narrow path that leads to Jesus. And we cannot afford to make such a serious mistake, for the consequences of that are eternal. So, what do we do to prevent it? Like Bruh Paul writes: ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph. 6:13)
Oh my fellow believers, it’s essential to avail ourselves of God’s provision for we are facing a formidable foe, an expert at mind bending, and if we’re without God’s armour, then he can destroy our Christian witness and ministry, his avowed goal. So, in ‘the evil day,’ that’s when we face those enemy onslaughts, we must do all we can, that’s dressed in God’s armour and staunchly resisting the enemy. And I know you’re anxious to recollect the six pieces of God’s armour. So here they are in a nutshell.
The belt of truth; a knowledge of the truth of God’s Word that holds up all you believe. The breastplate of righteousness, which ‘represents a holy character and moral conduct. Obedience to the known “truth” produces a godly life (righteousness).’ Then, one’s feet must be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. That’s an eagerness or willingness to advance against the enemy, to take the fight to him, not just stand back and allow hm to come to you. Remember, the best method of defense is attack! And the gospel gives us peace from anxiety, which then allows us to advance fearlessly against Satan and his evil cohorts.
Next, we need the shield of faith to protect us from the fiery darts of the wicked. That means trusting God, taking Him at His word, believing His promises. That trust will protect us from doubts induced by his satanic majesty. And we cannot go into battle without proper head gear, that’s the helmet of salvation; that’s the hope, or assurance of salvation! Neither can we enter a fray without a weapon to do damage to the enemy, and our weapon is the mightiest one in existence: ‘the sword of the Spirit, the word of God.’
Mama Mia! What awesome power! Remember how Hebrews describes God’s word: ‘For the word of God is quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart.’ (Heb. 4:12) Wow friends! Imagine the damage we can do with the word of God nuh as we wield it through the army of the evil doers!
But wait, there’s one more important and powerful addition to all that armour, that’s the power of prayer. Yes my people, we must wrap up all that stuff in ‘prayer and supplication in the spirit, watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ And all that about the pieces of armour can be found in Ephesians 6:15-18. Please remember to read it occasionally so we don’t forget it and get caught napping by the enemy. And I know that some of you might not think this Christmas season a good time to talk about armour and warfare, but it is in fact the best time, when we have let our guards down to celebrate, and the enemy is just licking his chops and moving in for the kill.
Now, to wrap it all up in prayer, let’s go to God with our Monday Morning Battle Hymn sincerely seeking His divine assistance. As one strong voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Now, let’s look to turning from our evil ways if we expect to see God’s grace and mercy! Much LOVE!
…Christmas is not only a season to celebrate…but also one to raise the level of our faith…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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