The Importance of Knowing and Understanding Scriptures on Failure and Weakness!

13 Nov 2025 Leave a comment

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

2 Corinthians 12:9a.         My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.

Oh my, my, it’s already Thursday, the week has quickly passed by. Only one more day to that time we all look forward to, the weekend, when we get to do our own thing. But in the meantime, let’s concentrate on doing an excellent job at our work places, spreading our salt and shining our bright lights so that Jesus can be proud of us and also be glorified. 

And that segues very nicely into what we are going to talk about today, a quote from my ‘P.S I LOVE YOU’ Poster my young daughter gave me several years ago. It says: ‘If you’re doing your best, you won’t have time to worry about failure.’ And that’s the gospel truth! For failure won’t even enter the situation when you’re concentrating on giving your all. However, failures do happen, and we must be aware of them, not just put on blinders and behave as though we won’t be affected by them. 

And there are a number of scriptures that advise us on dealing with failures. This commentary gives us an interesting insight into them. ‘Scriptures on failure emphasize that setbacks are a part of life, but God offers strength, guidance, and the promise of new beginnings. Other verses focus on God’s presence during hardship, the idea of perseverance, and the promise of God’s plan for a hopeful future.’ Now there’s more truth that we need to see us through this crazy and mixed up life. 

So let’s check out some of those verses that help us handle failure. And we’ll begin with some that tell us about God’s guidance and hope. Up first are these ones that we all know from the wisdom of Cousin Sol. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6) And there’s no better place to begin than right there my people. If we want to refute as much failure as possible, we must place our total confidence and trust in the Lord God Jehovah and follow His leading. 

Meanwhile Isaiah gives us another big scripture on depending on God’s providence. ‘But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:31) And if those two scriptures don’t get you going, then listen to this one from Jeremiah, where the Lord Himself assures us: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11)  

Oh friends, if the Lord God Himself assures us of that future and a hope, why won’t we believe, expect and work towards it eh? Only if we don’t truly believe in Him and His promises. Now, let’s turn to some scriptures that guide us on perseverance and resilience. And there’s none as big as this one from the wisdom of Cousin Sol. ‘For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity). (Prov. 24:16) And that’s something we Christians ought to have very deeply engraved in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds. There is no failing or giving up in Christ! We ought always to get up and keep on keeping on. 

As they say, you’ve not failed until you stop trying, for the darkest hour is just before the dawn and who knows what will happen on our next attempt. And then we have these beautiful and most reassuring words from Bruh Paul in his second missive to the Corinthians, where he boldly proclaims: ‘We are troubled (hard-pressed) on every side, yet not distressed (crushed); we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast (struck) down, but not destroyed.’ (2 Cor. 4:8-9) 

Wow! What towers of power are we believers in Christ Jesus! They can bend us as much as they want, but we won’t ever break, because we’re supported by Jesus Christ, the name that’s above every other name; the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords! Now here’s another gem of perseverance and resilience from Bruh Paul to the Philippians. ‘Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended (laid hold of the fulness of Christ): but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth (forward) unto those things which are before (ahead), I press toward the mark (goal) of the high (upward) calling of God in Christ Jesus.’  (Phil. 3:13-14) 

Yes my fellow believers, that’s how we ought to be, forgetting what’s behind us and ever pressing forward to meet the goal of spiritual maturity in Christ! And finally we come to some scriptures that reassure us by telling us about God’s strength in weakness. Hear this most famous one from Bruh Paul to the Corinthians. After asking the Lord three times to remove an annoying thorn in his flesh, the Lord said unto him, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities (weaknesses), that the power of Christ may rest on me.’ (2 Cor. 12:9) 

What an awesome promise from our great God! His power increases and strengthens us when we are weak. How much better can it be eh? Well just listen to this other promise from Bruh Paul to the Philippians: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:13) What a marvellous Saviour we have! We can do anything that He desires us to do through His awesome strength! And we’ll close with this tidbit form the psalmist Asaph from Psalm 73: ‘My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever.’ (Ps. 73:26) 

Oh my brethren, how much more reassurance can we ask from our God eh? He is with us every which way we turn. The problem though is if we are with Him? And our God is so wonderful, that on top of all we’ve said above, He’s also  generously granted us what we call our Thursday Blessings, undeserved blessings to help us do His earthly work. So let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh. 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! 

I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

And having said that, it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…failure in Christ’s kingdom… is not an option…

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

The Importance of Christians ever Growing in Spiritual Maturity by Continually Delving Deeper into the Knowledge of Christ!

07 Nov 2025 Leave a comment

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

Philippians 3:14.           I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Christ.

And then it was Friday, a somewhat cool and cloudy day, with expectations of rain, but that did stop us from shouting out: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ Yes friends, it is Friday and the weekend’s here with the promise of some rest relaxation and partying. Let’s hope that we get more of the first two and less of the latter, you know why. (smile) 

And what’s on the agenda for today? I believe it’s talking about the high calling of God, as Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Philippi. In the 3rd chapter, he says: ‘I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung (rubbish), that I may win Christ. And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is of God by faith.’ (Phil. 3:8-9) 

The long and short of the story is that Bruh Paul gives up all his past heritage, education and privileges, counting them as not important in comparison to knowing Christ. And to ‘win Christ,’ the scholars tell us, he had to give up all his religious credentials, all his own efforts and accomplishments so that he could believe and be saved, so that the Lord could impute him with the divine righteousness that’s imputed to the converted sinner because of their faith in Christ. And he wants to know Christ so badly, that he declares: ‘That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;’ (Phil. 3:10) 

Ah mih people, I wonder how many of us desire to know Christ so deeply, that we might both experience His resurrection power and share in His sufferings, and thus be more conformed to His death? Not too many of us, I dare say. (smile) And according to the scholars, ‘Paul wants “the righteousness …of God” (vs.9), so that he can obtain a personal relationship with Jesus in actual day-to-day experience. This knowledge of Christ is obtained by experiencing in daily problems, needs, ministry, and so forth, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. 

Knowing Christ also entails participating in His sufferings. Paul desires to share in the Lord’s sufferings because they bring him into a deeper and more meaningful relationship with Him; companionship in sorrow establishes the most intimate and lasting of ties, as afflicted hearts cling to each other.’ And that’s an awesome truth as many of us know from our personal sufferings with others. A bond much stronger and long lasting is developed between those who share tragedies. 

And the important thing to note here is that Bruh Paul doesn’t believe He’s come to the point of conforming to the life he desires in Christ as yet, which is to know Christ to such an extent, experiencing His power, sharing His sufferings, being made like Him in death, and experiencing resurrection from the dead. The scholars tell us; ‘At this point in his life the apostle does know Christ, but not to the full extent possible. He has experienced His power, but not to the degree he desires. He has been made like Jesus in His death, but he can die still more to sin and self. He does “walk in newness of life,” but there is room for improvement. And unlike the perfectionists who claim to be sinless in this life, Paul admits that he is not. If the chief of the apostles does not feel he has “arrived” spiritually, then neither should we.’ 

And that’s a very good suggestion. (smile) But then, to add to all of that, Bruh Paul says: ‘Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended (laid hold of it): but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth (forward) unto those things which are before (ahead), I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Christ.’  (Phil. 3:13-14) Now there’s an interesting and very legitimate goal for us to pursue! It won’t be easy, and it will take plenty belly and backbone, but with God’s help we can certainly achieve it. 

And the scholars offer these explanations. ‘In ever pursuing his goal to know Christ (vs. 10) Paul refuses to let past guilt pull him down, or to rest on past laurels. Either could spell spiritual disaster.’  And that’s something we should also pay close attention to in the attainment of our own goal of knowing Christ. Guilt and past successes can easily derail our stated purpose. Then the scholars acknowledge: ‘The mark is the objective of verses 10 and 11 (i.e., knowing Christ). The prize is the joyful personal satisfaction of having attained it, as well as the divine commendation and reward to be granted in heaven for having reached this goal on earth. The high calling of God is the divine summons extended to the believer for salvation.’ 

And yes, it’s heavy stuff, but if we want to grow in spiritual maturity, thereby growing in Christ, then we need to delve deep into the harder and more difficult stuff, start eating meat and solid foods, stop drinking only milk. And we can certainly do it if we make up our minds to do so. Especially with divine aid that can now be gotten directly from the throne of grace. So let’s go there right now through our Friday Chant asking for help in time of need. 

Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. 

We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

Oh friends, our prayer was heartfelt, but I doubt we will receive much divine aid, if any, because our Christian witness is simply not good enough. That means we have to improve it, if we want divine aid. So please, let’s concentrate on doing that nuh. Much LOVE!

…seeking the deeper things of Christ…ought to be every Christian’s goal…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   4 August 2023 Luke 16:29.

04 Aug 2023 Leave a comment

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

Luke 16:29.       Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

Well, it’s Friday, the beginning of the long Caribana weekend in Toronto! And anybody who’s anybody will be out there playing mas! That means I’m not anybody, because I won’t be out there with them. (smile) Too old for it now, and anyway, it’s not as nice as it used to be back in the earlier years. And the day’s begun nice and sunny, let’s hope it’s not as hot as yesterday, because if it is, we’re going to burn up in the hot sun in Lamport Stadium later today at the Pan Alive Festival. 

But look how life’s changed eh? That’s the only Caribana celebration I attend these days. I don’t even know that it’s Caribana unless someone reminds me. But as the old people would say; after one time is two yes! And that’s the indisputable truth. As you grow older you change in manifold ways, forgetting what lies behind, the childish things you did, and reaching forth to what lies ahead.  But however you shake it, the world still declares (yesss!!!) ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend, party time is here at last! Glory be!’ 

And with a whisper from the Holy Spirit, I remembered that today we’re going to look at the second part of Jesus’ parable about the rich man and the beggar Lazarus. And believe me, this last part might just be the more important aspect of the parable. Why do I say so? Now, a couple days ago we dealt with the first part that told us about the rich man living the sumptuous life, and Lazarus, the poor beggar, sitting at his gate, chowing down on the crumbs from the rich man’s table, while the dogs licked his many sores. Then both of then died. The beggar went to heaven in Abraham’s bosom, while the rich man went to hell. 

From that scenario of hellfire, the rich man looked up and saw Lazarus ensconced in the bosom of Abrahm and begged him to send Lazarus to dip his finger in some cool water and place it on his tongue, because he was terribly tormented. Abraham informed him that that was impossible because of his record on earth; rich, greedy and ungodly, while Lazarus had suffered without cause. And in any case, there was an impassable gulf between heaven and hell so that no one could pass back and forth. 

And what was the rich man’s reply? ‘Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him (Lazarus) to my father’s house: for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ (Luke 16:27-28) At last he was thinking of others and not only of himself. And that’s what usually happens when we make mistakes and disaster strikes us. It’s then and only then that we think about family and friends who might make the same unwise decisions. 

Unfortunately though, Abraham’s answer wasn’t what he wanted to hear. ‘Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he (the tormented ex-rich man) said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he (Abraham) said unto him (the tormented one), if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.’ (Luke 16:29-31) Ah friends, that says a lot about our reaction to God’s Word and the teaching of the prophets. 

And the scholars note that in vs. 31, ‘If here carries the weight of “since.” They were not paying attention to the light they already had. Hard-heartedness is not necessarily overcome by miraculous signs.’ And you see that very clearly in all the miraculous works that Jesus did, and yet the many who did not believe in Him, whose hearts remained as hard as ever, despite those signs. Oh my people, let’s wake up and realize that after death there is no second chance; no chance then to change our minds and accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour. So we have to do it now, while we’re alive and we hear the Word. Otherwise crapaud smoke we pipe! 

And the Book of Hebrews tells us quite plainly. ‘And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for (eagerly wait for) him shall he appear the second time without (apart from) sin unto salvation.’ (Heb. 9:27-28) Yes my fellow saints, we die once, and then the judgement, and Christ comes at some stage bearing salvation. 

Or as the scholars put it: ‘There is no reincarnation: every person gets one chance to prepare. And there’s a comparison between Christ and man. As it is with man, so it was with Christ. As man can die only once, so the Man Christ could die only once as a sacrifice. His relation to humanity would be marred if He had to die more than once. Further, a second comparison seems evident. Beyond death there exists another reality. For man it is the certainty of appearing for judgement: for Christ it is the certainty of appearing with deliverance from condemnation for them that look for (eagerly wait) for him.’ 

I couldn’t have put it any better or clearer friends. And that’s why the second part of the parable is more important than the second; it drives home the reality that we have to make all of our decisions prior to death, or to Jesus’ Second Coming. And now that we fully understand the very important ramifications of that parable, (smile) let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, asking for divine help. 

As one voice.  Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle this unexpected storm properly. 

And please help the rest of us to be responsible and safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

And let’s not forget, that before we can see divine favour, there must be a godly improvement in our behaviour! Much LOVE!

if man wants to see heaven…he must accept Christ…before he dies…otherwise he’s hellbound… 

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ