run our race of faith

The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Understanding How to Run the Race of Faith! Part 2.

06 Jun 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a positive faith journey, at the name of Jesus, be encouraged, became obedient unto death, become discouraged in your souls, being found in fashion as a man, being in the form of God, Chrisitans, christianity, closer ties to God, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, deepen my breath, despising the shame, develop a strong constitution, emptied himself of his privileges, encounter difficulties and problems, endure all the trials and tribulations that come against us, endured such hostility of sinners, endured the cross, enduring to the very end, even the death of the cross, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, faith, for the joy that was set before him, forgiveness of sins, get rid of all our extra baggage, given him a name above every other name, God also hath highly exalted him, God will also reward us for sincerely following Christ, greater intimacy with God, heartfelt voices, holy spirit, humbled himself, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus blazed the trail for us, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father, Jesus endured all the physical emotional and spiritual hardship, Jesus gave his life for the forgiveness of sins, Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to help us, Jesus never complained, keeping our faith strong, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, look to Jesus as our example of running the faith race, look to Jesus as the best example to follow, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, made himself of no reputation, made in the likeness of men, mercy, obedience and endurance, physical painful bidding, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, run our race of faith, salvation, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, sincere voices, slow my thoughts, spend more time with God, thank you for this tenderness, the author and finisher of our faith, the BIBLE, the Holy Trinity, the originator and perfecter of our faith, the rewards of salvation and eternal life, think about how Jesus handled his problems, thought it not robbery, to be equal with God, took upon him the form of a servant, truth, warms the cockles of God's heart, wisdom, wise direction, wonderful rewards at the end, worth the trials and tribulations, you can't be contained, your love and peace are present, your love both surrounds and fills me

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 June 2026 Hebrews 12:2a.

Hebrews 12:2a. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith;

Now, after a hot, humid and sunny Friday with 30 degree temps, then some overnight rain, we come to a Saturday that had opened as a somewhat cloudy day, but by midday it’s showing some sunny features and a rather brisk wind. Hopefully we won’t get another hot and humid day like yesterday, for although the heat is welcome, too much of it is not good for anyone.

That brings us to our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. So, with sincere and heartfelt voices: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’

And it’s so great to know that our Lord never refuses sincere, heartfelt pleas for greater intimacy with Him. No! Never! In fact it warms the very cockles of His heart that His human creation desires more time and closer ties with Him, because that’s one of the main reasons He initially created us. So, if your plea for greater intimacy with our heavenly Father was sincere, then you should soon be feeling that wonderful calming presence of His peace and LOVE flooding your soul.

And since God was good and graceful enough to grant us another day of life on this earth, let’s keep our promise and continue looking at the scriptures about keeping our faith strong and enduring to the very end. We stopped yesterday where the author of Hebrews told us to get rid of all our extra baggage and develop a strong constitution that would enable us to run our race of faith. But then he continues: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and 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.’ (Heb. 12:2)

And isn’t that a glorious piece of encouragement and wise direction! We must look to Jesus as our example of running the faith race, for He began it, He was the trailblazer, the first person to run that course, and He’s already successfully completed it. So there could be no better example than Jesus for us to follow. And it was not easy for Him, just like us, He had to get rid of any baggage that was keeping Him back, and also develop stamina and endurance to handle all the many things that would come against Him in His faith journey. But He did it, with the help of His heavenly Father, and so can we.

So let’s look at that verse of scripture again, which tells us, ‘who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame…’ That means the race of faith He was expected to run had some wonderful reward(s) at the end; rewards with such motivational power, that it allowed Him to endure the shame and terrible affliction of the cross. And so it did, because at the end of it, the author tells us that now Jesus ‘is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’

Wow! That certainly would have motivated Jesus to do His Father’s tough bidding. But that’s not all He received. Listen to how Bruh Paul explains it to the Philippians. ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant (emptied himself of his privileges), and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every other name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth: And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:5-11)

Mama Mia! What a wonderful exaltation! Yuh see mih bredrin how the Lord exalted Jesus so highly for doing His tough and physically painful bidding. It’s the same way He will exalt us if we sincerely follow Christ and endure all the trials and tribulations that come against us with as much obedience and endurance as we can muster. Just look at how Jesus gave up His wonderful heavenly position to come to earth, to be made like a human being and endure all the physical, emotional and spiritual hardship that was to be His lot.

But He never complained, because He knew the great reason behind the Father’s bidding, which was the payment for and eventual forgiveness of our sins, along with reconciliation back into the Father’s fold. Now, obviously Jesus had some parts and powers that we don’t have, but that doesn’t excuse us from following in His footsteps to the best of our ability, in terms of obedience, endurance and a positive faith journey, for the rewards of salvation and eternal life with the Holy Trinity is most definitely worth the trials and tribulations we need to put up with in this comparatively short earthly life.

So let’s rise up and sincerely follow Jesus nuh, not making the shame and whatever else that comes against us in so doing discourage us. As the author of Hebrews so wisely says: ‘For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (become discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:3) Yes my fellow believers, when we encounter difficulties and problems, let’s think about how Jesus handled them with the awesome help of His Father, and be encouraged that He gave us the Holy Spirit to help us handle our own troubles. And that’s something worthwhile pondering on this lazy day Saturday. (smile) Much LOVE!

…to run a faith race for Jesus…one must look to Jesus as the best example to follow…

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

The Overwhelming Importance of Believers Abiding in Christ, while He Abides in Them!

18 May 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a foundation for faith, a prayer for God, a soulful rendition, a source of comfort and assurance, abide with me, abounding in the work of the Lord, be able to comfort those in trouble, be ye steadfast unmovable, before my closing eyes, blessed be God, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, caring for the sick and needy, change and decay, christianity, comes down from the Father of lights, comforts flee, death is swallowed up in victory, defeat the evils of the world, do another good week's work, earth's joys grow dim, earth's vain shadows flee, every good gift, every passing hour, every perfect gift is from above, faith, farewell sermon, fast falls the eventide, fellowship, foil the tempter's power, God's immutability, God's promises and character remain constant, God's unchanging nature, grace to thwart Satan's power, great fervour, guide thee with mine eye, heaven's morning breaks, help of the helpless, Henry Francis Lyte, hold thou thy cross, I am the Lord I change not, I fear no foe, I need thy presence, I triumph still if thou abide in me, I will instruct thee, if ye abide in me and my words abide in you, ills have no weight, in death, in Jesus' name, in life, inspired, invigorated, it's glories pass away, Jesus Christ, Lord and Sovereign of the universe, Lord with me abide, LOVE, mercy, my grace is sufficient for thee, my guide and say can be, my strength is made perfect in weakness, neither shadow of turning, other helpers fail, point me to the skies, rebuilding faith, run our race of faith, salvation, sense of confidencere, shine through gloom, Sunday morning, sweet sacrifices of praise, teach thee in the way thou shall go, tears no bitterness, Thank you Jesus, thanks be to God who gives us the victory, the BIBLE, the darkness deepens, the Father of Jesus, the Father of mercies, the God of All Comfort, the great I AM, the stable nature of God, the sting of death is sin, the strength of sin is the law, the very essence of our God, thou who changest not, through cloud and sunshine, throughout life, to stay with the speaker, truth, tuberculosis, Victoria Day long weekend, what but thy grace, where grave thy victory, where is death's sting, who comforts us in our tribulation, who like thyself can be, wisdom, with thee at hand to bless, with whom is no variableness, ye shall ask what ye will, your labour is not in vain

John 15:7. ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto (for) you.’

Sunday morning, Victoria Day long weekend, celebrations in the air, though with the strong winds that are blowing again like yesterday, those celebrations may have to be mainly indoors. But first, fellowship with the Father and each other! Yes friends, that’s always the most important part of a Sunday, for without that we would not be invigorated and inspired to go out and do another good week’s work in Jesus’ name! And for that wonderful sense of confidence and faith rebuilding, we give Him much thanks and praise, of which He’s so worthy! And all God’s children said a loud and grateful, ’Thank You Jesus!’

Today we’ll open our fellowship session with a wonderful old hymn ‘Abide With Me,’ written by Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847) which captures that faith and trust we have in Almighty God. It appears that young Lyte was adopted from an orphanage at nine years old by an Irish Minister, Dr. Robert Borrows, who, although he already had five children put Lyte through school up to Trinity College in Dublin, where he won prizes and scholarships for poetry.

After graduating in 1814, he became an ordained Anglican Minister. Then it seems he threw himself into his work with great fervour, and with his wife Anna, spent his days caring for the sick and needy, which made him ill, he contracted tuberculosis and had to journey to France every winter to regain his health. But apparently in early September of 1847, he gave his farewell sermon which included the lyrics to ‘Abide With Me,’ and died shortly thereafter from his illness. So, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful rendition of this marvellous hymn, one that’s basically a prayer for God to stay with the speaker throughout life and in death.

Singing: ‘Abide with me; fast falls the eventide; the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide. When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, O abide with me. Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day; earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away; change and decay in all around I see; O thou who changest not, abide with me. I need thy presence every passing hour. What but thy grace can foil the tempter’s power? Who, like thyself, my guide and stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless; ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness. Where is death’s sting? Where grave thy victory? I triumph still if thou abide in me. Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes; shine through the gloom and point me to the skies. Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee; in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.’

Oh my people, what marvellous words and sentiments that catch the very essence of our God! What can be wiser than asking God to stay with you as the darkness falls, for He is the Great I Am; the Omnipotent One, the Lord and Sovereign of the Universe, and no one else can protect you better than Him! And what about these words? ‘When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, O abide with me.’ Our God is indeed the Help of the helpless and the God of all comfort,’ as Bruh Paul writes to the church at Corinth.

‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4) What a great scripture that is my brethren, and every time I read it, the very idea of our heavenly Father comforting us so that we can comfort others, touches something in me, raises my appreciation of our awesome God.

Then, while the joys of the world grow dim, its glories pass away through changes and decay, whom do we call on but ‘Thou who changest not.’ And the prophet Malachi tells it like it is: ‘For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ (Mal. 3:6) And this commentary explains that verse thus: ‘It emphasizes God’s unchanging nature and His unwavering character. This immutability serves as a source of comfort and assurance, highlighting that God’s promises and character remain constant, providing a foundation for faith.’

James, Jesus’ brother also informs us that, ‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness (variation), neither shadow of turning.’ (James 1:17) There again we see the unchanging and very stable nature of our God, upon whom we can cast our complete trust. And do we ever need His presence every hour, for it’s only His grace can help us to thwart Satan’s power, and we clearly see that when Bruh Paul asks for the thorn in his flesh to be removed. The Lord simply informs him: ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.’ (2 Cor. 12:9a)

As one commentary says: ‘This implies that when we are facing challenges or weaknesses, God’s grace is available to provide us with what we need to overcome them, even if the weakness remains.’ Glory be to the Most High God Jehovah! For whom else can guide and keep us like thee eh? As Bruh David says of the Lord in Psalm 32: ‘I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.’ (Ps. 32:8)

And what confidence and trust these marvellous words and sentiments bring: ‘I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless; ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness. Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory? I triumph still, if thou abide with me.’ Now that’s for sure my people! We will triumph because Christ has triumphed over, hell, death and the grave. As Bruh Paul writes to the Corinthians: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave (hades), where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor. 15:54b-57)

Now aren’t those all great reasons for wanting the Lord to abide in us? Of course! But there’s also another side to the coin, as Jesus puts it: ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto (for) you.’ (John 15:7) And the best way to do that is as Bruh Paul advises. ‘Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for asmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain (futile) in the Lord.’ (1 Cor. 15:58)

And we could not get any better advice than that, so please, this Victoria Day Sunday, let’s take it and run our race of faith with it nuh! Much LOVE!

…only as we abide in Christ…and He in us…can we ever defeat the evils of this world…

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

SCRIP-BITS

The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Understanding How to Run the Race of Faith! Part 2.

The Overwhelming Importance of Believers Abiding in Christ, while He Abides in Them!

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