12 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a model for all leaders, accept Him down here on earth, act as a servant to others, adds a different flavour, be cast away, became obedient unto death, being in the form of God, but to serve, come in his own glory, common sense dictates, defeating the whole purpose of our association with God, disciples should not seek to be served, earth is an extension of heaven, emptied himself of his privileges, empty ourselves of all selfish ambitions, end up with Christ in eternal life, endure to the end, eternal destiny, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fighting the good fight, find true life, flowing through me, for what is a man advantaged, found in fashion as a man, God likes to control everything, God you are relentless, halfway home, hands on the plough, hit home to the truth, hold back some things, holy spirit, humbled himself, if any of you wants to be my follower, if he gain the whole world, if you give your life for me, in truth, it is invariably, Jesus Christ, Jesus is our example in everything, just like Jesus did, keep on keeping on, let him be your servant, let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus, logic, lose himself, LOVE, made himself of no reputation, made in the likeness of men, mercy, not turning back, of him shall the son of man be ashamed, one small exception, One Year Book of Bible promises, our second wind day, put aside your selfish ambition, Relentless, Ruth Harms Calkin, sacrifice, salvation, shoulder your cross daily, so glad to be alive, surrender our all to God, take up your cross daily, technological age, thank God, the author and finisher of our faith, the breath of life, the death of the cross, the kingdom of God has come to the earth, the son of man came not be ministered unto, the Son of man came not to be served, thought it not robbery, to a glorious future with Jesus, to be equal with God, to give his life a ransom for many, to work all things out for our good, took upon him the form of a servant, truly amazed, truth, try to keep your life for yourself, what does a man benefit, whosoever shall be ashamed, whosoever will be chief among you, why does it matter so much to you, wisdom, yielded everything to you, you keep bringing me back, you will lose it, you would even take notice
Luke 9:25. For what is a man advantaged (benefited), if he gain the whole world, and lose himself (is destroyed), or be cast away (lost)?
Aye friends, it’s Wednesday, our second wind day, and we are not doing too badly in terms of time, for we’re not quite on the late bus, although I did run around and do some errands after my church group meeting. (smile) Anyway, let’s hope and pray that we will all catch our second wind today and keep on keeping on, fighting the good fight in the most blessed name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen!
And today we’re going to look at an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkins. It’s a poem to which all of us can relate because we all do it in one form or the other. The poem’s simply titled ‘Relentless.’ And I believe we have studied it before, but like I always say, some of these poems hit home to the truth in us so well that it’s to our benefit to study them time and time again.
So, please read with me: ‘God, You are relentless. I have yielded everything to You – Everything but one small exception – An exception so small I’m truly amazed You would even take notice. Yet it is invariably To that one small exception That you keep bringing me Back, and back, and back. Why does it matter so much to You? My Child why does it matter so much to You.’
Now that’s a very good question that the Lord asked in return. If it’s so small an exception why does it matter so much to us, that we don’t want to turn it over to Him? But that’s the way most of us are; we say we surrender our all to God, but in truth, we hide or hold back certain things that we either don’t want Him to know, or to control. However, that’s defeating the whole purpose of our association with Almighty God, for He likes to control EVERYTHING, EVERY PART of our lives, since that’s the ONLY way He can truly work all things out for our good.
That’s pure logic with a touch of common sense, (smile) although I know that logic and common sense are not in vogue in this overvalued and wrongly used technological age. And the Bible verses for today’s poem are some from the lips of Jesus that we ought to know and ought to practice every day. It’s His discourse on following Him, or being His disciple. And we’ll read it from the New Living Translation (NLT) that the book uses, because it differs somewhat from the King James Version, using more of today’s language, and it does add an interesting and different flavour to the scripture.
‘Then he said to the crowd, If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give your life for me, you will find true life.’ (Luke 9:23-24) Yes friends, that’s stating it simply, but very clearly. If you desire to follow Jesus then you must empty yourself of all selfish ambitions and do what He desires. It’s just like He did when he came to earth.
As the Bible tells us: ‘Let this mind be in you, which was 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, and was made in the likeness of men (He emptied Himself of all His heavenly privileges). And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil 4:5-8)
Oh my brethren, if Jesus could give up His heavenly life to come to earth to be a servant, why can’t we do the same eh? No reason whatsoever! But problems arise when we see words like ‘put aside your selfish ambition,’ and others that include sacrifice and taking up our crosses DAILY! Now that just drives us to the proverbial drink! (smile) Because we believe that we’ll have no control over our lives, and we won’t be able to enjoy all the earthly lusts and pleasures that we desire to experience.
But please note that living for Jesus excludes many of those worldly pleasures, for they only lead us down the path to destruction and damnation. And that’s partly why we cannot give up our all to the Lord; for though we know it’s wrong, we still want to enjoy those lustful pleasures. (smile) But let’s go back to the King James Version for this most important reasoning of Christ, where He explains why we should follow Him the way He desires. ‘For what is a man advantaged (benefited), if he gain the whole world, and lose himself (is destroyed), or be cast away (lost)? For whosever shall be ashamed of me and my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.’ (Luke 9:25-26)
Oh my people, it’s all about our eternal destiny, where we will end up after this earthly life. And you cannot end up with Christ in eternal life if you don’t accept Him down here today, and live the way He desires us to live! Remember, the kingdom of heaven has now come to earth with the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. So technically speaking, we’re simply an extension of heaven and need to live by the decrees thereof. And let’s remember these poignant words of Jesus, after the mother of James and John begged for them to be placed on His left and ride side when He came in all His glory.
‘And whosoever will be chief (first) among you, let him be your servant (slave):Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto (be served), but to minister (serve), and to give his life a ransom for many.’ (Matt. 20:27-28) And I like what this commentary says re those verse. ‘Jesus taught that those who wish to be great in his kingdom should not seek to be served, but should instead act as a servant to others. This is a model for all leaders, as well as for the disciples. Jesus exemplified this through his actions, such as washing his disciples’ feet, healing the sick, and feeding the thousands.
These were not acts of someone who came to be served, but acts of humble service from the “Son of Man”.’ And having seen what Jesus did, and what our lives should be like as His disciples, let’s now 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!’
That brings to mind the promise of anyone enduring to then end with Jesus, will receive an even more glorious future than we can ask or imagine. Therefore, let’s be wise and endure to the end with Jesus, so we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…Jesus…the author and finisher of our faith…ought to be our example in EVERYTHING…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a light unto my path, a rough row to hoe, according to his glorious power, an accurate perception, at all times in life, atonement, be filled with the knowledge of his will, Bible, blood, christianity, Christians, darkness, delve deeper into God's Word, duty bound, ever coming to know the Lord better, faith, forbearing the faults of others, forgiveness of sins, forsake her not, fruitful in every good work, get understanding, get wisdom, giving thanks unto the Father, growing spiritually stronger in Christ, happiness, holy spirit, hurry, in all wisdom, in god's eyes, in the habit of giving thanks, increasing in the knowledge of God, Jesus Christ, light, longsuffering, LOVE, love her and she shall keep thee, mercy, morality, of the inheritance of the saints, of the true nature of things, patience, persevering through trials, practical situations, prayer for the Colossians, productive in Christian service, qualified us, redemption, redemption through Christ's blood, sacrifice, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, she shall preserve thee, sincerely expressing gratitude to god, spiritual maturity, spiritual understanding, strengthened with all might, take the bull by the horns, the atonement by Jesus' death, the beloved of God, the Christian life, the ehtical condition in which God's children live, the fruit of the spirit, the pleasant and unpleasant experiences of life, the religious stae of unbelievers, the skillful application of wisdom, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to be partakers, trust my friend Jesuss, truth, Tuesday Mantra, ungodly times, unto all patience and longsuffering, walk worthy of the Lord, wisdom, wisdom is the principal thing, with all thy getting, with joyfulness, worry
Proverbs 4:7. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all thy getting get understanding.
And then it was a nice, sunshiny but windy Tuesday, ideal to give us hope for a better day than Monday, which was cold, snowy, and dreary. However it turns out though, we just have to keep moving forward, becoming wiser, as we delve deeper into the study of God’s Word, and thus getting better in the performance of the tasks He desires of us. That certainly brings to mind the effusive and all-embracing prayer that Bruh Paul prayed for the Colossians.
‘For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet (qualified us) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in (the) light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated (transferred) us into the kingdom of his dear Son (the Son of His LOVE): In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:’ (Col. 1:9-14)
Oh friends, that’s a mighty big prayer to wish on anyone, so can you imagine how the Colossians must have felt when they received Bruh Paul’s missive, not knowing him, since they were evangelized by Epaphras, Bruh Paul’s fellow servant in Christ. But Epaphras had spoken highly of them, and Bruh Paul, as always, wanted to invigorate and motivate them to greater works and heights. Thus, it’s a prayer that we believers today also are expected to take seriously, because it also pertains to our spiritual state which leaves a lot to be desired in these evil and ungodly times.
And though the prayer seems tough and long-winded, it’s fairly simple when you break it down. What’s Bruh Paul actually praying for eh? That the Colossians, and consequently us, will be filled with the knowledge of God’s will for their lives in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. And the scholars explain wisdom as an ‘accurate perception into the true nature of things. And understanding is the skillful application of this wisdom in practical situations.’
Therefore, with those two things we’re set on the right path of the Lord, or as the psalmist says: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) And being on the right path, we ought to be able to walk worthy of the Lord, allowing the fruit of His Spirit to flourish in our lives, so that others can see it and desire to know Him. But then too, Bruh Paul expects that all believers ought to keep growing in the knowledge of God’s Word; in other words, moving along the path of spiritual maturity to a higher calling in Christ Jesus.
Or, as the scholars explain; ‘Verse 10 expresses the reason that in verse 9, Paul wants the Colossians to obtain a knowledge of God’s will. That they walk (live) properly and fully please God. And in Greek the four explanatory participles of verses 10b-12 spell out and precisely define what a worthy walk entails: the believer is (1) fruitful in every good work, productive in Christian service; (2) constantly increasing in the knowledge of God, ever coming to know the Lord better; (3) always “strengthened with all might,” becoming spiritually stronger and stronger; and (4) in the habit of giving thanks, sincerely expressing gratitude to God in both the pleasant and unpleasant experiences in his life.’
Now that’s indeed a rough row to hoe, but hoe it we must if we intend to be true believers in Christ Jesus. And remember that the Lord does not call us to do anything in which He does not give us the wherewithal to perform it. That’s the beauty of our ever-LOVING God! And the scholars continue to explain some of the terms found in the above passages of scripture. They say ‘Patience is persevering through problems, trials, tribulations, and so forth. Longsuffering is forbearing the faults and offences of others.’
Meanwhile, verse 12 might also be translated “thanking the Father, for He made us fit to share in the salvation belonging to the saints who are in the light.” Light is the ethical condition in which God’s children live, namely, that of spiritual understanding with its accompanying morality and happiness. Then in verse 13, Darkness is the religious state in which unbelievers exist, namely, that of spiritual ignorance with its attending immorality and misery. And in verse 14 Blood reminds the Colossians, and us, of the enormous price and sacrifice paid to secure their redemption. Redemption, then is achieved by the atonement wrought by Jesus’ death.’
And that’s it in a nutshell friends. Let’s hope that what we’ve said and read today will help us raise our spirituality to new levels. But that will only happen if we take the bull by the horns and begin delving deeper in the Word and putting it into practical application in our lives. Remember Wisdom tells us the truth, and Understanding tells us best how to apply it.
That’s why Cousin Sol was so emphatic in Proverbs when he admonishes: ‘Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from (turn away) the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: LOVE her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all thy getting get understanding.’ (Prov. 4:5-7)
Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all the world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel! As one strong and sincere 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 made that declaration (awright!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and share the awesome LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the Christian life is ever about…spiritually growing stronger…in Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a constant attitude of prayer, alleviate our problems, anxiety, anxious, be careful for nothing, be of good cheer, be prayerful about everything, Bible, by prayer and supplication, catch your fancy, christianity, Christians, concerning you, death, divine aid, divinely bestowed peace, ease the pain, faith, faith in Christ, give thanks to god, he who has ears to hear let him hear, hear our requests, hell, holy spirit, humble servants, i have overcome the world, in every event or circumstance, in every thing give thanks, in me ye shall have peace, in the face of adversity, irresposibility, Jehovah Rapha, legitimate concern, let not your heart be troubled, let your moderation be known unto all men, let your requests be made known unto God, LOVE, maintain gratitude, mass confusion in our world, mercy, moderation, my peace I give unto you, my thoughts are higher than your thoughts, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways are higher than your ways, my ways are not your ways, negative situations, neither let it be afraid, not as the world gives, obedience, passes all understanding, Peace i leave with you, pray without ceasing, propser us, protection, repentance, sacrifice, salvation, seeking God's face, the God who heals, the grave, the heavens are higher than the earth, the Lord is at hand, the peace of God, the promises of Christ, the tools of Christ, the will of God, this is the will of God in Christ, throne of grace, time of need, tranquility of mind, tribulation, truth, turn from our evil ways, wisdom, wise guidance, with thanksgiving
1 Thessalonians 5:18. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Come on down Monday, we’re ready and waiting for you! Hit us with your best shot! But it won’t work, for we have all the tools and promises of Jesus, at the ready, waiting to shoot you down. Therefore, we have taken this scripture from the pen of Bruh Paul to heart. ‘In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:18)
Ah friends, that’s a tough scripture, but one we definitely need to know and totally embrace. And what does it mean? The scholars say that ‘In every event or circumstance (thing) the Christian is to give thanks to God for the good He can bring out of the event, even should the event be unpleasant. The constant attitude of prayer, mentioned in verse 17 – ‘Pray without ceasing,’ will help the believer to maintain gratitude in the face of adversity.’
And if that scripture doesn’t catch your fancy, (smile) then try this one from Bruh Paul’s missive to the Philippians. ‘Let your moderation (gentleness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:5-7)
And I must admit that one seems a tad easier than the first one, although they both basically mean the same thing. Instead of worrying about anything, we are to take every situation, be it pleasant or unpleasant and present it to God through prayer, supplication and thanksgiving.
The scholars advise: ‘The Lord’s nearness (vs. 5b) leads Paul to forbid his readers from worrying. This is no summons to irresponsibility or an invitation to dismiss legitimate concern. The solution to undue anxiety is prayer in every thing, “in any matter of life.” The way to be free of anxiety is to be prayerful about everything. While God is eager to hear our requests, they are to be accompanied by thanksgiving.’
Now, that seems easier said than done, but like all things we need to get good at, it requires continuous practice until it becomes a habit. And what’s the benefit of that exercise, you ask? ‘The peace of God which passes all understanding.’ Wow! Isn’t that important enough to make the effort worthwhile? It surely is!
Because as the scholars tell us, ‘The peace of God is that tranquility of mind freeing the believer from fear and worry. “Peace” which passeth all understanding means (1) peace divinely bestowed in times of anxiety, so wonderful that it exceeds one’s ability to understand it; (2) God’s peace far surpasses one’s own understanding of the problem, and his ability to cope with and solve it.’
That brings to mind this most important scripture from the prophet Isaiah, where he speaks on God’s behalf. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) That says it all my people. And so it should be, if He is God!
Therefore, when we take our problems to Him in prayer, with thanksgiving, He gives us His unsurpassable peace that guards our hearts and minds from the enemies attempts to cause us worry and anxiety. And that dovetails very nicely with Jesus words on the subject to the disciples, and consequently to us. ‘Peace, I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27)
Oh my people, what a marvellous gift is the peace of Jesus! It’s unlike any other that the world knows, and surpasses any other kind. It’s the amazing kind of peace that causes us not to worry or be afraid. Where else can you find that kind of peace eh? Only in and from Jesus! Then later on, He tells us again about the kind of peace we can have if we accept Him as Lord and Saviour. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
Wow! What can we say to that most expressive statement eh? Not much really, but accept it for what it is: Jesus’ faithful promise! There’s no doubt whatsoever that in the world we will have trials and tribulations, but since Jesus has already overcome the world, that’s hell, death and the grave, if we stay entwined with Jesus, then we will have His awesome protection against the world and it’s ungodly masses. You can’t ask for anything more than that friends.
However, Jesus has already done His work, it’s now our turn to live up to our promise when we accepted Him as Lord and Saviour. That’s take up our cross daily and follow Him, even if it calls for personal sacrifice. And sometimes that’s difficult to do, but through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving we can do it. So let’s go to the throne of grace right now, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help us in this our great time of need.
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!’
In closing though, please remember that divine aid is not doled out willy-nilly, but for obedience, repentance, sincerely seeking God’s face and a change in our evil ways. Much LOVE!
…He who has ears to hear…let Him hear…otherwise…He will feel…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a decent world for our grandchildren, agents of change, althugh you don't give them the things they need, an angry storm cloud, be ye warmed and filled, behaving like the heathen, being alone, Bible Christianity, broken in the name of Jesus, can faith save him, change never comes easily, chaos, Christians, clear direction for my life, courage, creativity, curse, depart in peace, destitue of daily food, disaster, do the work you promised to do, doing good works for others, faith, faith if it hath not works is dead, fall into line with the world, get serious about God, glorify your father in heaven, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn it, godly influence, hard work, holy spirit, if any man will come after me, Jesus Christ, Jesus gave His sinless life as a ransom for us, Jesus worked his tail off, knocks me for six, let him deny himself, light of the world, like the world desires, LOVE, mercy, naked, negative word, not like what Jesus desires, not to condemn the world but to save it, paying lip service to God, pointless talking about faith, positive change, prosper, sacrifice, salt of the earth, salvation, see your good works, sitting on your fat comfortable fannies, sitting on your laurels, strife, succeed, supernatural wisdom, take up his cross daily and follow me, talent, talk without works is useless, that passes all understanding, the gospel truth, the peace of Christ, Thursday Blessings, tried and found wanting, truth, ungodliness, what does it profit you, what doth it profit to have faith and no works, wisdom, young innocent heads
James 2:17. Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
So it’s Thursday, and another week is almost done! It sure knocks me for six, how quickly the days pass by and therefore the weeks, but I guess that’s a sign for us to get real serious about the God we claim to LOVE and worship and begin doing the things He truly desires of us, and not just paying Him and His Word lip service, like so many of us supposed Christians do.
And I bring up the same ole reason; if we were living a truly Christian life, our world would not be so filled with strife, anger, resentment and hatred as it is, and our children would not be mired in the current ungodliness that threatens them like an angry storm cloud just waiting to burst forth on their young and innocent heads. It’s as simple as that. If Christians talked less and did more, we’d have a much better and calmer world.
James, Jesus’ brother said it very clearly in his epistle. ‘What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.’ (James 2:14-17)
And that’s the gospel truth my fellow believers! We can talk all the faith we want, if we don’t translate some of it into works, out faith is useless. Remember, Jesus came down here to work, to give His sinless life as a ransom for our abominable ones, and He didn’t accomplish that by simply sitting on his laurels like so many of us want to do.
No! He worked His tail off, and we’re supposed to do the same thing. Jesus explained it thus: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17) And how do you think you save the world, by sitting on your fat, comfortable fannies? No! You get up and work, do the work you promised to do!
Remember the vow we took when we became disciples of Jesus, what we agreed to do? Let’s revisit it, so that we can all be clear on it. Jesus said it quite clearly: ‘If any man will come after me (desires to follow me), let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) Remember that friends?
And can I ask a most appropriate question on that subject: when last have any of us truly denied ourselves eh? Let’s stop for a moment and ponder that. Very likely, not lately, because we’re all too concerned with what we can get for ourselves to be concerned about giving up anything for someone else. And what about the other part of the vow; that of taking up our crosses daily and following Jesus? There too we have been tried and sadly found wanting.
The sad fact is that too many of us are behaving like the heathen, like the world desires and expects, instead of like Jesus desires and expects. What else can we expect then but strife, chaos and disaster, which is all the heathen knows, instead of the godly calm and peace of Christ, which passes all human understanding. Now that’s what He desires us to bring to the world, not fall into line with the world.
We are expected to be agents of change, and change never comes easily. It almost always requires sacrifice and hard work, things that so many of us supposed believers despise and don’t want to engage in. But how else will we leave a world that is somewhat decent for our children’s children eh my people? Only by stepping up to the plate RIGHT NOW, before it’s too late and doing like Jesus asked us to do, and we promised to do; that’s initiate and keep promoting the Great Commission until He returns.
How can we forget these illustrious words eh? ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:18-20)
Oh my fellow saints, are we following those expectations of Jesus? Possibly to a small extent, but certainly not to the extent that it will make a positive and productive change and reawaken godly influence in our world. Only we believers can do it. And if we don’t, as you can see, our world keeps getting more ungodly, evil and strife filled every day!
All I can do is plead with us, exhort us in the name of Jesus, to get up and begin behaving the way we ought to; adding works to our faith, being the true salt of the earth and light of the world, so that the heathen can see our good works and glorify our heavenly Father. And I know that in this evil world that might be somewhat difficult to do, but in and with Christ, anything is possible, and He’s given us all the tools to do His earthly work, amongst which, is what we call our Thursday Blessings.
So let’s declare (steups!!!) and thus activate them right now nuh. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (yesss!!!) it’s now our bounden duty to go out and share those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…it’s pointless talking about faith…if we’re not using it for the good of others…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a God-fearing attitude, a modicum of peace and joy, actively seek out peace, as much as lieth in you, avoid temptation, be of good cheer, Bible, Blessed are the peacemakers, choose good over evil, choose peace over sin, Christ wants us to be characterized by peace, christianity, depart from evil and do good, disaster-filled world, divine pardon, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fall short of the grace of God, follow after things which make for peace, follow peace with all men, glad to be alive, greater intimacy with God, grow in spiritual maturity, halfway home, hands on the plough, hang all the law and prophets, holy spirit, i have overcome the world, I will repay, improve our faith walk, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jesus Christ, Jesus has defeated Satan, lest any man fail, let not your heart be troubled, live peaceably with all men, looking diligently, LOVE, Love the Lord thy God, Love thy neighbour as thyself, mercy, negative things, neither let it be afraid, New Year's resolution, not as the world giveth, not turning baack, on these two commandments, Peace i leave with you, peace won't come to you, pray that 2025 will bring, sacrifice, salvation, seek peace and pursue it, strife, thank God, the Beatitudes, the breath of life, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the children of God, the great commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, the world is groaning, thereby many be defiled, things to edify another, to a glorious future with Jesus, to chase after with intensity, tribulation, truth, vengeance is mine saith the Lord, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, with all thy heart soul and mind, without which no man shall see the Lord, work
Matthew 5:9. Blessed (happy) are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children (sons) of God.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
And a Happy New Year to all you beautiful people out there in Scrip-Bits land! Let’s hope that this new year has met you in good shape, physically, mentally and emotionally, and if it hasn’t, then it will improve things as quickly as possible. And we sincerely pray that this new year of 2025 will bring a modicum of peace and joy to our strife and disaster-filled world, because our poor world is desperately groaning with all the negative things that’s happening to it.
And now is the right time for us to remember that peace doesn’t come of its own accord, but we have to seek it. As Bruh David says in Psalm 34: ‘Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace and pursue it.’ (Ps. 34:14) Yes friends, we not only have to avoid temptation, to reject it from wherever it comes, while seeking peace and pursuing it. And what does that mean eh?
This commentary explains it as follows: ‘The verse conveys that peace is something that people must actively seek out, and that it is not something that will just happen. The phrase emphasizes the ongoing effort required to maintain peace. The Hebrew word radaf used in the verse means to chase or follow after with intensity. The verse also conveys that choosing good over evil, and peace over sin, is part of honoring God properly. It also suggests that making peace manifests a God-fearing attitude.’
And that’s exactly what we supposed followers of and believers in Christ Jesus need to do in a much greater fashion this new year! We most definitely need to raise our level of discipleship, with all diligence and efficiency, if we ever hope to make any worthwhile difference in this evil world. Remember the Bible tells us in several places that we have to diligently go after the peace, for it won’t come to us. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to Bruh Paul to the Romans: ‘Let us therefore follow after things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify (build up) another.’ (Rom. 14:19)
And Before that he admonished them thus: ‘If it be possible, as much as lieth in (depends on) you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.’ (Rom. 12:18-19) Oh my fellow believers there couldn’t be any stronger admonishment for going out of our way to live in peace!
And the author of Hebrews also had something to say on the subject of peace. ‘Follow (pursue) peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail (fall short) of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.’ (Heb. 12:14-15) Now those are indeed strong sentiments my brethren, but we need to take them to heart, for if we don’t, we’re liable to fall short of God’s grace and take many others with us. And we certainly don’t want to do that.
And if you don’t believe what those writers said, then check out these words of our Lord and Saviour nuh. And we’ll begin with begin with this commentary that asks: ‘What was Jesus main message about peace?’ And answers: ‘One of the central themes of the Sermon on the Mount is Christ’s expectation that His followers be characterized by peace—not violence or war. In the famous opening to this great sermon known as the Beatitudes, Jesus taught, “Blessed [happy] are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children (sons) of God” (Matthew 5:9).”
Yes friends, we cannot be true disciples of Christ until, and unless we are characterized by peace! And this other commentary takes it a little further: ‘Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9). We are to try for peace. Peace can be experienced only when we have received divine pardon – when we have been reconciled to God and when we have harmony within, with our fellow man and especially with God.’
And that’s the gospel truth! We can’t have peace until we have harmony with ourselves, with others and most of all with God. It’s as the two great commandments say: ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and prophets.’ (Matt. 22:37-40)
Oh my people, Jesus is all about peace and LOVE, but unfortunately, those are currently the least two attributes to be found in our topsy-turvy world. But we can turn it around this new year, provided we’re so inclined. However, it will take lots of work and sacrifice, with us totally increasing our salty flavour and the intensity of our light, while keeping these most encouraging words of Jesus on peace, front and centre in our minds.
The first statement says: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) Then there’s this other encouraging statement on peace. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
And if we believe truly believe that Jesus has overcome the world, defeated Satan, hell, death and the grave, then we will truly find peace in Him and His awesome promises. So please, let’s make this a year of peace and joy and LOVE, with our ONE New Year’s Resolution; that being to improve our faith walk with Jesus, thus grow in spiritual maturity and achieve greater intimacy with God! If we do those things, then everything else will fall into place.
Now let’s go home declaring (steupsss!!!) 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 to the very end with Jesus, then it’s been promised that the future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! So, see you there! Much LOVE!
…if you have the peace of Jesus…then you are truly blessed…because His peace…surpasses all of man’s understanding…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abominable sins, abundance, as far as the east is from the west, be careful for nothing, be not drunk with wine, bless the LOrd o my soul, but in every thing, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, courage, creativity, crowns thee with loving-kindness, curse, dissipation, enter his gates with thanksgiving, established it upon the floods, every good gift, every perfect gift is from above, excess, faith, favour, firstfruits of his creatures, forget not all his benefits, forgives thine iniquities, give thanks unto the Lord, giving thanks always for all things, great is thy faithfulness, he founded it upon the seas, he is good, heals all thy diseases, his compassions fail not, his mercy endures for ever, his truth endures to all generations, in every thing, in everything give thanks, in the fear of God, into his courts with praise, It is of the Lord's mercies, Jesus Christ, joy, let your moderation be known unto all men, LOVE, make a joyful noise unto the Lord, making melody in your heart to the Lord, mercy, negative word, neither shadow of turning, of his own will, pray without ceasing, prosper, pumpkin pie, redeems thy life from destruction, rejoice evermore, Rejoice in the Lord always, renews thy youth like the eagle, sacrifice, salvation, satisfies thy mouth with good things, serve the Lord with gladness, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns, success, supernatural wisdom, talent, tender mercies, thankful for all our blessings, thanksgiving, the abundant life, the cross of Calvary, the earth is the Lord's, the Father of lights, the fulness thereof, the Lord is at hand, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the word of truth, they are new every morning, this is the will of God in Christ, tribulation, truth, Turkey, we are not consumed, wisdom
Happy Thanksgiving U.S. of A!
Yes, it’s officially Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. and one can imagine how busy it is down there, with all the turkey and pumpkin pie celebrations. And they do have a lot to be thankful for; the question is to whom are they thankful for their many blessings? But that’s a story for another time and place. (smile) And on this Thanksgiving Thursday, I believe it’s only right and most appropriate to check out some scriptures on thanksgiving.
So, let’s begin with this most relevant and interesting one from Bruh Paul to the Thessalonians, where he advises them, and consequently us to ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:16-18) Ah friends, that’s indeed true! For our God desires us to enjoy the abundant life he’s provided for us through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ, but at the same time He desires to hear some prayerful and thankful sentiments from us, His people.
It’s only natural. We give much thanks to humans who give us non-essential earthly stuff, so why not give even greater thanks for ‘Every good 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. Of His own will he begat us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.’ (James 1:17-18)
Oh my people, the Lord created us to be the best and most important of his many creations and blesses us with more than we can ever ask or imagine, therefore it behooves us to give Him thanks, not only on this special day, but each and every day! Today we just pile it up a li’l higher and be more sincere! (smile)
And then, both 1 Chronicles 16:34, and Psalm 107 1, rightly advocates: ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING-KINDESS) endureth for ever.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth my brethren! From the very beginning our great God has been nothing but good to us! And even when we’ve fallen into temptation and sin, His unconditional and abiding LOVE shone forth as He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross at Calvary so that our abominable sins could be forgiven, and cast away as far as the east is from the west. (Ps; 103:12)
How then, can we not in all good conscience give Him much thanks and LOVE, for as Bruh David reminds us earlier on in Psalm 103: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-KINDNESS and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:2-5) Now if that isn’t more than sufficient to give thanks for, then I don’t know what is!
And what about this admonishment from Bruh Paul to the church at Ephesus? ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord: Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear (reverence) of God.’ (Eph. 5:18-21)
What wonderful, godly advice! Unfortunately though, I know that many will be drunk with wine to excess today, despite that good advice. However, let’s hope that that dissipation will not incur too many negative consequences, as it is generally wont to do. (smile)
Then there’s this exhortation from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (gentleness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Eph. 4:4-7)
And I’m chuckling here, because it seems like Bruh Paul wrote some kind of admonishment to each of the churches to keep praying, rejoicing and offering thanks to God come what may! And that’s exactly how it ought to be, given the fact that ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:22-23)
Oh my fellow believers, there are so many things to be thankful to God for, especially His breath of life which He unselfishly shared with us when He created us and breathed it into our lifeless bodies made of dirt. That’s why it’s very surprising and hard to believe that so many of us can be so unthankful and disparaging of God to whom EVERYTHING belongs, and who gave and gives us EVERYTHING we possess. Listen up to these last wo scriptures which attest to those facts. From Psalm 24, Bruh David writes: ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.’ (Ps. 24:1-2)
Then Psalm 100 tells us to ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:1-5)
And if you don’t believe that friends, then I don’t know what else to say. However, let’s declare and thus activate our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us do His earthly work and see if it makes a difference. (smile) As one 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 if you believe, then it behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us! Much LOVE!
…be it in joy…or tribulation…it is essential to give thanks to Almighty God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crying shame, a disciple of Jesus, a new creation, a nuclear holocaust, accoring to his riches in glory, after the things of the Spirit, all our needs met, all things are become new, as babes in Christ, Bible, cannot please God, carnal, christianity, deny himself, divine aid, enmity against God, excellence, faith, fed you with milk not meat, fervently, forget ourselves, grow in faith, humble servants, if any man be in Christ, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, just laze around, life, LOVE, make a living, mass confusion, mercy, mid the things of the Spirit, mind the things of the flesh, negative situations, old things are passed away, peace, reconciled us to himself, sacrifice, sacrificing for Christ, saints of Christ, salvation, seek God and his righteousness first, sincere repentance, spiritual maturity, strife, strong faith in Christ, take up his cross daily, the carnal mind, the God who heals, the sins of the flesh, the Spirit of God, they athat are after the flesh, those in the flesh, to be carnally minded is death, to be spiritually minded is life and peace, trun from our evil ways, truth, wisdom, wise guidance, work dilgently, ye are yet carnal
Romans 8:6. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
And the roller coaster ride keeps rolling on! Another day, another dollar! Yes my people, it’s another Monday, the start of a new work week and we have to get out into the evil world and make a living. And Jesus did instruct us to seek God and His righteousness first, and all of our needs would be met; (Matt. 6:33) while Bruh Paul also promised that God would provide all our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus; (Philp. 4:19) but all of that implies that we would get up and work diligently, fervently and efficiently, not just laze around, as so many of us are doing, and expecting our needs to be filled.
Being a disciple of Jesus can be hard work. Remember how He described a disciple? ‘If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) That means we have to take up our cross, every day, and follow Him, wherever He may lead us, sacrificing our own desires for His. And that’s not easy to do, especially in this prosperous and amenity filled society in which we currently live.
The word ‘sacrifice’ doesn’t even register with a large portion of our population, many of whom have no idea what it means, much less know how to put it into practice. But if we desire to be true believers, true disciples of Christ, then we have to learn how to do the job, how to forget ourselves and sacrifice whenever and wherever necessary, so that His desires can be achieved.
And my fellow believers, we can say whatever we want, fool ourselves as much as we desire, but it’s obvious in this last generation, our witness, our sacrifice, diligence, fervency and excellence on Jesus’ behalf have not been very satisfactory. We have allowed the world and all its carnality, it’s fleshly lusts, to lessen our call to righteousness.
That’s why Bruh Paul wrote these words of warning to the Roman church. ‘For they that are after the flesh do mind (set their minds on) the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.’ (Rom. 8:5-10)
Yes friends, we have received the indwelling Spirit of God to help us lead a godly life, not turn back to the sins of the flesh that Christ died to save us from. When we become saints of Christ, we have to kill that old life. As Bruh Paul wrote in his second missive to the Corinthians: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given us the ministry of reconciliation.’ (2 Cor. 5:17-18)
Now my people, that change in us to the new man cannot be just for a time… no. When we come into a new relationship with the risen and glorified Lord, we see things in a different light, and that change has to continue for the rest of our lives, so we can sincerely do the work Christ requires of us. And furthermore, we have to grow in faith, in spiritual maturity – from no faith, to little faith, to great faith! Otherwise we’d end up, and have indeed ended up just like Bruh Paul chided the Corinthians in his first letter.
‘And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat (solid food): for hitherto (until now)ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions (dissensions), are ye not carnal (fleshly), and walk as men (according to man’s ways).’ (1 Cor. 3:1-3)
And unfortunately that carnal and fleshly attitude still prevails in Christ’s church today. The majority of the people are not growing in spiritual maturity, they’re not seriously and sincerely studying the Word and living it. At this stage of their development when they should be eating solid food, they still can only drink milk, because there’s too much envying and strife and dissensions amongst the body of Christ.
That’s why the negative attributes of the enemy are currently holding our world hostage, and unless we supposed believers get up and begin fighting back mano a mano, God’s great world is liable to implode with all the strife and talk of strife that’s currently in the air. We’re talking about World War Three, which won’t be fought with ordinary weapons, but will be a nuclear holocaust. So let’s start doing something about it right now nuh, by going to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid to help in this time of dire need.
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 first things first, we have to start changing from our evil ways and becoming true disciples of Christ before any divine aid will start flowing down to us. Much LOVE!
…it’s a crying shame…that Christ’s church…is still so carnally minded…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool's wisdom, a genuine desire for the well being of another, Bible, christianity, closer to God, deepen my breath, drift away from God, every one that loveth is born of God, faith, fellowship, god, God sent His only begotten Son, great is thy faithfulness, greedy, hang all the law and the prophets, he that loveth not knoweth not God, herein is love, his compassions fail not, hold your head and bawl, hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord, howl like a hyena, I may know you all the more, if God so loved us, increase my awareness of you today, it is good that a man, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lazy, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let us love one another, LOVE, love is God's greatest attribute, LOVE is of God, love is the greatest emotion, Love thy neighbour as thyself, mercy, negative news, not that we loved God but that he loved us, on these two commandments, power hungry, quiet my soul, reciprocated love, relax my muscles, run to God, s wisdom, sacrifice, sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins, slow my thoughts, strife-filled, Thank you Jesus, that we might live through Jesus, the Lord is good unto them that wait for him, the Lord is my portion saith my soul, the love of god manifested toward us, the sinsful pleasures of Satan, therefore will I hope in him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God, to the soul that seeketh him, True LOVE, truth, we ought also to love one another, wisdom, with all thy heart soul and mind, you're the Best
1 John 4:7a. Beloved, let us LOVE one another: for LOVE is of God;
And what a perfect lazy-day Saturday this is turning out to be; wet and cloudy, though somewhat humid, an excellent chance to just laze around and do nothing but laze around. (smile) I was able to enjoy some of it by staying in bed a li’l longer, only because I went to bed at a fairly late hour of the morning, so the ole bones didn’t have a chance to get creaky and cranky.
What a life! But it’s a good life, despite the many problems that do crop up, because we have our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to help us deal with them. And all God’s people said a loud and grateful: ‘Thank You Jesus! You’re the BEST! We LOVE You and praise your Holy Name!’ And that’s exactly how it ought to be! Therefore, in conjunction with that statement, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, in a sincere and heartfelt manner.
As one voice: ‘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!’
Yes friends, that’s a prayer the Lord cannot refuse, simply because He LOVES it when we desire close communion with Him. It’s the reciprocated LOVE that He desires of us, of which we spoke yesterday. And it’s one of the major reasons He created us; to want to know Him as deeply as possible, and have His awesome presence constantly present in an overwhelming manner in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds. That’s why right now we’re feeling an increase of His godly presence moving in our receptive spirits. And thus, we ought to continue looking at scriptures that show the LOVE of Jesus, as well as LOVE for Him. (smile)
And I like this commentary that asks ‘What is true LOVE in Jesus?’ Then gives this reply: ‘True LOVE is a genuine desire for the well-being of another. It is holy, sacrificial, and other-oriented. A LOVE that we can only know through the One who is LOVE Himself. God commands His people to LOVE Him with all their heart, soul, and strength.’
So when the pretentious lawyer asked Jesus what was the great commandment, He obviously replied thus: ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:36-40)
Yuh see people, God’s plan is all about LOVE; LOVE for Him, for ourselves and each other! That’s all He asks of us. That’s because LOVE is the greatest emotion there is, and God’s greatest attribute is LOVE! As John so wisely and rightly declares in his first epistle. ‘Beloved, let us LOVE one another: for LOVE is of God; and every one that LOVETH is born of God, and knoweth God. He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE!’ (1 John 4:7-8) And you simply cannot get away from the indisputable truth of that statement: God is LOVE; and LOVE is of God!!!
Then John continues: ‘In this was manifested the LOVE of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him. Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that he LOVED us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so LOVED us, we ought also to LOVE one another.’ (1 John 4:9-11)
Now that’s perfect logic my brethren! God showed His amazing LOVE for us by sending His Son Jesus to die on the cross at Calvary to pay for our sins. You simply cannot get any deeper or greater LOVE than that! So why is it so difficult for us to reciprocate that LOVE to God, and to also show it to our fellow humans eh?
It should not be that difficult if we take into account the great sacrifice that both the Father and Jesus made on our behalf. But being the whole set of negative adjectives we’ve become; lazy, greedy, sinful, entitled, ungodly, strife-filled, power-hungry, etc. etc. it’s no wonder we find it difficult to give LOVE to God, ourselves, and other humans. The sinful pleasures of Satan have become more important than the everlasting goodness of God.
And then we wonder why our world is in such a terrible state. The answer is very simple: there’s no real LOVE in our hearts, so how can there be any in our world? And it’s interesting, but also heart-rending, that we all watch the great amount of negative news with which we are bombarded every day, and we decry it, but do we do anything about it, even in our little sphere of the world, of our family, of our neighbourhood?
No! Because that would take too much energy and sacrifice on our part, and disrupt our comfortable, cozy, amenity-filled lives. But friends, the first thing to know about LOVE is that it calls for sacrifice! You cannot truly show LOVE until and unless you’re willing to sacrifice something for someone, which includes, God, yourself and your neighbours.
And please don’t think that you’re LOVING yourself when you buy up on credit all the bright and fancy baubles and bangles that the world offers, but which you cannot really afford. No, because when the time comes to pay for them, then you’ll hold your head and bawl, howl like a hyena, especially if they come and repossess the stuff. You LOVE yourself by taking your time, doing and buying what you can afford.
And these words on the amazing LOVE of God by the prophet Jeremiah in his Lamentations, are most excellent words for us to go home to. Please read with me: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:22-26)
Please my fellow saints, let’s spend a few moments on this lazy-day Saturday pondering those words of awesome truth, so that they can bring us where we ought to be; closer to God! Much LOVE!
…it’s a fool’s wisdom…to drift away from God…rather than run to Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a rushing mighty wind, a victory to be won, all with one accord, baptized with the Holy Spirit, be witnesses unto me, began to speak with other tongues, Bible, but you cannot make it drink, christianity, cleanse your hands ye sinners, cloven tongues like as fire, daily walking close to thee, do we with patience wait for it, draw nigh to God, effort, faith, fellowship, filled with the Holy Ghost, grant it Jesus is my plea, guide me gently to thy kingdom shore, hold our heads and bawl, holy spirit, humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, I am weak but thou art strong, Jesus Christ, just a closer walk with thee, keep me from all wrong, let be dear Lord let it be, let me walk close to thee, LOVE, my grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness, our human inability to live righteously, Pentecost, Pentecost Sunday, resist the devil, sacrifice, submit yourselves to God, there came a sound from heaven, this world of toil and snares, truth, we are saved by hope, we walk by faith and not by sight, when I am weak then I am strong, when the Holy ghost is come upon you, who with me my burden shares, wisdom, ye shall receive power, you can lead a horse to water
2 Corinthians 5:7. (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
And then it was Pentecost Sunday! The day Christ’s Church was truly born some two thousand years ago, when the Holy Spirit descended form heaven upon the gathering in the upper room that fateful Pentecost Day. It was the day Jesus spoke of when He told the disciples to remain in Jerusalem until power came upon them. ‘But ye shall receive power, after that (when) the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.’ (Acts 1:8) That’s because until they were filled with Holy Ghost, baptized with its power, they would not be able to do all that He expected of them.
And we all know what transpired on that day in Jerusalem. The Bible tells us: ‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they (120 followers of Jesus) were all with one accord (purpose, mind) in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues likes as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues (languages), as the Spirit gave them utterance.’ (Acts 2:1-4)
Oh friends, when our God so desires He can put on a real show! And we also know what transpired after that. The recently baptized followers went out into the streets of Jerusalem and proclaimed the good news gospel of Jesus to all and sundry who were there at the time celebrating the feast of Pentecost. Spoke to them in their own language. Which led some to think that they were drunk. But Peter got up and offered a disclaimer, then preached the best sermon of His life, and the witness was so great, that some three thousand people were saved that day. (Acts 2:14-41)
Ah mih people, how I wish that we followers of Christ today were as enthused as those on that Pentecost day so long ago. We have also been baptized with the Holy Ghost and many of us speak other languages, so why aren’t we making any real inroads into the enemy’s camp eh? Because it takes too much effort and sacrifice, and we like our comfort and the easy living and material things provided by the world more than the things of Jesus. But hopefully when the roll is called up yonder and we’re judged to have underachieved, and don’t get the rewards that were set aside for us, we won’t hold our heads and bawl.
Anyway, as they say, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. I guess it’s the same with us, we can become followers of Jesus in name, but not in nature. And on this Pentecost Sunday, of the Victoria Day long weekend, as we gather in the Lord’s sanctuary, let’s sing an old song, a traditional gospel tune, whose authorship and origins are disputed, but nonetheless, it’s become a favourite down through the years. It’s titled ‘Just a Closer Walk with Thee,’ And I believe it’s rather appropriate for this day of Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost baptized the followers in Jerusalem.
So without further ado, let’s offer it up with sweet sacrifices of praise in an up-tempo version, per Miss Anne Murray. Singing: ‘I am weak but Thou art strong; Jesus, keep me from all wrong; I’ll be satisfied as long As I walk, let me walk close to Thee. (Refrain: Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea, Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.) Thro’ this world of toil and snares, If I falter, Lord, who cares? Who with me my burden shares? None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee. [Refrain]
Take my hand Lord Jesus, take my hand. Take my hand Lord Jesus, take my hand. There’s a race to be run, there’s a victory to be won, every hour, give me power to go through. And when my feeble life is o’er, Time for me will be no more; Guide me gently, safely o’er To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore. [Refrain: Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea, Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.]’
Oh my fellow saints, there’s nothing better in this crazy and evil world that we can ask for than a close walk with Christ! No sir! For when we’re walking with Him, we are filled with His Holy Spirit and are obedient to His will and word, while wonderful things like peace, LOVE and joy circulate in our souls and emanate from our hearts for all to see, and that allows us to witness to others about our Lord and Saviour, which is our bounden duty.
However, let’s take a look at the song itself and see what scriptural gems we can garner from it. And this commentary from the Hymnary.org website offers some interesting insights. It says: ‘In this song, we acknowledge our human inability to live righteously, but we also express awareness of the grace and strength that God gives us in our daily walk. Even such an esteemed saint as the apostle Paul acknowledged his need for this grace, when asking thrice for relief from an unknown ‘thorn in his flesh’: “But he [God] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” … For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9a, 10b)
Then we have the title and lyrics of the song which allude to the Biblical passage from 2 Cor. 5:7. “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” And that’s the gospel truth! Followers of Christ are supposed to walk by faith and not by what they see, as do the denizens of this world. Another scripture that can feed our faith is this one from Romans. ‘For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience (perseverance) (eagerly) wait for it.’ (Rom. 5:24-25)
That’s another way of saying that we have an awesome trust in our ever-faithful God, who has promised never to leave nor forsake us. (Heb. 13:5) And we’ll close with these most encouraging words of James. ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded… Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-8, 10)
Yes friends, that’s a wonderful way to end today’s sermon: Drawing close to God, so that He can draw close to us. Remember, it’s our duty to call on Him, to seek Him, not the other way around. And let’s not forget it’s all for our benefit, not God’s! Much LOVE!
…we can only walk the narrow road to heaven successfully…in the close company of Jesus and the Holy Spirit…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be filled with the knowledge of his will, being fruitful in every good work, Bible, christianity, Christians arise and shine, delivered us from the power of darkness, faith, forbearing the faults of others, glorify your Father which is in heaven, god, habitually giving thanks in all circumstances, have the light of life, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, hurry, I am the light of the world, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, in whom we have redemption, increasing in the knowledge of God, Jesus, Jesus Christ, joyfulness, Let your light so shine before men, longsuffering, LOVE, of the saints in the light, partakers of the inheritance, patience, persevering through trials, productive in Christian service, purveyors of darkness, purveyors of light, sacrifice, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, shine like never before, sincerely expressing gratitude to god, spiritual wisdom and understanding, spiritually enlightened, spread the good news of the gospel, strengthened with all might, supremacy of darkness over light, the beloved of God, the forgiveness of sins, the grace and peace of God, they may see your good works, through his blood, to hell in a handbasket, translated us into the kingdom of his Son, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, walk worthy of the Lord, wisdom, worry, Ye are the light of the world
Colossians 1:9b. we might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
Oh, what a beautiful Tuesday…what a beautiful Tuesday! Yes my brethren, this Tuesday is going to be sunny, warm and supposedly summer-like. What more can we ask for eh? Possibly only the grace and peace that comes from our great God, through Jesus Christ, with the added desire that ‘we might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. That we might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet (qualified us) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated (transferred) us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.’ (Col. 1:9-14)
Wow! What a comprehensive prayer. But that’s Bruh Paul’s style. He doesn’t pray for us to have wealth and health as such, but more spiritual wisdom and understanding because growth in our Christian faith depends mostly on those two things. Oh, health and wealth are important, but if we don’t understand the Word and put it into action, then we will never grow spiritually. And what do all those spiritually minded words mean? (smile) The scholars give some explanations. They say that ‘Wisdom is an accurate perception into the true nature of things. Understanding is the skillful application of this wisdom in practical situations.
And the reason why Bruh Paul wants the Colossians to obtain a knowledge of God’s will is that they may walk (live) properly and fully please God. In Greek the four explanatory participles of verses of 10b -12 spell out and precisely define what a worthy walk entails: the believer is (1) fruitful in every good work, productive in Christian service; (2) constantly increasing in the knowledge of God, ever coming to know the Lord better; (3) always “strengthened with all might,” becoming stronger and stronger; and (4) in the habit of giving thanks, sincerely expressing gratitude to God in both the pleasant and unpleasant experiences in his life.
Patience is persevering through problems, trials, tribulations, and so forth. Longsuffering is forbearing the faults and offenses of others. As per verse 12, it might be translated “thanking the Father, for He made us fit to share in the salvation belonging to the saints who are in the light.” Darkness is the religious state in which unbelievers exist, namely that of spiritual ignorance with its attending immorality and misery. Blood reminds the Colossians (and us) of the enormous price and sacrifice paid to secure their (and our) redemption. Redemption, then is achieved by the atonement wrought by Jesus’ death. See Ephesians 1:7 for “redemption.”
Oh friends, the wide scope of the prayer might be a lot for us to take in, but the good thing is that we don’t have to take it in all at once, we can take it piece by piece, learning each aspect before moving on to another. In any case, it should not be too difficult to do since most of us, unlike the Colossians back then, already know the basics of Christianity and what it entails, and the prayer simply puts it all together so that it encapsulates our faith. But as Bruh Paul was so emphatic in his teaching, we all need to be spiritually enlightened and continually growing in the will, knowledge and good works of God. That’s the only way to be a true believer.
And do we ever need those attributes in this currently evil and ungodly world, when darkness is so widespread because it’s purveyors are doing a good job of spreading it. And if darkness is spreading, that obviously means that light is not overtaking it. And why is that you ask? The answer is quite obvious: the purveyors of light are not doing their job. It’s as simple as that. And if we consider our scriptures to be right, that light is stronger than darkness and can readily overcome it, then we can only assume that the purveyors of light, Christians, are not doing as much as they ought to spread light and overcome the evil darkness that’s carrying our world to hell in a handbasket.
And sadly, if we are truthful with ourselves, we will acknowledge that our efforts at light bearing and spreading are nowhere near the level they ought to be, especially if we want to combat the current spread of darkness and evil that’s so rampant and fast moving. Oh my fellow believers, remember what Christ said to us, when He gave us the Great Commission? (Matt. 28:18-20) That it was our job to spread the good news of His gospel all around the world, in other words to spread His light over the darkness of the evil world.
Let’s recall these words of Jesus on the subject of light nuh. First off, He tells us: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) Then later on He clarifies it by saying: ‘As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ (John 9:5) Now my brethren, now that Jesus is no longer bodily in the world, who is responsible for being the light that He shone when down here as a human being? He said it quite plainly in His Sermon on the Mount to those who believe in Him. ‘Ye are the light of the world…Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14, 16)
And you know who that refers to in these trying and troubled times? Those of us who call ourselves Christians, or followers of Christ. And with the current state of the world, the supremacy of darkness over light, it means that the body of Christ, His church is not doing it’s job. It’s a sad but very true comment. For if we were making a big enough wave, our world would never be in such a disastrous mess as it currently is. End of Sermon!
Now for those of us who are trying our best, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, 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 now, it’s our bounden duty to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do. Much LOVE!
…it’s extremely urgent that Christians arise and shine…shine like they never shone before…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
Previous Older Entries
SCRIP-BITS 