19 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living
Tags: agents, ambassadors, be of good cheer, being warned by God, believe what one has not seen, believe without seeing, by faith Noah, conviction, conviction is faith relating to the present, courage, disciples, faith, faith relating to the future, faithfulness, form me fully in your likeness, form peace, from the beauties form love, from the frustrations of this day, from the joy form strength, from the struggles form courage, frustrations, gentleness, goodness, he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, he that comes to God, holy spirit, hope, hurry, i have overcome the world, in god's eyes, in me ye might find peace, interactions of this day, Jesus Christ, kindness, life cycle, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, mercy, moved with fear, must believe that he is, patience, Prayers through the Ages, prepared an ark, reverence, Richard Foster, salvation, seeing before believing, self-control, share His love with my neighbours, spiritual maturity, struggles, take the bull by the horns, the beloved of God, the Christian life, the dire state of our world, the evidence of things not seen, the fruit of the spirit, the Great Commission, the heir of the righteousness by faith, the light of the world, the salt of the earth, the substance of things hoped for, things not yet seen, to form your will in me, to the saving of his house, trials, tribulations, true faith in Christ, trust my friend Jesus, truth, use the circumstance, wisdom, without faith it is impossible to please God, worry
Hebrews 11:6a. But without faith it is impossible to please him (God):
And as Monday morphs into Tuesday, and the life cycle continues to spin the way Almighty God, it’s creator intended, we created beings ought to be ramping up our spiritual maturity through Bible reading, meditation, prayer and thanksgiving, and not the ungodly and fleshly stuff that so many of us busy ourselves with. Now, here is an interesting prayer from the Prayers Through the Ages Pamphlet recently put out by the Anglican Diocese of Toronto, that helps us to improve in our godly walk. This prayer was written by one Richard Foster, a theologian and author in the Quaker tradition.
Please pray with me. ‘O Lord, my God. Form me more fully in your likeness. Use the circumstance and interactions of this day to form your will in me. From the frustrations of this day form peace. From the joy of this day form strength. From the struggles of this day form courage. From the beauties of this day form LOVE. In the name of Jesus Christ, who is all peace and strength and courage and LOVE. Amen.’
Oh friends, that’s indeed a marvellous prayer for handling the trials and tribulations of this world. And I like how the author lays it out so that the Lord can use the trials and frustrations of this world to enable us to end up with all that Jesus is; peace, strength, courage and LOVE. But it’s like Jesus said, we will have trials and tribulations in this world, but we can have His peace and be of good cheer, because He has already overcome the world. (John 16:33)
problem though, is that we have to acknowledge and accept those promises in order for them to be of benefit to us. However, too many of us supposed believers ignore the promises, and simply look on the dark and negative side, so obviously the promises won’t work in our lives. Oh my people, the Christian life is all about FAITH; ‘that substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.’ (Heb. 11:1) That basically means believing so strongly in the promises of God, that we believe for what we need without seeing it. In the world they talk about seeing is believing, but in God’s economy, it’s the other way around, believe it before you see it.
Or as the scholars explain, re of things hoped for and of things not seen. ‘The first involves future hope; the second involves present realities that are unseen. The first includes the hope of the resurrection, the return of Christ, and the glorification of the saints. The second involves unseen realities, such as the forgiveness of sin through Christ’s sacrifice and the present intercession of Christ in heaven. Hope is faith relating to the future; conviction is faith relating to the present.’
That’s why the author of Hebrews also informs us: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6) Yes friends, to enjoy the kingdom of God and all its benefits, one must believe that God exists, and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him.
And that faith experience of not seeing and believing is fully brought out by this next verse from Hebrews. ‘By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear (reverence), prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.’ (Heb. 11:7)
And believe me, that was no small faith on Noah’s part. For the Lord told him to build an ark because of an upcoming flood. But Noah had never seen rain, (Gen. 2:5) nor a flood, however, He listened to God, showed great faith, and did things that, as the scholars put it were; ‘incongruous with (contrary to) his former experience.’
Now that’s the kind of faith we believers need to exhibit in these disastrous, chaotic and ungodly times. Times when we should be rising up in faith and proclaiming the gospel of Christ, sincerely carrying out His Great Commission, being the salt of the earth and the light of the world, so that the ungodly can see the goodness, mercy, grace and LOVE of God shining in and through us, and thus decide to enter into His wonderful fold.
That’s the only way we will ever truly win others to Christ my fellow believers. If we don’t show the fruit of His Spirit; (LOVE, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness and self-control) flourishing in us, then others won’t want to come to Him. Remember, we are His disciples, His ambassadors, and agents in the world, and He’s depending on our good conduct and behaviour to draw others to Him, otherwise His sacrifices down here on earth would have been a wasted effort. And we certainly cannot allow that to happen.
So please, let’s wake up and see the dire state of our world nuh, because we are not doing a good enough job for Christ, and let’s take the bull by the horns and start turning things around to the way they ought to be. And for those of us who are willing to take up that challenge, let’s go home declaring (ah Lord eh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole 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 (yesss!!!) we are now obliged to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE him like we do! Much LOVE!
…to have true faith in Christ…one must be willing to believe things…one has not seen…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a mighty being, anger, anger rests in the bosom of fools, anxiety, be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, be patient toward all men, be ptaient unto the coming of the Lord, be responsible, being steadfast, Bible, character trait, childlike attitude, christianity, Christians, comfort the feebleminded, compassion, confusion, crazy driving, displays great folly, disrepct, exalteth folly, faith, faithfulness, follow that which is good, forbearance, Friday chant, gentleness, god, great understanding, Halloween, has long patience, hastiness, hasty of spirit, he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, he that is slow to wrath, he that ruleth his spirit than he that takes a city, holy spirit, impatience, impatient soicety, impetuousness, increase of speed limit, Jesus Christ, joy, kindness, longsuffering, LOVE, meekness, nurture the seeds, patience, peace, render not evil for evil, restoring faith in you, return backsliders to your fold, road rage, self-control, serious problems, sinful world, speed kills, strong and steadfast, temperance, the ability to endure difficult circumstances, the error of their ways, the example we faithful believers set, the fruit of the spirit, the patient in spirit, the patient man shows good sense, the proud in spirit, the simmering unrest, the throne of grace, truth, unexpected storms, ungodly times, wake up and smell the coffee, wisdom, wise guidance
Ecclesiastes 7:9. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
So it’s Friday and all the Halloween nonsense is over now, except for the children fighting their parents to get the candy they collected last night, so that they can eat them in almost one go. But that’s the nature of children, and sadly, also the nature of many adults in our current society which emphasizes speed and the give it to me now, if not yesterday, childlike attitude. We can’t seem to wait for anything, that’s why we have things like road rage on crowed highways, and blow ups in the grocery lines when a cashier seems to be too slow for our liking. Also when our computers take too long to boot up or find some site we desire, we rage at the poor machine. (smile)
And though we know the motto; ‘SPEED KILLS,’ we continue to emphasize speed in too many areas of our lives. Take for instance the Ontario Provincial Government’s recent proposal to increase the speed limit on most of the big highways from one hundred to one hundred and ten kilometers per hour. In the first place the highways are usually so filed with traffic that you can seldom get up to the speed limit for any reasonable length of time. And secondly, too many drivers are already doing one twenty to one forty, with the hundred limit, so what do you think they’ll do with the one ten limit eh? Obviously up their speed!
But thank the Lord, I’m not on the highway everyday like some unfortunate people nuh. It’s bad enough when I do have to get on it. And with the crazy driving that’s taking place out there, it’s a wonder that we don’t have more accidents than the large number we already have. So what’s the problem then, you ask? I guess it’s basically a problem of patience, versus impatience. Our society has become a rather impatient one, but if we continue along that path, we will just destroy ourselves sooner rather than later. Our resolve then should be to learn or acquire patience, which as we all know is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Bruh Paul tells us in his letter to the Galatians: ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), gentleness (kindness), goodness, faithfulness, Meekness, temperance (self-control): against such there is no law.’ (Gal. 5:22-23) Yes friends, if those fruits flourish in us, then we’d be as holy and godly as we can ever be. (smile) But unfortunately they don’t just flourish when the Holy Spirit plants their seeds in our spirits, when we become believers. No. Like all the other seeds that sprout to healthy plants, we then have to nurture them; that’s water and feed and remove the weeds from around them, so that they can grow and flourish and show the world that Christ richly dwells in us.
And sadly, possibly the most difficult fruit of the Spirit to acquire is the one Bruh Paul terms longsuffering, or patience, or perseverance, for that cannot be acquired without undergoing problems which then causes it to grow. And what’s patience? This definition from Wikipedia shows how difficult it is to acquire. ‘Patience (or forbearance) is the ability to endure difficult circumstances. Patience may involve perseverance in the face of delay; tolerance of provocation without responding with disrespect or anger, forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties; or being able to wait for a long time without getting irritated or bored. Patience is also used to refer to the character trait of being steadfast. Antonyms or opposites include impatience, hastiness, and impetuousness.’
And, as we said earlier, for the Christian, patience is a most important trait for us to develop as we walk with God, for He doesn’t do anything according to our timetable, but according to His. And the Bible, the Lord’s Word, talks very often about the need for patience. So let’s look at a few of those scriptures on patience nuh. And nowhere is it more popular than in Proverbs, or wise words of Cousin Sol.
Listen up: ‘He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit (impulsive) exalteth folly.’ (Prov. 14:29) Or, as another translation puts it: “The patient man shows much good sense, but the quick-tempered man displays folly at its height” Then in the next chapter he writes: ‘A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife (contention).’ (Prov. 15:18) Or, “An ill-tempered man stirs up strife, but a patient man allays discord.”
And in chapter 16, Cousin Sol states: ‘He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.’ (Prov. 16:32) Or, “A patient man is better than a warrior, and he who rules his temper, than he who takes a city.” And then in Ecclesiastes, as the Preacher, Cousin Sol advises: ‘Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.’ (Eccl. 7:8-9) Or, “Better is the patient spirit than the lofty spirit. Do not in spirit become quickly discontented, for discontent lodges in the bosom of a fool.”
It could not be said any better my people. However, Bruh Paul adds his advice on patience thus in his first letter to the Thessalonians. ‘Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly (insubordinate), comfort the feebleminded (faint-hearted), support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.’ (1Thess. 5:14-15)
And we’ll close with this exhortation from James. ‘Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman (farmer) waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish (establish) your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh (near).’ (James 5:7-8) Yes my fellow saints, patience is a most important trait in all aspects of our lives, but it is difficult to obtain, and without the Lord’s help, possibly impossible. So let’s go to the throne of grace right now nuh, through our Friday Chant asking for divine help to handle all the negative stuff that’s coming against us.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And I’ll just remind us that we won’t receive any divine help until we become better examples of Christian living! So let’s get on with it nuh! Much LOVE!
…the person who exhibits patience in his or her life…especially in this impatient society…is indeed a mighty being…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a peace that transcends, a state of unbelief, avenge all wrongs, B.S. baffles brains, be careful for nothing, be ye thankful, Bible, blessings, Christ's return is near, christianity, coming as judge, courage, creativity, curse, damnation, disruption, eternal life, eternal separation from God, extreme circumstances, faith, favour, frees the believer from fear and worry, fulfilment, god, heathenism, heifer dust, hellfire, in everything by prayer and supplication, invitation to dismiss legitimate concerns, irresponsibility, Jesus Christ, let not your heart be troubled, let the peace of God rule in your hearts, let your moderation be known unto all men, let your request be made known unto God, LOVE, mercy, my peace I give unto you, names written in the Lamb's Book of Life, negative distractions, negative effects, negative word, neither let it be afraid, no peace like the peace of God, not as the world gives, Peace i leave with you, Rejoice in the Lord always, salvation, self-control, shall keep your hearts and minds, thanksgiving, the church age, the Lord is at hand, the normal cycles of God's universe, the peace of God, the tranquility of mind, through Christ Jesus, Thursday Blessings, truth, weather, which passeth all understanding, wisdom, wreaking havoc
Colossians 3:15a. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,
Wow! Is it really Thursday already? I can’t believe it. The week just began …and it’s already almost at an end. (smile) Something curious and serious is happening in the world; time and weather are moving along in extreme circumstances. The well-planned and hitherto normal cycles of God’s universe have been seriously disturbed by mankind; thus we are suffering the negative effects of their disruption. And that’s why they say B.S. baffles brains! (smile)
Believe me though, there’s a lot of heifer dust out there that’s baffling the brains of many, else why would our world be in such a sad state of unbelief and heathenism eh? Why are we refusing to accept the truth of Jesus and His gospel, which leads to salvation and eternal life, but believing Beelzebub and his B.S. which leads to hell fire, damnation and eternal separation from God?
Oh my people, in these trying times, which might just be the last days of the church age, we need the truth of Jesus more desperately than ever before, because of the great number of deadly and negative distractions fighting for our minds, bodies and souls. And Jesus is the only one who can bring us the kind of peace and understanding we need to handle all the unfortunate stuff that’s currently wreaking havoc in our world. That’s why, Jesus, before He left earth, reassured us with these encouraging words: ‘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)
Yes friends, when we have the peace that Jesus gives, which is nothing like what the world offers as peace, we don’t need to be troubled or afraid. That’s also why Bruh Paul wrote these words of encouragement and warning to the church at Philippi. ‘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 request 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 that’s all ever so true my fellow believers! If we are saved and our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, then that’s more than sufficient cause to rejoice. And when we rejoice, we will most likely be gracious and reasonable with our fellow believers.
And I like how the scholars explain the Lord is at hand. They say it means two things; ‘His return to earth is near. His imminent coming as judge encourages the Christian to be “gracious” unto all men, for He will judge the believer for all of his actions toward all people, and will avenge all wrongs committed by others against him. Second, “the Lord is at hand” spiritually. The Lord’s being presently near should free the Christian from fear and anxiety. Hence the command of verse 6. Be careful for nothing.’
Yes my people, when we hold close to Jesus and carry everything to him in prayer, with thanksgiving, we don’t need to worry about all the stuff that’s happening to and around us. And as the scholars remind us, ‘This is no summons to irresponsibility or an invitation to dismiss legitimate concerns.’ Not at all. We have to still be on our p’s and q’s but not given to overall worry, since God’s peace is with us. As the scholars describe it. ‘That tranquility of mind that frees the believer from fear and worry.’
And it passes all understanding because ‘it’s a peace that’s divinely bestowed in times of anxiety, so wonderful that it exceeds one’s ability to understand it.’ It also means that God’s peace far surpasses our understanding, and He is thus able to handle and solve our problems better than us.
And this commentary gives us a brief, simple, but excellent idea of what’s meant by the peace of God that passes all understanding. It says: ‘This is a peace that transcends, outdoes, surpasses, excels, rises above, goes beyond and over the top of any other kind of peace. The implication is that people may try to find peace in other places, but there is no peace like the peace of God.’ And that’s no lie my brethren! There’s definitely no peace like that of our great God!
That’s also why Bruh Paul in writing to the Colossians about putting on the new man in Christ, included this verse. ‘And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body, and be ye thankful.’ (Col. 3:15) Obviously the peace of God is very important for believers to possess if they are to be successful in living a truly Christian life, and spreading the gospel of Christ to all nations, to all the earth.
And our God, who is so wise and wonderful, and knows all our needs, even gave us undeserved blessings to help us do just that. We call them our Thursday Blessings, so let’s declare (ah Lord eh!!!) them, so that they can be activated in our souls and spirits.
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 having made that declaration (yesss!!!) it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…if the peace of God truly ruled in the hearts of believers…His church would not be so divided and in such chaos…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cripple, bedridden, Bible, boundless faith, but one step I may see, by the path he leadeth, Charles H Gabriel, christianity, Civilla D Martin, cleanses, Elmira, faith, fear ye not, feel discouraged, from care he sets me free, gather in barns, god, goodness, guide thee with mine eye, His eye is on the sparrow, holy spirit, home, hope within me dies, I draw closer to him, I know He watches me, I lose my doubts and fears, I sing because I'm free, I sing because I'm happy, if god be for us who can be against us, indisputable truth, instruct thee, Jesus Christ, Jesus is my portion, joy, kindness, let not your heart be troubled, long for heaven, LOVE, my constant friend, neither do they reap, patience, peace, refreshes, resting on His goodness, self-control, songs give place to sighing, sparrows, sweet sacrifice, teach thee, teach thee in the way thou shall go, the Doolittles, the fowls of the air, the fruit of the spirit, the King of kings is on our side, the very hairs of your head are all numbered, they sow not, truth, uplifts, whenever clouds arise, whenever I am tempted, why should I feel discouraged, why should my heart be lonely, why should the shadows come, wisdom, worship, ye are of more value than many sparrows, your heavenly Father feeds them
Matthew 10:31. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Sunday friends, it’s Sunday! And a fine looking one too! That means a gathering in the Lord’s house to worship and celebrate His holy name, on His day! And there’s nothing better than when we pray, praise, sing and glorify our wonderful God and Creator, and feel the glorious workings of His Holy Spirit right down in the very depths of our souls, which refreshes, cleanses and uplifts us so that we can go out and do His work for another week in this topsy-turvy world.
And our opening words of praise is a magnificent hymn written in 1905 by lyricist Civilla D Martin and composer Charles H Gabriel. The story of the song is very inspirational. It seems that in the spring of 1905, Mrs. Martin and her husband were holidaying in the town of Elmira in New York Sate. While there, they developed a strong friendship with a couple named Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle. She refers to them as true saints of God.
Mrs. Doolittle had been bedridden for close to twenty years, while Mr. Doolittle was an incurable cripple who got around to his business and elsewhere by means of a wheelchair. However, despite their severe afflictions, they lived happy Christian lives, bringing inspiration and comfort to all who knew them. One day, as the Martins were visiting the Doolittles, Mr. Martin enquired as to the secret of their bright hopefulness. Mrs. Doolittle’s simply replied: ‘His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches over me.’
Oh friends, what boundless faith to be called forth from a sick and suffering physical body! How our desperate world could use many of the Doolittles at this critical juncture in our journey. And now that we know our song for today is ‘His Eye is on the Sparrow,’ let’s raise our voices in sweet sacrifice to high heaven and offer up a mid-tempo, soulful and sincere version of this awesome song.
Singing: ‘Why should I feel discouraged, Why should the shadows come, Why should my heart be lonely, And long for heav’n and home; When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He; His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me. (Chorus: I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free; For His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me.)
“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear, And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears; Though by the path He leadeth, But one step I may see; His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me. (Chorus) Whenever I am tempted, Whenever clouds arise; When songs give place to sighing, When hope within me dies, I draw the closer to Him, From care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me, His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me. (Chorus: I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free; For His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me. Yes, His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.’
And to truly believe that my people takes a very mature and sure faith in Christ Jesus. Now, the scriptural basis for the song seems to be from three basic passages. The first one comes from Psalm 32, where Bruh David is writing of Confession and Forgiveness. In the 8the verse he writes thus of divine instruction: ‘I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way in which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.’ (Ps. 32:8) That means the Lord’s eyes are always upon us, but we also have to be cognizant of His presence and pay attention.
Then there’s this reasoning from Jesus on the subject of worry, from His famous Sermon on the Mount, where He states: ‘Behold (look at) the fowls of the air (birds): for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?’ (Matt. 6:26)
Now that’s an interesting question my people. If mankind is the Lord’s greatest creation, and He looks after the lesser creations like the birds, why wouldn’t He look after us eh? No reason whatsoever! But we have to believe and live it, like the afflicted Doolittles were doing back then in 1905 in the town of Elmira in the State of New York.
We can’t say we believe and then don’t show the fruit of that belief, the fruit of the Spirit in our lives – LOVE, Joy, Peace, Patience, Goodness, Gentleness, Kindness, Faithfulness and Self-control. (Gal. 5:22-23) If those virtues are not playing a major part in our lives, then we’re not sincerely living the Christian life.
But getting back to the scriptural basis for the song. The last verses come from when Jesus is teaching on the subject of fear; fearing God or mankind. He asks: ‘Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing (the lowest coin denomination)? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father (without His permission). But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.’ (Matt. 10:29-31)
Ah my fellow saints, that’s Jesus for you; always encouraging and enlightening us as to our value to our heavenly Father. As the scholars say, He reminds the disciples, and consequently us of ‘God’s LOVING care even for sparrows, and His gracious providential care over His saints.’ And most of us have seen physical evidence of God’s providential care for us, so why do we refuse to sincerely believe and do the work we’re called upon to do eh? Who knows?
Nonetheless, we’ll end with these marvellous words of encouragement from this commentary. ‘Throughout life, we may feel discouraged and down. But always remember that He is by our side and watches over us through it all. Just like the lyrics of ‘His Eye Is On The Sparrow’ remember that He is with us in all that we do. Do not be troubled because we have the King of kings on our side!’
And that’s the indisputable truth friends! Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is on our side, thus no one can harm to us. Let’s remember that as we go about our daily business in God’s name! Much LOVE!
…if God be for us…who can be against us… (Rom. 8:31)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool's wisdom, a purpose and joy in his life, a time of much trouble, abounding fullness of joy and strenght, abundance, advanced state of technology, Ai (Artificial Intelligence, aspite to lead a quiet life, atrophy, Bible, boredom, christianity, courage, curse, dissatisfaction, duthy bound, enamoured of the weekend, enjoyment, ennui, faith, fellowship, for spirit soul and body, have it more abundantly, have lack of nothing, he becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand, he that gathers in the summer is wise, he that sleeps in the harvest causes shame, high standards, humdrum lives, I am come that they might have life, if you don't use it you'll lose it, Jesus Christ, listlessness, LOVE, mind your own business, negative word., prosper, putting undue burdens on others, same old, satisfaction, self-control, study to be quiet, succeed, supernatural wisdo, talent, the hand of the diligent maketh rich, the life to come, the thief comes only to steal and destroy, truth, walk honestly, wisdom, work for Jesus, work with your own hands
Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 September 2024 John 10:10b.
John 10:10b. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Oh it’s Thursday…and then it will be Friday…and then the weekend…Glory be! Yes, the weekend excitement begins from Thursday. (smile) We have become so enamoured of the weekend that we even salivate about it, and think of what we’re going to do, long before it even comes. But I guess in this busy, selfish and LOVELESS time of much trouble, that is one of the few joys we have to look forward to in our same old, same old, humdrum lives.
But yuh know what? If we keep God first place in our lives, and cling securely to Jesus, as He desires us to, then we won’t need to be afraid of anything and our lives won’t be as humdrum and same old. Remember these marvellous words of Jesus. ‘The thief cometh not but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10)
And what does that mean? Check out these two excerpts from a couple of commentaries. The first explains it thus: ‘Abundant Life – Its range of meaning includes “over and above, more than is necessary, superadded . . . exceeding abundantly, supremely” (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon). God gives us purpose and joy in this life, and the promise of even greater purpose and joy in the life to come.’ And the second except tells us: “More abundantly” means to have a superabundance of a thing. “Abundant life” refers to life in its abounding fullness of joy and strength for spirit, soul and body.’
So you see friends, when we live for Jesus, we have a greater purpose than just going to work and coming home for any number of years, and with that purpose comes a much improved standard of life, one filled with joy and strength that enables us to accomplish the purpose Jesus has for our lives. Therefore we don’t suffer the boredom or ennui, that’s ‘a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.’ No sir! When we live and work for Jesus there’s always satisfaction and enjoyment…along with hard work and sacrifices. (smile) But that’s what kingdom work is all about.
Ah mih people, in this age of so many amenities with robots and such to do our bidding, we are experiencing a standard of easy living like never before. And, unfortunately, that has allowed our society to get soft, lazy and entitled. For some reason or other we figure because we’ve reached this high state of civilization – sorry wrong word, because we’re still not civilized – but rather we’ve attained this advanced state of technology and manufacturing, that we’re not supposed to work hard, or even work anymore.
But we’re forgetting the one great truth of this life: if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. And that’s exactly what’s happening to our society! We’re losing the ability to do many things, both physically and mentally because we’re not using our bodies and brains as much as we ought to. We sit in front of the television, the computer or video game screen for hours without moving. What do you thing happens to our brains and bodies eh? They begin to atrophy. Why do you think gyms are such big businesses nowadays eh? Because we don’t do much physical work anymore and that’s the only way to keep our bodies in good physical shape.
And with the recent improvement in AI (Artificial Intelligence) we don’t even have to think any longer, because AI will do it for us. And what do you think will happen to our unused brains eh? They will eventually atrophy too. Ah mih people, why do you think God created us the way we are eh? To use the faculties He gave us, both physical and mental, so that we can stay in good shape, make good progress in our relationship with Him and with our fellow beings. But instead, we’ve concentrated our efforts on making good progress in not having to use our faculties.
How long do you think we’ll last eh, when we don’t need to do anything for ourselves? Not very long. But we’re not concerned with that, only with living the flamboyant life where we just party and have a good time and do nothing useful. But that’s a fool’s wisdom my brethren. If a society isn’t being productive and sticking to certain high standards, then it’s on it’s way down, for it’s the high standards that keeps it moving along in a sound and progressive manner.
But instead of listening to me, lets check out a few scriptures on the wisdom of productive work. And as always, there’s no better place to begin than in the wisdom of Cousin Sol in Proverbs. ‘He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack (negligent) hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.’ (Prov. 10:4-5) You can’t deny that wisdom.
Then there’s this: ‘The soul of the sluggard (lazy) desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat (rich).’ (Prov. 13:4) Yes friends, in laziness we desire all sorts of stuff, but we have nothing. Not until we get up and be diligent about something positive and productive will we ever acquire anything.
And Bruh Paul said it thus to the Thessalonians: ‘And that ye study to be quiet (aspire to lead a quiet life), to do (mind) your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you: That ye may walk honestly (properly) toward them that are without (outside), and that ye may have lack of nothing.’ (1 Thess. 4:11-12) Oh my people, rather than evading work, Christians are to be industrious, working to earn their own living and thereby avoid putting undue burdens on others.
And the Lord certainly agrees, that’s why He so generously bestowed on us our undeserved Thursday Blessings, so that we can do His earthly work. Let’s declare and thus activate them right now. 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 were sincere in that declaration (steups!!!) then you’re duty bound to go out and use those blessings just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, for the benefit of others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Hm like we do! Much LOVE!
…when any part of the human body that was made to move…ceases to move…it dies…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things are lawful unto me, all things edify not, answer our prayers, be filled therewith, be filled with the Spirit, be not deceived, be not drunk with wine, be not weary in well doing, Bible, but not all things are expedient, christianity, climate change, disobeyed your word, do good unto all men, drunkenness, eat only as much as is sufficient, faith, for men to search their own glory is not glory, god, God is not mocked, handle whatever comes against us, hast thou found honey, he that hath no rule over his own spirit, he that soweth of his flesh, he that soweth of the Spirit, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, if we faint not, in due season we shall reap, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Labour Day celebrations, later than you sow, like a city that is broken down without walls, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, moral intemperance, more than you sow, salvation, self-control, shall of the flesh receive corruption, shall of the Spirit reap everlasting life, sincere repentnace, sincerely seek your face, strong drink is raging, strong faith in Christ, summer frolic, the fruit of the spirit, the God who heals, truth, turn from our evil ways, unpredictable weather patterns, vomit, we have all sinned, whatsoever a man sows, whosoever is deceived by it is not wise, wine is a mocker, wisdom, with Jesus on our side, you reap what you sow
Proverbs 25:16. Hast thou found honey? Eat so much (only as much) as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.
HAPPY LABOUR DAY!
Well, a fine good day to you Monday! It’s good to know that I don’t have to get up and rush around and face all the hassles of going to work this Labour Day morning! Thanks again for the holiday…only wish you could do it more often, then we would not have so many disagreements.
Yes friends, it’s Labour Day Monday, which means most of the summer frolic is over; schools and such will now open and the cool fall breezes of September ought to blow. However, with the unpredictable weather patterns currently in vogue, (smile) courtesy of climate change, who knows what kind of weather we will receive. But thankfully, whatever happens, with Jesus on our side, we’ll be more than able to handle it, because with and through Him we can handle any and everything that the world throws our way! ‘Glory Hallelujah!’
But please remember that although the day calls for celebrations, we don’t need to go overboard and over do it, we must mind our p’s and q’s, for overdoing most things is not good for us. And there are many verses in the scriptures that speak to that topic, for instance this one from the wisdom of Cousin Sol in Proverbs. ‘Hast thou found honey? Eat so much (only as much) as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.’ (Prov. 25.16)
And that is a good measure for most things in this life. Especially in the matter of alcohol, as Bruh Paul warns in Ephesians. ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit.’ (Eph. 5:18) And Cousin Sol corroborates that with this Proverb. ‘Wine is a mocker, strong (intoxicating) drink is raging (arouses brawling): and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.’ (Prov. 20:1)
Yes mih bredrin, too much alcohol is certainly no good for us, because it causes us to lose our mental bearings, get into fights, arguments etc. and we end up doing things that are not in God’s will, or as the scholars say: ‘Drunkenness leads to moral intemperance, and we should instead be filled with the Spirit of God. For a person filled with wine is under its influence; similarly, a Christian filled with the Spirit is under the control of the Spirit, and can control his thoughts, attitudes and actions.’
And furthermore, we have this warning from Bruh Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. ‘All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient (helpful): all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any (anything).’ (1 Cor. 6:12) And that situation seems to have been very important to Bruh Paul, for he says the very same thing in 1 Cor. 10:23, except, there he changes the last phrase to ‘but all things edify not (do not build up).’
Oh my fellow believers, many things may be lawful for us to do, meaning, not proscribed or prohibited by the God’s will in the scriptures, but not all of them are helpful or beneficial in living God’s plan and purpose for our lives. That calls up the fruit of the Spirit of self-control, whereby we don’t let those supposedly lawful but not beneficial things control or have power over us.
That brings us to two more interesting verses from the wisdom of Cousin Sol. He wisely maintains: ‘It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search (seek) their own glory is not glory. He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.’ (Prov. 25:27-28) There’s no disputing the wisdom in those verses friends, but sadly those things are rather prevalent in our current society. Everybody is seeking their own glory and aggrandizement, with very little if any self-control in the process.
Meanwhile, we have these wise words from Bruh Paul to the Galatians that oversee the entire situation. ‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not (do not lose heart). As we therefore have opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.’ (Gal. 6:7-10)
I guess that says it all my fellow saints. We must be careful of our thoughts and actions, for whatever we do, we will reap the necessary consequences. However, our duty is to live good, as much as humanly possible with all people, especially Christians. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
But unfortunately friends, things will never improve until we turn from our evil ways and begin sincerely seeking God with all of our hearts, souls, bodies and minds. Much LOVE!
…you reap what you sow…more than you sow…and later than you sow… Uncle Charles – Dr. Charles Stanley…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a learned behaviour, affections and lusts, be desirous of vain glory, Bible, bounden duty, Christ in us, christianity, conceited, crucified the flesh, encying one another, faith, faithfulness, goodness, greed, holy spirit, how to abound, how to be abased, hurry, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I have learned, in god's eyes, in whatsoever state I am, jealousy, Jesus Christ, joy, kindness, live humbly, live in prosperity, LOVE, not that we are sufficient of ourselves, our sufficiency is of God, pateince, peace, Praise the Lord, prayer, provoking one another, ready for battle, self-control, selfishness, share His love with my neighbour, speak in respect of want, spiritual armour, suffer need, telling it like it is, the beloved of God, the fruit of the spirit, the mature Christian, the same bringeht forth much fruit, therewith to be content, trust my friend Jesuss, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wisdom, without me ye can do nothing, worry
Philippians 4:13. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Ah friends, this Tuesday, the last one in August, is shaping up to be another glorious summer’s day! Praise the Lord! For, come September, who knows what’s going to happen. But the good thing about being a believer in Jesus Christ is that we know we can handle whatever comes against us, especially if we are wearing His spiritual armour and draped up in prayer! Then we’re ready for battle on all and any front!
Remember these fighting words of Bruh Paul to the Philippians: ‘Not that I speak in respect of want (in regard of need): for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased (live humbly), and I know how to abound (live in prosperity): every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:11-13)
Yes friends, through Christ’s strength flowing in us we can learn how to live both in want and in prosperity. But please note it’s a learned behaviour, it doesn’t just happen automatically or overnight, you have to work at it, and with the strength of Jesus buoying you up. Ah mih bredrin, it’s so wonderful to know that with Christ’s strength behind us we can do any and everything!
But we also need to notice the opposite end of the spectrum as Christ so wisely pointed out to the disciples: ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) And that’s telling it like it is my people! With Christ we can do anything, but by the same token, without Him, we cannot do anything!
That means Christ is essential, a real necessity in our lives, we’re absolutely nothing without Him. As Bruh Paul adds in 2 Corinthians: ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;’ (2 Cor. 3:5) And that you cannot deny!
That brings us to this interesting remark in that scripture from John where Christ talks about those who believe in Him bearing much fruit. There He’s talking about the fruit of the Spirit which flourishes, or is supposed to flourish in true believers in Christ. And Bruh Paul explains the Fruit of the Spirit thus to the Galatians: ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE (the willing sacrificial giving of oneself to another without thought of return), joy (gladness of heart), peace (tranquility of mind), longsuffering (patience), gentleness (kindness), goodness (generosity), faith (faithfulness), Meekness (courtesy and consideration), temperance (self-control): against such there is no law.’ (Gal. 5:22-23)
Yes friends, there are nine things that are considered the Fruit (not fruits) of the Spirit. And as we’re on the subject, we might as well get some explanations from scholars. (smile) They say: ‘The word fruit is significant for three reasons. (1) It means the result, product, outcome, or effect produced by the Spirit in the believer’s life. (2) Unlike the “gifts of the Spirit” (plural), only some of which are given to a Christian, each believer is to have all nine virtues composing “the fruit of the Spirit” (singular) (3) As fruit on a tree takes time to grow and mature, so the Spirit does not cultivate these virtues in the believer overnight.’
Oh yes my fellow believers, unlike the gifts of the Spirit, like prophecy, the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, the gifts of healing, the interpretations of tongues etc. (1 Cor. 12) of which we might get a few, if we’re truly blessed, (smile) with the fruit of the Spirit it’s expected that all of those nine virtues will eventually blossom in the mature Christian!
And believe me, that’s no easy task, especially when you’re continually hounded by the devil and his evil cohorts to do wrong. But as we said before, with Christ on our side, and our willingness to learn and sacrifice on His behalf, then we can certainly attain that goal of having all nine fruit of the Spirit flourish in us.
Then, Bruh Paul follows up the definition of the Fruit of the Spirit with these poignant and most pertinent words. ‘And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections (its passions) and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory (conceited), provoking one another, envying one another.’ (Gal. 5: 24-26)
Yes my fellow saints, once we’re born again believers in Christ, it is then expected that we’re to throw away all our old satanic vices and adopt the fruit of the Spirit. That means both living and walking in the Spirit, or as the scholars explain: ‘since the Spirit gave us new life at conversion, we then should stay in step with His leading and promptings throughout life.’ And paying sincere and close attention to the guidance of the Holy Spirit is the only way to have that fruit flourish in us, to stop us from being greedy, selfish, materialistic and all the other wrong things that the world considers right.
Now, having refreshed our minds and spirits on those important topics, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday mantra, letting all and sundry 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, it then becomes our bounden duty to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…only when we’re in Christ…and Christ is in us…are we truly powerful…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be aware of God's Spirit, be filled with the Spirit, be not drunk with wine, be ye not unwise, brings God's word to life, by taking heed to God's Word, catch our second wind, count it all joy, faith, faithfulness, fall into divers temptations, giving thanks always for all things, goodness, growing in knowledge and understanding in Christ, halfway home, hands on the plough, holy spirit, I will not forget thy word, if we endure to the end, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, joy, kindness, let me not wander from thy commandments, let pateince have her perfect work, LOVE, making melody in your heart to the Lord, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not as fools but as wise, not looking back, one's likeness to Christ, patience, peace, perfect and complete, persevering in God's plan, practical guidelines, praise Your Holy Name, redeeming the time, self-control, solid spiritual food, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns, spiritual maturity, thank God, that I might not sin against thee, the breath of life, the challenges of your life, the days are evil, the fear of God, the milk of the word, the quality of our spiritual fruit, the trying of your faith worketh patience, thy word have I hid in my heart, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, understanding the will of the Lord, walk circumspectly, wanting nothing, we Love you Lord, Wednesday Wail, wherein is excess, wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way, wiht my whole heart have I sought thee, wisdom, with my whole heart have I sought thee
Psalm 119:10. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
And then it was Wednesday, our mid-week work day that enables us to catch our second wind, renews our energy and enthusiasm, and allows us to continue our good work for Jesus. And all God’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of: ‘Thank You Lord for reenergizing us, for boosting our hope and faith on this Wednesday, in the crazy days of this summer season! We LOVE You, and praise Your holy name! Amen!’
Ah friends, unfortunately, life doesn’t get any easier as we get older, but fortunately with God’s help, with each passing day, we mature and get stronger, and are thus better able to handle whatever life throws at us. And what do we mean by growing in spiritual maturity, and how do we do it? This commentary from the cru.org website article on the subject gives a brief but good explanation.
‘You can grow in spiritual maturity by persevering in following God’s plan through the trials and challenges of your life (James 1:2-18) and living a life that is Spirit-filled — that is, learning to be aware of and listen to God’s Spirit, who lives within all Jesus followers (Ephesians 5:18; Romans 6:11-14). Community also plays an important role in character growth, brings God’s Word to life, gives prayer a life-changing impact and is vital for telling others about Christ.’
Yes my brethren, it’s all about growing in knowledge and understanding of Christ and putting it into action for His benefit. And we all know, but don’t like what James says in that reference. (smile) ‘My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers (various) temptations; Knowing this, that the trying (testing) of your faith worketh (produces) patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire (complete), wanting (lacking) nothing.’ (James 1:2-4)
And by any standard that’s tough to do in this evil and ungodly world, but with the help, the numerous tools and promises that God has given to His people, we are certainly able to do it, if we put our hearts, minds, bodies and souls to it. And one of the wonderful things about Bruh Paul, is that not only does he give us sincere doctrine, but always give us some practical guidelines to help us accomplish then. Listen to these simple, practical steps that will certainly help us grow in spiritual maturity, as he writes to the Ephesians.
‘See then that ye walk circumspectly (carefully), not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 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 our Lord Jesus Christ; submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph. 5:15-21)
Oh my fellow believers, you could not find a simpler way to practice godliness and grow in spiritual maturity. And having said that, I just found this other commentary by Art Tilles from the redding.com website, that interestingly expands on our earlier definition of spiritual maturity. He writes: ‘Spiritual maturity is measured by one’s likeness to Christ. Of course, it goes almost without saying that no likeness to Christ is possible at all as long as a person has no real faith-based relationship with him. That is, spiritual maturity is not even an issue when one is spiritually dead.
For a Christian, though, likeness to Christ is the goal of our election and the purpose of the work of the Holy Spirit in us. Viewed from another angle, spiritual maturity is measured the same way the maturity of a fruit tree is, by the amount and quality of its fruit, specifically what the Bible calls the fruit of the Spirit; and we’re not talking about some hyper-spiritualistic drama; rather, the Bible tells us what the fruit is that the Holy Spirit works in us: LOVE, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Those are the measures of spiritual maturity.’
And all of that is gospel truth! And if you really want a study in spiritual growth, then look no further than Psalm 119, which is all about growing in God through learning and LOVING His Word and putting it into action. And these words from the psalm ought to resonate very loudly and clearly in our hearts. ‘Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes. With my lips have I declared all the judgements of thy mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto (contemplate) thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.’ (Ps. 119:9-16)
Yes, saints of Christ, what rich, sincere, interesting longing and LOVE for God, His Word and Ways! Oh, if only many more of us could feel that way and put it into practical use! How wonderful our world would be! And no, it’s not a pipe dream, but a positive reality, if we believers in Christ will only wake up and do what we need to do! Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) 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 stick with Jesus right to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! He’s promised it! So hope to see you then! Much LOVE!
…solid food…not merely the milk of the word…is essential for spiritual growth…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a disciplined mind, ambassadors for Christ, be self-controlled and sober minded, be ye therefore sober, bounden duty, carnal appetites, charity covers a multitude of sins, delaying immediate gratification, despise not the chastening of the Lord, discipline, discipline in the face of pressure, essential for living a righteous life, faith, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, fruit of the Spirit, have fervent charity, he that hath no rule over his own spirit, holy spirit, hurry, impulsive decisions, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, like a city that is broken down without walls, LOVE, of power love and a sound mind, partakers of his holiness, passions, salvation, self-control, share His love with my neighbours, the beloved of God, the end of all things is at hand, the light of the world, the root of the abundant life, the salt of the earth, the will, the works of the flesh, this is the day the Lord has made, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, watch unto prayer, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wisdom, worry
Proverbs 25:28. He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
Here’s to Tuesday friends, which helps us get the bullyboy Monday off our minds! (smile) And so it should, as each new day is supposed to help us forget the last one with all its mistakes and disappointments, and to look forward to the current one with anticipation, hope and gladness. That’s why we say: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24)
But to be able to do that successfully, we need to activate those two magical, but oh so difficult to obtain words that we spoke of yesterday; discipline and self-control. And they’re so important in our lives that I figured we could talk about them again today, seeking more scriptures that show us just how important they are. And what’s self-control you ask?
Here are two quotes that briefly explain it. ‘Self-control is discipline in the face of pressure from an immediate urge, desire or compulsion. It relates to delaying immediate gratification of the senses.’ And the second one says: ‘It involves the ability to exercise restraint and moderation in various aspects of life, including our thoughts, words, actions, and desires. Self-control is considered a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and is essential for living a godly and righteous life.’
And yuh better believe that my fellow saints! If we don’t have self-control, if we can’t discipline ourselves, then our godly lives will only end up in shambles, especially when faced with the constant bombardment of the evil and lustful things of the enemy. As this quote reminds us: ‘For our self-control shows up in the effort we put forth to resist the temptation to go back to the ways of the world around us once we’ve been shown God’s spiritual way of life. It is demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit instead of committing the works of the flesh.’
So self-control or discipline is immensely important in the lives of men, whatever they wish to do successfully. And there’s no better scripture to begin with today, than this one from Cousin Sol from his treasure trove of wisdom named Proverbs. ‘He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.’ (Prov. 25:28) Yes friends, a man without self-control is like a broken down city with no defenses.
And this commentary from the Crossway.org website rightly explains: ‘Self-control relates to the passions (such as anger or love), the appetites (for food, sex, etc.), and the will (as illustrated by impulsive decisions). The lack of self-control is a mark of a fool. He is like a city . . . left without walls, that is, with no means of defense against enemies.’ And that’s the indisputable truth! Without self-control we’re hopelessly open to any and every bad wind that blows.
Now, this next scripture from Bruh Paul to Timothy is one we know and so often quote, but don’t really pay enough attention to it. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) Oh my people, the Lord has indeed given us the spirit of a disciplined mind, but it doesn’t happen automatically, we have to invoke it, put it into serious action by practicing it in our everyday lives.
Then there’s this scripture from Peter, where he writes: ‘But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover a multitude of sins.’ (1 Pet. 4:7-8) In other words, we’re to be sober or self-controlled, constantly in prayer and overflowing with LOVE to each other as LOVE covers many sins, tones down the pain and hurt we incur.
And for a good insight into the scripture, listen to this commentary from the Crossway.org website. It says: ‘The end of all things is at hand does not mean Peter was expecting Christ to return in a few weeks or months. It means, rather, that all the major events in God’s great salvation plan—culminating in the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ and the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost—had already occurred.
Therefore Christ’s return could happen at any time: it was “at hand” in Peter’s day, and it still is today. But the imminent arrival of the end is not a call simply to look into heaven and wait for Jesus’ return. Instead, believers are to be self-controlled and sober-minded, so that they may be devoted to prayer and maximize their usefulness in God’s kingdom.’
But unfortunately that’s not happening, for too many of us supposed believers are definitely not devoted to prayer and/or maximizing our usefulness in God’s kingdom! No wonder the chaotic state of our world. Please remember that we’re supposed to be Christ’s ambassadors on earth, being the salt of the earth and the light of the world, so that we can draw others to Him and His wonderful gifts of salvation and eternal life. And if we don’t do our duty and turn things around, then who will eh? Certainly not the evildoers who simply like the way things are; the world sinking further and further into the mire of Satan’s evil ways.
And the last scripture we’ll look at today is one we all know, but thoroughly dislike. This from Hebrews: ‘My son, despise not thou the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.’ (Heb. 12:5-6) Yes mih bredrin, none of us like to be disciplined, but we all need it at some time or other.
And as the rest of the scripture tells us, we have earthly fathers who discipline us and we give them reverence, so we should be even more reverential, thankful and grateful when the Lord disciplines us, because He does it for our own good, that we might be partakers of his holiness. (Heb. 12:7-10) And yes, no discipline seems right or joyful when it’s meted out, but later on we usually see its benefits. So please, let’s not despise the Lord’s discipline, because if He doesn’t discipline us, then it means He doesn’t care about us.
Now, let’s go home declaring (chuhhh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry 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 said that, it now becomes our bounden duty to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…in discipline and self-control…lies the root of the abundant life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a disciple of Christ, a living sacrifice, a society without discipline, abusing children, an incorruptible crown, an unruly mob, be not conformed to this world, be ye transformed, bring my body into subjection, chasteneth him betimes, crown of righteousness, discipline, disciplining our body, disobeyed your word, divine help, every man that striveth for mastery, faith, faith restored, God's Word, he that loveth him, he that spareth his rod hateth his son, humble ourselves, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, if any man will come after me, infallible truth, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, let him deny himself, live godly lives, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, Monday morning debacle, Olympic Games, pray, present your bodies, running amok, self-control, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, spiritual tank refilled, strong faith in Christ, take up his cross daily, temperate in all things, the bullyboy, the God who heals, the gospel truth, the perfect will of God, the renewing of your mind, the righteous judge, traffic jams, truth, turn from our evil ways, wisdom, wise guidance
1 Corinthians 9:25a. And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control).
Ah friends, another weekend disturbing Monday to contend with! But we’re fully able to handle it if we’re true believers in Christ Jesus, went to church yesterday, had our spiritual tank refilled, our faith restored, and we got some decent rest last night. Yes, that’s all it takes to handle the bullyboy called Monday!
The problem though, is that so many of us don’t acquire the necessary tools for the job, the things we just recommended, therefore, come Monday morning we’re scrambling and rushing around helter skelter, frustrated and afraid of being late for work, especially with the maddening traffic jams that constantly clog up the roadways.
And the sad part is every week we complain, but come the long-awaited weekend we forget about the Monday morning debacle in our lives, and thus, never make the effort to improve the situation. But it all comes down to two words: discipline and self-control. Two words that are not adhered to very much in our modern technology and information-based society. No wonder the society is running amok with so much chaos and man-made disaster.
And since the Bible, the Lord’s Word is the Guidebook for our earthly journey, let’s see what it has to say on the subject nuh. Remember, the Lord’s Word is infallible truth, so whatever it says, we ought to believe and live by it. And there are numerous Bible verses on the subject. So, let’s look at few, some of which we already know, but don’t put into action. (smile)
And the first one comes from the wisdom of Cousin Sol, the supposed wisest man ever. In terms of rearing children, Cousin Sol advocates: ‘He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that LOVETH him chasteneth him betimes (promptly).’ (Prov. 13:24) And that’s the gospel truth! Although nowadays our foolish society takes that to mean abusing our children. And thus, many parents don’t discipline their children, and it’s one of the reasons why our society is so undisciplined and godless.
But disciplining our children is an important aspect of parenthood, and there are many ways to teach them discipline, which they need to learn to become valuable members of the society. For a society without discipline is nothing but an unruly mob. And that’s where we’re heading today because, for whatever reason(s), we refuse to discipline our children. Nuff said on that. (smile)
Then there’s this scripture on disciplining our body from Bruh Paul to the Corinthians. ‘Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control).
Now they do it to obtain a corruptible (perishable) crown; but we an incorruptible (imperishable). I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under (discipline) my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (disqualified). (1 Cor. 9:24-27)
Yes friends, that’s also true. If we want to be good at anything we’ve got to train our bodies, discipline them so that they can perform at a high level. And we have the best example of that in the recently concluded Olympic Games in Paris, where all the athletes trained to the nth degree, disciplined their bodies so that they could perform at the highest level possible, and hopefully win a gold medal, the highest honour in whatever sport they participated in.
Likewise, we believers in Christ need to train our bodies, so that we live the goldy lives that Christ desires of us, although our goal is a much higher and better honour than a mere perishable gold medal, that’s an imperishable crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to all who obey His will. (2 Tim.4:8)
So we’ve dealt with disciplining our children and our bodies, let’s turn to our minds now, with words from Bruh Paul to the Romans. ‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (rational) service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’ (Rom. 12:1-2)
Oh my fellow believers, to live sincerely for God, or even be successful at anything, our minds must also be disciplined, turned away from the lusts and ungodly behaviour of the world. And I’m chuckling here, because I just remembered the activity that possibly requires the biggest and longest efforts of discipline and self-control. It’s being a true disciple of Jesus. He puts it thus: ‘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).
Now that’s something that requires lots of discipline, self-control, sacrifice, belly and backbone – every day! But like most things in this world, if we are serious about them and are willing to contribute the necessary effort, we can certainly do them, especially when the Bible assures us that we can do anything and everything through Christ who strengthens us. (Phil. 4:13)
But we first need to develop the discipline and self-control, which doesn’t come easily or overnight, but is oftentimes a long, hard and painstaking process. However, it always begins with prayer. So let’s take this opportunity through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and go to God for divine help, without which we’ll be totally lost.
As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And a word to the wise; unfortunately, that divine aid doesn’t start flowing until we begin to change our evil ways! Much LOVE!
…to do anything properly…demands discipline and self-control…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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