21 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a more authentic and fulfilling existence, a more profound understanding of oneself, all for our benefit, are ye my disciples indeed, as Christ desires of us, as you sent me into the world, be sanctified through the truth, blunt our witness for Christ, bondage, boring, confidence, corrupted by the evil one, deception, disobedient beings, do our divine duty, doing their evil bidding, encouraging fellowship, exasperating, faith, followers of the crowd, for their sakes, freedom from fear, given them thy word, guilt, have my joy fulfilled in themselves, hear and answer our prayers, holy spirit, humble ourselves, I have also sent them into the world, I sanctify myself, if ye continue in my word, ignorance, improved relationships, instead of leaders, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, lead to personal growth, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, mercy, mix and mingle with the world, of the many suffering from negative situations, our divine calling, perseverance, please ease the pain, positive preparation, pray, prevailing weather conditions, salvation, sanctify them, set them apart, sin, sincere repentance, sincerely seek God's face, sinful by nature, sinned and seriously disobeyed your word, strong faith in Christ, sufficient rest, the advice of wisdom and common sense, the devil and his evil cohorts, the God who heals, the new work week, the opening day, the throne of grace, the truth can liberate one from bondage, the truth shall make you free, the way God planned it, the world hated them, these things I speak in the world, they are not of the world, through thy truth, thy word is truth, to alleviate our problems, traffic jams, truth, truth is not an abstract concept, turn from our evil ways, use our free will indiscriminately, weekly work merry-go-round, wisdom, wise guidance, worry, ye shall know the truth
John 8:32. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
And the weekly work merry-go-round continues; Monday to Friday, and then back to Monday again! It does get kind of boring and exasperating at times, but that’s the way God planned it, and if we’re wise, we’ll also learn the method He devised for us to handle it with confidence and perseverance. That’s getting sufficient rest and encouraging fellowship over the weekend, then early, positive preparation for the opening day of the new work week.
And if we’ll obediently follow that pattern, then we’ll have no serious problems or concerns, except for the prevailing weather conditions and usual traffic jams come Monday mornings. But the problem is that we’re by nature a bunch of disobedient beings, who like to use the free will God gave us to do whatever we like, when we like. That means doing the exact opposite of what wisdom and common sense advise; like partying all weekend, thus, not getting sufficient rest, neither going to church and refreshing one’s spirit, nor making early preparations for Monday.
But although that unwise attitude usually leads us to terrible Mondays, we persist in doing it. Why eh? Is it because so many others, especially unbelievers, are doing the foolishness that we feel we need to do it too? Are we simply being followers of the crowd instead of leaders, as Christ desires us to be? Remember, if we desire to be true believers in, and worthwhile disciples of Christ, we cannot be mere followers of the crowd, like sheep being led sheepishly to the slaughter.
No! We need to be leading the way which leads to Christ and eternal life. That’s our divine calling! Jesus stated it when He prayed to the Father for the early disciples and all others who came after them. He said: ‘And now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hated them, because they are not of this world, even as I am not of the world.
I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil (one). They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them (set them apart) through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.’ (John 17:13-19)
Oh my fellow believers, you see how Jesus desperately prayed for us to be in the world so that we could do His work, but sanctified, or set apart from it so that we wouldn’t be corrupted by the evil one. Yes, we do need to be in the world, how else would we ever do our divine duty. But being in the world, does not necessarily mean being a part of the world, or doing the things that the world does. Unfortunately though, too many of us forget our sanctified, sat apart roles and thus mix and mingle with the world as though we were a part of it.
And that’s exactly what the evil one desires, so he can blunt our witness for Christ. So, when we act like the world, we’re playing straight into his hand, and he goes to his evil lair with a big smile on his evil face. That brings us to these words of Jesus, to those Jews who believed in Him. ‘If ye continue (abide) in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’
Now what does that mean? This commentary explains it thus: ‘It suggests that truth is not just an abstract concept but something that exists, and that can be known and applied to one’s life, leading to a more authentic and fulfilling existence. It also signifies that knowing the truth can liberate one from various forms of bondage, including ignorance, deception, sin, freedom from fear, worry and guilt. Knowing the truth can lead to personal growth, improved relationships, and a more profound understanding of oneself and the world.’
And that’s exactly what the Word of God is designed to do in our lives. But sadly, though Jesus teaches us the truth of God’s Word, we’re not being truly set free by it, and are still allowing the devil and his evil cohorts to ‘confuffle’ and confuse us into doing their evil bidding. Now that does not speak well of us my fellow believers, so it’s time we do something serious and concrete about our shortcomings. And there’s no better time to begin than right now! So let’s start by going to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid for all that ails us.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And now, knowing what it takes for God to answer our prayers, let’s do those things nuh; that’s humble ourselves, pray, and with true repentance in our hearts, sincerely seek God’s face. Remember, they are all for our benefit, not God’s! Much LOVE!
…if we know God’s truth…which can set us free…why do we allow ourselves to stay in bondage…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a negative situation, a prudent man forseeth the evil, a prudent man sees danger, a word to the wise is sufficient, alleviate our problems, and are punished, as a snare shall it come, avarice, be ye also ready, cares of is life, carousing, crapaud smoke we pipe, divine aid, done like dinner, drunkenness, embrace it like a stalworth friend, entitlement, faith, fellowship, for in such an hour as ye think not, for ye know neither the day nor the hour, grab the baton and run, grab the bull by the horns, heaven and earth shall pass away, holy spirit, humble servants, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep your promise to prosper us, laze away the weekend, lest at any time, LOVE, mercy, my words shall not pass away, of fame, of ory, our Father who art in heaven, our pants down around our ankles, party away the weekend, physical rest, practical foresight, pray always, prepare for Monday, preparedness, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, spiritual preparedness, spiritual readiness, spiritual renewal, stand before the Son of man, strong faith in Christ, take heed to yourselves, takes refuge, the ball is now in our court, the day come upon you unawares, the God who heals, the imple keep going and suffer for it, the Lord's house must be magnificent, the merry-go-round, the power to solve our many problems, the simple pass on, the Son of man cometh, the throne of grace, them that dwell on the whole face of the earth, throughout all countries, traffic jams, truth, turn from our evil ways, vim and vitality, watch therefore, wherein the Son of man cometh, wisdom, wise guidance, without complaining, words of warning, work ethic, ye know not what hour your Lord doth come, ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things, your awesome grace and mercy, your hearts be weighed down with surfeiting
Matthew 25:13. ‘Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.’
One more time on the merry-go round called our work week my beauties! We cannot get away from Monday, no matter how hard we try, so it’s best we stop trying and rather embrace it like a good and stalworth friend. (smile) Otherwise it will just frustrate us for all of our working lives. And what a waste of a good life that would be! So all God’s people said a loud and frustrated ‘Amen!’ Yes, it’s best we just grab the bull by the horns and get on with it, or the bull will action us with his horns instead. And we all know that’s a very negative situation, which we want to avoid at all costs.
But all of what we just said there doesn’t come easily, no, it requires a few things of us. The first is a good work ethic, simply knowing that we must work to earn a living, so we just make up our minds to do it without complaining, because complaining will make no real difference, except to make us miserable. But then that calls for self-discipline and self-control, two things that are very difficult to come by in this age of avarice and entitlement.
We must learn to prepare for Monday, just like we do for the other days of the week, not just party or laze the weekend away. And in all of that there’s a call for some decent physical rest, as well as spiritual renewal, meaning church and fellowship time with other believers, for we cannot handle Monday properly unless we’re filled with new vim and vitality.
And right now, let’s be thankful that it’s summer time and many people are on vacation, so the traffic jams are not as deadly, neither do we have to be wading through the snow and sludge to get to work. That is also something we cannot avoid if we live in the northern climes, but we have a few months of reprieve still to go. But let’s also note that this is the 30th day of June, meaning that it’s now done like dinner, (smile) and the summer months will pass quicker than we realize, so please, let’s grab the baton and run with it like crazy! End of sermon!
And I guess all of that leads us to the topic of preparedness. And what do the scriptures have to say about that? They offer various teachings in both spiritual readiness and practical foresight. Let’s check out a few nuh. And this first one deals with practical foresight. It tells of when Bruh David wanted to build a temple for God, but God nixed the idea because of the great amount of blood he’d shed and said that his son Cousin Sol would build the temple.
However the Bible tells us that Bruh David began collecting supplies for the building of the temple. ‘And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the Lord must be exceeding magnifical, of fame, and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.’ (1 Chr. 22:5) Yes friends, that’s how we ought to prepare for Mondays! (smile)
And here’s another interesting scripture highlighting practical foresight; this from Cousin Sol in Proverbs. He writes: ‘A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.’ (Prov. 22:3) In other words: ‘A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.’
Then there are scriptures on spiritual preparedness, like this poignant warning from Christ where He’s talking about no one knowing the day nor the hour when He returns, except the Father. ‘Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord will come. But know this, that if the goodman (master) of the house had known in what watch (hour) the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered (allowed) his house to be broken up (into). Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 24:42-44)
Yes my brethren, we need to always be prepared and watching for whenever Jesus returns, for if He catches us with our pants down around our knees, then crapaud smoke we pipe! And He considered our readiness so important that He repeated it later on in the parable of the Ten Virgins: ‘Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 25:13)Oh friends, there’s no more important preparedness for us believers than that!
And I like how Luke writes it. ‘Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged (be weighed down) with surfeiting (carousing), and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.’ (Luke 21:33-36)
Now those are powerful words of warning my people, so please let’s pay close heed to them. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid for all that ails us. 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!’
Now, please note what our prayer says we need to do to receive divine aid; turn from our evil ways, humble ourselves, pray and sincerely seek God face. The ball is now in our court! Much LOVE!
…a word to the wise is sufficient…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a simple formula for achieving peace of mind, almighty god, an undying affirmation of faith and trust, because they trust him, behold the upright, bring forth thy righteousness as the light., brings evil schemes to pass, cease from anger, commit thy way unto the Lord, communing with God, delight thyself also in the Lord, deliver them from the wicked, divine aid, dwell in the land, ease the pain, envious of the wicked, faith, feed on God's faithfulness, fellowshipping with other believers, forsake wrath, fret not thyself because of him who prospers, fret not thyself in any wise to do evil, getting sufficient rest, give thee the desires of thine heart, God is their strength in the time of trouble, going to the Lord's sanctuary, grace, hate to pitch to him, he shall bring it to pass, hits us out of the park, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, in the face of the wicked's propserity, it only causes harm, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, lead off hitter, listen to the wisdom of God's Word, LOVE, mark the perfect man, mercy, not rocket science, of the many suffering from negative situations, our guidebook for earthly living, our troubled and ungodly world, praise and give thanks to God, pray, renewal of spirit, Rest in the Lord, salvation, save them, scripture must be put into action, self-control, self-discipline, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, strong faith in Christ, thank you for life, the BIBLE, the end of that man is peace, the God who heals, the Lord shall help them and deliver them, the only true source of help for man, the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord, the transgressors shall be destroyed together, the unchanging character of God, these exhortations, thy judgement as the noonday, to alleviate our problems, to confidently trust the Lord, trials and tribulations, trust in the Lord and do good, truth, turn from our evil ways, urge the believer, use the confidence, wait patiently for him, wisdom, wise guidance, with all of life's problems
Psalm 37:40. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
And another work week has begun, with Monday as our usual lead-off hitter! And we all hate to pitch to him, because he so often hits us out of the park. (smile) But let’s not allow him to agitate us today and make us fearful of his big swing, by pitching him balls that he cannot hit. Yes friends, let’s use the confidence, the grace, and the renewal of spirit that we got from going to the Lord’s sanctuary yesterday and, with the Lord’s help, understand how to handle Monday on the mound for the opening week’s pitch.
Remember how the psalmist Asaph says in Psalm 73, that he was envious of the wicked for their earthly prosperity, but it was not until he went into the Lord’s house and communed with Him that he learned the answer to his problem. We can also learn to handle Mondays by communing with God. And learning to handle Monday is not always easy, because it takes a lot of self -control and self-discipline.
Meaning not wanting to party the whole weekend away, but getting sufficient rest that you will be fresh to begin anew on Monday. And most importantly, fellowshipping with other believers so that the Holy Spirit can work on you while you praise and give thanks to Almighty God, and listen to His wise and Holy Word. Amen! End of sermon! (smile)Yes friends, that’s the basic way to properly handle Mondays.
And now that we know how to handle Monday’s, what about the rest of the week, you ask? Well that’s easy. (smile) Here’s some practical advice from Bruh David from Psalm 37. He says: ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on God’s faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.’ (Ps. 37:3-6)
So my brethren, we’ve got to begin with trusting God, doing good, delighting ourselves in Him, and committing our way to Him, before any serious and productive improvements come our way. But that’s not all, for it’s a big job, that we can only do with God’s help! The next step, as Bruh David lays it out, is to ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him; fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of a man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (it only causes harm).’ (Ps. 37:7-8)
That’s basically how to handle the rest of the week friends. (smile) Remember, knowing scripture is of no use unless we put it into action, unless we live it in our everyday lives. That’s why the Lord gave us the Bible; to be our Guidebook for earthly living. And if we don’t use it as such, we’ll be sadly wasting all the heartaches, trials and tribulations that the godly men, the prophets and Jesus went through to live it, and then go through more hardship to get it written, so that we can have a good example of how to live this earthly life.
And the scholars offer this interesting explanation on a portion of the psalm. ‘The psalm also contains a simple formula for achieving peace of mind in the face of the wicked’s prosperity: fret not … neither be thou envious (vs.1), trust …do good (vs.3), delight thyself also in the Lord (vs. 4), commit thy way … trust (vs.5), rest … wait patiently … fret not (vs.7), cease from anger …forsake wrath … fret not (vs.8). All of these exhortations urge the believer to confidently trust the Lord with all of life’s problems. The psalm concludes appropriately with an undying affirmation of faith and trust in the unchanging character of God.’
And these are the last words of the psalm: ‘Mark the perfect (blameless) man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.’ (Ps. 37:37-40)
Yes my fellow believers, the Lord does all He does for the righteous because they trust sincerely and fully in Him. Let’s remember that most important aspect of our faith, so that we can live it out successfully. Now, it’s time to go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help with our many serious problems.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray and sincerely seek your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And friends, we know exactly what we need to do to receive divine aid, for it’s not rocket science; our prayer clearly states it. God has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we turn from our evil ways, humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek His face. So please, let’s get to doing that right now nuh, because we desperately need divine help in our troubled and ungodly world! Much LOVE!
…the only true source of help for man…is that which comes from Almighty God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a burden to you, a Christlike countenance, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a roof over your head, a similar conversation, a true disciple of Christ, accomplished your purpose, acknowledge the misdemeanour, all these things shall be added unto you, as unto the Lord, at the thought of going to work, authority, busybodies, but wrought with labour and toil, Christian witness, clothes on your back, come around again to bother me, conforms to God's Word, crapaud smoke yuh pipe, dedicated and diligent, disciples of Christ, disturb my peace, do it heartily, eat any man's bread for nought, engaging in productive work, ensure our needs are met, even when we were with you, faith, faithfully keep your promise, faithfully promised, fall into our lap, free of charge, from the Lord, glorify your father in heaven, gossips, grumpy and dismayed, hands shamefacedly raised, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, knock knock, Let your light so shine before men, living a lifestyle, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, mercy, Monday, neither should he eat, night and day, not be chargeable, not because we have not power, not entitled to anything, our nemesis, partying all weekend, please ease the pain, put bread on your table, receive the reward of the inheritance, righteous anger, salvation, seek ye first, seriously disobeyed your word, set a Christian example, showcase ourselves, sincere repentance, sincerely seeking God, solve all our problems, strong faith in Christ, tent making trade, thank you for life, that if any would not work, that's what life is all about, the disastrous state of our world, the first day of our work week, the God who heals, the kingdom of God and his righteousness, the many suffering from negative situations, the necessities of life, the only one, the throne of grace, they may see your good works, thinking we're entitled, this we commanded you, to alleviate our problems, to be an example to you, to hear and answer our prayers, to live good, to make ourselves an ensample, to prosper us, toil and sacrifice, true believers in Christ, truth, turn from our evil ways, we behaved not ourselves disorderly, we have all sinned, whatsoever ye do, who's there, wisdom, wise guidance, without working for the rewards, working to earn a living, ye serve the Lord Christ
2 Thessalonians 3:10. For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
And then there was this situation: Knock, knock! Who’s there? It’s me Monday… Oh it’s you Monday, come around again to bother me and disturb my peace by reminding me that I need to get up and go to work, although I feel so lousy after partying all weekend. And I can’t even call in sick, because I’ve used up all my sick time already…and it’s just the middle of the year. Brother, what am I going to do if I do get sick later on in the year eh?
And Monday simply replies: Crapaud smoke yuh pipe! You should not have used them all up by lying and saying you were sick, when you were just tired and hung over from your constant partying every weekend. And self replies in righteous anger: Oh go away nuh Monday and leave me alone! You’ve accomplished your purpose…I’m up and getting ready to go to the stupid ole work. Hope that makes you happy? And with a big grin on his annoying and cheeky face, Monday calmly declares: It certainly does!
Oh my people, did any of us have a similar conversation this morning, or one close to it with our nemesis Monday? Now please speak the truth. And a few hands are shamefacedly raised to shoulder level to acknowledge the misdemeanour. Yes friends, as disciples, ambassadors and agents of Christ here on planet earth, too many of us are still not ready to greet Monday, the first day of our work week with a cheery, Christlike countenance, but instead are grumpy and dismayed at the very thought of having to get up and go to work.
But that’s what life is all about; working to earn a living, so you can put bread on your table, a roof over your head, and clothes on your back. Now, if you don’t want those necessities of life, you don’t need to work. And sadly, too many of us desire to live good without working for the rewards, thinking that we’re entitled to it. In reality though, we’re not entitled to anything in this world, and we need to toil and sacrifice for most of what we want.
And I believe that some of us might be daft, or crazy enough to think that we’re entitled and don’t have to do anything because Jesus says we should not worry about clothing and food and the other necessities of life for our heavenly knows we need them. (Matt. 6:31) And rather, instructs us thus: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
Now that doesn’t mean that if we seek God and His righteousness, all those things will just fall into our laps. No, we seek God, by and while engaging in productive work, and He will then ensure that all our needs are met. Remember what Jesus said about discipleship? ‘If any man will (desires to) come after (follow) me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) Now, that sure seems like it has some work in it, along with some sacrifice too.
That brings us to this interesting theory that Bruh Paul floated to the Thessalonians in his second letter. He had heard that some people there were behaving disorderly, being simply busybodies, gossips etc., basically not living a lifestyle that conforms to the Word of God. ‘For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;
Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought (free of charge); but wrought with labour (worked) and travail (toil) night and day, that we might not be chargeable (a burden) to any of you: Not because we have not power (authority), but to make ourselves and ensample (example) unto you to follow us. For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.’ (2 Thess. 3:7-10)
What a marvellous idea! If we could only put it into action! (smile) And please note, that Bruh Paul didn’t work because he had to, he could have lived off of the people. But no, he plied his tent making trade diligently and made his own money to set a Christian example for them. And setting good Christian examples to those around us is one of the best ways we can ever showcase ourselves as true believers in and followers of Christ. As Jesus so wisely says: ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:16)
The long and the short of the story though, is that to be true disciples of Christ, we must work, and work diligently, efficiently and sincerely, so that others can see the true reflection of Jesus in us. In other words: ‘Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.’ (Col. 3:23-24) I could not put it any better than that my brethren. So let’s go to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, sincerely seeking God and His help, with all of our hearts, minds, bodies and souls.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And, as we can see from our prayer, and the disastrous state of our world, our work and Christian witness are not satisfactory, which means we need to pull up our socks and become better witnesses for Christ. And we all know what that means! Much LOVE!
…to be a true disciple of Christ…one must be dedicated and diligent…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a father of the fatherless, a judge of widows, a little goes a long way, acknowledging our sins, afraid of repercussions form the wicked, before you can blink an eye, begging for begging sake, blessed are the poor in spirit, burgeoning wealth, by his name JAH, children of the Most High, cursed is he that perverts justice of the stranger, defend the poor and fatherless, deliver the poor and needy, die like men, divine aid, do justice to the afflicted, extol him that rideth upon the heavens, faith, fall like one of the princes, follow Christ's example, free them from the hand of the wicked, get their comeuppance, get up and get moving, glad at calamities, God champions the poor, God is a defender of widows, God is a good god, greed, He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, he that honours God has mercy on the poor, he that oppresses the poor, holy spirit, humble servants, humbled by the grace of God, inherit the throne of glory, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, judge the earth, judge unjustly, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, Monday's wake up call, most charity seeking society, negative situations, neither oppress the afflicted, no intention of sharing their wealthtoo few have too much, power to solve our problems, promise to prosper us, reaching out to the poor, reliant on god for salvation, reproaches his Maker, rob not the poor, running rampant in our world, salvation, self-aggrandizement, shall not go unpunished, show partiality to the wicked, sincere repentance, sing praises to his name, sing unto God, spoil the soul that spoiled them, struggling to keep life and limb together, thank you for life and strong faith in Christ, the Beatitudes, the breath of life, the God who heals, the importance of caring for those in need, the Lord lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, the Lord will plead their case, the majority have too little, the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, the throne of grace, theirs is the kingdom of heaven, to satisfy the desperate needs of others, to set them among princes, too few have too much, truth, turn from our evil ways, wisdom, wise guidance
Psalm 68:5. A father of the fatherless, and a judge (defender) of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
Oh friends, can you imagine it’s Monday already? The weekend passes so quickly, that before you can blink the proverbial eye, we get Monday’s wake up call to begin another week of work. But instead of complaining, let’s be thankful that we can answer that wake up call, that the awesome breath of life is still flowing through our bodies, for many won’t be able to answer it as the Lord called them home during the night. Let’s also be thankful that we have a job to go, for many of our fellow men don’t, and are thus struggling to keep life and limb together.
And it’s so sad and unconscionable that with the burgeoning wealth in the world, more wealth than there’s ever been, we’ve also become the most charity seeking society ever! Yes, there’s never been as many charitable associations and organizations as there are right now, and sadly, they are not all begging for begging sake, but some are begging to satisfy the desperate needs of others! What an unpleasant, absurd and ridiculous situation. One that should never occur!
And it all boils down to the ferocious greed and self-aggrandizement that’s currently running rampant in our world. Too few people have too much, while the overwhelming majority have too little. And those with too much apparently have no intention of sharing their wealth. And truthfully, they don’t have to give away everything, to solve our many problems, but just share a little more than they’re currently doing, for a little goes a long way with those who don’t have. But unfortunately that doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen anytime soon, the way the greedy haves are scraping up even the little that the have nots possess.
Now, we must not forget that our God is a good God, and won’t let His people suffer more than they can handle, but will always make a way out for them. Furthermore, let’s remember that although God cares for all people, He particularly champions the poor and downtrodden, the needy and vulnerable. And there are so many scriptures on that subject that we could spend an entire day and never cover them all. So let’s look at a few of them to solace our souls. (smile)
Like this proclamation from the prophet Samuel. ‘He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them.’ (1 Sam. 2:8) Then there’s this one from a number of curses that Moses promised would happen to the children of Israel if they rejected God. ‘Cursed be he that perverteth the judgement (justice) of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.’ (Deut. 27:19)
Meanwhile Bruh David says in Psalm 68 – The Triumphant God – ‘Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol (praise) him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him. A father of the fatherless, and a judge (defender) of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.’ (Ps. 68:4-5) And while speaking of Unjust Judges in Psalm 82, Asaph writes thus: ‘How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked (show partiality to the wicked)? Selah. Defend (vindicate) the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid (free) them out of the hand of the wicked.’ (Ps. 82: 2-4)
And sadly there are many, many poor who today need to be freed from the hands of the wicked. But most of us refuse to lift a hand to do anything, afraid of the repercussions from the mighty wicked. But let’s remember what Asaph said in the closing verses of that psalm. ‘I have said, Ye are gods (mighty ones or judges); and all of you are the children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.’ (Ps. 82: 6-8) And God has promised that He will judge the earth in His time, so there’s no fear of it not happening, and then the wicked will pay for all their abominable and atrocious deeds.
And fear ye not, Cousin Sol does have something to say on the subject. (smile) He writes; ‘He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor (needy).’ (Prov. 14:31) And there’s’ a sister verse to that one: ‘Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not go unpunished.’ (Prov. 17:5) Then there’s this: ‘Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: For the Lord will plead their cause, and spoil (plunder) the soul that spoiled (plundered) them.’ (Prov. 22:22-23)
Unfortunately though, that’s exactly what’s happening in our world today. The poor and afflicted are being taken serious advantage of, by the wealthy and powerful. But they will get their own comeuppance in due time. And what did Jesus do during His time here on earth? He ministered mostly among the poor and marginalized, demonstrating the importance of caring for those in need. And He left us with this promise from the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. 5:3) Yes friends, blessed, or happy are those of us who have been humbled by the grace of God, acknowledging our sins, and are consequently reliant on God for our salvation.
Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these most dangerous and treacherous times. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And we do need to pray for help, however, we can’t just sit back and wait on God to help us. We also have to get up and help ourselves with the amazing tools that He’s already given us. So please, let’s get up and get moving my fellow saints! Christ is depending on us! Much LOVE!
…it’s time for Christians to truly follow Christ’s example……by sincerely reaching out to the poor and downtrodden in His name…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a modicum of circumspection, above the stars of God, all sinned and disobeyed your word, all who seek to exalt themselves above God, an everlasting king, answer our prayers, ascend above the heights of the clouds, ascend into heaven, at God's wrath, be like the most High, Bitble, call the proud happy, capable of controlling our destiny, challenge God's existence, chaotic state of the world, christianity, company in hell, day and night, disobedient times, divine aid, doubt God, embracing God as Sovereign Lord, eternal death, eternal life, evil world, exalt my throne, faith, fatal error, foolishly follow Satan, from the days of your fathers, gone away from mine ordinances, he is the living God, holy spirit, how art thou fallen from heaven, humble ourselves, I will return unto you, ignore a mother's wisdom, indefensible, infantile rebellion, it is vain to serve God, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keeping the word of God in first place, lead to a catastrophic fall, LOVE, Lucifer, mass confusion, mercy, my tears have been my meat, negative connotations, not able to abide God's indignation, pray, rebellion, responsibilities, Return unto me, revenge against God, revere Satan, robbing God, rumours of wars, said in thine heart, salvation, Satan's deceitful machinations, Satan's evil machinations, Satan's purpose, sincere repentance, sincerely seek God's face, sit upon the mount of the congregation, son of the morning, strife, such motivations, the choice is yours, the consequences of pride and ambition, the created trying to overthrow the Creator, the dark and dangerous abyss, the earth shall tremble, the God who heals, the height of intelligence, the Lord is the true God, the Lord of hosts, the pinnacle of evolution, the wicked are raised up, the wisdom of following God, those who tempt the Lord go free, tithes and offerings, tried to overthrow God, truth, turn from our evil ways, unsavoury conditions, walked mournfully, wars, weak Christian witness, what have we spoken so much against thee, what profit is it to keep his ordinance, where is thy God, wherein shall we return, wisdom, wise guidance, wisely follow Christ
Jeremiah 10:10a. But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king:
Ah mih people, I know it’s tough to get up and get going this Monday morning after all the marvellous celebrations of Mother’s Day yesterday. But one of the many things our mothers taught us is responsibility; that’s ensuring we do what we have to do to the best of our ability. Looking ahead, and not doing stuff that will negatively affect our responsibilities, like going to work. Consequently, we ought to have been careful to exercise a modicum of circumspection in our celebrations. (smile)
But unfortunately, many of us ignore the wisdom of our mothers, and thus end up in unsavoury situations brought on by stubbornness and a kind of infantile rebellion. We mistakenly feel, that as adults, we’re quite capable of controlling and guiding our destiny. (smile) And so often we’re proven wrong. It’s like the Lord said through Malachi to the people of Israel in one of their disobedient and rebellious times. ‘Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?’ (Mal. 3:7)
Oh friends that’s the very same thing the Lord is saying to us today, in the evil, wicked and ungodly society that now prevails over the earth. At the height of our intelligence, the very pinnacle of our evolution, when we should be using our hard bought wisdom and embracing Almighty God as our Sovereign Lord and God, instead, we’ve fallen into the dark and dangerous abyss of Satan’s deceitful machinations, embracing evil and all its negative connotations, which is sadly driving our world on a crazy merry-go-round, of strife, wars, rumours of wars, and all that ungodliness brings.
And though our God is LOVINGLY calling out for us to return to his wonderful fold, we are obstinately ignoring His fatherly call. Just like Israel did, and were summarily punished for it. And we won’t even talk about the robbing of God in tithes and offerings which comes after verse 7. That’s an entirely different sermon for another time, (smile) but we’ll move on to verse 13, where Malachi writes: ‘Your words have been stout (harsh) against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?
Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully (as mourners) before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the proud happy (blessed); yea, they that work wickedness are set up (raised up); yea, they that tempt God are even delivered (go free).’ (Mal. 3:13-15)
And that’s exactly what’s happening today my people! A large proportion of the population doubt God, even challenging His existence. As the Sons of Korah declare in Psalm 42: ‘My tears have been my meat (food) day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?’ (Ps. 42:3) The complaints are also rife re, the wisdom of following Him, with calls to follow other religions with dead gods, while ours is the ONLY Living God in existence. Thus the prophet Jeremiah writes: ‘But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.’ (Jer. 10:10)
Oh friends, we definitely don’t want to experience the real wrath of God, for it is indefensible, as the world found out when He destroyed it all by the flood, except Noah and His family. And so many of us seem to revere Satan, but let’s remember who and what he was and why he’s where he is right now.
Isaiah says of him: ‘How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer (Day Star), son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides (farthest sides) of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.’ (Is. 14:12-14)
And that’s where he made his fatal error. Yes my brethren, once upon a time Satan was Lucifer or the Morning Star, one of the highest ranking angels in heaven, but his pride and greed caused him to try to overthrow God. What a joke! The created trying to overthrow the Creator. He was then kicked out of heaven with the other foolish angels who sided with him, and thus became the epitome of sin and evil. And it’s the same foolishness we’re trying to do today, encouraged by Satan’s evil and deceitful machinations.
And as one commentary so wisely tells us: ‘The Significance of this scripture emphasizes the consequences of pride and ambition, illustrating how such motivations can lead to a catastrophic fall from grace, not only for Lucifer but also for all who seek to exalt themselves above God.’
So friends, let’s wake up to Satan’s purpose nuh, revenge against God, with much company in hell, and therefore ignore him and his evil cronies, by keeping the Word of God and its ordinances in first place in our lives. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these most difficult of times.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And it’s obvious from the chaotic state of the world, that we need to substantially improve our weak Christian witness, if we hope to receive divine aid. Much LOVE!
…you can either foolishly follow Satan…to eternal death…or wisely follow Christ…to eternal life…the choice is strictly yours…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a foundation of trust and reliability for believers, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a roof over our heads, a solid foundation for faith, a source of comfort and assurance, according to his riches in glory, all I have needed thy hand hath provided, all sinned and disobeyed your word, all these things shall be added unto you, better examples to the unbeliever, christianity, Christians, Christians are not putting their best foot forward, Christopher Rice, clothes on our body, comes down from the Father of lights, divine aid, ease the pain, establish His covenant, every good and every perfect gift is from above, faith, food on our table, For I am the Lord I change not, God doesn't change, God is immutable, God is steady and stable like a rock, God is the original source of everything, God's consistent character, God's constant presence in our lives, God's essence love and covenant, God's sovereignty over the universe, God's steadfastness, God's unchanging nature, God's unchanging reliability, God's unwavering commitment to his promises, great is thy faithfulness, hath gotten me this wealth, hear and answer our prayers, his compassions fail not, holy spirit, humble ourselves, indisputable truth, it is God who gives you the power to get wealth, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, morning by morning new mercies I see, my God shall supply all your needs, my power and the might of mine hand, neither shadow of turning, not subject to change or fluctuation, placed the Lord first in our lives, praise the Lord for his wonderful benefits, pray, returned to the dust from whence we came, salvation, seek ye the kingdom of God and his righteousness, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, strong faith in Christ, the BIBLE, the Father would meet our needs, the God who heals, the Immutability of God, the Lord's faithfulness, the Lord's mercies, the many suffering from negative situations, the mass confusion in our world, the power to solve our problems, the throne of grace, they are new every morning, thou say in thine heart, thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, through Christ Jesus, to alleviate our problems, to those who believe in Jesus Christ, trials and tribulations, truth, turn from our evil ways, we have a job, wisdom, wise guidance, with whom is no variableness, ye sons of Jacob are not consumed
Lamentations 3:23b. … great is thy faithfulness.
Monday, oh Monday! How glad we are to see you again, because it means we have a job to go, and can thus keep a roof over our heads, food on our table and clothes on our body. Praise the Lord for His wonderful benefits to those who believe in His Son, Jesus Christ!’ Jesus promised that the Father would meet our needs if we placed Him first in our lives. He said it thus: ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
Yes friends, our God knows that we need, food, clothing and shelter and has faithfully promised that we won’t lack for anything if He is Number One in our lives. And Bruh Paul also corroborated that statement when he wrote thus to the Philippians: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) Now that’s another powerful verse highlighting the Lord’s faithfulness.
So what’s this about the Lord’s faithfulness eh? Jeremiah ever so wisely reminds us in his Lamentations: ‘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) And that’s the indisputable truth my fellow believers, for if our God wasn’t merciful and faithful, then we’d been long ago returned to the dust from whence we came.
That brings us to these marvellous words from the hymn ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness,’ by author Christopher Rice. The second verse sincerely proclaims: ‘Great is Thy faithfulness, great is Thy faithfulness Morning by morning new mercies I see All I have needed Thy hand hath provided Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.’ More indisputable truth my brethren!
And what, you ask, does the Bible mean when it says great is thy faithfulness? This commentary explains. ‘The phrase “Great is Thy faithfulness” comes from the Bible, specifically Lamentations 3:23. It is a declaration of God’s unchanging reliability and constant presence in our lives. The term “faithfulness” here refers to God’s steadfastness, His unwavering commitment to His promises, and His consistent character.’
What a steadfast and reliable God we serve my people! That’s why James, the brother of Jesus, could also confidently proclaim: ‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness (variation), neither shadow of turning.’ (James 1:17) That means that God doesn’t change, He is immutable (unchangeable). He’s steady and stable like a rock. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to the Lord Himself as He makes that fact known through the prophet Malachi. ‘For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ (Mal. 3:6)
Now what does that statement mean? It signifies that God’s character, promises, and nature remain consistent and unchanging, providing a foundation of trust and reliability for believers. And this commentary breaks it down further for us. As per ‘God’s Unchanging Nature: The verse emphasizes that God’s essence, LOVE, and covenant are not subject to change or fluctuation.’ Then, as per ‘Comfort and Assurance: This immutability of God is a source of comfort and assurance for believers, knowing that His character and promises are steadfast.
And as a ‘Foundation of Faith: God’s unchanging nature provides a solid foundation for faith, allowing people to trust in His character and promises throughout their lives. And in it’s ‘Application to the Descendants of Jacob: The verse specifically mentions the descendants of Jacob, signifying that even though they may have experienced trials and tribulations, their preservation is due to God’s unchanging nature.’
Yes friends, without a doubt, we’re still around because of God’s LOVE, mercy, forgiveness, grace and faithfulness. And if we will only stop taking those things for granted, but pay serious attention to them, bind them sincerely to our hearts and put them into practice, our lives would be a great deal more enjoyable than they currently are. And it all boils down to one thing my fellow believers, understanding God’s continued sovereignty over the universe He created, and that He is the One, who, in the long run causes us to get whatever we have, regardless of how we get it, for He is the original source of everything in the universe.
As Moses, said to the Israelites, in warning them not to forget God when they became prosperous in their new land. ‘And thou say in thine heart, my power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.’ (Deut. 8:17-18) Oh my people, let’s remember that all we have, comes from Almighty God, our Creator and Controller!
Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle hymn, seeking divine aid in these very troubled and difficult times. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And what we learn from our prayer, is that until we believers start being better examples to the unbeliever, divine aid will not be forthcoming. Much LOVE!
…the world is filled with so much evil…because Christians are not putting their best foot forward…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a human's work, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, Ai, all scripture is given by inspiration of God, answer our prayers, artificial intelligence, as fresh as the day it was written, blasphemed, christianity, correction, covetousness, damnable heresies, deceptive words, denying the Lord, destructive heresies, destructive ways, die early from boredom, difficult to know what is true, divine aid, ease the pain, evil be spoken of, exploit you, eyewitnesses to Jesus' majesty, faith, false prophets, false teachers, feigned words, find God's wisdom and truth, fit to a T, follow their pernicious ways, fully equipped, gospel truth, has not been idle, have a hobby, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, humility, inspiration of God, instruction in righteousness, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, judgement, justice, lack of physical activity, leading God's people astray, long time lingereth, LOVE, make merchandise of you, making them an example, mass confusion, mercy, missed the work activity, more depressed, of the many suffering from negative situations, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, people are lonelier than ever, people are not trustworthy, pray, productive activity, profitable for doctrine, read the Bible, reproof, retirement, righteousness, salvation, Satan and his fallen angels, scripture, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, social interaction, social media, social media foolishness, strong faith in Christ, suffer the consequences, superficial relationships, swift destruction, that those that came after should live godly, the BIBLE, the Bible is God's word to us, the drop of a hat, the God who heals, the long days of retirement, the Lord's promised to save the righteous and destroy the wicked, the man of God may be perfect, the power of the Holy Ghost, the power to solve our problems, the rigmarole, the throne of grace, the way of the truth, the work life journey, the work of a machine, their damnation slumbereth not, thoroughly furnished unto all good works, to alleviate our problems, truth, turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, what is artificial, wisdom, wise guidance
2 Timothy 3:16. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
And the rigmarole continues, as another work week opens with a warm and sunshiny Monday with temperatures in the high teens. And many of us wonder, will this ever end? Unfortunately, not for a long while, if you’ve just begun the work life journey. And I’d be lying if I told you that you’d eventually get accustomed to it. But the amusing and sad thing is that when you retire after forty years of constant work, ofttimes you end up missing the early morning get up and get out to a job you never liked.
Now that especially happens when you don’t have a hobby or something to keep you occupied during the long days of retirement. That means in planning your retirement you ought to ensure that your days are occupied with some kind of productive activity, otherwise you tend to die early from boredom and a lack of physical activity and social interaction. And please don’t plan on using social media to occupy your time, for inexplicably, although we have so much activity and connections through all the many social media platforms, people are lonelier and more depressed than ever.
That’s possibly because the social media hook ups are not true friendships, but rather tenuous and superficial relationships, which cannot be trusted and are liable to change and /or deteriorate at the proverbial drop of a hat. And it’s somewhat amusing, but oh so sad when you see four supposed friends around a dinner table, supposedly out to spend valuable face time with each other, but each one is more focused on the phone in their hands than on their friends next to them. That’s what the social media foolishness has brought us to.
And to make matters even worse the latest invention, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is sweeping the world like crazy, so that now it’s more difficult than ever to know what is true and what is artificial; what is actually a human’s work and not that of a machine. And that once celebrated thing called truth, is now carelessly bandied about, apparently with there being more than one truth possible in these confusing times. But thankfully, to us Christians, there’s still only, and can ever be only ONE TRUTH; that of the Lord’s Word!
And it will do us good to remember that the Bible is God’s Word to us, and though it’s been around for ages, yet it’s still fresh as the day it was written, and if we read it, we will find God’s wisdom and truth on its pages. And Bruh Paul’s words to Timothy corroborate that statement. ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’ (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
Yes friends, the Bible, God’s Word is the only tome that can provide all that mankind needs to live a good life, and sadly if many more of us would read and put it not practice, our world would be a much better place to abide in. And Peter in talking about the disciples being eyewitnesses to Jesus’ majesty, reinforces Bruh Paul’s statement to Timothy, when he writes: ‘Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation (origin). For the prophecy came not in old (any) time by the will of man: but the holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.’ (2 Pet. 1:20-21)
But of course! The prophets of old did not just write the Bible on their own, but were directed and instructed by the power of the Holy Ghost. Then Peter continues to make another invaluable statement: ‘But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily (secretly) shall bring you in damnable (destructive) heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.’ (2 Pet. 2:1)
And that’s the gospel truth, for there have always been false teachers, and these disruptive and troubled times are filled with a numerous amount of them, false teachers, who are leading God’s people astray. And Peter certainly knew what he was talking about when he continues. ‘And many shall follow their pernicious (destructive) ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of (blasphemed). And through covetousness shall they with feigned (deceptive) words make merchandise of (exploit) you: whose judgement now of a long time lingereth not (has not been idle), and their damnation (destruction) slumbereth not.’ (2 Pet. 2:2-3)
Oh my fellow believers, these greedy, covetous, deceitful and blasphemous times fit those words to a T! Too many of us are following false teachers whose destruction is already lined up. And I like how Peter makes his point for the destruction of the false teachers and those who foolishly follow them, by using the examples of Satan and his fallen angels, the destruction of the ungodly world by flood, with the only humans saved being the righteous.
Then he makes this monumental and true statement. ‘And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow (destruction), making them an ensample (example) unto those that after (afterwards) should live ungodly.’ (2 Pet. 2:4-6) Oh my people, those words should cut right to our very hearts, because all through the Bible the Lord has faithfully promised to save the righteous and to destroy the wicked and ungodly, and there are several examples where He did just that, so why do you think He will not do the same to our very evil and ungodly world today eh? That’s the wisdom of a fool!
So please, let’s get to seriously studying God’s Word and putting it into practice, so that being righteous and godly, we will be saved from God’s destruction. And for help to 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!’
And we know what’s necessary to receive divine aid; for a start, let’s try humility, prayer, repentance, and sincerely seeking God’s face. Much LOVE!
…God gave us His Word to live by…and if we don’t…then we’ll suffer the consequences…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great cloud of witnesses, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a true disciple of Christ, a warning, absolutely necessary, an incorruptible crown, be disqualified, bring it under subjection, business, Christian celebrations, compassed about, competes for the prize, corruptible crown, denying the spirituality of the situation, despising the shame, disicpline our bodies, disobeyed your word, disqualified from Christian ministry, divine aid, earthly spiritual journey, ease the pain, Easter celebrations, Easter Monday, encouraged by the enemy, endured the cross, eternal life, every man that striveth for mastery, faith, fall by the wayside, finished my course, flails helplessly, food, for the joy that was set before him, forfeiting rewards, fought a good fight, frustrations, gifts, grace, greed of the world, have a part to play, he that abideth in me, heavenly help, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, I am the vine, I in him, I keep under my body, I myself should be a castaway, I therefore so run, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus' miraculous resurrection, Jesus' sacrificial death, keep Jesus uppermost in our minds, kept the faith, know ye not, lay aside every weight, lest that by any means, looking unto Jesus, lose sight of the essential facts, LOVE, mass confusion, material selfishness, mercy, not as one that beateth the air, not that we are sufficient of ourselves, one receives the prize, our sufficiency is of God, parties, peace and calm, personal sacrifice, practical advice, pray, run not as uncertainly, run with patience, salvation, self-control, selfless sacrifice of Jesus, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, share a partnership with Christ, sin, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, so fight I, so run that ye may obtain, spiritual strength, spirituality, steal our joy In Jesus Christ, strong faith in Christ, suffering from negative situations, surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, ta perishable crown, temperate, temperate in all things, Thank you Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, the giver of life, the God who heals, the joy of the Lord is your strength, the material world, the race of life, the race that is set before us, the same bringeth forth much fruit, the sin which doth so easily beset us, they which run in a race run all, throne of grace, to think anything of ourselves, traffic jams, trainig for a marathon, truth, turn from our evil ways, we have all sinned, when I have preached to others, wisdom, wise guidance, without me ye can do nothing, work diligently, ye are the branches
1 Corinthians 9:24b. So run, that ye may obtain.
And the Easter celebrations continue unabated on this somewhat cloudy Easter Monday! And why not eh, when we were given the greatest presents ever; salvation and eternal life through Jesus’ sacrificial death and miraculous resurrection! And the other good thing about today is that many of us don’t have to face the traffic jams and all the other frustrations involved in going out to work. And all God’s children said, a loud and grateful, ‘Thank You Jesus!’
However, there’s always a warning needed in these Christian celebrations, a warning to not let the material selfishness and greed of the world to make us lose sight of what the celebration is truly about; the LOVE and selfless sacrifice of Jesus! For if we allow them, the material world, staunchly encouraged by the enemy, would just make it all about business, gifts, food, and parties, while denying the spirituality of the situation. So, as we celebrate, let’s keep Jesus uppermost in our minds today and every day, for He is the giver of life, health, wealth, LOVE, mercy, grace…in fact of everything that we enjoy!
Now, to always keep Jesus first place is no easy task, especially when the enemy’s main goal is to steal our joy in Christ, since, as the Bible says: ‘for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) That means if we lose our joy in Christ then we’ll lose our spiritual strength and won’t be able to make the wise decisions we ought to, or have the peace and calm we desire.
And how do we do that? We have to work sincerely and diligently at it. But obviously not by ourselves, for as Bruh Paul writes: ‘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 Jesus corroborates that when he declares (yesss!!!) that well known statement: ‘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)
But unlike what some might think, that does not stop us from working towards the goal of spiritual maturity, for we share a partnership with Christ, meaning we both have a part to play. If we do our part, He will do His. But if we don’t do our part, neither will He do His, and we’d be left in the lurch. And what’s our part in all this eh? Here’s one practical bit of advice from Bruh Paul. He writes thus in his first missive 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.’ (1 Cor. 9:24)
Yes friends, Bruh Paul is likening our earthly spiritual journey to a race, and in his last communication with Timothy, he uses that same imagery. ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith.’ (2 Tim. 4:7) Likewise, the author of Hebrews views our earthly journey as a race, when he writes: ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witness, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Heb. 12:1-2)
So Jesus is our example for living this earthly life. But yuh know what, if we want to obtain anything positive and/or substantial from this race of life, we have to put out something. Therefore, Bruh Paul continues to the Corinthians. ‘And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate (has self-control) in all things. 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 (flails helplessly): but I keep under my body (discipline my body), and bring it under subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (disqualified).’ (1 Cor. 9:25-27)
Ah mih people, like a runner training for a marathon, we too have to discipline our bodies and exert ourselves so that we will do well in the race of life. If not, we’ll fall by the wayside and lose the promised imperishable crown that Christ has laid aside for us. As the scholars explain: ‘The point is that the believer must discipline himself to avert being disqualified from Christian ministry, and forfeiting the rewards for such service.’ So we see that running this earthly race is not easy, but with the help of our wonderful God, we can do it, if we put out the necessary effort. And to help us do so, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, pleading for divine assistance.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And from our prayer, we see that there are some necessary steps we must take before divine aid is granted; humble ourselves, pray, sincerely seek God’s face with sincere repentance. So please, let’s get to them right now nuh, so that we’ll get heavenly help asap! Much LOVE!
…as a true disciple of Christ…personal sacrifice is absolutely necessary…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great calm, a modicum of hope and faith, a trade war, a world beset by evil, abide with you for ever, all have sinned, bear up under the stress and strain, called unto the fellowship of his son, calm our metaphorical storms, christianity, Christians, despite the trials and tribulations you are facing, disobeyed your word, ease the pain, endure hardness, establish you, faith, give you another Comforter, God is faithful, God-given desires, he dwells with you, He is faithful that promised, hold fast the confession of our faith, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, I will come to you, I will not leave you comfortless, I will pray the Father, if you love me keep my commandments, in the name of Jesus Christ, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the ONLY ONE, Jesus' light and love, keep you from evil, keep your promise to prosper us, leave you as orphans, life is not easy, like a good soldier of Christ, lost jobs, LOVE, mercy, monotonous regularity, negative situations, peace be still, praise Your Holy Name, pray, resolve to never give up, salvation, shall be in you, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, society is structured, stand up and fight, strong faith in Christ, tedious, that's the way, the best years of our life, the BIBLE, the church exploded with new saints, The Day of Pentecost, the God who heals, the living truth, the mass confusion in our world, the restrictive reins, the Spirit of truth, the storms of life, the throne of grace, the wind ceased, tiring, to alleviate our problems, to earn a living, to liven up the same old routine, trust our Triune God, truth, turn from our evil ways, unemployed, up and at 'em, when things are not going your way, who can offer comfort, wisdom, wise guidance, without wavering
John 14:18. I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you.
So, it’s up and at ‘em one more time, that means getting out to work on a Monday morning, something that many of us do with a monotonous regularity for numerous years of our life. Actually, for the best years of our lives. No wonder, after a while it becomes tedious and tiring and we just sometimes want to cry out for a change, for something to liven up the dreary same ole same ole routine.
Yes, we often long for a loosening of the restrictive reins that have us tied to a job that does not satisfy our capabilities or skills and act as a de facto killer to our God-given dreams and desires. But unfortunately, that’s the way our society is structured, and if you want to eat and have a roof over your head, then you’ve got to work, at least with some regularity. (smile)
On a serious note though, in this latest round of one foolish egotist’s doings, a trade war has erupted all over the world, and many have already lost their jobs, due to no fault of their own, and sadly, it appears that many more will if this nonsense isn’t curtailed as soon as possible. And it’s only when we don’t have a job to go to, with no prospects for one very soon either, that we do appreciate the boring, same ole, same ole tasks that we are forced to perform most days of our lives to earn a living.
Let’s hope that all those who find themselves summarily unemployed will wake up and see the light and turn their attentions seriously towards Jesus, for He is the ONLY ONE who can offer you comfort despite the trials and tribulations you might be facing. And I’ve been unemployed, so I know what I’m talking about. Jesus is always the best One to turn to when things aren’t going your way.
He might not always solve your problems quickly, or even solve them at all, but if you are sincere, He will provide you with a modicum of hope and faith that will keep you going through the tough times, in a calm, non-anxious manner, and not allow you to give up. And that’s always the first step in recovery; having a modicum of hope and the resolve to never give up.
You can trust Him to always be by your side. Remember what He promised the disciples before His ascension: ‘If you LOVE me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter (Helper), that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him: for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you.’ (John 14:15-18)
And He did come to them, and consequently to us, on that memorable day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit began to indwell all believers and the church exploded with new saints. And since then, the Holy Spirit has indwelt every believer, acting as a Guide, Leader and Comforter on behalf of Jesus.
But there’s one thing that we must understand, that life is not easy, never was, and never will be, therefore we have to bear up under the stress and strain of whatever we’re going through, with the help of the Holy Spirit. As Bruh Paul sagely warns Timothy: ‘Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.’ (2 Tim. 2:3) That’s the living truth; we’ve got to stand up and fight the battles that come against us, all in the name of Jesus.
Meanwhile, the author of Hebrews puts it thus: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)’ (Heb. 10:23) And Bruh Paul also stated that fact, first to the church at Corinth: ‘God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor. 1:9) And then to the Thessalonians: ‘But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish (establish) you, and keep you from evil (the evil one).’ (2 Thess. 3:3)
That means we can faithfully trust our Triune God to look after us and keep us safe when the storms of life revolt against us. Remember what Jesus said to the stormy waves and howling winds on the sea of Galilee? ‘Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.’ (Mark 4:39) So, if He can calm the real physical storm, why won’t He be able to calm our metaphorical ones eh? No reason whatsoever!
Now, let’s go straight to the throne of grace for help, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn as we’ve been instructed to do. 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!’
So, it’s obvious from our prayer that there are certain things we need to do to get divine aid. We know them…so please let’s do them nuh! Much LOVE!
…in a world beset by darkness and evil…Jesus is the ONLY ONE who can overcome them…with His Light and LOVE…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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