26 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: .praying always in the Spirit, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a sense of urgency, against the wiles of the devil, an opportune time, answer our prayers, be strong in the Lord, Bible, christianity, defeat the enemy, demonic onslaughts, divine aid, dressed in spiritual armour, faith, fight to the death for Christ, for a season, God's provision, having done all to stand, holy character, holy spirit, humble ourselves, in the power of his might, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, LOVE, moral conduct, negative situations, powers, pray, principalities, put on the whole armour of God, quench the fiery darts, ready for the challenge, repentnace, resisting Satan, Satanic assaults, sincerely seek your face, sitting ducks, spiritual battle, spiritual wickedness in high places, supplication for the saints, the best defence is offence, the breastplate of righteousness, the enemy destroy our witness, the God who heals, the helmet of salvation, the individual nature of spiritual warfare, the preparation of the gospel of peace, the rulers of darkness, the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, the throne of grace, the truth of God's word, the whole armour of God, truth, waging spiritual war, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, wisdom, wise guidance, withstand in the evil day, ye may be able to stand, your feet shod, your loins girt about with truth
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (carefully crafted schemes) of the devil.
Come on down Monday…the followers of Jesus are ready for your challenge! We’re dressed in our spiritual armour just rearing to get out on the battlefield and fight to the death for Christ! Ah friends, those are easy words to spout, but much harder to put into real, live action. And now is as good a time as any to review and remember what we mean by our spiritual armour.
Bruh Paul spells it out very nicely for us in his epistle to the Ephesians. He writes: ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (carefully crafted schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:10-11)
Oh my fellow believers, as the scholars tell us, those words ‘Put on,’ denote a sense of urgency, demanding immediate action.’ We cannot wait to see what the enemy is up to we have to be ready asap. And any soldier going into battle must secure protective equipment before they hit the battlefield, otherwise they will be sitting ducks for the enemy. And although we’re not waging a physical but spiritual war, we still need protective armour to assist us in our fight.
Now what’s this spiritual war, you ask? Listen to Bruh Paul tell it: ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.’ (Eph. 6:12)
And the scholars explain it thus: ‘Wrestle, used of hand-to-hand combat, emphasizes the personal and individual nature of spiritual warfare waged against each local church and Christian. Flesh and blood refers to humanity. Such is not the church’s adversary. Instead, she opposes principalities (rulers), powers (authorities), rulers (world rulers), spiritual wickedness (wicked spiritual beings), that is, fallen angels, demons, and Lucifer himself.’
Yes, the spiritual battle is not only against the church, but also against individuals, which means, each and every believer needs that spiritual protective armour. That’s why Bruh Paul writes: ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.’ (Eph. 6:13)
And per the scholars, that means ‘because we face such a formidable foe, we must avail ourselves of God’s provision lest the enemy destroy our witness and ministry. The evil day refers to the periodic demonic onslaughts and Satanic assaults. Having done all includes both dressing oneself in God’s armour and resisting Satan. Having done all these, be ready, for the Devil will attack again and again.’
Of that you can be very sure my brethren. The devil will never stop completely, as the Bible tells us re the temptations of Jesus. ‘And when the devil had ended all the temptation (testing), he departed from him for a season (until an opportune time).” (Luke 4:13) So when he stops tempting you, he’s not gone forever, but only until he sees another opportunity.
And we finally come to the big question, what is this armour of God that we’ve been talking about. Let’s listen to Bruh Paul again from his letter to the Ephesians. ‘Stand therefore, having your loins girt about (your waist girded) with truth (the knowledge of the truth of God’s word), and having on the breastplate of righteousness (a holy character and moral conduct): And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace (an eagerness or willingness to advance against the Devil, and take the fight to him).
Above all taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked (one). That means ‘taking God at His word believing His promises. Such trust will protect one from doubts induced by Satan.’ And take the helmet of salvation (the hope or assurance of salvation), and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (selected verses of Scripture):
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for the saints.’ Meaning that ‘prayer is indispensable; without prayer God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. And we must be vigilant in the matter of prayer, praying always when Satan attacks, not only for ourselves, but for all saints, with the help of the Holy Spirit.’ (Eph. 6:14-18)
Now that’s how we’ll be able to handle Monday and whatever the devil decides to throw at us. But we have to be proactive, not wait for the devil to come, but take up the Lord’s armour and go after him. As they say, the best defence is offence! Oh friends, I do hope this brief review on God’s protective spiritual armour reawakens our spirits and our desire to fight for Christ. And if we’ve gotten off-course, sets us back on course, keeps us on the straight and narrow road that leads to heaven and Christ.
And having said all that, let’s go 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 a word to the wise; the only way we’ll ever see divine aid is if we humble ourselves, pray, sincerely seek God’s face, and turn from our evil ways. Much LOVE!
…without God’s protective spiritual armour…the believer cannot defeat the enemy in spiritual battle…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 May 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all that glitters is not gold, and having done all to stand, as a roaring lion, be careful what you wish for, be sober be vigilante, cleanse your hands ye sinners, draw nigh to God, every rose has a thorn, he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever, he will draw nigh to you, humble servants, Jehovah Rapha, lots of complaining, love not the world, mass confusion in our world, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, only a beautiful facade, outward appearances can be very deceiving, purify your hearts ye doubleminded, resist steadfast in the faith, resist the devil and he will flee from you, sincere repentance in our hearts, sinned and disobeyed your Word, spiritual battle, strong faith in Christ, submit yourselves to God, sugar-coated words, take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, the father of lies, the God who heals, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, the world passeth away, turn from our evil ways, walketh about seeking whom he may devour, wise guidance and direction, your adversary the devil
James 4:7. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Awright mih bredrin, today, the first day of our work week, is supposed to be a scorcher; somewhere up around 30 degrees Celsius! And I know that there will lots of complaining as the first real hot day of the year hits us, despite our yearning for hot weather after the cold winter months we’ve recently experienced. And yes, there will be some people with genuine complaints because of their health situation, but for many of us it will just be a case of wishing for something, then not liking it when we get it.
As the old people would say, be careful what you wish for, for every rose has a thorn in its stem. That’s for sure. All that glitters is not gold, nor is every beautiful face connected to a beautiful heart. In other words, outward appearances can be very deceiving. And that’s the very game that our enemy the devil delights in playing; throwing up beautiful scenarios before us, enticing us to take the bait, and when we do, only to discover that it’s only a beautiful façade, a pretty front, with nothing of substance behind it.
That’s why Jesus called him the father of lies in John 8:44. From the very beginning he’s been a liar and deceiver, tricking Eve into eating the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden, and unfortunately, he’s still doing the same things today, still very successfully too, we should note. For whatever reason, although we know that his sugar-coated words are really filled with salt underneath, we still fall for them way too often.
It’s obvious we have not taken the warning from James, Jesus’ brother to heart. ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you, Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded.’ (James 4:7-8) The long and short of the story friends, is that we don’t submit to, fear or flee from Satan, but stand strong against him. Like Bruh Paul says to the Ephesians: ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all (that you can do), to STAND.’ (Eph. 6:13)
Oh my people, the devil cannot lead us into temptation unless we allow him to. But it’s easier to resist him when we have on God’s armour and we are spiritually ready for battle. That’s why Peter also cautions us: ‘Be sober, be vigilant: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world.’ (1 Pet. 8-9)
Now, it doesn’t speak very highly of us if we know that the evil enemy is constantly prowling, just waiting for a chance to pounce upon an unsuspecting believer, and yet we still fall so often for his evil wiles and schemes. It’s obvious then that word of God is not as well anchored in our souls as it needs to be. We are not casting our cares sufficiently upon Him, not drawing near enough to Him, so that He can help us resist the enemy. And I believe it’s also necessary this morning for us to hear these wise and warning words from John’s first epistle.
‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (physical desires), and the lust of the eyes (personal desires), and the pride of life (self-interests), is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.’ (1 John 2:15-17)
Oh my fellow saints, scriptures like that ought to be buried deep in our hearts so that they can shore us up when the devil attacks. And attack he will, again and again. But we need to resist him again and again, to stand strong in the powerful armour of God. It’s the same basic patterns he uses; physical desires, personal desires and self-interests, whatever our weakness, but since sin is such an inherent part of our nature and is so extensive around us, it’s ofttimes difficult to reject it. But reject it we must!
And the first step in doing so is always prayer, always casting our cares before our wonderful God. So, let’s do that right now nuh, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. As one sincere 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. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that 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. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land 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, we need to keep our promises, if we expect the Lord to keep His. Much LOVE!
…we are not ready for spiritual battle…unless we are fully clothed in God’s spiritual armour…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
10 Jan 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sense of urgency, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, be strong in the Lord, boost our awareness, bravery, Christ has already won the victory, Christ the royal Master, confessing his name, encourage Christians, gather in worship, God's spiritual armour, hell's foundations quiver, in the power of his might, is as good as all of us together, loud your anthems raise, none of us alone, offer the sacrifice of praise to God, one in charity, one in hope and doctrine, ongoing battles with temptation, Onward Christian soldiers, our loins girded about with truth, physical togetherness, pray and give thanks, prayer, spiritual battle, spiritual hosts of wickedness in high places, stand against the wiles of the devil, stand strong, strong like an oxthe backbone and belly, the breastplate of righteousness, the fruit of our lips, the gospel of peace, the helmet of salvation, the Lord's Day, the shout of praise, the sword of the Spirit, the Word of god, thou therefore endure hardness, treading where the saints have trod, with the cross of jesus going on before
2 Timothy 2:3. Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
The Lord’s Day is here again friends, so please let’s do what we ought to; gather in worship, to pray and give thanks, even though it may be technologically driven, due to the pandemic lockdown of our physical sanctuaries. Prayer and worship are the same, however they are done, although actual physical togetherness does lend it a special atmosphere.
And since the times they are rather rough and unrelenting, with our Christian actions and beliefs becoming more important every day, I figured that today we’d sing a song sure to boost our awareness and reassure us of God’s continuing dependence on our earthly work. It’s a 19thcentury hymn with words written by Sabine Baring-Gould in 1865, and music composed by Arthur Sullivan in 1871. But it remains one of our popular hymns to this day. We’re talking about the ole favourite ‘Onward Christian Soldiers.’
And the website Godtube explains: ‘It was written to encourage Christians in their ongoing battles with temptations within themselves and the evil forces throughout the world.’ And oh my people, do we ever need encouragement right now, because the battles are certainly long and hard, but if we stand strong like good soldiers of Christ, we will eventually overcome. In fact, Christ has already won the victory, we just need to maintain it. So, let’s do as the author of Hebrews instructs us nuh: ‘By him (through Jesus) therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name (openly confessing His name.’ (Heb. 13:15)
And today we doing a Sally Anne (Salvation Army) processional rendition, for they have adopted it as their favoured processional. In full voice, and soldierly marching tone: ‘Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before! Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe; Forward into battle, see his banner go! (Refrain: Onward, Christian Soldiers, marching as to war. With the cross of Jesus going on before!) At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee; On, then, Christian soldiers, on to victory! Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise; Brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise!
[Refrain] Like a mighty army moves the church of God; Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod; We are not divided; all one body we, One in hope and doctrine, one in charity. [Refrain] Onward, then, ye people, join our happy throng, Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song; Glory, laud, and honor, unto Christ the King; This thro’ countless ages men and angels sing. And so we sing: Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before…With the cross of Jesus going on before…’
Yes friends, that was tough and strong, like real soldiers marching out to battle with Christ, our Field General, with His cross at the front of the battle line! And please believe that we are in a war, sometimes physical, but most of the time it’s spiritual. As Bruh Paul said to the Ephesians. ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (hosts of) wickedness in high places.’ (Eph. 6:12)
Ah mih people, the enemy and his evil forces are all over the spiritual world trying to wrest us from the hands of Christ. And though they have some power, they have no real authority over us, unless we allow them to invade our space. But to successfully withstand the enemy, we need to do as Bruh Paul says: ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.’ (Eph. 6:10) This spiritual war will last until Christ returns, therefore we need to be continuously and constantly strengthened by the Lord’s mighty power.
And as soldiers we also need physical accessories. That means we also need to ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:11) A sense of urgency is noted there my brethren, and it demands immediate attention. No good soldier would go into battle without armour, and we have God’s spiritual armour to fight this one and stand strong against the evil schemes of the enemy.
In short, it consists of our loins girded about with truth, topped by the breastplate of righteousness, while our feet are comfortably shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, and we are holding forth the shield of faith to reject the fiery arrows of the wicked enemy. On our heads lie the helmet of salvation, and in our strong right hands we wield the mighty sword of the Spirit, which is the word of our omnipotent God! (Eph. 6:14-17)
Glory be mih brethren! What mighty armour we have! But despite the great armour, one more thing is essential, that’s prayer! We can’t win without prayer! Please let’s remember that, cause prayer is the lifeblood between the Father and us. (Eph. 6:18) However, now that we have the protection, we still need something else. And I guess you’re wondering what that is nuh? Oh fellow Christians, it’s the one thing that all soldiers ought to have: bravery! You can’t go into battle in a cowardly manner and expect to win.
That’s why Bruh Paul warned Timothy, re the toughness needed to win our spiritual battle.‘Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be soldier.’ (2 Tim. 2:3-4) And that’s oh so true! Soldiers must be able to withstand tough times, and not get entangled in the affairs of the world, so they can give their all to the one who chose them. And in our case, that’s Jesus Christ.
Oh friends, if there’s one thing we can’t say about our Leader, Lord and Saviour is that He was a weakling! He was strong like an ox; physically, emotionally and mentally. He had to be to withstand the ‘sufferation’ He endured on our behalf. Now are we going to cry and whimper when He needs us to stand strong on His behalf now, especially after He’s given us all the tools to do so? God forbid that we chicken out on Him now, although that’s what many of us are doing.
This pandemic though is making a lot of people have second thoughts because they see that nothing we’re doing is working to stem the deadly tide, and God is the only avenue left to turn to. So there’s yet hope. Let’s build on that hope nuh my fellow saints and soldiers in Christ, starting today,RIGHT NOW! Let’s show the enemy that we have the parts, the backbone and belly to stand up as one, united, faithful, steadfast and strong for Christ!Much LOVE!
…none of us alone…is as good as…all of us together…
08 Sep 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: affairs of this life, all one body, all things are possible with christ, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, captive, carnal, Casting down imaginations, charity, Christ the king, conform to Christ's word, doctrine, encourage Christians, endure hardness, favoured processional, glory, going on before, gratitude, hell's foundations quiver, honour, laud, love to sing, marching as to war, not divided, one in hope, ongoing battles with temptation, Onward Christian soldiers, Praise the Lord, pulling down strongholds, Salvation Army, Satan's host doth flee, sing and dance, spiritual battle, strife-filled world, thanksgiving, the cross of Jesus, the knowledge of god, the obedience of Christ, the shout of praise, trials, tribulation, True LOVE, vigour, vim, walk in the flesh, weapons of our warfare
1 Timothy 2:3. Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
Sunday’s here again friends! Glory be! It’s the day we cease from our normal labour and instead visit the Lord’s sanctuary and have fellowship with other believers! Yes mih people, it’s time for us to sing and dance and praise the Lord and give Him sincere thanks for the many blessings He’s so magnanimously bestowed on us! Wow! What a wonderful God He is! There’s none other like Him! That’s for certain sure!
That’s why we need to show our true LOVE and sincere gratitude by coming together as the body of Christ, His church, at least once a week! And not only do we offer up praise and thanksgiving, but we are renewed and refreshed in return, through hearing His Word and the encouragement of and communion with our fellow believers, so that we can go out and do His work with vim and vigour this upcoming week.
Now let’s get the show on the road by opening, as always, with a song of praise and worship. And today’s number is certainly an old but still very popular number titled ‘Onward Christian Soldiers.’ And I hear the excited sigh that rises from our throats as the song registers, because it is one we all LOVE to sing! So let’s sing it nuh, with plenty emotion, strong voice and the sweetest of harmonies!
All together now: ‘Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before! Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe; Forward into battle, see his banner go! (Refrain: Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before!) At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee; On, then, Christian soldiers, on to victory! Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise; Brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise! [Refrain]
Like a mighty army moves the church of God; Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod; We are not divided; all one body we, One in hope and doctrine, one in charity. [Refrain] Onward, then, ye people, join our happy throng, Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song; Glory, laud, and honor, unto Christ the King; This thro’ countless ages men and angels sing. [Refrain 2]’
Oh friends, oh friends, what a powerful and emotionally touching rendition! Heaven could see that we truly believed what we were singing, felt it right down in the very depths of our souls! That’s what some of these old English hymns do to us. Now it’s reputed that the words to that song were written by Sabine Baring-Gould in 1865, while the music was composed by Arthur Sullivan in 1871. And has it ever stood the test to time! Becoming the Salvation Army’s favoured processional hymn along the way.
Apparently ‘it was written to encourage Christians in their ongoing battles with temptations within themselves and the evil forces of the world.’ And it takes its theme from New Testament references of Christians being soldiers for Christ. One example of that is our Bit, Bruh Paul’s famous words to his young protégé Timothy. ‘Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.’ (2 Tim.2:3-4)
Yeh friends as Christians we do need to stand up strong under whatever trials and tribulation comes against us, like a good soldier does. Consequently, that soldier doesn’t get involved with the unnecessary affairs of life, so that he can give his all, his total allegiance and attention to the business of the one who’s chosen him to be a soldier. That means, since Christ has chosen us to be His followers, then we too must endure the tribulation that will certainly come against us, as Christ promised in John 16:33, and neither get involved in the affairs of this world because we are not of it, as He says in John 17:16.
And the analogy of Christians being soldiers in Christ’s army is rather apt, since we are constantly fighting battles of temptation and deceit against Satan and his evil minions. However it’s not a physical battle, although many believers are fighting physical battles in many places in our strife-filled world, but it’s a spiritual battle that most believers face day by day. As Bruh Paul says to the Corinthians: ‘For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after (according to) the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (of the flesh), but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations (arguments), and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ;’ (2 Cor.10:3-5)
And the scholars offer these explanations of those verses. ‘10:3-5. Though we walk (live) in the flesh (in a body), we do not war (fight) after (according to) the flesh (human standards. The first phrase of verse 5 looks back to verse 3 and expresses the manner in which believers conduct spiritual warfare. It is by casting down (destroying) imaginations (false arguments), such as Paul’s opponents have raised.’
That also means refuting all the lies and deceit and the temptations the enemy constantly throws at us. And we do that by taking all those wrong thoughts captive and making them conform to Christ’s Word. Remember, our minds are where the serious spiritual battles take place, so we obviously must have our thoughts conform to Christ’s Word to be victorious. And as I was reading the words of the hymn just now, one verse struck me as being somewhat untrue in these evil, divisive times. ‘Like a mighty army moves the church of God;…We are not divided; all one body we, One in hope and doctrine, one in charity.’
I just have to shake my head and sadly chuckle because God’s church is certainly not moving in these ungodly days like a mighty army, more like a stagnant, sluggish, complacent, uninterested band of layabouts. And as to being one body with one hope and one doctrine…What a joke! Christ’s church has never been more divided and fractured and going different ways than now!
But friends, let’s remember that where there’s life there’s also hope, so it’s not too late. If we’re serious about rectifying the ills in the church we still can, if we come together, instead of moving further apart. It will take a lot of hard work and effort, putting our selfish, petty desires aside, and showing the true character of Christ. I know it sounds impossible, but remember too, that ALL things are possible with Christ! Much LOVE!
…to be true soldiers of Christ…Christians must stop seeking and seeing life…the way the world sees it…
13 May 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a formidable foe, a serious war, against flesh and blood, always get me down, anitdote, aura of love, Christians, confidence, demonic forces, demonic onslaughts, devious schemes, enthusiasm, evil, friends, glory to God, God's armour, God's provision, grace, having done all, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, in the evil day, individual believers, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, LOVE, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Mother's Day, powers, pricipalities, put on, rainy days and Mondays, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, rest, safe from harm, saints of Christ, salvation, Satan, spiritual armour, spiritual battle, spiritual wickedness, stand, the grace of God, the whole armour of God, the wiles of the enemy, trust, truth, ungodly world, victoriously, wisdom, ye may be able to stand
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (devious schemes) of the devil.
And after a rainy Sunday for Mother’s Day, it looks like we going to have a rainy Monday for work too! Chuh! What’s with this rain eh? And I know for many people it’s like the brother and sister duo, the Carpenters said in their 1971 hit song ‘Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.’
Yeh, there’s something about rain that brings out the sadness and blues in us, like sunshine brings out the joy and gladness. And when it’s the first day of the workweek, it just makes it worse! But please remember my people, we have the eternal light, the light of all lights, Jesus Christ in our corner, so even if you’re feeling down and blue this rainy Monday morning, we just need to turn to Him for help, and He will gladly assist us.
So let’s just lay it all before Him right now with true sincerity, as we declare (right ho!) our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. As one now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Yes friends, that’s our antidote for whatever ails us on a Monday morning! And I see its working, because you’re stepping higher and lighter already, and your eyes have that bright light of Jesus shining in them, and you’re just more business like as the Spirit of Jesus works on you. Glory to God!
And today friends, the Lord has put it on my heart to talk to us, to remind us of that spiritual and protective armour we pray about every Monday, how important it is for us believers to be always ensconced in it. As Bruh Paul commanded the Ephesians: ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (devious schemes) of the devil.’
Yes my faithful saints in Christ, we are in a war, a war against the forces of evil, and soldiers can’t go to war without proper protection. That’s why the scholars tell us to ‘put on’ denotes a sense of urgency, demanding immediate action. And to stand has military overtones. This verb was used in classical Greek meaning to resist the enemy and hold a critical position.’
So we need to be always aware of what’s happening around us and stand strong for Jesus. But what makes it even more difficult is as Bruh Paul says: ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (spiritual hosts of) wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph.6:12-13)
Oh friends, please don’t take this all lightly, we are in a serious war with the satanic forces of evil, and a lot of it exists in the high places and powers of this world, plus there are fallen angels, demons and Satan himself. And besides, it’s not only a war being waged against the church proper, but also against individual believers like you and me.
And the scholars explain verse 13 thus: ‘6:13. Wherefore means “because of this,” that is, because we face such a formidable foe, we must avail ourselves of God’s provision lest the enemy destroy our Christian witness and ministry. The evil day refers to the periodic demonic onslaughts and satanic assaults. Having done all includes both dressing in God’s armour and resisting Satan. Having done all these things, be ready, for the Devil will attack again and again.’
Oh friends, that last part is ever so true! If it’s one thing we can count on is that the forces of evil will always be on our case, especially since we’re believers, since their avowed plan is to make believers look foolish and fall for their wiles, lies and other evil schemes. That’s why we have to be ever so careful and take our Monday Morning Battle Hymn very seriously, because it’s a prayer for help, for the ability to resist the enemy, and even more to fight a strong and victorious fight in Jesus’ name!
Oh my people, my people, believe me, the battle is getting hotter with each passing day, because the enemy is seeing that he’s losing and is trying to fight back; yuh know like how a wild animal behaves when its back is against a wall, so we just have to stand up strong and steadfast, dressed in our powerful armour, and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us out to battle! Glory to our great God!
And we’ll end there today. Tomorrow we’ll talk about the various parts of the spiritual armour that we need to stand before the enemy and defeat him. Till then, may the grace of God bless all His saints and keep us safe from harm, as we step out courageously to fight the enemy, and may we all live to fight another day! This we pray, in Jesus’ name! Amen! Much LOVE!
…God’s saints can’t fight His spiritual battle victoriously…if they’re not clothed in His spiritual armour…
02 Aug 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a reasonable time, adversity, and if ye seek him, anger, Asa, Azariah, before our very eyes, benjamin, bickering, calamities, choose the best, Christ's Church, christianity, commitment to excellence, communication with Almighty God, computers, contaminating our world, disasters, dr robert h schuller, enthusaism, excellence, extraordinary, failings, fat lot of good, fellow believers, forsake him, get into our souls, hate, he will be found of you, he will forsake you, heal the divisions, hear ye me, Hotmail, Hour of Power Devotional, injection of ramped up effort, Judah, lack lustre, lack of excellence, let not your hands be weak, LOVE Revolution, lukewarm, mediocre, mediocrity, more trouble than they're worth, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, obey God's will, only true and living God, peace, power base, quell the storms, resentment, return to our god, shrivelling up enthusiasm, solution for our problem, spiritual battle, strength in numbers, strife, taking a holiday, the breath of life, the enemy, the flow of divine enthusiasm, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Good Book, the Lord is with you, the Old Testamnet, the price tag, the Spirit of God, the victory, turmoil, turn unto the Lord God of Israel, vexations, Wednesday Wail, while ye be with him, without any bite, words of wisdom
2 Chronicles 2:15. Hear ye me Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.
Ah friends, when it’s not one thing it’s another yes! Chuh! The enemy surely knows how to get into our souls. I’ve been down here now for about fifteen minutes trying to get into my E-mail account. It works well until it comes to opening the mailbox, then it stops with about 2% to go.
Everything else seems to be working perfectly, except for the Hotmail nonsense. I’ve refreshed it at least three times, but each time it simply stalls right before the end of the line. Steups! Computers eh! They are often more trouble than they’re worth, and generally cause problems when you need them the most…
Whoopee de! I just got a message about something going wrong which they can’t figure out as yet, so to try later. Fat lot of good it did me then to try and get up at a reasonable time to write the Bit.
But since I write the Bit in Word before transferring it to Hotmail, because of earlier problems with writing it in Hotmail, we can continue doing our thing while they try to figure out what’s wrong.
So, rather appropriately, we have a few words from Gramps Schuller (Dr.Robert H. Schuller) from his Hour of Power Devotional, on being an extraordinary person. Listen up: ‘The capacity to be extraordinary – a little more or a little better than the last time – is a quality that fosters and causes the flow of divine enthusiasm.
Choose the best: shun mediocrity. Mediocrity has a way of shrivelling up enthusiasm. But commitment to excellence taps an incredible source of energy. Elect the best, no matter what the price tag.’
True words of wisdom my brethren! If you are a follower of Jesus, then the best, excellence is what He expects of you. Just checked Hotmail…Wonder of wonders! It’s finally open! But we’ll continue here.
And I believe one of our major failings in Christianity today is our lack of excellence. We seem to be too afraid of what the world will say and or/do, and we also compromise too much, consequently our efforts on behalf of Christ are only lukewarm and mediocre.
But friends, in this spiritual battle in which we’re currently engaged, we can’t afford to be lack-lustre and without any real bite, because the enemy is coming at us full force. He is not taking a holiday or easing up in his efforts to subdue us. So why are we doing our best to give him the victory that Christ won for us through such painstaking effort eh?
I think our current Christian movement needs a serious injection of ramped up effort, which can only come through healthier and more plentiful communication with Almighty God. It brings to mind the warning of the prophet Azariah in the Old Testament.
The Good Book tells us: ‘And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah, the son of Oded. And he went out to meet (before) Asa, and said unto him. Hear ye me Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.’ (2 Chr.15:1-2)
My fellow believers, the battle is heating up right before our very eyes, please note all the disasters and calamities in our world, both manmade and natural; check out the widespread strife and anger, resentment and hate that’s contaminating our world.
Nations are fighting nations without any apparent hope for peace. Leaders are full of political rhetoric, busily trying to build their power base, but doing nothing to quell the storms. The only thing that can help us is a true return to God, for our world is just like Israel was in Azariah’s time.
Hear the Good Book tell it. ‘Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law. (2 Chr.15:3) That surely sounds like the current state of our world!
‘But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.’ (2 Chr.15:4) The exact solution for our problem my fellow believers!
‘And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations (turmoil) were upon all the inhabitants of the countries. And nation was destroyed of (by) nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity.’ (2 Chr.15:5-6)
What a mirror image of our present world my people! I don’t believe our world has ever seen a period of time where so much anger and strife and disasters have enveloped it all at once.
And the ONLY sensible solution is to repent and turn back to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the ONLY TRUE AND LIVING GOD who has the power to make our world better.
But friends, for that to happen, we believers must ramp up our efforts on Christ behalf, focus on excellence not compromise and mediocrity, so that we can get His LOVE Revolution hopping, with people coming to Him in droves, rather than moving away from Him.
We need to take the sincere warning of Azariah seriously. ‘Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak; for your work will be rewarded.’ (2 Chr.15:7)
I therefore implore us to come together in LOVE and peace, for there is strength in numbers. Let’s stop the silly and petty bickering and heal the divisions that are currently entrenched in Christ’s church, so that we can do His work and bring some peace and stability to our world, especially to our children.
And all God’s children declared a loud and sincere ‘Amen!’
And having decided to do all that, we can now go home declaring our Wednesday Wail without hypocrisy. ‘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!’
Oh friends, those objectives will only be accomplished if we stand strong and steadfast in Christ, brimming over with enthusiasm and excellence. Much LOVE!
…true strength comes only from sincerely seeking God…then walking purposely in His will…
19 Jun 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a roof over our heads, a sense of urgency, adrenaline, arrows, aura of love, be strong in the Lord, Beelzebub, bread and butter, cease-fire, cessation, Christians, confidence, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, following Jesus, friends, glorious kingdom, gospel truth, he that keeps Israel, holy spirit, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, labouring, lies, LOVE, Lucifer, meet the enemy in battle, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, no work no pay, peace, protective covering, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, serve a useful purpose, slings, slumber nor sleep, soldiers of Christ, spiritual armour, spiritual battle, steadfast faith, taunts, the antidote, the power of his might, trust, truth, ungodly world, wisdom
Ephesians 6:10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Well fathers, our special day is over now, hope we all had an enjoyable day. Mine was fairly quiet, but very interesting. However, it’s now time for us to concentrate on, and get back to labouring so that we can keep a roof over our family’s head and bread on our table. It’s nice to be pampered and spoiled, but we certainly can’t forget about our bread and butter, our jobs. (smile)
And I know that for plenty of us fathers, after all the celebrations yesterday, it’s going to be difficult to get up this morning to go and labour, but just think about it this way nuh: no work, no pay. (smile) But as always, we have the antidote for whatever ails you this Monday morning. It’s called our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, and when we sing it sincerely and joyfully, it just refreshes and renews us, gets the adrenaline flowing in our bodies.
So let’s belt it out now nuh, with plenty gusto and expectant faith. As one big earthly choir now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh friends, that was a bit harsh and raucous, but the enthusiasm was great, and Jesus, our choirmaster understood our shortcomings. But now, with that same enthusiasm we just showed, aided by the adrenaline that’s coursing through our veins, let’s go out and face the enemy and battle them mano a mano in Jesus’ name. That’s what He’s expecting of us.
And as Bruh Paul advises in in our Bit: ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.’
Yes my fellow believers, above everything else, if we want to go and fight the enemy, then we have to be strong in the Lord, because that’s where our strength and our help come from. As the psalmist declares: ‘My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved (slip): he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.’ (Ps.121:2-4) And that’s gospel truth my people! Our God will look after us at all times, under whatever circumstances and situations!
Before we go further though, let’s check out some info from the scholars, re our Bit. ‘6:10. Finally may be rendered “from now on” or “henceforth.” The spiritual battle Christians are engaged in exists “from now on” until the Lord’s return: there is no quarter given, no cease fire, no temporary truce, no cessation of hostilities. “From now on” till the end there is all out war. The remainder of the verse may be paraphrased, “Let yourselves constantly be strengthened by the Lord, more precisely by His mighty power.”
Ah mih people, how mighty is our God! The mightiest of them all!!! As we’ve said a couple times above, He made the heavens and the earth and all therein, so He must be truly powerful, and He does strengthen us to do His bidding. However, regardless of what strength we have, as warriors, we also need protective covering from the enemy’s slings and arrows, that’s why the verse after our Bit is so important. ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph.6:11)
Yes friends, we need to put on our protective spiritual armour, this morning, and every morning, before we go out to fight against the enemy, so that we don’t get hurt. It’s one thing to be strong in the Lord, but it’s another to fight without protective covering.
And the scholars offer us these explanations. ‘6:11. Put on (Greek ingressive aorist imperative) (smile) denotes a sense of urgency, demanding immediate action. To stand has military overtones. This verb was used in classical Greek meaning to resist the enemy and hold a critical positon in battle. The wiles of the devil (or, “the Devil’s strategy”). Satan carefully devises schemes and tactics against believers.’
So friends, it’s no joke war in which we’re involved, it’s serious business, serious stuff on which our salvation and eternal life depends. So please, let’s take it very seriously nuh, because our enemy, Lucifer, is taking it very seriously. He’s definitely out to trip us up and make us turn away from following Jesus. And that’s definitely not a wise thing to do. Therefore, let’s put on our spiritual armour, and with the strength of our great God flowing through our minds, bodies and spirits, let’s go out and battle Beelzebub – battle him to the finish! Much LOVE!
…soldiers of Christ arise…arise fully armoured and strengthened by Almighty God…
24 May 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a true believer, assurance, belief, calm, Christ, confidence, courage, Creator of the universe, daily work, delivered my soul, dr robert h schuller, emotion, eternal life, faith, faithful brethren, favour, fear, fears, foolish to reject, forgiveness, give thanks and praise, glad to be alive, going going gone, guiding light, hell, Hour of Power Devotional, indisputable truth, invigorating, jehovah god, LOVE, marvellous blessing, mercy, miracle of courage, newfound power, of whom shall I be afraid, overpowering, overwhelming, passion, peace, quiet, reverential awe, salvation, sincerity, singleness of heart, special favour, spirit of courage, spiritual battle, the breath of life, the core of my soul, the Good Book, the heat of battle, the Lord God of Abraham Isaac and jacob, the Lord is my light and salvation, the Lord is the strength of my life, the presence of God, the shield of courage, there is only one God, treading this earth, true relationship, trust, uplifting words, vistory, wake up alive, what a relief, whom shall I fear, working peace, works
Psalm 27:1. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Oh people, oh people, we’re alive on this blessed Wednesday morning! Wow! Give thanks and praise to our wonderful God for that marvellous blessing!
And if you’re wondering why, just think about the many people who went to bed alive last night but did not wake up alive this morning!
Oh glory to God my faithful brethren! The Lord looked down on us with special favour because He has great plans for our lives today and everyday He keeps us treading this bountiful earth, therefore much praise and thanks ought to be going up to high heaven from us, His blessed people!
And in keeping with our theme of courage from yesterday, we’ll continue with the second part of Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) ‘Courage Is a Decision,’ talk from his Hour of Power Devotional.
And he emphatically declares in the second half: ‘I have it! My fears are going, going, gone! I feel a mysterious calm, quiet, tranquil assurance rising deep within my being. This remarkable spirit of courage is overpowering me.
It is the very presence of God working peace at the core of my invisible soul. Thank You Lord. All my fears are gone. What a relief! Amen.’
Glory Hallelujah my people! For that’s exactly how we feel when Almighty God works His miracle of courage and peace in our souls! It’s invigorating, overwhelming, surprising, but oh so real! And we rise up with a newfound power, anxious to do His daily work.
And remember, ONLY belief, trust, surrender and faith in the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob can bring that kind of feeling and emotion to our beings! So we’d be rather foolish to reject His awesome LOVE and thus deny ourselves the wonderful opportunity to enjoy His heavenly favour.
And ONLY if you are a true believer, can you proclaim with genuine passion and sincerity, the uplifting words of our Bit, like Bruh David so long ago. ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’
Yes friends, ONLY when Jehovah God is our guiding light, can we utter such confident words. And we see this overwhelming confidence in God throughout the Good Book. Hear Bruh David expound from Psalm 86 – Teach me thy way, O Lord.
‘Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works. All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name. For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.’ (Ps.86:8-10)
Oh friends, what a marvellous declaration; one of indisputable truth, as the last four words remind us! ‘Thou art God alone!’ That is the basic foundation of our faith! There’s ONLY ONE God; the One we serve and worship!
And until we get that straight and clear in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, we’ll never be able to truly enjoy the peace, LOVE, forgiveness, mercy, salvation and eternal life that proceeds from His magnificent and magnanimous Being.
Bruh David was so assured of this, that he continues in Psalm 86: ‘Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart (give me singleness of heart) to fear (have reverential awe for) thy name.
I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest (depths of) hell.’ (Ps.86:11-13)
Mama Mia! Oh friends, that’s the kind of confidence we develop when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour! We know His awesome power and relinquish our all to it. Fear and all its negative associates cannot pierce the shield of courage and faith that we derive from a true relationship with the Creator of the universe and all therein.
Now listen to Moses as he counselled the Israelites on the law concerning war. ‘And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, And shall say unto them,
Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; for the Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’ (Deut.30:2-4)
Yuh see friends, even in the heat of battle, our God is working on our behalf. Yes, He certainly is in the spiritual warfare that we’re currently fighting, so please don’t lose heart, don’t fear or be terrified, because the victory is ours, it has been guaranteed by our great God.
Consequently, we can afford to go home in peace, with courage, declaring these truths from our Wednesday Wail. All together now: ‘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!’
Have a most blessed day my fellow believers in Christ! Much LOVE!
…ONLY when we know Christ…can we be strong and courageous in this evil world…
23 May 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenalin, armour, aura of love, barbecues, be strong in the Lord, buffeted and bombarded, ceasefire, Christians, circumspection, confidence, conquerors, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, enthusiasm, faith, fireworks, footholds, friends, glorious kingdom, having done all, holy spirit, humanness, humble servants, infiltration, invincible, jealousy, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, let out hair down, lies, LOVE, moans and groans, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, party trappings, put on the whole armour of God, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, schemes., spiritual armour, spiritual battle, stand, stand against the wiles of the devil, steadfast faith, summer season, tactics, the rulers of darkness, the whole armour of God, truce, truth, ungodly world, useful purpose, Victoria Day, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, weary souls, wisdom
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (schemes) of the devil.
Awright friends, this notable long weekend in the best big country in the world is winding down. Yes, the Victoria Day holiday, named for the previous longest reigning monarch (63 years) in the British Empire, celebrated on the first Monday before May 25, is noted for the opening of the summer season.
It finds the privileged set flocking to their cottages in the country, while those who stay in town begin planting their gardens. And the weather this weekend has been rather appropriate for it all; warm and sunshiny, though with the occasional cloud cover. Hopefully today will continue to be the same.
And wonder of wonders, the traffic on the roads this weekend has been negligible in comparison to others of the recent past. What’s going to kill that though is the start of road repairs. Chuh! Sometimes the inconvenience caused by those road repairs makes you long for winter. But anyway, the barbecues and the fireworks and all the other attendant party trappings will be out in full force today.
That means I have to remind us of Granny’s warning: ‘Sonny boy, please, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business!’ It’s great advice friends, because it’s at times like these, when we let our hair down, that the enemy, who is always lurking in the background, finds footholds in our souls. And we definitely cannot afford to let that happen.
Now unfortunately, not everybody is celebrating Queen Victoria’s birthday with a public holiday. That means many of us still have to go out and labour this Monday morning… and I do detect the jealousy in some of the moans and groans I hear coming forth from the unlucky ones.
However, as usual, we have our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to help us overcome those jealous moments (smile), so let’s belt it out loud and sweet nuh.
As one harmonious choir now. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Ah mih people, it was loud but inharmonious and somewhat scratchy. And you could tell by the hoarse and cracking voices the ones who were off today. They were obviously the most boisterous. Our choirmaster, Jesus, just sighed and shook His head, understanding the humanness of the situation.
But nonetheless, those of us who have to go out and labour, please let’s keep the adrenalin running and the Word of God constantly feeding our souls and minds, as we get out into the godless world and begin to do battle with Lucifer and his evil minions. Remember, once we have Jesus with us, the victory is assured! Glory to God!
And seeing that we’ve been talking about armour and battles and the enemy etc. I thought that today would be a good time to review Bruh Paul’s directives on the subject.
He tells the Ephesians: ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (schemes) of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (hosts) of wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph.6:10-13)
Oh my fellow believers, those are very critical and important verses of scripture, which we need to write indelibly in our hearts, souls, minds and bodies, so that we can indeed withstand the evil of this world.
Now let’s get some explanations from the scholars. ‘6:10. Finally may be rendered “from now on” or “from henceforth.” The spiritual battle Christians are engaged in exists “from now on” until the Lord’s return: there is no quarter given, no ceasefire, no temporary truce, no cessation of hostilities. “From now on “till the end there is all out war.
The remainder of the verse may be paraphrased, “Let yourselves constantly be strengthened by the Lord, more precisely by His mighty power.’
Ah friends, this shows that we are engaged in serious warfare. It’s no gimmick, but a spiritual battle unto the death, a battle for our very souls, and we have to be very serious about it if we expect to be good soldiers of Christ!
And some more explanations from the scholars. ‘6:11. Put on denotes a sense of urgency, demanding immediate action. To stand has military overtones. This verb was used in classical Greek meaning to resist the enemy and hold a critical position in battle. The wiles of the devil (or, “the Devil’s strategy”). Satan carefully devises schemes and tactics against believers.’
Yes my people, the enemy does set us up to fall, but with ALL of God’s armour on, we can defeat Him. And we’ll end here, because I know that many of you don’t want to have too much to understand and ponder on this holiday Monday. (smile)
So, God willing, we’ll continue it tomorrow. Till then, please go wisely and safely with God! Much LOVE!
…to party is nice…but it must be done with reasonable circumspection…to avoid the enemy’s untimely infiltration…
11 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: against powers, against spiritual wickedness in high places, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, all them that Love Jesus, Bruh Paul, but against principalities, coerced, demonic forces, evil strategies, exuberant celebrations, fellowship, fodder for the enemy, Friday chant, fun, generous help, get ahead, glorious kingdom, grace, having done all to stand, having your loins girt about with truth, imprison our spirits, Jesus Christ, Labour Day, LOVE, love with faith, Lucifer, maelstrom, make ends meet, pay the price, peace be to the brethren, perseverance, physical warfare, praying always, relaxation, renewed and refreshed, rest, soul body mind, spiritual battle, spiritual warfare, stand our bounce, supplication for the saints, take up the whole armour of God, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the armour of God, the breastplate of righteousness, the evil day is at hand, the evil one, the fiery darts of the wicked one, the gospel of peace, the helmet of salvation, the protective armour of Almighty God, the right perspective, the shield of faith, the spiritual realm, the sword of the Spirit, the weekend's here at last, the Word of god, walk safely in god's light, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, week of work, whirlpool of madness, withstand in the evil day
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (hosts of ) wickedness in high places.
And then it was Friday…
And obviously the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! The weekend’s here at last!’ are heard everywhere. And even though it’s been a short week, only four days, a lot of us are extremely happy to see it because we’re pretty tired from the exuberant Labour Day celebrations on Monday, then right to work without a refreshing break.
But Friends, if we want to party too heartily, knowing that work is right around the corner, then we will have to stand our bounce and pay the price it calls for. Anyway, the weekend is upon us, and we’re all glad that it’s here, so let’s chant our Friday Chant to find the right perspective, so we don’t mess up our lives any further. (smile)
As one now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Ah Friends, I do hope we take that simple prayer seriously, because one of the negative things in our crazy world is that everyone is so busy and consequently so tired, trying to make ends meet or simply get ahead in this maelstrom, this whirlpool of madness, that our world’s become.
But my people, we have to be careful in this apparent madness, because it is not all instantaneous and/or unplanned. Not on your life! The evil one and his associates have planned a lot of it to throw us off balance, get us weary and disappointed and thus more easily coerced into their evil strategies and schemes.
And thankfully, our Bit so wisely informs us: ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (hosts of) wickedness in high places.’
Yes Friends, physical warfare is not the only kind that’s widespread in our world, but an even more vicious and threatening and dangerous one is being waged in the spiritual realm. This one to capture, enslave and imprison our spirits and souls in a dark and wicked dungeon controlled by Lucifer and his evil forces, from which the chances of escape are rather slim.
That’s why, as we saw yesterday, Bruh Paul strongly advised the Ephesians. ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph.6:13)
And believe me my brethren, we need to take that advice today even more seriously than the Ephesians, because the evil day is at hand!
Yes my fellow believers, the powers of evil and darkness are in the ascendance right now. Oh so sadly, they are indeed holding sway in our confused and troubled world, that’s why we so badly need to put on the protective armour of God, for that’s the only thing that will offer us protection from the attacks and machinations of the dark and evil powers.
And what, you ask, is this armour of God that’s so powerful to protect us from Beelzebub? As believers in Jesus Christ, we should all know it, but I’ll let Bruh Paul refresh our memory.
‘Stand therefore, having your loins girt about (having girded your waist) with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace (an eagerness and willingness to take the fight to the devil).
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked (one). And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph.6:14-18)
Yes Friends all that protection is absolutely necessary in the spiritual battle against the evil and demonic forces of this ungodly world!
And you’ll notice how Bruh Paul lays it out just like the armour of a soldier going into battle, with a helmet, a breastplate, waist securely girded, with proper shoes to handle the terrain, a shield, and a trusty sword, all backed by the power of prayer.
Oh my people, without the armour of God, we are simply fodder for the enemy. He will cut us down like a sharp scythe cuts grass or a lawnmower mows it; with no problems at all. So please, please let’s be wise and take this most important advice to heart nuh, provided you want to be saved from the unpleasant advances of the wicked world.
That’s enough for now. Tomorrow we’ll continue looking at the wonderful protective armour of God, delve into it a little deeper. Till then, please walk safely in God’s light.
Or as Bruh Paul would say: ‘Peace be to the brethren, and LOVE with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all them that LOVE our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.’ (Eph.6:23-24).
Much, much LOVE my people!
…one cannot walk this wicked earth safely…unless one has on the protective armour of Almighty God…that’s a proven fact…
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