Everything God made was Beautiful, until Mankind sullied them with His evil Heart and Hands.

13 Feb 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ecclesiastes 3:11a.       He (God) hath made everything beautiful in his time:

And then it was Thursday; the day of the big cleanup, after the evening of Wednesday’s big snowstorm. It’s definitely the biggest we’ve had so far and thoroughly disrupted the evening commute with people and traffic snarled for hours in the Greater Toronto Area. But yuh know what, it’s still not as big as some other parts of the country have received. And we need to be thankful for the dry day and the beautiful sunshine that’s reflecting off of the pure, driven snow, unsullied by human hands. 

Now you might not like snow, but you cannot deny the dazzling effect it has when it’s enveloped by the bright rays of the sun. (smile) Remember, everything that God’s made is beautiful in its own way. And this is so eloquently and truthfully borne out by these words of Cousin Sol, writing as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes. ‘He (God) hath made everything beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world (eternity) in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh (does) from the beginning to the end.’ (Eccl. 3:11) 

And that’s a very interesting verse of scripture which says a whole lot to us. As the scholars explain. ‘The world is better translated “eternity.” God has given man a desire for eternity and perpetuity; therefore man cannot be satisfied with what is merely temporal. Man’s quest for the eternal, however is frustrated by his finite limitations.’ 

And Bruh Paul follows that up with this agreeing verse from Romans 11: ‘O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out!’ (Rom. 11:33) That’s for sure my people! We seek greater involvement and deeper understanding, because God’s put that in our basic DNA, but unfortunately our finite limitations indeed keep us from understanding the higher things and ways of God. God did that on purpose, to always keep us on our toes. 

Remember what He says through the prophet Isaiah? ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’  (Is. 55:8-9) And for Him to be God, that’s how it ought to be, otherwise we’d be on exactly the same wavelength as Him, and therefore have no need of Him. 

And that’s the deceitful trick the enemy played on Eve in the garden of Eden when he enticed her to eat of the forbidden fruit. ‘And the serpent said unto the woman, ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and shall be as gods (God), knowing good and evil.’ (Gen. 3:4-5) And it’s the same old trick he’s still plying with us today, deceiving us into thinking that if we do his bidding we’d be like God. 

But friends, there’s nothing further from the truth. We can never be like God, in the sense that we’re a created being, and we simply don’t have the capacity to do much without His help. As Jesus so nicely tells us in the gospel of John. ‘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) 

There again, truer words were never spoken my brethren! With Jesus we can do all things, because He strengthens us to do them, (Phil. 4:13) but without Him, we’re definitely not able to do a whole lot. That means we have to stay as close to Him as possible, like white on rice, (smile) if we ever hope to accomplish anything worthwhile in this world. And when we say worthwhile, we’re not speaking about what the evil and ungodly world considers worthwhile, but what Jesus considers worthwhile in His kingdom. 

And yes, on a few occasions, they can be the same things, but oftentimes, they are not, because the things the world holds worthwhile, and the things Jesus considers worthwhile are usually the total opposite. That’s why you cannot serve God and mammon too. It’s either one or the other. Although many of us supposed believers foolishly try to ride the fence and be a part of both worlds, but in the long run you only find great disappointment in that tactic. 

And it’s so much easier serving God than mammon. For the pleasures of the world are fleeting, and most of them only lead to hellfire and damnation, or eternal separation from Almighty God, while the hope of salvation and heaven are everlasting, and lead to eternity with God, where there’s no pain, sorrow, tears, death or any of those former things. And our God is so good to us that He’s even bestowed underserved benefits on us, so that we can do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. 

So, let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh, so we can get on with His business. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! 

I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

Now, with that awesome declaration (awright!!!) it’s become our bounden duty to use those blessings to help others, in the same generous manner that the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…greater LOVE hath no man…than what God has for His human creation…

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

The Wisdom of Living One Day at a Time, with Jesus as Your Faithful Guide!

01 Dec 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Matthew 11:28.        Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

And so, we come to the first day of December, a Sunday, which means we’re also into the first day of the season of Advent. And what does Advent mean, and why do we celebrate it? This commentary gives us the basic idea. ‘The word ‘advent’ literally means ‘coming’ and it is a time of reflection on the coming of Christ into the world at his birth. It is also a time of preparation when Christians think about the second coming of Christ and what they need to do to be ready for his return.’ Yes friends, as always, everything is all about Jesus! 

And this other commentary delves a little further into the celebration. ‘It is the first season of the Christian church year. On each of the four Sundays preceding Christmas, an Advent candle is lit. The 4 candles of Advent names are hope, LOVE, joy, and peace, representing the virtues Jesus brought us.’ So, obviously today we’ll light the candle of Hope, that far-reaching, ever-expecting, never-say die attitude that we believers ought to have. 

And as we gather in the Lord’s house on this His day to worship and celebrate His awesome goodness and mercy to the underserving children of men, let’s open with a marvellous song of worship written by Marijohn Wilkins and the late departed Kris Kristofferson, aptly titled One Day At A Time Sweet Jesus. And today we’ll do a soulful, scintillating, inspirational, heart-stopping mid-tempo version of the song, allowing all the sincerity in our hearts and voices to pour out up to high heaven. (smile) 

So, opening with the chorus, let’s sing: (Chorus: One day at a time sweet Jesus That’s all I’m asking from you Give me the strength To do everything what I have to do Yesterday’s gone sweet Jesus And tomorrow may never be mine Help me today, show me the way One day at a time) I’m only human I’m just a woman (man) Help me believe in what I could be and all that I am. Oh show me the stairways I have to climb Lord for my sake teach me to take One day at a time. 

(Chorus: One day at a time sweet Jesus That’s all I’m asking from you Just give me the strength To do everything what I have to do Yesterday’s gone sweet Jesus And tomorrow may never be mine Help me today, show me the way One day at a time) Oh do you remember? When you walked among men? Well Jesus you know If you’re looking below That its worse now than then Oh there’s Cheating and stealing, violence and crime. So Lord for my sake teach me to take One day at a time. 

(Chorus: One day at a time sweet Jesus That’s all I’m asking from you Just give me the strength To do everything what I have to do Yesterday’s gone sweet Jesus And tomorrow may never be mine Help me today, show me the way One day at a time Oh help me today Show me the way One day at a time… One day at a time…Sweet Jesus…Teach me to take One day at a time…One day at a time…Lord help me today…Show me the way…One day at a time.’ 

Ah friends, it’s certainly a song that draws us ever closer to Jesus as we cry out for His awesome help, just one day at a time. And that’s how it ought to really be; us taking one day at a time, because that’s all we ever have. It’s like Jesus taught us in the Lord’s Prayer: ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ (Matt. 6:11) And that’s the same way the Lord fed the Israelites in the wilderness with just enough manna and meat for one day, except on the Sabbath day. 

And to tell the truth, one day is likely the most we can handle at any one time, what with all the craziness, the strife, anger, hatred and violence currently happening in our world. As the song so rightly says: ‘Oh do you remember? When you walked among men? Well Jesus you know If you’re looking below That its worse now than then Oh there’s Cheating and stealing, violence and crime. So Lord for my sake teach me to take One day at a time.’  

And although I have a personal dislike of the statement because I heard it so often from one particular friend, (smile) it is the best way to live this life. Besides, today is the only day we’re sure of, for in the appropriate words of the song, ‘yesterday’s gone, and tomorrow may never be mine, So help me today, show me the way One day at a time.’ And yuh know what my people, I believe all of what the song is asking for is encapsulated in Jesus’ famous offer of comfort and care, that we call the Great invitation. 

And we all ought to know it and accept it, because there’s no greater offer or invitation in this entire world. Jesus throws out his arms in welcome as He says: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly (gentle and humble) in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) 

Now, tell me friends, who else can express those words and sentiments in all truth and sincerity but Jesus eh? Absolutely no one else! For He’s the master of the waves and the wind, the sun and the moon, the stars and all the other universal bodies! He’s also the Master of Life and Death; the One who can give life or take it as He sees fit! Satan can only take life; he can’t give it. That’s why we need to cling tightly to Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth, the Life, the Light, the Redeemer, the Judge and so many other things! 

So, on this first Sunday of Advent, as we think of Jesus’ first coming and the Christmas celebrations, let’s also allow the light of hope to burn brightly in our souls, bodies, minds and spirits, fully knowing that in His time, He will come back to get us, just as He promised. ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions (dwelling): if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.’ (John 14:1-3) 

And that’s the gospel truth my brethren, for Jesus has no cause to lie, and He has the power to keep any promise He makes. That means we don’t have to fret and worry about what’s happening in our world, just keep Jesus first place in our hearts and be obedient to His will, and He will see us through, one day at a time! Much LOVE!

…fret not over your troubles…just hold on tight to Jesus…stick to Him like white on rice…and you will be okay…

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

Time for Believers to wake up and stop being negligent of their Christian Duties!

16 Sep 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Daniel 11:32b.       the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits.

 And it’s a new work week, a new Monday in the middle of September, calling for us to get ourselves together and get on with making a living. And though it’s only been a couple of weeks since school reopened, meaning the summer holidays are over, before we can say ‘John Henry,’ we’ll be celebrating our Canadian Thanksgiving in mid-October. That’s just how quickly the days, weeks and months are moving. And if we don’t move forward with them, we’ll get left behind. 

But thankfully, there’s no fear of that happening if we keep Christ first place in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, as the Great Commandment says, (Mat. 22:37) for Christ is the very heart and soul of the universe! He made it, as John tells us: ‘All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.’ (John 1:3) And the beauty of it all, is that He’s still in the forefront of it, controlling it with his awesome power. That means when we stick to him like white on rice, there’s no way we’ll ever get left behind! Glory Be! 

For as the Bible tells us in Daniel: ‘the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits.’ (Dan.11:32b) And Hebrews further explains with these marvellous utterances: ‘And what shall I more say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and of Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed (became) valiant in fight (battle), turned to flight the armies of the aliens.’ (Heb. 11:32-34) 

Wow, mih bredrin! What mighty men of faith have gone before us and done wonderful exploits for God through their amazing faith. And likewise, in these turbulent and evil times, which might just be the last days of the church age, we too, desperately need to know our great God through amazing faith, so that we can do what He requires of us. For if this indeed means the soon coming of Jesus to Rapture His church, then we do need to get busy doing our best to bring others to Him, for those who are left behind after the Rapture, will undergo a real terrible time in the Great Tribulation. I don’t think we would wish that terrible time even on our worst enemy. 

So it’s of the utmost importance that we get deeply involved with our wonderful God, and then seriously begin doing what we should have been seriously doing all along; that’s being the salt of the earth and the light of the world, like Jesus desires! How can we encourage others to come to Christ when our salt has lost its flavour, and our lights are dim, instead of shining brightly like a beacon on a hill? It’s virtually impossible! We need to remember that as disciples of Christ, as His ambassadors down here on earth, He’s expecting us to live lives that will cause others to want what we have, that’s salvation and eternal life. 

And they can only acquire those marvellous things by accepting Him as Lord and Saviour. However, if we are not being great examples of Christian living, of righteousness and LOVE, of peace and compassion, of kindness and generosity, of forgiveness and mercy, then others won’t ever desire to come to Christ and accept the many benefits that He has to offer, only to be lost forever to eternal separation from God, the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul. 

And sadly, right now my fellow believers, our Christian witness leaves a lot to be desired. For we’ve gotten fearful, lazy, easily intimidated, full of compromise and way too comfortable with the easy living and many helpful amenities of modern life. Consequently we find it difficult to sacrifice any of our time, talent and treasure for any one else’s sake. And as someone once said, ‘the worst kind of Christian is a comfortable one.’ And that’s the Gospel truth! For then we only talk the talk, but never walk the walk. 

And I believe this except from an article on the freedomalliance.org website, by Leigh Kohler, says it all. He writes: ‘Daniel 11:32 teaches us that the knowledge of God combined with the strength that comes from God is the most powerful and enduring force against the evil in the world. As believers, when we see what is sacred to God desecrated all around us, we cannot just sit idly by. 

The great preacher Charles Spurgeon once said: A church that does not exist to reclaim heathenism, to fight evil, to destroy error, to put down falsehood, a church that does not exist to take the side of the poor, to denounce injustice and to hold up righteousness, is a church that has no right to be. Not for yourself, O church, do you exist, any more than Christ existed for Himself.’ And We certainly cannot dispute the truth of those words my fellow saints, for we have certainly been negligent in doing all the things Christ’s church  was and is expected to do. 

Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to turn it all around. 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 if we ever hope to see divine aid, we need to do as our prayer says; turn from our evil ways. Much LOVE!

…God gives believers wisdom and strength to do His will…why then aren’t we doing it…perhaps…because we are not true believers…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   5 November 2022   2 Timothy 3:12.

05 Nov 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

2 Timothy 3:12.       Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

Ah my people, our lazy Saturday is here! But the ole fella has not been lazy this morning. He’s been up and about his Father’s business early. By my standards, I went to bed early, (smile) so I’m up at a reasonable hour on this somewhat cloudy first Saturday in November, in this crazy, unpredictable year of 2022. 

But it seems the sun will shine through eventually, so let’s just give thanks to our heavenly Father for causing us to be alive today and go on our merry way rejoicing in His awesome LOVE and friendship! And all God’s children gave a grateful shout of ‘Praise the Lord, for His goodness to the children of men!’ Wise words indeed my fellow believers. 

Now, let’s turn to the task at hand, deciphering the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And since he’s only sent us three, hopefully today’s Bit will be shorter than usual. (smile) And the first one tells us: ‘You don’t have to be defined or confined by your environment, by your family circumstances, and certainly not by your race or gender.’ 

That statement does seem to be of some significance, especially in light of the machinations in our current society where we are constantly being pigeonholed, placed in an ever smaller box for identification purposes. I don’t know why what we look like, where we come from or the class of our family is all that important, but nowadays, those factors seem to be getting more important rather than less, as you’d expect in a global multicultural society. 

Is that devil’s doing, or the anti-Christ’s, or some new world order trying to narrow down our demographics so that they can pick out a chosen few of a certain type? Who knows. The important thing though is that your race, creed, gender, family circumstances, none of that really matters. The only thing that matters is that you are a child of the Most High God Jehovah! That’s because His kingdom includes everybody, and He makes no distinction as per your background, but is only interested in your going forward, your future. 

And we can see that in Peter’s words to the early Christians. ‘But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people (God’s own special people); that ye should show forth (proclaim) the praises of him who hath called you out of the darkness into his marvellous light. Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.’ (1 Pet. 2:9-10) 

Yes friends, with the miraculous coming of Jesus, ALL barriers have been broken down and we are now one nation unto God, regardless of our colour creed, gender race or whatever definition you want to choose. As Bruh Paul wrote to the Ephesians. ‘But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes (once) were far off are made nigh (near) by the blood of Christ. For he (himself) is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition (division) between us.’ (Eph. 2:13-14) 

Isn’t that wonderful! The shedding of Christ’s blood at Calvary broke down the walls between Jews and Gentiles, making us all, the ONE church of Christ. So please let’s not allow them to define us as anything but children of God, because that’s who we are above everything else. 

Now, the second quote says: ‘We all have problems. But it’s not what happens to us, [it’s] the choices we make after.’ And that’s true to a large extent. In many cases it’s our reaction to our problems that causes us more pain and sorrow than the problems themselves. That’s why it’s always necessary to have a good attitude when problems surface. And though that’s easier said than done, if you are a child of God, a follower of Christ Jesus, He will enable you to bear up under any problem that comes against you. 

As He faithfully declares (yesss!!!) in John 16:33: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ Wow! What an awesome promise! And if we believe Him, then when problems arise, we won’t be running around like chickens with our heads cut off, but be able to adopt a good and sensible attitude towards them, and handle them successfully with God’s help. 

Please note that Christ did not say we won’t have problems, but rather the opposite, we WILL have tribulations in this world, especially if you are a believer in Christ. And Bruh Paul confirmed that in his second missive to Timothy. ‘Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.’ (2 Tim. 3:12) 

But then, to the church at Rome, Bruh Paul makes this most important and definitive statement. ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:37) How wonderful it is to know that despite the many problems we will face in this life, that Jesus will help us to handle them with a good attitude. 

And the last quote says: ‘You do not find the happy life. You make it.’ There’s much truth to that also, because we just can’t sit down and expect to be happy, since the world doesn’t generously give out happiness, but rather tribulations. So, for happiness to exist in our lives, we must actively make ourselves happy. That’s do things that will make us happy. 

However, not everything that makes us happy is good for us. And too often happiness depends more on our circumstances than our normal way of life. Meaning that happiness is not always a persistent frame of mind, but very liable to change as our circumstances do. But when we talk about joy…then that’s an entirely different story! For joy is a basic way of life; a stable and steady perspective that doesn’t change with our circumstances. And we can only have true joy with Jesus as the Lord and Saviour of our lives. 

That takes us back to our earlier conversation on handling problems, about having a good attitude towards our lives in general, and problems in particular. And it’s only with the peace and satisfaction found in Jesus is that possible. That means our biggest and most important need in this life is to find Jesus and stick to Him like white on rice! When we do that, our joy will overflow, and we will enjoy the abundant life He died for us to have. Much LOVE!

…Jesus is the answer…to everything in our lives… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ              

Today’s Scrip-Bit   23 September 2022 Deuteronomy 31:6.

23 Sep 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Deuteronomy 31:6.        Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee nor forsake thee. 

Well friends, at long last the cool weather seems to be creeping in, and the summer-like temps we’ve been having into late September will soon disappear. For example, today, as we declare ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ our temperature is around ten degrees Celsius, and is not expected to get higher than 16. And we really can’t complain nuh, because in these northern climes, this September has been awfully good to us weather wise. I can’t remember seeing such summer-like weather in September in a long, long while. 

But as they say, an end to all good things must be, so let’s say ‘Thank You Lord!’ It was good while it lasted, and let’s now proceed to get ourselves ready for the big chill, which will eventually come…as it always does. (smile) And the good thing about being a follower of Jesus is that we can handle whatever situation we face in this life, because He is always there with His Holy Spirit to protect us, to lead and guide us safely through any storm that comes against us. And in God’s Word, the Holy Bible, there are numerous promises of protection and safety. 

However, it’s not just carte blanche protection, without any problems whatsoever. And I believe this qualification on God’s protection from an article on the subject on the website biblestudytools.com gives us a good foundation for what to and what not to expect. ‘The Bible informs us about the protection of God. As humans, we want to see God’s protection as a magic force field that keeps us from all harm. Yes, God can prevent any evil or destruction, but we must remember that we live in a fallen world where we have free will. 

Many times, God works in ways that we do not understand. Sometimes God’s protection comes in the form of peace and strength in the middle of despair. Other times God’s protection comes as an ending because he sees something more on the horizon that we cannot see. As a believer in Jesus, we are promised a new life covered under the protection of God in which NOTHING can separate us from His love. Rest knowing that no matter what hardship you face, God is your provider and protector!’ 

And that’s the gospel truth! Now let’s look at some Bible verses that extol and support that contention. And there’s no better place to begin than in Psalm 18, where Bruh David offers thanksgiving for deliverance from his many enemies. He begins by declaring (yesss!!!): ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps. 18:1-3) 

And my faithful brethren, we all know Bruh David’s story; the unfair treatment he received at the hands of many enemies, chief of them being King Saul, his unfortunate dalliance with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah, and the many other tough times he went through. But the Lord brought him safely through them all, though not without tough consequences for his disobedience. But that was because throughout it all, he never faltered from the faith of his forefathers, and kept on trusting and communicating with God despite all his misfortune. 

As I like to say, Bruh David knew on which side his bread was buttered, and never wavered from it. That’s why the Lord called him a friend and a man after his own heart. Now do we know on which side our bread is buttered, and do we stick with Christ, like white on rice, despite the many unfortunate and unfair things that happen to us, as well as the many wrongs we do? That’s a most necessary provision for receiving God’s protection my people! You can’t be jumping from pillar to post and back again, or sitting on the fence and expect to receive God’s protection. With Him, it’s ALL or Nothing at ALL! 

We can’t be wishy washy. For remember what James says: ‘A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ And that person who wavers and doubts will not receive anything from the Lord. (James. 1:6-7) Yes friends, we need to be like Moses told the Israelites a long time ago: ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6) 

Now that my brethren, that ought to be the basic foundation of our faith, one upon which we stand strong and steadfast, all armoured up with God’s spiritual protection. Namely: ‘the belt of truth around our waist, the breastplate of righteousness around our chest, our feet shod with the gospel of peace, the shield of faith to protect us from the fiery darts of the enemy, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, that’s the mighty word of God, which is sharper than any two-edged sword. And on top of all that we add prayer, supplication and perseverance! (Eph. 6:14-18) 

Mama Mia! Nothing can beat us when we are thus ensconced in God and His spiritual armour! So you see, we just can’t sit and wait for God’s protection, there are things we also need to do to enable it in this fallen and sinful world. And I’m chuckling here, because I wanted to include more scripture verses on the subject, and now we’re out of time and space. But that’s how I was led. And looking back on what we’ve said, I believe it’s all good. And just for good measure, (smile) we’ll offer some of those scriptures we had in mind. ‘Psalms 23, 121, 91, 34:19, 46:1. Isaiah 41:10. Joshua 1:7-9. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9. 

And finally, the words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, found in John 10: ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck (snatch) them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck (snatch) them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.’ (John 10:27-30) Please note my fellow saints, that there, Jesus showed His total belief in the strength and power of His Father and so should we, if we expect to receive His awesome protection. 

Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking the divine help, which we so badly need. As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the viruses and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. 

Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the viruses and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. 

And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

And now, my people, if we desire to see positive results from our prayer, we need to do what we promised, namely turn from our evil ways and be faithful and trusting servants, good examples to those around us, with good motives filling our hearts. Much LOVE!

…our walk with Christ…is not a one way…but a two way street… 

P.S. Yes, it’s long…but good…and you like it, just as I do. (smile) Much LOVE! 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8​