09 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, a tug-of -war, all for our benefit, an individual and corporate matter, can ye not watch an hour with me, contrary to one another, crying out for help, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, desires, discontent, dissatisfaction, divine aid, enveloped in, evil yearnings, faith, flooding, for what I would that I do not, forsake the dictates of our flesh, Friday chant, God's omnipotent help, God's defence is stronger than Satan's offence, holy spirit, I am carnal, I don't do what I want to do, if ye be led of the Spirit, Jesus Christ, LOVE, melting snow, mercy, one for all all for one, prayer is indispensable, praying always with all prayer and supplication, problems are escalating, salvation, sinful world, sold under sin, spiritual combat, stand strong and steadfast, struggles against sin, temptation has become more appetizing, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that which I do I allow not, the armour of God, the Christian is a battlefield, the Christian's moral life is governed by the spirit, the devil is a wily beast, the embrace of temptations tentacles, the flesh falls prey to sin, the flesh is weak, the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, the flesh seeks to thwart the Spirit, the Garden of Gethsemane, the law is spiritual, the perfect truth, the spirit against the flesh, the Spirit attempts to frustrate the flesh's evil desires, the spirit indeed is willing, the Spirit-filled person is not under the law, the strength of the Spirit, the throne of grace, the weakness of the flesh, trusting faith, truth, uses even the angelic to do his dirty work, wake up and smell the coffee, walk in the Spirit, watch and pray, watching thereunto, what I do I don't understand, what I hate that I do, when the Christian is led by the Spirit, wisdom, wise guidance, with all perseverance and supplication for all saints, ye cannot do the things ye would, ye enter not into temptation, ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh, you are not under the law
Matthew 26:41. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Ah mih people, unfortunately we’ve gone back to the wet, cloudy scenes, after such a nice sunshiny day yesterday. So much so that the usual Friday offertory of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ wasn’t as joyful as it usually is. And if you listen to the weather people they will give you some ominous news about the temperature going into double figures, and even a record high for this time of year, with possible flooding and whatever comes with melting snow. At mid-morning it’s already up to 8 degrees Celsius, so anything is possible. We’re also supposed to get some very strong winds with the increase in temperatures, so if you don’t have to go out, don’t go. And if you do go, please be careful.
And today we’re going to talk about an interesting verse of scripture that Jesus spoke to Peter, James and John in the Garden of Gethsemane while going through some sorrowful times the night before His crucifixion. He left them to watch and pray for Him, while He went a little further into the garden to offer up His private prayer. However, when Jesus came back, He found them asleep, and chided them for not being able to watch for an hour with Him. (Matt. 26:38-40) Then He exhorted them to ‘Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ (Matt. 26:41)
Now that’s a monumental scripture filled with perfect truth; for our spirits are indeed willing to follow Jesus, but our flesh is weak, thus we so often end up enveloped in the tight embrace of temptation’s tentacles. And if Jesus thought temptation was bad back then, He would be surprised to see what it’s become in today’s world; the many unique, fascinating, tantalizing and deceitful things we’ve done with it to make it more appetizing and welcoming. That’s why we have to keep such a close watch over the things and people we get involved with, for the devil is a wily or very cunning beast and uses even those who seem angelic to do his dirty work.
Consequently, when Bruh Paul talks about the armour of God, at the end, he emphasizes the importance of prayer, despite all the spiritual armour we might be wearing. He writes: ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and the supplication for all saints.’ (Eph. 6:18) That means prayer is indispensable my fellow believers. Even with God’s armour, we still need prayer, for the armour alone is inadequate to achieve victory. And with the Spirit’s help we ought to make such prayer for divine aid, not only praying for ourselves, but also for all the saints of Christ. As the scholars say: ‘spiritual combat is both an individual and corporate matter.’ And indeed it is, for we are all one in Christ. As the saying goes: ‘One for all and all for one!’
Then we have some scriptures where Bruh Paul also talks about the strength of the Spirit and the weakness of the flesh. And this first scripture gives us a good idea of how the flesh falls prey to sin. In Romans 7, he makes this statement: ‘For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal (fleshly), sold under sin. For that which I do I allow (understand ) not: for what I would (want to do), that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.’ (Rom. 7:14-15) Yes friends, even Bruh Paul had his own struggles against sin, however he set some good examples for all of us believers who also struggle with the weakness of our flesh.
Then in Galatians, He advises us thus. ‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.’ (Gal. 5:16-18) Oh my brethren, as the scholars explain: ‘One’s sinful human nature (flesh) and the Holy Spirit lusteth against one another, that is they have desires and yearnings that are contrary to one another. The Christian, then, is a battlefield, having desires to do good and evil.
The outcome is that ye cannot do the things that ye would: the flesh seeks to thwart the Spirit, who in turn attempts to frustrate the flesh’s evil desires. But that doesn’t mean we’re in a hopeless tug-of-war between the flesh and the Spirit, for when the Christian is led of (by) the Spirit, he yields to Him to turn away from the flesh’s evil yearnings, thus putting sin out of his daily life. The verb “led” indicates voluntary submission: the believer decides by whom he will be led – either by his flesh or by the Spirit. The Spirit-led person is not under the law. The Christian does not need the restraints of the law because his moral life is governed by the Spirit.’
So, we do have two different forces fighting for supremacy in our lives, but as true believers in Christ Jesus, we must forsake the dictates of our flesh and be led by His Spirit which shows us the way He desires us to live. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Friday Chant seeking divine aid. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you.
Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And friends, we too need to wake up and see what’s happening to our world, get ourselves together and make some improvements to it through our Christian behaviour. Remember, it’s all for our benefit! Much LOVE!
…Satan’s offence might be strong…but God’s defences are stronger…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree, even unto death, grace mercy salvation, he hath made him to be sin for us, his sweat was as great drops of blood, I am the beloved of god, if it be possible, in god's eyes, Jesus - the number One person, let this cup pass from me, LOVE, made the righteousness of God, My God my God, my soul is exceeding sorrowful, negative possibilities, not as I will but as thou wilt, o my father, only the Father can rejuvenate our spirit, overcome the weakness of the flesh, poor frame of mind, pray that ye enter not into temptation, share His love with the world, tarry ye and watch with me, the agony of spiritual death, the curse of sin, the flesh is weak, the Garden of Gethsemane, the sin-bearer for all mankind, the spirit indeed is willing, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, watch and pray, who knew no sin, why hast thou forsaken me
Matthew 26:41. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
And it’s a beautiful, sunshiny, though somewhat cold Tuesday morning! But that’s to be expected in the middle of winter. So once the sun is shining and we have Jesus as the number One person in our lives, then ALL’S right with the world, or at least our individual worlds. (smile) And yuh better believe that if we didn’t have the grace, mercy, salvation and all the other good benefits that following Jesus brings, I don’t know what would become of us. I refuse to even think of the sad, sorrowful and negative possibilities.
And I can testify to some of that right now, because today I’m tired and in a poor frame of mind. Yes friends, the ole fella is only human, and though most days I’m upbeat and carefree, sometimes I get down and tired, just like everybody else. (smile) And please note, that if you are also in the same tired and poor frame of mind, note that it’s not something to be ashamed of, for even our Lord and Saviour Jesus in His earthly sojourn, experienced that lowdown, tired feeling, and that’s why He so often went off by Himself to pray to His Father.
That’s because only the Father in His amazing generosity and LOVE can rejuvenate our spirit! And the best example we have of Jesus’ tired spirit is that night before His crucifixion when He went with His disciples to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knew what was ahead, and that it was for that express purpose He had become flesh, but obviously as flesh, He still preferred not to experience the terrible things that were waiting in store for Him.
The Good Book tells the story thus: He left the main group of the disciples at the front of the garden, telling them: ‘Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him, Peter and the two sons of Zebedee (James and John), and began to be sorrowful (grieved) and very heavy (deeply distressed). Then said he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye (stay, wait) here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Matt. 26:36-39)
Now Luke’s gospel adds to the story. ‘And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.’ (Luke 22:43-44) And the scholars offer this interesting explanation on those verses.
‘22:43-44. Only Luke notes this. Jesus is borne up in His hour of greatest need, when He must intercede not only for Himself but for His followers, who are about to leave Him in the lurch. Agony appears only here in the New Testament; it points to the intensity of Jesus’ struggle. Surely Jesus wrestles, not so much with death itself, but with His own destiny to be made the sin-bearer for all mankind for all the ages. The punishment that had to be borne for our sins brings Jesus to His knees in anguish,’
And why wouldn’t it eh friends? The saving of the world from sin, would be the biggest occurrence after its creation. And it was all on Jesus’ shoulders. It would be like in Greek mythology, Atlas carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. No wonder on the cross, ‘At about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt. 27:46)
And the Lord had forsaken Him. It was the first and only time they had been on separate sides. For as the scholars explain: ‘Here we have the high cost to Christ of His atonement for our sins, who was accursed of God as our sin-bearer (c.f. 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13) and suffered the agony of spiritual death for us.’
Now, this is going to make the Bit longer than I had originally planned, but since those referenced scriptures are ever so important to the understanding of Jesus’ situation, and only a few of us will check them out, I’m going to quote them here. The first one says: ‘For he hath made him (Jesus)to be sin for us, who knew no sin: that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’ (2 Cor. 5:21) And the next one proclaims: ‘Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made (having become) a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.’ (Gal. 3:13) And that last part there comes from Deuteronomy 21:23.
And now that that’s all been settled (smile), we can turn to Matt. 27:50, which says: ‘Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.’ The scholars say: ‘He…cried…with a loud voice, as a shout of triumph, and yielded up His Spirit. In other words, having borne the wrath of God’s judgement against sin, He knew He had triumphed over Satan and the curse of sin.’
Yes friends, that was all for our benefit! The Lord suffered a horrible death, with unfair, unwarranted punishment just so that we could have the option of salvation and eternal life. But do we seem to appreciate it eh? Not really nuh, when so many of us have turned away from Him, even refusing to acknowledge His name and His great work on our behalf.
However, let’s go back to that night in the Garden of Gethsemane, after the first of the three times He prayed the same prayer, and came back to His favourite threesome and found them sleeping: ‘he saith unto Peter, What could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ (Matt. 26:40-41)
And that is the gospel truth my people. Our spirit is usually willing, but our flesh, which belongs to Satan is very weak and very susceptible to the wiles and deceits of the enemy. That’s why we need prayer; prayer of the serious and sincere kind, if we are to overcome the temptations of sin. Only through the power of Jesus cross and His shed blood can we successfully fight the devil and his evil cohorts, whose only intent is to keep us away from the LOVE, the mercy, grace and salvation offered by Christ.
And I’m chuckling here my fellow saints, because my spirit has been lifted…give the Lord thanks and praise! That’s because I’ve been involved in His Word and been seeing how Jesus handled the low ebb of His spirit while here on earth with us. So there’s no doubt of the truth that communication with the Lord and His Word is the best way to lift our tired and weary spirits. And for those of us who truly believe that, let’s go home now declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Now all that’s left is for us to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…it’s tough to do…but if we sincerely concentrate on Jesus…we can overcome the weakness of the flesh…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
31 Dec 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, avoid any more serious setbacks, be responsible, bey the example, bring a lot of backsliders, embrace your love and compassion, fight it as one, good intentions don't mean anything, heartfelt matters, in close proximity to each other, introduce a new flock, lest ye enter into temptation, let a deadly foe divide and conquer them, Lord we desperately need your help, loss of a child, LOVE, maskless people, New Year's Eve, refuse to take the necessary precautions, show them the error of their ways, spreading like wildfire, stay safe, the confusion and havoc, the flesh is weak, the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, the Omicron variant, the spirit against the flesh, the spirit truly is ready, the wise guidance, the worst thing that can happen to a parent, they become good actions, to stand before the Son of man, under the trials of the hour, wake up and smell the coffee, walk in the Spirit, watch ye and pray, we your faithful believers set, weighed down with surfeiting, ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things, ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh, your hearts be overcharged
Mark 14:38. Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.
Ah friends, let me apologize for the Bit being late, but I had some other heartfelt matters to attend to first. You know that saying when you think you have things bad, somebody else has worse problems than you. Now that’s the gospel truth! And life just takes pleasure in playing these little games with us. This morning I came down to write the bit, complaining about my aches and pains, only to open my e-mail and find a note from an old friend, regarding the funeral for the son of another old friend in T&T.
The funeral service was being streamed so I just had to watch it. And though my friend Haydn’s face was masked, I could see the terrible sadness and sorrow in the way he walked and his general deportment, because the worst thing that can ever happen to a parent, unfortunately happened to him, he lost a child to heaven, while he himself was still alive. Now that’s something I’ve always warned my children about; please don’t die before me, because I don’t know if I could handle it, and I don’t want to know either!
Now my friend is a medical doctor, and apparently his son died from Covid. So if a doctor can’t save his son, then who can be saved eh? It’s a rather trying situation my brethren. All over the world hundreds and thousands of people are dying from the virus, but yet, we are not taking the situation as seriously as we ought to. What’s it going to take eh? And today is New Year’s Eve, the night of the biggest parties around the globe. And believe me, there will be many big parties tonight, with maskless people in close proximity to each other, hugging and kissing, ringing in the New Year with joyful abandon.
But how many of those are going to live to see the end of that New Year eh? Definitely not all, if we don’t get our act together, sooner rather than later. The Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus is spreading like wildfire and we still refuse to take the necessary precautions to fight the bloody virus. It killed us in 2020, when we didn’t know much about it. It killed us in 2021, when we knew more about it. And it’s going to keep on killing us in 2022, if we don’t smarten up and come together and fight it as one!
And who knows if another more dangerous variant will soon pop up, to muddy the waters even more. Mankind is the most stubborn, foolishly proud, and hard-headed of all God’s creations! Even the wild animals with no sense of reason know better than to let a deadly foe divide and conquer them. But that’s why our world is in such a sad state of deterioration and destruction, with evil and ungodly strife, plus all the other negative emotions currently being so rampant and thus leading the way to our imminent demise.
Oh my people, it’s only through, togetherness; that’s LOVE, compassion and mercy for and to each other, will we ever be able to overcome our deadly enemy, the devil and his evil minions, who want to destroy our world. And it’s ONLY JESUS who can help us to accomplish that immense but not impossible task. But as He told His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane: ‘Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.’ (Mark 14:38)
Yes my fellow believers, it’s ever so important that we don’t allow the carnal lusts of our mortal flesh, the lies and deceits of the enemy, to influence our behaviour. Thus, these immortal words of Bruh Paul to the Galatians, re walking in the Spirit. ‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.’ (Gal. 5:16-18)
Oh friends, when we yield to the Spirit’s leading, we yearn to put sin out of our daily life, and He enables us to do it. And Luke, uniquely in his gospel, further expounds on that theory, when he quotes Jesus, saying: ‘And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged (weighed down) with surfeiting (carousing), and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth: Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.’ (Luke 21:34-36)
And the scholars offer these interesting and important explanations. ‘21:34. Surfeiting means “to indulge one’s appetites excessively.” No believer is beyond the temptation to fall into sin. Jesus warns against slackness and lack of daily readiness in the Christian walk.’ And yuh better believe that tonight, all around the world there will be lots of ‘surfeiting’, carousing, debauchery and lots of slackness all in the name of ringing in the New Year, with lots of resolutions and good intentions that will fall apart as soon as the year returns to normal, with the drudgery of everyday work and living asserting themselves.
But listen to this explanation from the scholars re verse ‘21:36. Prayer is the better part of valour when persevering for Christ under pressure. Prayer alone will enable one to stand before the returning Son of man when those all around are falling, whether in condemnation before Christ or to the temptation to deny Christ under the trials of the hour.’ Blessed be the holy name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, my people!
And since prayer is so important in our staying godly and righteous, let’s go to God right now in prayer, through our Friday Chant, sincerely seeking His help for our many problems. ‘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 Covid-19 virus 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 virus 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 I shouldn’t have to remind us, but I will (smile), that ONLY if we set a good example as faithful believers, will the Lord seriously and sincerely entertain our prayer. Much LOVE!
…good intentions don’t mean a thing…until they become good actions…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
16 May 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: an ambassador, assurance, breastplate of righteousness, chains, compassionate heart, corporate matter, curse, destiny, divine aid, eagerness, eternal glory, falling short, fiery darts, first person singular, flourish in our society, for all saints, galvanize us into action, God's Word, greedy motives, hope, in bodns, in christ's gospel, in the name of Jesus, in the Spirit, LOVE, men ought always to pray, negative word, never fulfilled, no giving up, not faint, not lose heart, of christ's heart, open my mouth boldly, prayer, praying always, preparation of peace, prosper, self-control, self-discipline, selfish, shield of faith, spiritual armour, spiritual combat, stressful, strife-filled times, success, supernatural wisdom, supplication, the flesh is weak, the gospel of christ, the helmet of salvation, the parable of the unjust judge, the spirit is willing, the Spirit of God, the Truth, the truth of God, Thursday Blessings, two edged sword, utterance, warm the cockles, watch and pray, watching, with all perseverance, with all prayer
Ephesians 6:18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
Oh yes, it’s bright and sunshiny and even warm too! Glory to God! Yeh friends, the day’s begun the way a day is supposed to begin; with the light of Jesus shining brightly in and through our lives! (smile) Oh, is it ever good to wake up to sunshine after all that watery precipitation.
And would you believe that yesterday afternoon with sunshine flowing, the rain still made its way down! But I guess that shower was just to wash away the remaining clouds, because after that the sun came out even brighter! Thanks be to God!
And I want to apologize for not giving us the whole story a couple of days ago when we dealt with the spiritual armour of God. Yuh know we’re fully protected once we have our loins girded with the truth of God, and the breastplate of righteousness is secured fast against our chests, and our feet are properly shod in the preparation of peace, the eagerness provided by the gospel of Christ.
Not to mention having that all important shield of faith to protect us from the fiery darts of the enemy, our heads protected by the helmet of salvation, the hope and assurance of eternal glory in God, while wielding that terrible two edged sword of the Spirit, God’s immortal, powerful and life changing Word!
Yes friends, it all looks good, but there is one necessary part, one thing is needed to get it all going, to galvanize us into action; and that’s prayer! Without prayer, our armour is not worth a whole lot. That’s why Bruh Paul warned after telling us all about the spiritual armour: ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’
Oh my people, prayer is always the most important item in any earthly situation! And the scholars’ explain that verse thus: ‘6:18. Praying is grammatically linked to ‘stand” in verse 14. Without prayer God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. Prayer is indispensable. Always means “on every occasion,” that is, when Satan attacks.
In the Spirit signifies that with the Spirit’s help such prayer for divine aid is to be made. Watching thereunto means “being vigilant in this very matter” of prayer. They are to pray not just for themselves but also for all saints; spiritual combat is both and individual and corporate matter.’
Oh my fellow believers that last part is especially important; we’re required not only to pray for ourselves but also for the rest of God’s church, all His saints, because we all need the Spirit of God to work productively in us, and prayer is the catalyst that gets it all going! And Bruh Paul made that abundantly clear when he continued after our Bit:
‘And (pray) for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery (the hidden truth) of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds (chains): that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.’ (Eph.6:19-20)
Yuh see friends, even though Bruh Paul was blessed with so much revelation from God, he still needed human prayer to help him do the job; speak boldly and openly about the truth in Christ’s gospel. Now tell me how much more do we, in these sad, stressful and strife-filled times need the prayer of our fellow believers eh? But sadly, because of the selfish, greedy and first person singular motives that currently flourish in our society, we don’t pray for our fellow believers as much as we ought to.
Too many of us supposed believers are focused only on our own selves, our own needs, wants and problems. But there is a lot of truth in the saying, that somebody out there is always suffering more than us, and need God’s help worse than we do! Let’s just remember that, especially we believers in this wealthy and prosperous, but ever so wasteful and selfish Western society! End of Sermon! (smile)
Oh, I forgot I wanted to add these two warnings of Jesus on the subject of prayer. First off: To His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane who should have been praying with Him, but instead fell asleep. ‘Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ (Matt.26:41) And isn’t that the awful truth!
The second warning is this: ‘And he spake a parable unto them (the disciples) to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) And the scholars give a nice, precise explanation of that verse. ’18:1. To faint means “to lose heart.” Precisely when tempted to give up, men ought to be strong in their resolve to pray.’ And that’s for certain sure friends, because there’s NO giving up in Jesus’ vocabulary!
And by the way, the parable mentioned above was about the woman seeking justice from the unjust judge. (Luke 18:2-8) And she only received it because she kept on badgering him, until in disgust, he finally relented. That’s how we ought to pray my fellow saints; always…and with confidence and humility!
Now let’s go home declaring (right ho!) those wonderful attributes bestowed on us believers in our Thursday Blessings. We’ve got to declare them for them to take effect. So as one sincere body of faith: ‘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 everyday! Amen!’
And remember, those blessings are not granted for us to selfishly hoard, but to generously share with the less fortunate. So let’s go out and do just that nuh, and thus warm the cockles of Christ’s heart! Much LOVE!
…without sincere and constant prayer…a believer’s life is never fulfilled…thus falling short of his destiny…
24 Apr 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sigh of relief, after the flesh, after the Spirit, anxieties of the world, can't serve God and mammon, cannot please God, carnal mind, carnally minded, death, enmity against God, eternal damnation, eternal life, fleshly matters, from the law of sin and death, god's own Son, good works, halfway home, heaven, I'm looking straight ahead, in the world, influence of the Holy spirit, law of the spirit, life, live life in the Spirit, made me free, no condemnation, not looking back, not of the world, obedience, of life in Christ Jesus, peace, righteousness of the law, set their minds, sin, spiritually minded, the believer's life, the breath of life, the flesh is weak, the law of sin, the likeness of sinful flesh, the spirit is willing, the things of the flesh, the things of the Spirit, those in the flesh, to a glorious future with Christ, truly human, walk not after the flesh, walk of faith, Wednesday Wail, where your treasure is, your heart will be
Romans 8:5. For they that are after the flesh do mind (set their minds on) the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
And then it was Wednesday…and everybody breathes a small sigh of relief, for Monday and Tuesday are now past, and it’s just Thursday to get through before the big day of Friday!
Ah friends, so many of us waste our time looking towards the weekend that we don’t get to enjoy the weekdays! The Lord gave us seven days in a week, why only enjoy two or three eh? That way we’re wasting the majority of them and not realizing our full potential of joy and joyfulness that the Lord has made available to us.
By now, most of us should be mature enough, both in age and faith to realize that work is inevitable, and if so, we should just get with the programme! Furthermore, if we truly have Jesus in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, then we ought to be glad to have the chance to go out everyday and share Him and His Good News with others. Remember, that’s our earthly bounden duty.
The long and short of the story is that the day of the week should not really matter, we ought to just get up and do what we have to do with a warm and LOVING spirit, even though the body might feel otherwise. Yes, the spirit is usually willing but the flesh is often weak!
Remember too that we’re no longer carnal, living just to glorify our fleshly needs and wants, but spiritual beings, living now to glorify spiritual desires. That means we’re to live life in the Spirit rather than in the flesh.
And this is how Bruh Paul describes living life in the Spirit to the church at Rome. ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.’ (Rom.8:1) Glory be my people! If we’re walking in the Spirit, then the law of sin, the law of fleshly matters no longer condemns us!
Why? ‘For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.’ (Rom.8:3) Yes friends, that ‘law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus,’ is basically ‘the influence of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life to obedience and good works.’
Yes, it’s all about the Holy Spirit of Christ moving and working successfully in our everyday lives, our everyday walk of faith! ‘For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for (on account of) sin, condemned sin in the flesh.’ (Rom.8:3)
And the scholars explain that thus: ‘8:3. Law…was weak: There is nothing inherently wrong with the law. The presence of sin renders the believer powerless to do what the law demands. The likeness of sinful flesh: Christ was truly human but not a sinner. (2 Cor.5:21).’
And all of that happened ‘That the righteousness (righteous requirement) of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind (set their minds on) the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.’ (Rom.8:4-5)
Yes friends, it’s as simple as that…note I didn’t say easy! (smile) But if the things and problems and anxieties of the world are what drive our engines, then we will obviously be more concerned about them.
However, if the things of the Spirit, the things of God, are our driving force then we will walk more appropriately in the Spirit and not fulfill the carnal lusts of the flesh. ‘For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.’ (Rom.8:6)
Ah my faithful brethren, it could not be put any plainer and more straightforwardly than that! Why? ‘Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be.’ (Rom.8:7)
More simple logic friends! Carnality, or death, is not, nor can it be of God, because it involves sin, and God does not deal in Sin. Thus this conclusion: ‘So they that are in the flesh cannot please God.’ (Rom.8:8)
Neither is trying to sit on the fence, having one foot in both worlds the answer, for as Jesus so rightly said: ‘Ye cannot serve God and mammon (at the same time).’ (Matt.6:24) You can’t serve both the world and God at the same time. Plus we ought to be in the world, but not of the world, and wherever our treasure is stored, there will our hearts be.
Meaning that if we’re seeking the things of the world, then our hearts will be in the world, but if we’re seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then our hearts will be looking heavenward.
And the last word on the subject is: ‘For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify (put to death) the deeds of the body, ye shall live.’ (Rom.8:13)
So for those of us who are truly trying to look towards heaven, to live in the Spirit and not in the flesh, let’s go home now defiantly and sincerely declaring (Steups! wrong again!) our Wednesday Wail letting all and sundry know our esteemed position in Christ, so that they too can work towards it.
All together in strong voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And what an amazing and glorious future it will surely be! Much LOVE!
…LOVE for the things of the world…brings death and eternal damnation…LOVE for the things of God…assures us of heaven and eternal life…
09 Mar 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: accounted worthy, all that comes against us, anchor, as a snare, cares of this life, carousing, condemnation, daily readiness, deny Christ, drunkenness, escape, evergreen gardening thumb, fall into sin, fall into temptation, focus positively on God, foundation stone, Garden of Gethsemane, getting closer to God, give thanks, grow, help us to handle, I am carnal, in christ Jesus, indulge one's appetite excessively, it shall come, joy, March break, negative emotions, parable of the fig tree, Paul, pray, pray always, pray without ceasing, prayer, quench not the Spirit, rejoice evermore, resentment, sin dwells in me, sinful nature of our flesh, steal our joy, surfeiting, take heed to your selves, take root, temptation, that day come upon you unawares, the Christian walk, the enticing things of the world, the face of the whole earth, the flesh is weak, the joy of the Lord is our strength, the law is spiritual, the lures of his flesh, the returning son of Man, the spirit is truly ready, the will of God, to stand before, trials of the hour, two natures, watch ye, weighed dwon, your hearts be overcharged
Mark 14:38. Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.
Well it’s Saturday, March break Saturday, and the airports are still full of people trying to get away from this cold weather for a few days. Some of us though are not so blessed so we have to stay and stick it out. And I hear the groaning and grumbling: ‘Chuh man! why me eh?’
But let me remind us of this one very important fact; wherever we are right now is where Jesus wants us to be, and wherever He plants us, that’s where He’ll help us to handle all that comes against us, and we’ll even grow in our adversity and discomfort through His evergreen gardening thumb! And that’s no lie! What a Lord and Saviour we have my people!
And since today is Saturday it means we ought to check out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. Unfortunately, this week though, I’ve only received one quote from our friend Anselm, but it’s an interesting one, so let’s check it out.
And it says: ‘Every day we have plenty of opportunities to get angry, stressed or offended. But what you’re doing when you indulge these negative emotions is giving something outside yourself power over your happiness. You can choose to not let little things upset you.’ And that’s all gospel truth my brethren! It’s one of the ways the devil tries to steal our joy in Jesus, simply by letting little things offend us.
But we have to be strong and watchful and don’t allow resentment and other negative emotions to take root and grow in our souls, else our joy in Jesus will be completely destroyed. The enemy knows that the joy of the Lord is our strength (Neh.8:10) that’s why he goes after it. And sadly, so often, so many of us allow him to steal it, which throws us into depression, resentment and not being able to focus positively on our God.
And this Lenten season, when we are all wrapped up in getting closer to God is exactly when the devil is at his most rampant, because he obviously doesn’t want us to get closer to our Maker! That’s why Jesus warned the inner circle of His disciples, who were supposed to be praying with Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, but were instead sleeping: ‘Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.’
And nothing has changed since then friends, except possibly our spirit getting weaker as we go after the enticing things of the world more than we ought to. And if you don’t believe what Mark says, then hear it from Luke. After telling the disciples the parable of the fig tree, Jesus cautioned them thus:
‘And take heed to your selves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged (weighed down) with surfeiting (carousing), and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.’ (Luke 21:34-35)
Yes friends, too much carousing and good times can make us miss out on Jesus’ coming. The scholars put it thus: ‘21:34. Surfeiting means “to indulge one’s appetitive excessively.” No believer is beyond the temptation to fall into sin. Jesus warns against slackness and lack of daily readiness in the Christian walk.’
And sadly again, too many of us are not getting and staying ready for whenever Jesus reappears. And how do we not fall into that very unpleasant situation? Jesus gives us the answer: ‘Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.’ (Luke 21:36)
And here is what the scholars have to say about that verse. ‘21:36. Prayer is the better part of valour when persevering for Christ under pressure. Prayer alone will enable one to stand before the returning Son of Man, when those all around are falling, whether in condemnation before Christ or to the temptation to deny Christ under the trials of the hour.’
So there you have it my faithful brethren, prayer is the anchor, the foundation stone on which we must build our daily lives, otherwise we’re liable to fall into temptation rather easily and damage our reputation with Christ. And yes we all know that our Christian walk is not an easy row to hoe, for even that great man of God, Bruh Paul, had a hard time fighting the lures of his flesh.
Listen to his testimony. ‘For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal (fleshly), sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not (understand): for what I would do (want to do), that do I not; but what I hate, that I do. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto (agree with) the law that it is good.
Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would (want to do) I do not: but the evil which I would not (want to do), that I do. (Rom.7:14-19)
Yes friends, even Bruh Paul had problems with the sinful nature of his flesh, versus the spiritual nature of his mind. So we ought not to feel too badly when we experience the same struggle between out two natures, it’s a part of our earthly walk.
And we’ll end with Bruh Paul’s handling of the matter. ‘O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the (this) body of death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.’ (Rom.7:24-25)
Ah friends, there’s not much we can do about out two natures, except to try and let the spiritual law of our minds outwork the carnal and sinful nature of our flesh. And the best way to do that is through constant prayer. Much LOVE!
…rejoice evermore…pray without ceasing…in everything give thanks…for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you…quench not the Spirit… (1 Thess.16-19)
28 Sep 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a liar, a parable, and not faint, blessings, bring us close together, calamitous circumstances, commandments, compassionate heart, courage, creativity, curse, devastation, disaster, enter not into temptation, fall has finally fallen, feuding, foolish people, forgiving, Garden of Gethsemane, God is our only true help, greed, heavenly advocate, help, hurricane Maria, keepeth not his commandments, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, loving-kindness, lust for power, men ought always to pray, merciful, negative word, North Carolina, our Lord and Saviour, power of prayer, pray, preoccupations, prosper, purge the evil, rebuild, recover, Redeemer, religious intolerance, righteous lives, rumours of wars, sacrificed His sinless life, safe not sorry, self-control, self-discipline, sensible headway, share blessings, Sovereign ruler, strife, succeed, talent, temptation, the flesh is weak, the spirit is willing, Thursday Blessings, to this end, topsy turvy world, trust in jesus, truth, ungodliness, warmongering, wars, watch and pray, wild fires, wisdom, wise advice of Jesus
Luke 18:1. And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.
So friends, like fall has finally fallen! (smile) Yes, it’s still dark out at 7 a.m, it’s somewhat chilly, only 13 degrees, and yesterday I finally saw a set of fallen dry leaves merrily dancing in my driveway! That alone indicates to me that the weather has changed, or is changing.
Anyway, North Carolina is still feeling the wind and water effects of hurricane Maria with plenty shoreline flooding, as she makes her way northward and out to sea. Ah Lord eh friends, it certainly has been a devastating couple of months in so many places from so many forces!
And so much disaster has befallen us in the south and east, that we have forgotten that out in the west, where the devastation first began, they are still daily battling wild fires. Please, let’s continue to pray for them and help in any way we can, as we try to recover and rebuild on this side of the continent.
And my biggest prayer is that this set of calamitous circumstances will truly bring us close together, as we help each other. Also, that it will eventually lead to us realizing that God is our ONLY true help in this uncertain world, which will further lead us to wisely embracing His LOVING-kindness once more, as the Sovereign Ruler over our society.
In other words, we will purge the evil from our midst and go back to trying to live righteous lives, under His merciful and forgiving umbrella. That’s the ONLY thing that makes sense in this topsy-turvy world my brethren!
Right now we need the biggest LOVE Revolution our planet has ever seen if we’re to make any serious and sensible headway in our society. Just look at the number of wars, rumours of wars and bitter strife that’s taking place in our world, despite the overwhelming disasters in almost every part of the planet.
One would think getting together to alleviate those disasters would be the prime target of all nations. Hn! But no, feuding, warmongering, greed, religious intolerance and lust for power still seem to be our major preoccupations!
What a foolish people we are! And yet we boast about mankind being God’s greatest and wisest creation! Steups! What a joke!
Anyway, let’s turn to our Bit, which tells us the basic thing we need to do in this life, if we’re to succeed and prosper. ‘And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.’
Yeh my fellow believers, that’s the wise advice of our Lord and Saviour, our Redeemer and heavenly Advocate, the ONE who sacrificed His sinless life for us. So if we say that we believe in Him, then we ought to do what He says.
And John tells us right up front: ‘He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (1 John 2:4)
Unfortunately my people, that means we have a whole lot of liars in our society since so many of us don’t keep Christ’s commandments, although we claim to be believers! But that’s another story for another day! (smile)
Today we’re concerned with prayer and praying. And in Jesus’ most strenuous and difficult moments, in the Garden of Gethsemane, the night before His crucifixion, what was he doing? Praying to His heavenly Father. So Jesus knew the power of prayer and consistently practiced it.
On that momentous night, He also uttered another serious warning on the subject. His inner circle of disciples were supposed to be watching and praying with Him: ‘And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ (Matt.26:40-41)
That’s oh so true friends, but not too many, or not enough of us consider those words today, and that’s a major reason why our society is so awash in evil and ungodliness. So please, let’s consider them more than we do right now nuh. It’s all for our benefit, not God’s!
And if we sincerely believe and trust in Jesus, then let’s go home declaring our Thursday Blessings. Remember there is power in the word, and speaking it only enhances that power.
So in unison, emphatically and enthusiastically: ‘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 everyday! Amen!’
Glory be mih people! Now let’s go out and share those blessings as Jesus desires of us. Much LOVE!
…to be safe and not sorry…watch and pray…
10 Apr 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenaline, aura of love, be not proud, catastrophe, confidence, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, faith, fellowship, friends, give ear, glory hallelujah, gospel truth, hear ye, holy spirit, Holy Week, humble yourselves, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, Judah, lies, LOVE, loving-kindness, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, our hearts are right, Palm Sunday, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, the flesh is weak, the Lord has spoken, trust, truth, ungodly world, wisdom
Jeremiah 13:15. Hear ye, and give ear, be not proud: for the Lord hath spoken.
Ah mih people, I do hope we had a good Palm Sunday, and did not overdo it with too much rejoicing, (smile) for today is Monday and also the beginning of Holy Week. That means we need to get up and go out strong to work as well as be ready to go prayerfully into Holy Week and all the wonderful aspects of our faith that happen at the end of it.
And the Lord knows that although our flesh is weak, our hearts are in the right place. So let’s get a move on by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn which hopefully will get our engines started and our adrenaline richly flowing.
All together 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!’
Now that wasn’t a bad rendition at all my people, but certainly not good enough to make all heaven stand up and rejoice. So now that we have the adrenaline flowing, let’s go out into the evil world and do our ambassadorial duties much better than our singing nuh. (smile).
That brings us to our Bit. ‘Hear ye, and give ear, be not proud: for the Lord hath spoken.’ Yeh friends, it’s ever so important for us to hear and pay serious attention when the Lord speaks.
And what did He say: ‘Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.’ (Jer.13:16)
Oh my brethren, are we giving God the glory He so richly and rightfully deserves? I don’t think so nuh, because our world has become so evil and ungodly that a whole generation doesn’t even know Him. Such was the state of Judah in Jeremiah’s time. And the Lord used parable- like lessons through Jeremiah to teach them of their backsliding and the possible consequences if it continued.
Listen to what comes next: ‘But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock is carried away captive. Say unto the king and to the queen (mother), Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down (collapse), even the crown of your glory.’ (Jer.13:17-18)
Yes precious people, we need to step back and take a serious look at our society, what is currently happening and what can possibly happen because of our ungodliness and prideful walk.
Hear the scholars. ’13:15-17. A third illustration (parable-like lesson) concerns a weary traveller in danger of being overtaken by the falling darkness of night. Such was Judah. It must renounce all pride and give God His rightful glory before the final darkness of national catastrophe engulfs it.’
Oh friends, I couldn’t put it any better nuh. The darkness of night has overtaken our world so horribly, that darkness is all some of us know. Light, the bright burning flame of Jesus many of us have never encountered. Fortunately though, we believers, like Jeremiah, have been given the task of bringing Jesus’ light to this darkened world.
We are the ambassadors, the modern- day equivalent of the disciples that Jesus instructed: ‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt.28:19-20)
Now that is our task for today my fellow believers. So let’s get out there with diligence, hard work and excellence, perseverance and LOVING-kindness and do what we’ve been commanded to do nuh, like faithful and obedient ambassadors. Otherwise, our ungodly and wicked world is very liable to collapse around us in God’s wrath. And we wouldn’t want that now would we? Much LOVE!
…in a world full of darkness…only God’s people can bring light to it…
15 Feb 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, agony, an angel from heaven, anguish, annals of history, believer, but as thou wilt, come in through the window, could ye not watch with me, crucifixion, do the will of God, don't give up, enter not into temptation, eternal, eyes fixed straight ahead, fake, fell on his face, fraud, God Jehovah, good things, grace, great drops of blood, halfway home, hands fixed on the plough, heartfelt truth, heaven, horrific death, if it be possible, Jesus, let this cup pass from me, LOVE, Lucifer, mercies, mother, my brother, not as I will, not turning back, o my father, passion, pleasure, prayed, short-lived, sin-bearer, sister, slavish hold, sweat, temptation, the breath of life, the darkest before the dawn, the flesh is weak, the Garden of Gethsemane, the judgement, the spirit is willing, the ultimate in life, this is the day the Lord has made, thy will be done, watch and pray, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail, when fate shuts a door, when your number will play, worth his salt
Matthew 26:39. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Welcome, welcome, my fellow believers to another glorious day in the annals of History! There are brand new strands of grace, mercies and lots of other good things to enjoy, courtesy of our wonderful God Jehovah!
So let’s gratefully acknowledge and accept them like the psalmist did nuh, by declaring: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps.118:24)
And that’s the way it should be my people, because that’s how our magnanimous and omnipotent God planned it. Any believer that does not rejoice and be glad in God’s day is not worth his salt, or the name of believer.
Now here is a li’l something from my ‘P.S. I LOVE YOU’ Poster to titillate our senses. (smile) It says: ‘When fate shuts a door, come in through the window.’ The problem with that though, is suppose God shuts the door, then going in through the window might cause serious problems.
But generally speaking, I believe they mean don’t give up, to keep on trying, for one never knows when your number will play, it’s always the darkest before the dawn, and that sort of thing.
And we’ll get to our Bit right away. ‘And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’
Yes friends, Jesus’ soul was in agony, just like ours would be if we knew the horrific kind of death that was waiting for us in another few hours. It’s sad, that after praying our Bit, Jesus came back to His disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter: ‘What could ye not watch with me one hour?
Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except (unless) I drink it, thy will be done.
And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.’ (Matt.26:40-44)
So friends, we can see that Jesus prayed three times that the cup of death, that His horrific crucifixion could be nixed, although deep down He knew it could not be set aside, because that was the Father’s will. Nonetheless, he still experienced agonizing moments.
The gospel of Luke reports it thus: ‘And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.’ (Luke 22:43-44)
Yes precious people, Jesus shook it real rough that night in the Garden of Gethsemane, so much so that the Lord sent an angel to strengthen Him.
The scholars explain those two verses thus: ’22:43-44. Only Luke notes this. Jesus is borne up in His hour of greatest need, when He must intercede not only for Himself but for His followers, who are about to leave Him in the lurch.
Agony appears only here in the New Testament; it points to the intensity of Jesus’ struggle. Surely Jesus wrestles, not so much with death itself, but with His own destiny to be made the sin-bearer for all mankind for all the ages. The punishment that had to be borne for our sins brings Jesus to His knees in anguish.’
So yuh see mih people, the anguish and agony Jesus bore for us, so that we could be set free from the slavish hold that sin had on us. Now how can we not be eternally grateful to Him eh?
I really don’t know nuh, but too many people write Him off as a fake, as a fraud, and foolishly look to the evil Lucifer for pleasure. However they don’t realize that the pleasures of this world only last for a short time, then comes the judgement.
And we’ll close with one more instance of how Jesus shows the great importance of doing the Father’s will. This came on an occasion where He was teaching, surrounded by a crowd of people, when His brothers and mother came to talk to Him.
‘And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek (are outside seeking) for thee. And He looked round about at them which sat (in a circle) about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.’ (Mark 3:32-35)
Now that might sound a bit harsh to some, but to Jesus, the Father’s will overruled everything else, regardless of who was involved. May we also feel the same way, as we go home declaring our Wednesday Wail with mucho passion and heartfelt truth.
‘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, that’s the ultimate in life! Let’s not allow it to slip away from us, for worthless earthly pleasures. Much LOVE!
…the pleasures of earth are short-lived…but those of heaven are eternal…
19 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bombardment of prayer, a prayer revolution, and not faint, ask for forgiveness, confess your faults to one another, evil machinations, feeling of discouragement, God is faithful, God will not allow more temptation than we can bear, God will not forsake you, gospel truth, grace be unto you, grow in God's righteousness, healing, life is a bully -boy, lose heart, LOVE, making mention of you in our prayers, men ought always to pray, patience, peace, peace from God our Father, perseverance, pray for one another, prayer is indispensable, prayer is the greatest power on earth, prayer power, praying always, put on the whole armour of God, return to worshipping God, righteousness., spiritual growth, steadfastness, strengthened in your faith, supplication for all saints, temptation, the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man, the flesh is weak, the Lord jesus christ, the spirit is willing, walking in obedience to God's word, watch and pray, we give thanks to God always for you, with all perseverance, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit
Ephesians 6:18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
Greetings my Scrip-Bit family! ‘Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers.’ (1 Thess.1:1b-2)
Yes Friends, we do bring you grace and peace from on high, and it’s true that we always remember you in our prayers. Praying that you might be strengthened in your faith and grow in God’s righteousness each and every day. Do not forget that prayer is the greatest power on the earth, and Jesus recommended ‘that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1)
Meanwhile James wisely advises: ‘Confess your faults (trespasses) one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual (effective) fervent prayer (supplication) of a righteous man availeth much.’ (James 5:16)
That’s gospel truth my people! And what we need in these turbulent times is a prayer revolution around the world, where people of every creed and race, denomination and faith are praying for each other. With such a bombardment of prayer up to heaven, God would find it difficult to refuse our requests for peace and LOVE, healing and forgiveness.
But then too my brethren, the other side of the coin is that we would have to return to worshipping God the way our forefathers did, walking in sincerity and obedience to His Word. For remember it takes two to tango, two hands to clap, and one hand has to wash the other. So we can’t expect a whole lot of blessings from heaven without doing our part of walking in righteousness.
Now here is some more true and interesting advice from our Friend Anselm, aspiring to inspire us for a better tomorrow. He simply says: ‘Let no feeling of discouragement prey upon you, and in the end you are sure to succeed.’
That my Friends is indeed wise counsel! Why? Because discouragement only brings us down, makes us lose hope and faith and eventually give up on all our dreams and whatever desires the Lord has put in our hearts.
Now it’s not always easy to avoid discouragement, especially when our whole world seems to be falling down around us. But through patience, perseverance, steadfastness and stick-to-itiveness, we can succeed.
Life is in reality a bully-boy and will beat you down if you allow it to. But stand up strong to it and never give in to its bullying and false advice, and you will be surprised how it will step away from you…for a time that is. (smile)
And if we follow Bruh Paul’s advice to the Ephesians, re putting on the whole armour of God, in conjunction with our Bit, life and its cohorts like discouragement will never defeat us. ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’
Yes Friends, not too long ago we delved into the subject of the armour of God and discovered it was not enough to protect us from the evil one, but it needed prayer; that prayer was indispensable for the armour to work. But praying is not a one-time thing either. One must be constantly at it, as the first two words of our Bit declare: ‘praying always…’ and then ‘with all perseverance…’
That means not giving up, but keeping on regardless of the circumstances, knowing deep down in your heart of faith, that your ever-faithful heavenly Father will not abandon nor forsake you.
We also need to remember these words of Jesus to His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion, when His soul was exceedingly heavy and they couldn’t watch with Him while He prayed to the Father for a possible stay of execution. ‘Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but flesh is weak.’ (Matt.26:41)
Yes my people, we certainly need prayer power to keep us from falling into temptation, especially in these advanced days when there is so much temptation around. Note though, that prayer won’t stop us from being tempted, because that’s a normal fact of life, but it will help us from falling prey to temptation.
And on the point of temptation, hear these encouraging words of Bruh Paul to the Corinthians. ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.’ (1 Cor.10:13)
Now there are a few points we need to note in that passage my brethren. The first is that we’re not alone in temptation; all men suffer temptation during their lifetime. The second noteworthy point is that our faithful God will not allow more temptation to come upon us than we can bear.
And the third and most important point in that scripture is that the Lord will not necessarily make a way for us to escape the temptation completely, but on most occasions He will allow us to endure it and come out safely and stronger on the other side.
So please don’t go thinking that that means we’ll always escape or get away from temptation, because we won’t. Instead we’ll have the Lord’s help to handle it successfully. And that’s about all we can really ask.
So Friends, on this Saturday morning in mid-September, regardless of what activity we might be engaged in, let’s never forget the importance, the necessity and the power of prayer in a believer’s life, for without it, we will be severely stunted in our spiritual growth and easily fall prey to Lucifer’s evil machinations. Much LOVE!
…have a constant attitude of prayer…pray any and everywhere…pray about everything…pray for everyone…
Previous Older Entries
SCRIP-BITS 