The Folly of Man…Choosing Eternal Death over Eternal Life!

26 Jul 2024 Leave a comment

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

Romans 6:23.        For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through (in) Jesus Christ our Lord.

And then it was Friday, that magical day, where much of the world joyfully shouts ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last! No more dreary and dreadful work for a couple of days! Thank The Lord!’ Then we go off for the weekend, do our own carnal and lustful thing and entirely forget about the Lord who granted us the weekend away from the dreary and dreadful work! Now that’s gratitude for you! Forgetting about the One who has given you all good things! 

Remember what James, Jesus’ brother says about that? ‘Do not err (be deceived) my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness (variation), neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.’ (James 1:16-18) 

Yes friends, God is the creator and owner of everything in this universe, as Bruh David so rightly informs us in Psalm 24: ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers).’ (Ps. 24:1-2) And as James tells us above, He’s good and faithful and all good things originate and emanate from Him. 

Then He’s also stable, solid as a rock, He doesn’t change! He’s the same yesterday, today and forever! And there could be no more appropriate scripture to show that attribute than these words of Bruh David from psalm 18: ‘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 (stronghold).’ (Ps. 18:1-2) 

And furthermore, on top of all of that, God has redeemed us to be the first step or first fruits in His redemption of all creation! And isn’t that the most wonderful fact ever! It most certainly is! For if God didn’t LOVE us with an immeasurable passion, we would all be headed straight for hellfire and eternal damnation. But because of His great LOVE, as Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Rome: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his great LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) 

Wow mih bredrin! Can you imagine a Creator LOVING His creation so much that He would move heaven and earth to give them a chance to survive their sinful and rebellious nature and be reconciled back to Him? Well that’s exactly what our great God did! He put a plan in place that we could have a second chance; that we could repent, believe on His Son, Jesus Christ and be set free from our bondage to sin and live in eternity with Him. Now, if that isn’t the greatest and most unselfish gift ever, then I don’t know what is! 

Remember friends, the Lord broke His own heart on our behalf, by pinning all our abominable sins on His sinless and selfless Son, and having Him die the death we were supposed to die. And let’s not forget what  the Good Library says on that subject. ‘For all have sinned, and come (fallen) short of the glory of God.’ (Rom. 3:23) Consequently the scriptures say: ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through (in) Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom. 6:23) 

So, my fellow believers, you can see that Jesus death on the cross of Calvary had the greatest impact in this world, since its original creation! It was an atoning death! A death in our stead! Imagine a father condemning his only son to death to pay for a bunch of ungrateful, rebellious people nuh. Very few fathers, if any, would make that great sacrifice. But our God did it on our behalf! That just goes to show how much He LOVES us! 

That then raises the question, why can’t we reciprocate that LOVE, which is only good and proper, compassionate, longsuffering, filled with grace and mercy, amongst many other attributes. It just boggles the imagination that after the Lord did so much for us, that we still have the ‘boldfaceness,’ the audacity to refuse His LOVING attentions and turn to the sinful and death bearing things of the evil one, Satan, the ex-archangel Lucifer, who got kicked out of heaven for having the audacity, the foolish pride, to try to overthrow God’s kingdom! 

He forgot that he was only a creation of God, and how can the created overthrow the Creator eh?  But, unfortunately, it’s the same thing that so many of us are doing right now; thumbing our noses at God and blatantly fulfilling the carnal desires of our flesh, devilishly and selfishly encouraged by Satan. Oh friends, it’s time for us to get wise to the devil’s shenanigans. He doesn’t care one iota for us. He’s just looking for company in eternal separation from God. Meanwhile Almighty God cares so much for us, as He’s proven through Jesus Christ. 

Now, let’s go to His throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, and ask for His help to handle our earthly problems in these desperate times of need. 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!’ 

Let’s be aware though, that no divine aid will be forthcoming, until we clean up our act and show ourselves to be worthwhile examples of Christian living. Much LOVE!

…God has done all He can to win our LOVE… the rest is up to us…

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

The Wisdom in Living a Simple, God-directed Life!

19 Jul 2024 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 3:5.       Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

And then it was Friday… but the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! were not as loud or as plentiful as they usually are because many people are still in disaster mode and don’t have the enthusiasm, energy or faith to raise their voices in praise. But raising out voices in praise is exactly what we ought to do in dire situations because acknowledging God raises our levels of energy, enthusiasm and faith, despite our negative circumstances. 

And to make matters worse, this morning there’s been a technological breakdown with a computing firm called Cloudstrike, which has paralyzed systems and events all over the world. It’s not a hacking or invasion of the system but a technological problem and hopefully by day’s end it will be corrected. But in the meantime many institutions, both large and small cannot carry on their business as usual. Consequently, a large portion of the population has also had their activities curtailed by the outage. 

It just shows the tremendous reliance we’ve placed on technology and the worldwide difficulties it causes when something goes awry. But that’s the way of our current world, Information Technology (IT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are now ruling the roost. And we’re now experiencing what can happen when we place all our eggs in one fragile basket, for though technology is wonderful when it works properly, but the smallest wrinkle can cause monstrous problems. 

We just have to learn to handle those times when technology lets us down. And the first thing we should always do when unexpected situations arise is go to God in prayer for wisdom and strength to handle them. He is our guide and protector and will NEVER lead us down the wrong path. And we have God’s faithful promise of that from way back when Moses said it to the Israelites: ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’ (Deut. 31:8) 

Yes friends that’s the Lord’s ever-faithful promise! And since He does not change, as this commentary tells us: ‘Malachi 3:6 says, “I am the Lord, I change not.” Hebrews 13:8 says Jesus is the same “yesterday, today, and forever.” When everything else shifts and changes, you and I are still standing on a solid, unchanging foundation.’ Wow! What assurance we have my brethren! 

And furthermore God doesn’t lie, as the Bible assures us: ‘God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?’ (Num. 23:19)  That means whatever He promises, or says He’ll do, it will be done! Matter fixed! And when it comes to seeking godly direction, these wise words from the wisest man who ever lived, Cousin Sol, should be our guiding light. 

‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy way acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine. My son, despise not the chastisement of the Lord; neither be weary of (detest) his correction: for whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov. 3:5-12) 

Oh friends, those are verses to live by! Why? Because they encompass all of what God expects from us! Trusting in Him, and not in ourselves; having a reverential fear of Him and not engaging in evil; honouring Him by being generous in our relationships, first to him, and then to our fellow man; and not despising His correction when we do wrong. If we follow those basic desires of God, then our paths will be straight, our bodies will be strong and healthy, our lives will be prosperous; overall, the Lord will cause His face to shine upon us. 

But yuh know what? Our intelligence and information levels have risen so much in the last century, that we no longer focus on the simple things in life, everything now needs to be more sophisticated and complex, otherwise it’s not worthwhile. But friends, the simple things have always been, and will always be the best way to go. And we’ve said that to point out the simple commands that Cousin Sol lays down for the perfect Chrisitan life, but we try to make it much more complicated than it ought to be. And hopefully, this time around, those simple directives will stick in our minds and we’ll put them into action and thus simplify out much too complicated lives. (smile) 

Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant to help with our earthly problems. 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 if we truly desire divine aid, then we’ve got to set a better example as believers in Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!

…Jesus lived a simple life for a reason…it was the easiest and best life to live…

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

The Importance of Giving God Thanks for His Awesome Goodness and Mercy!

15 Jul 2024 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 107:1.        Oh give thanks unto the Lord for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING-kindness) endureth for ever. 

Another Monday…another day of work, bordered by morning and evening traffic jams! Yes, unfortunately that’s the sad reality in many big cities nowadays; not enough roads to handle the large volume of vehicular traffic. And don’t talk about that concrete jungle called Toronto! Right now, it’s even worse than normal with the daytime repairing of two lanes of the Gardener Expressway which leads into the heart of the city. Then to make matters worse, almost every street is barricaded due to building construction or street repairs. 

Sometimes the confusion of construction and repairs in the summer months, makes you long for the relative peace of winter. (smile) But that’s how our world is set up; cram vehicles and people into the cities in the morning for work, then watch them try to rush out in the evening, without much success. And sadly the process contributes to the loss of a great number of man hours, severe frustration, physical and emotional strain. 

One would have thought that with the magnitude of wisdom supposedly entrenched in our society, a more efficient, less stressful system would be employed. However, that’s the way it currently is, and it won’t change for the foreseeable future, so let’s just say thank you we have a job to go to, despite all the frustration involved, for many of our fellow humans don’t have jobs and are facing much more severe hardship than us. 

That brings us to these most encouraging words from Psalm 107: ‘Oh give thanks unto the Lord for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING-kindness) endureth for ever.’ (Ps. 107:1) And that’s as it should be my fellow believers! For although we will encounter unforeseen negative circumstances in this rough and tumble life, our faith in Christ Jesus will enable us to face them from a position of strength rather than one of weakness. 

As Moses said to the Israelites: ‘And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken (heed) unto the commandments of the Lord thy God which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them (be careful to observe them).’ (Deut, 28:13) And what does that mean? Exactly what it says. If you obey the Lord’s commands you will never be inferior or the tail, but always superior or the head. 

And that leads us to this prayer based on Deuteronomy 28:3-14. ‘In the Name of Jesus, I declare…. I am blessed in the city and blessed in the country. I am the head and not the tail in my finances, my family, my health, my job and my ministry—not just sometimes, but all the time. Every day, in every way, I am the head and not the tail.’ Now that’s an interesting prayer we should offer up everyday. 

Then let us not forget these marvellously encouraging words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spareth not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?…Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:31-32, 37) 

Yes friends, if our great God, who willingly broke His own heart, gave up His most treasured relationship by crucifying His Son Jesus Christ for our benefit, why wouldn’t He give us lesser things than that eh? No reason whatsoever! 

And as this commentary further explains: ‘Nothing that enters our life is able or sufficient to separate us from God’s LOVE demonstrated at the cross. God’s LOVE allows the believer to be a conqueror in adversity. God walks with us through every adversity and hardship. We do not merely survive or squeak by. We do not just succeed.’ 

No my brethren, with God in our corner, we don’t just succeed, we overcome with flying colours.  As Jesus says: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And if we are His true disciples, then we too can overcome the world. 

Friends, it’s all a matter of faith, of belief. For as Jesus also says: ‘If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove (move); and nothing shall be impossible to you.’ (Matt. 17:20) Oh my people, Jesus was just highlighting that it doesn’t take much faith for God to work in a person, but the disciples needed to believe it, and so do we. 

Yes, we can know the Bible verbatim from cover to cover and don’t believe what it says, and then put it into action, then all our effort to learn it was a waste of time. The Bible is only useful when we believe it, then action it. Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking help with out many earthly problems. 

Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. 

So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And if we truly desire divine aid, then we need to turn from our evil ways and sincerely seeks God’s face. Much LOVE!

…head knowledge is of no use…unless it’s accompanied by heart action

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

The importance of being a good soldier in Christ’s army!

08 Jul 2024 Leave a comment

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

1 Corinthians 9:25a.       And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control).

Awright friends, it’s Monday…and there’s no birthday celebrations today. No. This is the start of a full work week, so please, let’s be up and about Christ’s business as we ought to, as good soldiers in His powerful army. And I guess there’s’ no better day to talk about fighting the good fight than on a Monday, when we’re supposed to be at our freshest and best, but so many of us seem uninterested and stale like day-old bread. 

That’s why Bruh Paul exhorted Timothy with these words of valour: ‘Fight the good fight of faith…Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship) as a good soldier of Christ… But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the works of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure (death) is at hand. 

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge shall give at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that LOVE his appearing.’ (1 Tim. 6:12a, 2 Tim. 2:3, 4:5-8) 

Oh my people, that’s the kind of buzz we need to make in this world. A stand for Jesus so strong that few can refute it. So that we can receive that crown of righteousness from the Lord when our time on earth is up. And no it’s not an easy stand to make, but we have all the tools to do it, beginning with the powerful Holy Spirit that indwells each of us. 

Then there’s the proctection of the spiritual armour of God that Bruh Paul talks of in Ephesians: The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, or the Word of God, that mighty two edged sword, all banded together with the equally powerful medium of prayer. (Eph. 6:14-18) 

Yes friends, with all of that firepower available to us, we cannot be defeated if we put it to good use. But it doesn’t happen automatically, we have to first put on the armour, then go out and fight the good fight. But before we fight that good fight, like all good soldiers, we also have to train, to practice, so that we can become efficient and effective on the battlefield. And that’s why Bruh Paul sets out this tough but sensible and oh so necessary training regime in his first letter to the church at Corinth. 

‘Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control). Now they do it to obtain a corruptible (perishable) crown: but we an incorruptible (imperishable). I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air (throws wild and unconnected blows): But I keep under (discipline) my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (be disqualified).’ (1 Cor. 9:24-27) 

Now that, my fellow believers is how we ought to be training to be good disciples and tough soldiers of Christ! Unfortunately though, too many of us supposed believers are not interested in taking up that training regime because they claim it’s too hard. But however you live life, it’s hard, and the only way to fight life is by being tougher than it, and you can only get tougher by long hours of practice and training. 

Too many of us are too enamoured with the wonderful amenities and entitlements the world has to offer and thus refuse to take up their armour, go into training and fight, but they still expect to receive an imperishable crown of righteousness come the day of judgement. Unfortunately though, I’m afraid those lackadaisical, apathetic soldiers will be sorely disappointed when those crowns of righteousness are handed out. 

If you refuse to pick up your cross daily and follow Christ as a good disciple, then Christ will leave you behind when he comes into His kingdom. It’s as simple as that my fellow saints. There’s no easy or simple way to cut it. Working for Jesus implies sacrifices and tough times, which we all have the wherewithal to handle, but we’re just too bloody lazy and only desire to live the easy life. 

But let’s remember that anything that’s comes too easily, will later on have serious repercussions. Life was just not meant to be easy. Whatever you want, you have to work for it.  So if you truly desire that imperishable crown of righteousness, then you’d better get up off your fat, lazy fanny and work for it! Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help us with our earthly problems. 

Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. 

So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And the best way to encourage divine aid is by humbling ourselves, praying and sincerely seeking God’s face. Much LOVE!

…good soldiers are not born…but are developed…through discipline and serious training…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   7 June 2024 Revelation 22:12.

07 Jun 2024 Leave a comment

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

Revelation 22:12.        And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give to every man according as his work shall be.

And that distinctive weekly shout has gone out all around the world: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! Just let me at that weekend!’ Ah mih people, we do LOVE our weekends, because they belong to us, not to any employer, and we don’t have to get up early to go to work, nor face frustrating traffics jams to get there, then spend the whole day with people we don’t like, or who don’t like us, then face more irritating traffic jams to get back home, tired as a dog. No, the weekend is ours; sanctified as such. (smile) But we still have to get through Friday. No problem! Apparently since we have a free day to look forward to tomorrow. 

How wonderful it would be if we could look forward to Christ and His salvation the same way, meaning, we’d have no problem living fully for Him today! That’s a major problem though with believers; for with Christ we can only look to today, that makes it difficult to live sincerely and fully for Him. But just imagine the rewards and benefits we’ll be having in  heaven with Jesus nuh. Remember what He says in Revelation: ‘And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give to every man according as his work shall be.’ (Rev. 22:12) 

That means Jesus can come at any time, like the proverbial thief in the night, and when He comes He will be rewarding people for their work on His behalf. So, if we want to get good rewards, then our work must be good. It’s as simple as that! And there is talk of rewards for working on Jesus’ behalf all though God’s Word. Let’s check out a few, like this one from Isaiah, where centuries before he spoke about the Lord’s coming with rewards. 

‘Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand (in strength), and his arm shall rule for him: behold his reward is with him, and his work (wage) before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is. 40:10-11) What a beautiful picture my brethren of Jesus’ coming and the work He will do. Doesn’t that just lift your spirits and increase your faith? It ought to, since it was prophesied long before the actual coming of Jesus. 

Now, here’s this scripture from Hebrews that speaks directly to our point.. ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb.11:6) Yes friends, it’s ever so necessary to believe that God exists and He rewards those who diligently seek Him. That’s from the famous chapter on faith, with people like Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joseph not knowing or seeing what lay ahead of them, but nonetheless placing their total trust and faith in the Lord God Almighty when He directed them to do things they knew not how to do, or to go places, not knowing exactly where they were going. 

And they were all greatly rewarded by Him for their diligence and faithfulness. The same thing applies to us today, as Jesus says in the gospel of Luke. ‘But LOVE your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again (in return); and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father is merciful.’ (Luke 6:35-36) 

However, at this current time in the world’s existence, rather unfortunately, the words ‘mercy and merciful’ are not well known, nor are their fruit much extended like our heavenly Father desires. What a pity! For if they and their fruit were better known and extended, then there would not be as much strife, greed, hatred and selfishness as there currently is on God’s great earth! 

And James, Jesus’ brother, adds his two cents worth to the mix, when he writes in his epistle: ‘Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that LOVE him.’ (James 1:12) Ah my fellow saints, all throughout the Good Library, the Bible, the indisputable truth of God’s Word, are deeply embedded promises of rewards, righteousness and all kinds of other goodies for expending one’s time and talents on the Lord’s behalf. Let’s hope that with today’s revisiting of some of those scriptures that our hope and faith will be renewed and lead us to better fulfill God’s plan for our lives. 

Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid to help in these desperate times of need. 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!’ 

Lastly, let’s remember these very significant words from our prayer: ‘the example, we, your faithful believers set.’ And then go out and be very good examples, so others can see the benefits of believing in Jesus and follow our example. That’s the first step in receiving divine aid! Much LOVE!

…many more salty…light filled…true disciples of Christ…is what our world badly needs…RIGHT NOW…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   31 May 2024 Philippians 4:5a

31 May 2024 Leave a comment

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

Philippians 4:5a.       Let your moderation (gentleness) be known unto all men. 

And the end of the month of May, could not fall on a better day…Friday! Thus all the glorious shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and another summer weekend is in the offing!’ We get all worked up about our weekends, especially the summer ones, because we can get out there and go where we want, and do whatever we want without the restrictions of the winter weather. We’re free and easy! But please, let’s not go wild and behave like leggo beasts, for that’s exactly how the enemy, his satanic majesty, wants us to behave; to forget God’s warnings, His rules and regulations and just fly without any reservations. 

And once in a while, it is good to fly without reservations, although there is usually a price to pay when we do that. (smile) In the meanwhile, let’s remember these most memorable and oh so important  words of Bruh Paul to Timothy: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) Now the most important aspect of that statement in this case is the ‘sound or disciplined mind.’ Yes friends, that means we have self-control, which is also a fruit of the Spirit, wherefore we don’t go around flying off the handle or making hasty decisions, and going to the extremes. 

In other words, like Jeeves says, we need a modicum of circumspection or moderation in all things. Now, what does moderation in all things mean? And we have a couple of commentaries based on the meaning the world has of it. The first says: “Everything in moderation,” goes the old line, meaning don’t binge, and don’t abstain, but do take it easy on the bad stuff. Between the two poles of asceticism and indulgence, moderation is about never giving up or fully giving in.’ 

The second one gets more philosophical. (smile) ‘According to Craiutu, Aristotle considered moderation a moral virtue and Plato, in “The Republic”, described moderation as the harmony between reason, spirit, and desire. “It’s the disposition of the soul where reason, spirit, and desire are in agreement,” says Craiutu. “It’s more than just temperance.’ And strangely enough Bruh Paul wrote about it to the Philippians: ‘Let your moderation (gentleness) be known unto all men.’ (Phil. 4:5a) Now what’s this moderation business in the Christian life you ask? Is it the same as in the world? Yes and no. 

Here are a couple more commentaries on the Christian explanation of ‘moderation.’ The first tells us: ‘Let your moderation be known unto all men. Let your gentleness be evident to all. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. In any case, Paul’s idea is that don’t be so strict and extreme about the letter of the law; be fair minded, reasonable, and gentle.’ And the second says: ‘This characteristic of the Christian (moderation) must be a conspicuous one; that is, Christians must be well-known for their gentle, kind, courteous and tolerant ways with others. Put another way, behave as Jesus would because this was one thing Jesus was known for.’ Amen! 

And that’s basically all that moderation means: behave like Jesus! And yes, you claim that’s not so easy to do, because He was the Son of God, deity, sinless and strong, but we have His power, His Holy Spirit dwelling within us, which gives us the ability to behave in a decent manner…remember the spirit of power, of LOVE, and of a sound or disciplined mind.  No, we will never be perfect, but we don’t have to behave like the world behaves. And if we’re seriously intent on behaving like Christ, let’s not forget this scripture that Bruh Paul writes to the Philippians: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6) 

Yes my brethren, once the Lord has begun a good work in us, meaning making us like Jesus, raising us from glory to glory, He won’t stop until He takes us home, or Jesus returns. So we don’t have to be overly worried about behaving like Jesus if we’re serious about living the Christian life…which in fact is not easy, but very worthwhile. The whole thing boils down to the true state of our hearts, and how much we truly LOVE Jesus and want to serve Him the best way we can. And I believe that if we remember and meditate on these words of His, our lives will become fuller and more satisfactory. 

And it’s all about discipleship. ‘If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) Then there are these most telling words. ‘A new commandment I give unto you. That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35) Oh my fellow saints, I do believe that if we ponder and think on those words of Jesus, we will come to a positive realization in and of our Christian walk. 

Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking help to live up to our responsibilities in these trying and troubled times. Altogether:  ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough…  because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. 

And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’  

And I’d be seriously amiss if I didn’t point out that one of the requirements for getting divine help is setting a good Christian example. Nuff said! Much LOVE!

…a word to the wise is sufficient…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   13 May 2024 Luke 9:23.

13 May 2024 Leave a comment

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

Luke 9:23.       If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Another Monday, another new work week, but at least yesterday was a joyful celebration of our Mothers, and that gives us hope and confidence to get out into the dissolute world today and carve out a big piece of it, all in Jesus’ name! And we do that by being the salt of the earth, the light of the world and letting the fruit of His Spirit flourish in us, some thirty, some sixty and some one hundred percent! Wow! What a wonderful world we’d have if more of us supposed Christians would just make the effort, think of all that Jesus sacrificed on our behalf, and be willing to sacrifice just a little on His. 

But it seems oh so difficult for us to give up just a tad of our comfort and security, to let our humanity show forth, to add a li’l joy, LOVE and compassion to world that so badly needs them in these times of serious worldwide strife and suffering. It’s asking too much of us to be like Bruh Paul told Timothy: ‘Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Christ.’ (2 Tim. 2:3) And also later on: ‘But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.’ (2 Tim. 4:5) 

Unfortunately though, not too many of us are willing and/or able to brave the hardships of this cruel world and put up a good fight for Jesus. We seem to conveniently forget what we signed up for when we became disciples of Jesus. As He said it: ‘If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) And the important words in that statement are ‘deny himself… and take up his cross daily.’ 

Yes friends, we’ve got to deny ourselves and take up our crosses every day and follow Jesus if we truly desire to be His disciple. Nothing else will do!. And don’t forget these memorable words that tie in with true discipleship. ‘And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) Ah mih people, that’s such an important part of being a Christian. As the scholars explain: ‘Precisely when tempted to give up, men ought to be strong in their resolve to pray.’ 

And Jesus wasn’t just talking for talk sake. No! Because He modelled that very thing for us by the amount of time He spent in prayer to His heavenly Father. He didn’t do anything without consulting the Father, because He came to earth to do the Father’s will. Mark tells us: ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he (Jesus) went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35) 

And even when the obedience to His death on the cross faltered in the Garden of Gethsemane, He said to the disciples: ‘My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye (stay) here, and watch with me. 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.’ (Matt. 26:39) And He prayed that prayer three times, though deep down He knew that the cup could not pass from Him, because that was His major reason for coming to earth. 

And our heavenly Father is so faithful and compassionate that according to Luke, when Jesus shared His agony with the Father: ‘And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.’ (Luke 22:43) Likewise my fellow believers, when we share our deepest fears and agony with the Lord through prayer, He might not turn them aside, but He will surely give us the strength to handle them. As Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Corinth. ‘There hath no temptation (trial, tribulation) 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 can bear; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13) 

Oh friends, how much more can we ask eh? We’re not down here to just smell the perfume of the roses and have Sunday strolls in the park. No! We’re here to perform a job as the hands, feet, eyes, ears and noses of Jesus, in other words, ambassadors, so that the heathen, those who are still living in the darkness of Satan can be brought into the light that Jesus offers, wherewith salvation and eternal life can be attained. And until we wake up to that reality and begin doing what we’re supposed to do, this world will remain a total mess, and possibly get worse as the days go by. 

But the sad part is that we all know what we’re supposed to do, we’re just not doing it to the best of our ability. Anyway, to help us do better, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, laying our all before Almighty God. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

Now, let’s remember that divine aid only comes when we do certain things; turn from our evil ways, humble ourselves, pray and seek God’s face. Much LOVE!

…discipleship is indeed a tough row to hoe…but Jesus…through His Holy Spirit…gives us the wherewithal to walk the walk…

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ

Today’s Scrip-Bit   3 May 2024 Isaiah 55:6.

03 May 2024 Leave a comment

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

Isaiah 55:6.        Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

And this Friday morning in early May, as we shout ‘TGIF! Thank God It’s Friday!’ we celebrate the rebirth of the flora around us. Yes friends, spring has finally shown it’s green and wonderful face after such a long absence. And what amazes me, is that a couple days ago, trees that had no leaves, merely some brown buds, today are overflowing with greenery. But that’s how the awesome plan of God for the smooth running of the universe works; in mysterious ways that our finite and puny minds can never grasp or fully understand. 

That ought to remind us of these magnificent and oh so true words of the Lord, spoken through the prophet Isaiah, informing the Israelites, and us too, that God abundantly pardons. ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Is. 55:6-7) 

Ah mih people, that call which was issued to the Israelites in their season of rebellion and sinfulness so many years ago, is again being issued to us in our great sinfulness and ungodly ways, for few, if any other generations have been more wicked and ungodly than ours is today. And we badly need to seek the Lord for His mercy and pardon if we expect to survive for any length of time on this earth, because as we continue in our sinful and ungodly ways we keep destroying God’s planet as well as ourselves. And if we play the scenario out to its complete fulfillment then we’ll simply destroy the earth and all therein. 

That’s the foolish and arrogant plan we’re following right now. And the only way to put a stop to it, is to turn back to the God of our forefathers, who created and still controls the universe. And these further words of Isaiah ought to wake us up to reality, help us take our foolish heads from the sand in which it’s so thoroughly buried that we don’t know right from wrong, or whether we’re coming or going. 

Listen up: ‘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. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void (empty, without fruit), but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing which whereto I sent it.’ (Is. 55:8-11)  

Oh friends, we certainly cannot deny the truth of those statements! The Lord’s ways and thoughts are certainly higher than ours. His omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence far outweighs what little power and understanding we possess, and we cannot begin to understand His person and purposes. That’s why He is God and we are simply His creation! Although in our foolish pride we ofttimes behave as though it’s the opposite way, and we end up paying a hefty price for that unwise thinking. But unfortunately the high price of disobedience doesn’t stop us from being rebellious and ungodly. 

Let’s remember that our gift from God of free choice was not meant to choose the ungodly things of Satan, but the everlasting and wonderful things of God. But as always, mankind has abused that gift, turning more to the pleasures of sin advocated by Satan, than the pleasures of righteousness advocated by God. And that’s why our world is in such a mess right now, with strife and all the negative emotions of the evil one overwhelming our world. 

But here’s what the Lord promised the Israelites if they turned back to Him. ‘For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall calp their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up a fir (cypress) tree, and instead of the brier (thorny plant) shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.’ (Is. 55:12-13) 

Now doesn’t that scenario sound so much better than the one in which we’re currently enveloped? It surely does! So why don’t we turn from our evil ways, embrace the righteousness of God and make it come to pass eh? Remember, the sweetness of sin only lasts for a short while, then comes the payback. And payback is …hell! And that’s exactly what we’re suffering right now here on earth. Remember God’s Word will not be spoken in vain. Whatever it’s sent out to do, it will accomplish. And He sent it out in the first place promising salvation to all mankind, which has been accomplished by the work and sacrifice of Jesus. 

So please, let’s get smart nuh, use the wisdom that God gave us and turn back to Him while He can still be found. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace through the prayer of our Friday Chant, seeking the help we so desperately need in these evil and ungodly times. Altogether now: ‘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!’ 

Now friends, there’s an interesting proviso to receiving divine help…we must first show that we’re turning from our evil ways and being good examples of godly living. That’s what drives divine help! Much LOVE!

..a word to the wise is sufficient…

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ

Today’s Scrip-Bit   22 March 2024 Proverbs 27:1.

22 Mar 2024 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 27:1.       Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

Well, it’s that day, when all the voices around the world can’t help but sing ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ Let’s hope that those who went to work on clear, dry ground this morning won’t be too unhappy when they have to make the evening drive home in snowy weather conditions. Yes, the snow has begun coming down in my area, and granted, right now it’s merely trickling down, but as my Jamaican people would say, ‘one one cocoa full basket.’ And that’s the truth, a little of anything builds up over time, so if the snow continues to fall, even as slowly as it’s now doing, by this afternoon a fair amount would have fallen and made driving and walking conditions difficult. 

So, a word of warning, unless you must go out, don’t go! (smile) And today we’ll talk about a very popular but unwise thing that we all do from time to time. It comes from the wise words of Cousin Sol in Proverbs, under the general heading of ‘The Wrath of a Fool. It says: ‘Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.’ (Prov. 27:1) And doesn’t that sound familiar. It certainly does! For as James, Jesus’ brother, so wisely wrote to the Jewish diaspora. 

‘Go to now (come now), ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain (make a profit): Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice (boast) in your boastings (arrogance): all such rejoicing (boasting) is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.’ (James 4:13-17) 

Oh my people, what wonderful words of wisdom and good advice are to be found in that passage of scripture! First, we make all sorts of pronouncements about our future without including God, without even asking for His opinion and/or direction. That’s not wise, for who knows what another day may bring, since our lives are as vapour, that’s here one minute and gone the next. A lot of people went to bed last night expecting to get up this morning and continue life as usual, only to be disappointed, because they were either too ill to get up or the Lord had called them home during the night. That just shows how little control we have over our lives. 

Again, many people who have left home this morning hale and hearty to go to work, won’t return home this evening because they either got sick at work and ended up in the hospital, or they met in a car accident and unexpectedly departed this life. So that should teach us two things; firstly, to always involve God in all of our decisions, to seek out His eternal wisdom on whatever we’re planning to do. And secondly, to always be good to the ones we LOVE, show them true appreciation, and tell them we LOVE them at every opportunity, for we don’t know if or when we will be unexpectedly separated. 

Now, all of that reminds us of the parable of the rich fool that Jesus told, when asked about dividing an inheritance between two brothers. First off, He warned: ‘Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.’ (Luke 12:15) Yes friends, the tentacles of the green eyed monster; envy, jealousy, selfishness and covetousness are rampant in our world today. We must remember though that our earthly possessions are not the most important things in our lives, for as we said earlier on, our lives are like a wisp of vapour; one minute here, then gone the next. So why spoil our already short lives by coveting and fighting for earthly things that we will just leave behind for others to fight over eh? It’s the height of foolish pride! 

Then Jesus told this most appropriate parable. ‘The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits (store my crops)? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow (store) all my fruits (crops) and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.’ (Luke 12:16- 21) 

As usual, my fellow saints, Jesus did not mince words. He spoke it loudly and plainly. Those who don’t have God in their lives, as their guiding light, will eventually stumble and fall into the darkness of the evil one. Please, let us learn the necessary lessons from all that we’ve said this morning, so we don’t fall into Satan’s evil net. Now, it’s time to go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, asking for help in these our desperate times of need. 

As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. 

And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

And I’d just like to remind us that no divine help will be forthcoming until we show the ‘trusting faith’ and be the good ‘examples of faithful believers,’ we spoke of in our prayer. Much LOVE!

…boasting…in and of ourselves…is the devil’s playground…

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ

Today’s Scrip-Bit   22 January 2024 Genesis 3:13b.

22 Jan 2024 Leave a comment

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

Genesis 3:13b.       And the woman said, The serpent beguiled (deceived) me, and I did eat.

Aye mih people, our nemesis, Monday is on tap! Yes, the day we all LOVE to hate has come around again, as it does after every Sunday! (smile) And if we can’t beat it, then we need to join it, use it to promote our interests, which means not complaining about it, but being ready for it when it shows up and putting our best foot forward. And we very well know that if Sunday happens, then Monday also will happen. So it’s time to stop giving Monday the bad rap it has accumulated down through the ages, simply because we are not properly prepared for it. 

We know the weekend will end, and that work will commence on Monday, but we’re always trying to push the envelope on the weekend, burn the candle at both ends, then when Monday shows up and work calls, we’re tired and miserable from too much partying and/or not enough rest, and unfairly lay the blame at Monday’s feet. But what else is new eh? That’s one of the things we do best in our modern society; that’s blame others for our problems, even when they are caused by our own irresponsibility. 

Yes, taking responsibility for our actions is not a strongpoint of today’s world. It’s so much easier to blame others than ourselves. And I guess one of the earliest examples of the blame game happened right at the beginning, when in the Garden of Eden, the devil tempted Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit. Then, when the Lord came looking for Adam and Eve, they hid from Him. And when the Lord asked why they were hiding, Adam said: ‘I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and hid myself. 

And he (the Lord) said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man (Adam) said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord said unto the woman (Eve), What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled (deceived) me, and I did eat.’ (Gen. 3:10-13) So, I guess we can blame our very first forefathers for starting the blame game. (smile) 

Now, the scholars have some rather interesting comments on those verses. As per verse 10, they say: ‘Adam heard the ‘sound’ of the Lord God and was afraid (as most men are afraid of God today), and began the age long process of “hiding himself” from his Maker. And re verse 12, they write: ‘Adam blamed the woman and God, since God was the one who brought her to Adam in Gen 2:22.’ Then, per verse 13, they agree: ‘Eve was beguiled as 1 Timothy 2:24 confirms (cf. 2 Cor. 11:3). But she did not take responsibility for eating either. Blame shifting is another evasive tactic employed by fallen man.’ 

That we all know is gospel truth! And just to stir up the pot some, (smile) I’ll quote the verse from 2 Timothy. Bruh Paul writes: ‘And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.’ (2 Tim. 2:14) Now, I’m not going to touch that one with a ten-foot pole. (smile) Instead, we’ll turn to some wise words of Jesus on the subject of judging and being judged, which come from the Sermon on the Mount. He taught them: ‘Judge (condemn) not, that ye be not judged (condemned). For with what judgement (condemnation) ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete (use), it shall be measured to you again (the same measurement will be used against you). 

And why beholdest thou the mote (speck) that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam (plank) that is in thine own eye? Or how will thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote (speck) out of thine eye, and behold a beam (plank) is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam (plank) out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote (speck) out of thy brother’s eye.’ (Matt. 7:1-5) Jesus wasn’t mincing words there at all! 

But nonetheless, we do that all the time in this society! It’s a very hypocritical world we live in Dr. Jack! We know everybody else’s mistakes and foibles, but refuse to look at our own, which are ofttimes greater or more damning than those of the people we criticize. And with the dubious help of social media, everybody nowadays is a critic, and can spread our unfair, unjust criticism worldwide without much fear of retribution. But sadly, that’s the kind of world we live in nowadays! 

Now, we have time and space for one more exhorting and admonishing set of scriptures, and that from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, where he emphasizes: ‘Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil-speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:29-32) 

Yes friends, that’s the basic antidote to all the hypocrisy, complaining, deception and irresponsibility that’s currently engulfing our world. And being agents and ambassadors of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, that’s how we are supposed to live! So please let’s get our act together and start doing it nuh. In the meanwhile, we need to go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine help for our many problems. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. 

Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And if we truly desire to see divine help, then we’d better humble ourselves, pray and sincerely seek God’s face! Much LOVE!

…it’s so much easier to cast blame…than to accept it… 

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