11 Nov 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future we cannot comprehend, a poignant war poem, a time of peace, a time of war, a touching but controversial poem, a warmongering effort, absolutely nothing, all these things must come to pass, an enduring symbol of remembrance, be not troubled, be yours to hold it high, between the crosses, blatantly seeking power, break the faith with us who die, clothed in a robe dipped in blood, continually fight for freedom, endure to the end with Christ, eyes as a flame of fire, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, faithful and true, famines and pestilences and earthquakes, felt dawn, fighting for democracy, fighting for freedom, freedom is never free, futile promises, halfway home, hands on the plough, hear of wars and rumurs of wars, holy spirit, honouring militayr personnel killed in conflict, In Flanders Fields, in his mouth a sharp sword, in righteousness judging and making war, in the sky, Jesus Christ, John McCrae, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, letting down those who died in the war, loved and were loved, lust for dictatorial power, many crowns on his head, many shall come in my name, mark our place, mercy, nation shall not lift up sword against nation, nation will rise against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore, not looking back, now we lie in Flanders fields, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, peacekeeping missions, politicians, powerbrokers, progress, Remembrance Day, respect your democratic freedom, row on row, rule them with a rod of iron, sacrifice of soldiers in World War 1, salvation, saw sunset glow, say one thing then do another, scarce heard amid the guns below, short days ago, strife is being felt worldwide, strife is prominent all over our world, take heed that no man deceive you, take up our quarrel with the foe, thank God, the armies of heaven, the beginning of sorrow, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the end is not yet, the fall out from strife, the far left, the far right, the larks still bravely singing fly, the poppies blow, the red poppies growing over the soldiers graves, the Word of god, their deaths would be in vain, though poppies grow in Flanders fields, to a glorious future with Jesus, to smite the nations, to you from fallings hands, transformed a natural image, truth, unprincipled leaders, war, war what is it good for, warmongering tendencies, we are the dead, we lived, we shall not sleep, we throw the torch, Wednesday Wail, wisdom
Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 November 2026 Isaiah 2:4b.
Isaiah 2:4b. nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
And it’s a mostly cloudy Wednesday, this Remembrance Day 0f 2026., originally established as Armistice Day in 1919 to remember World War I soldiers. The date marks the official end of the First World War hostilities, which ceased at the “11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month” in 1918 (when the armistice between Germany and the Allied forces took effect). However, its meaning expanded after World War II to honor all military personnel who have died in conflicts, wars, and peacekeeping missions worldwide. What a waste of young lives it all was, but the claim is that we were fighting for freedom, for democracy.
Hn! What a joke that’s turned out to be now, when all the political leaders are fighting for dictatorial power, doing their best to consolidate power in their own hands, so they can do whatever they desire. And it’s sad that many people around the world are allowing them to do just that, not realizing or understanding that freedom is never free; it’s something you continually have to fight for, and you can never trust those in power to fight for, or even respect your democratic freedom, because it means lessening their own power.
Some leaders are seeking total power by blatant means, while others are being more underhanded, like enacting big laws, with small ones hidden in them, laws that curtail your freedom and rights, while giving those at the top more leverage to build their hidden agendas. So what freedom did all those soldiers die for eh, when things are rolling right back to either the far right or far left, leaving the populace at the mercy of their greedy and unprincipled leaders. The sad part is that too many of us don’t listen and/or pay attention to what the politicians and other powerbrokers are doing, for they say one thing, then turn around and do something else.
It’s all promises; vain and futile promises, as Cousin Sol would describe them. But as one of my friends would no doubt tell me, ‘that’s progress!’ Well if that’s progress, then you can keep it yes, I certainly don’t want any part of it! And that concludes my rant for today! (smile)
Now let’s turn to poem we recite every Remembrance Day, titled In Flanders Fields.’ It was written in 1915 by Canadian physician and soldier John McCrae. And according to one commentary, “In Flanders Fields” is a poignant war poem that reflects on the sacrifice of soldiers in World War I and the red poppies growing over their graves.’ And it’s become so popular because ‘it deeply captured the collective grief of World War I and transformed a natural image into an enduring symbol of remembrance.’
So, please read the poem with me. ‘In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, LOVED and were LOVED, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.’
Ah friends, it is a touching poem, but it also carries some controversy. The last word of the first sentence was apparently written ‘grow’ but it was changed to ‘blow’ later on to describe the poppies blowing in the wind, giving a more dramatic effect. And the last verse is also claimed as being a warmongering effort, inciting us to keep on fighting, and if we don’t, we’ll be letting down those who died in the war, causing their deaths to be in vain. But despite the controversy, the poem remains popular all over the world and is still recited each Remembrance Day.
And as per the main culprit in it all, ‘WAR?’ Hn! What can we say? Mankind has always had warmongering tendencies, but we don’t think there’s been as many wars going on at the same time in our world as right now. For there are wars all over the universe; both international – between different countries, as well as civil, that’s within individual nations. Strife is so prominent that you have to be very careful where you’re going these days, even for a short vacation. And there are all sorts of references to war in the Bible, even some that God sanctioned to help Israel conquer the promised land. And Cousin Sol in his wisdom even spoke of ‘ a time of war, and a time of peace.’ (Eccl. 3:8b)
Meanwhile Jesus warned us thus: ‘Take heed that no man deceive you. for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers (various) places. And all these are the beginning of sorrow.’ (Matt. 24: 4-8)
Oh my people, this certainly is a time when there’s strife in many different places, and is it ever sorrowful! For so many are unnecessarily suffering from this strife. They don’t have anything to do with it, yet the fall out from the strife is being felt worldwide. And if this is just the beginning of sorrows, per Jesus, then what will it look like as it gets closer to the end eh? I hope I won’t be around to find out.
And Revelation 19:11-16, does speak about Jesus preparing for war, ‘called Faithful and True, sitting on a white horse, eyes as a flame of fire, with many crowns on his head and in righteousness, judging and making war. Clothed in a robe dipped in blood, called the Word of God. And the armies of heaven follow him on white horses, clothed in fine white, clean linen. In his mouth is a sharp sword, to be used to smite nations, then rule them with a rod of iron, while treading the winepress with fierceness and the wrath of Almighty God. And on his robe and thigh was written KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.’
But the best scripture on war comes from Isaiah. ‘And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks (pruning knives): nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.’ (Is. 2:4b) Oh my brethren, that’s the day we all long for, and it will happen, but only in the Lord’s time. So until then, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know of our wonderful position in Jesus Christ.
As one strong and sincere 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 for those who endure to the very end with Jesus, they will experience a future so glorious, that their minds cannot comprehend it. So please, let’s endure to the end with Jesus, so that we can enjoy that incomprehensible glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…war…what is it good for…absolutely nothing…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Nov 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crown of life, a dreaded task, a good soldier of Christ, a song of worship, against principalities, and having done all, anti-slavery stance, be a light in this dark world, be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, be able to withstand in the evil day, be brave, be never wanting there, be strong, be strong in the Lord, Carlene Davis, Christ is Lord indeed, cower with fear, danger, despite our many failings, Dudley A Tyng, each piece put on with prayer, evangelical revival, faith, feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, finished my course, finished my race, forth to the mighty conflict, fought a good fight, from victory unto victory, George Duffield Jr, God loves us, God's faithfulness, his army he shall lead, holy character, holy spirit, in the power of his might, in this evil and ungodly world, it must not suffer loss, Jesus Christ, Jesus' disciple, kept the faith, knowledge of the truth of God's Word, let courage rise with danger, lift high his royal banner, loins girded with truth, LOVE, mercy, moral conduct, more importantly, our duty, our world would not be plagued with, plenty prayer, put on the Gospel armour, put on the whole armour of God, putting it into action, quench the fiery darts of the wicked one, quit you like men, refuse to become uncomfortable, refuse to sacrifice for Christ, reggae riddim, reign eternally, rocking good, salvation, salvation and eternal life, serve him against unnumbered foes, sincere appreciation, so many evil and ungodly actions, soldiers of the cross, spiritual armour, spiritual wickedness, spread the good news of Christ's gospel, stand fast in faith, stand in his strength alone, stand up for Jesus children stand up, Stand up Stand up for Jesus, standing on Christ my Saviour, standing on the promises of Christ my Saviour, Standing on the promises of God, standing up for Christ is an honour, standing up steadfastly for Christ, strength to strength oppose, take unto you the whole armour of God, take up our cross daily, tell them to stand up for Jesus, the arm of flesh will fail you, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel truth, the helmet of salvation, the Lord's sanctuary, the next the victor's song, the rulers of darkness, the shield of faith, the spiritual battle is real, the strife will not be long, the sword of the Spirit, the trumpet call obey, the Word of god, this day the noise of battle, this his glorious day, thou therefore endure hardness, till every foe is vanquished, to give thanks and praise, to him that overcometh, to stand, to stand strong for Jesus, truth, warlike imaagery, watch ye, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, where duty calls, wisdom, with the king of glory, ye dare not trust your own, ye that are men
Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 November 2026 Ephesians 6:11.
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (schemes) of the devil.
Here we are again my fellow believers, gathered in the Lord’s sanctuary on this sunshiny autumn day in November, to give thanks and praise for His wonderful kindness and faithfulness to us, the ofttimes rebellious and disobedient children of men. But that’s the wonderful God we serve; He LOVES us despite our many failings, because He created us and knows what we are capable of. So, let’s show some sincere appreciation by opening with a beautiful song of worship, titled ‘Stand Up Stand Up for Jesus!’
The song was written by American preacher George Duffield, Jr. (1818 – 1888). One commentary tells us that ‘Duffield was apparently inspired to write the song after hearing the dying words of a Presbyterian colleague, Dudley A. Tyng, who having been ousted from his own congregation for his strong anti-slavery stance, preached to large crowds in weekday meetings sponsored by the YMCA. His work spearheaded an evangelical revival in Philadelphia early in 1858.
At Tyng’s deathbed, caused by a farm accident in which he lost an arm, Duffield and others asked if he had any final message. Tyng replied, ‘Tell them to stand up for Jesus!” At Tyng’s memorial service on April 25, 1858, Duffield preached on Ephesians 6:14 and concluded his sermon by reading his new hymn text, “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus.” Several lines in that original text referred to Tyng’s words and ministry.’
And having heard of the remarkable origins of the song, let’s now offer it up with sweet sacrifices of praise in an easy rocking sincere, heartfelt, reggae riddim version, as per that done by the renowned Jamaican Gospel Artiste, Carlene Davis. Singing: ‘Stand up, stand up for Jesus ye soldiers of the cross; lift high his royal banner, it must not suffer loss: from vict’ry unto vict’ry his army he shall lead, ’til ev’ry foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the trumpet call obey; forth to the mighty conflict in this his glorious day: ye that are men now serve him against unnumbered foes; let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose. (Chorus: Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus, children stand up. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus children stand up. Yes we are standing on Christ my Saviour, standing on the promises of God. Standing on the promises of Christ my saviour, standing on the promises of God.)
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in his strength alone; the arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own: put on the gospel armor, each piece put on with pray’r; where duty calls, or danger, be never wanting there. Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long; this day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song: to him that overcometh a crown of life shall be; he with the King of glory shall reign eternally.
(Chorus: Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus, children stand up. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus children stand up. Yes we are standing on the promises of Christ my Saviour, standing on the promises of God. Standing on the promises of Christ my saviour, standing on the promises of God. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus, children stand up. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus children stand up.)’
That was rocking good my people! However, we shouldn’t be only singing it, but more importantly putting it into action in this evil and ungodly world. Remember, as Jesus’ disciple it’s our duty to take up our cross and follow Him every day. To stand strong for Him, to be a light in this dark world and spread the good news of His gospel which offers salvation and eternal life. Unfortunately though, not enough of us supposed Christians are standing up steadfastly for Christ, otherwise our world would not be plagued with so many evil and ungodly actions.
We obviously are not following Bruh Paul’s exhortation to the Corinthians. ‘Watch ye, stand fast in faith, quit you like men (be brave), be strong.’ (1 Cor. 16:13) Neither the one to Timothy. ‘Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Christ.’ (2 Tim. 2:3) That’s very obvious when so many of us cower with fear, or refuse to become uncomfortable or sacrifice anything for Christ. But nonetheless, here’s how we begin standing up for Jesus.
As Bruh Paul says to the Ephesians: ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (schemes) of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities (rulers), against powers (authorities), against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual wickedness (wicked spiritual beings) in high places. Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph. 6:10-13)
Yes friends, putting on our spiritual armour is the first action necessary in standing up for Jesus, for you cannot defeat any enemy unless you are first secured from personal attack. And why after doing all, do we still have to stand? Because the devil will keep on attacking us, and if we’re not armoured up, then we have no chance of defeating him. And there’s no time to get into a full description of the spiritual armour, but here’s a quick basic breakdown of our spiritual armour.
They are our loins or waist girded with truth (a knowledge of the truth of God’s word); the breastplate of righteousness protecting our upper bodies (holy character and moral conduct), our feet shod with the preparation of peace, (special shoes allowing an eagerness to advance against the enemy), the shield of faith to quench all the fiery darts of the enemy (believing God’s promises and thus limiting doubt), the helmet of salvation (the certainty of salvation), the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, and finally prayer. Yes my people, all that spiritual armour is of little use unless it’s accompanied by plenty prayer.
So, now that we know what it takes to be able to stand up for Jesus, let’s get out there and do that nuh! It’s imperative that we do something to quell the terrible negativity that’s spreading all around us, for as this commentary so wisely states: ‘The challenge of “Stand Up for Jesus” is proclaimed through the military metaphors Paul uses in Ephesians 6:10-18. Although some decry the warlike imagery, the spiritual battle that Christians must fight is very real. Christ’s victory is assured even if we do not always move “from victory unto victory” in our earthly lives.’
And that’s the gospel truth. We must stand and fight, so that at the end, we can all say like Bruh Paul: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (run my race), I have kept the faith:’ (2 Tim. 4:7) Now that’s how we all ought to go out! Much LOVE!
…for all Jesus has done for us…standing up for Him should be an honour…not a dreaded task…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Christian not dressed in spiritual armour, a cold sunshiny day, a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, a knowledge of the truth of God's Word, a tool for deep introspection and transformation, a weapon for spiritual offence, another beautiful day on Planet Earth, come to know and love christ like we do, driven with the wind and tossed, duty bound, eagerness to advance against the enemy, faith, feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, fighting a spiritual battle, holy character, holy spirit, hurry, I am the beloved of god, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, knowledge of the truth of scripture, like a wave of the sea, logos -the whole Word of God, LOVE, mercy, moral conduct, of the joints and marrow, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, prayer is indispensable, praying always, protection for our chest, protective clothing, protective shoes, put on the whole armour of God, quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one, rhema, rhema - particular verses of scripture, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, sharper than any twoedged sword, stand against the wiles of the devil, stand therefore, take the fight to the enemy, the assurance of salvation, the best method of defence is attack, the breastplate of righteousness, the Christian's spiritual belt, the evil schemes of the enemy, the gospel of peace, the gospel of peace frees us from anxiety, the gospel of peace on your feet, the helmet of salvation, the hope of salvation, the shield of faith, the shield of faith enables us to believe God's promises, the spiritual armour of God, the sword of the Spirit, the Word of god, the Word of God is quick and powerful, to go out and share the love and friendship of Christ, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, watching thereunto, wisdom, with all perseverance and supplication for all saints, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, without prayer God's armour is inadequate, worry, your loins girt about with truth
Ephesians 6:14. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.
Aye friends, it’s a cold but sunshiny Tuesday morning! And can you believe that we’ve already reached the 20th day of the month, when we just celebrated New Year’s a few days ago? (smile) This year seems to be hustling along as quickly as the last few others, so we’ve got to get up and get moving before it passes us by. And since the Lord has spared our lives, allowing us to see another beautiful day on planet earth, let’s keep our promise and delve into the specifics of the spiritual armour of God that we were talking about yesterday.
We recognized that we are fighting a spiritual battle against the forces of evil and darkness, and thus we needed protective clothing from their wicked attacks, and the Lord has provided just such protection for us, but first we have to understand what it’s all about, then dress ourselves in it, and stay dressed in it, so it can afford us God’s protection against the powerful evil schemes of the enemy. Or as Bruh Paul told us yesterday: ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:11)
Now what exactly does this protective armour consist of eh? Bruh Paul elucidates when he writes: ‘Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked (one). And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph. 6:14-18)
And that’s certainly a mouthful, but what does it all mean? Let’s hear the scholars’ explanation. They say: ‘The whole armour of God consists of six pieces. The first one is Truth, which is a knowledge of the truth of God’s Word. The ancient soldier’s loins (waist) were girt about with a leather belt which held most of the other pieces of his armour in place. Similarly, the other pieces of the Christian’s armour depend on, and are held in place by his spiritual “belt” or his knowledge of the “truth” of Scripture.
The next piece of spiritual armour is the breastplate of righteousness, which relates to protection for our chest. That represents a holy character and moral conduct. Obedience to the “truth” known produces a godly life (“righteousness”). The third piece of our spiritual armour consists of the preparation of the gospel of peace or our protective shoes. That means the “eagerness that comes from the gospel of peace.” That is, as the Roman soldier wore special shoes called caligae on his feet, enabling him to advance against the enemy, so the Christian must have on his feet (possess) a sense of “eagerness” or “willingness” to advance against the Devil and take the fight to him.
(Remember that the best method of defence is attack.) Such “eagerness” to contend with Satan “comes from the gospel of peace.” The gospel gives peace to the believer, freeing him from anxiety though he advances against such a powerful opponent. Then we have the shield of (which is) faith. It means taking God at His Word by believing His promises. Such trust will protect one from doubts induced by Satan. Next up is the helmet of salvation. Since the readers are already Christians (2:8), they are not here urged to be saved. First Thessalonians 5:8 describes this helmet as “the hope of salvation” that is the certainty (assurance) of salvation.
Then comes the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: That’s what we fight with, what we slash and cut the enemy to bits with; the mighty Word of God! Remember how Hebrews describes it? ‘For the word of God is quick (alive, living), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner (able to judge) of the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart.’ (Heb. 4:12)
As this commentary declares: ‘The Word of God is seen as both a weapon for spiritual offense (like Jesus used against temptation) and a tool for deep introspection and transformation, cutting to the core to reveal what’s truly inside.’ Now which enemy can stand against such a marvellous weapon eh? Neither Satan nor mankind! The scholars though, point out that the Greek term rendered “word” is not logos, referring to the whole Word of God, but rhema, referring to certain portions or selected verses of Scripture.
And there you have the six pieces of spiritual armour; the kind of stuff that a Christian soldier does not go into battle without. It’s the belt of truth, that holds up all our equipment; the breastplate of righteousness that protects our chest, the shoes of the gospel of peace that lends us eagerness to take the fight to the enemy, the shield of faith that helps to deflect the fiery darts of the enemy, the helmet of salvation which protects our head and gives us the assurance of salvation, and the marvellous sword of the Spirit, that deadly weapon which no foe can stand against when wielded by a true believer.
However, there is one more very important aspect to our spiritual armour, that’s prayer. Remember what Bruh Paul said above? ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…’ (Eph. 6:18) Well, as the scholars tell us, ‘Without prayer God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. Prayer is indispensable.’ And so it is my fellow believers. It has to be, since it is our method of communicating with God. So, in actual fact we have seven weapons of spiritual armour.
And I do hope that our discourse today helps us better understand what it’s all about, because if you don’t know it, and don’t have it at your disposal, then things will be even rougher than normal. Remember, the first thing we need to know is the truth; the truth of God’s Word, and that only comes by reading and studying it. So, if you don’t understand all we’ve said, then please delve into the Word and acquaint your self with it. (smile)
Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere 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 my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
That means we’re now duty bound to go out and share the LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…a Christian not dressed in their spiritual armour…is like a wave of the sea…driven with the wind and tossed…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a deadly weapon, a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, an individual and corporate matter, assurance of salvation, be familiar with God's word, belieivng God's promises, children of God, Christian armour, climate change, comes from the gospel of peace, do what's right in God's eyes, don't go into battle if you're properly dressed for it, dressed in the armour of God, duty bound, eagerness, eagerness to contend with Satan, faith, freeing him from anxiety, girded your waist with truth, having your loins girt about with truth, holy character, holy spirit, hurry, in the Spirit, Jesus Christ, knowledge of the truth of God's Word, life to see another day, LOVE, meat and potatoes, mercy, moral conduct, obedience to known truth, of the joints and marrow, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, possess a sense of eagerness, prayer for divine aid, prayer is indispensable, praying always with all prayer and supplication, produces a godly life, protect one from doubts, quench the fiery darts of the wicked one, salvation, scripture to abttle the enemy with, share His love with my neighbours, sharper than any twoedged sword, special shoes called caligae, spiritual combat, stand our ground, stand therefore, taking God at His word, the beginning of the cold season, the beloved of God, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel gives peace to the believer, the helmet of salvation, the hope of salvation, the importance of prayer, the last Tuesday in August, the preparation of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, the Word of god, the Word of God is quick and powerful, to advance against the devil, to go out and share the love and friendship of Christ, to take the fight to him, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, watching thereunto, wisdom, with all perseverance and supplication for all saints, with the Spirit's help, without prayer God's armour is inadequate, worry, your feet shod
Ephesians 6:14. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about (girded your waist) with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
And it’s cool, windy, somewhat sunny, but partly cloudy on this last Tuesday morning in August. Yes, I did say the last Tuesday in August, for come Monday, we’ll be talking about September. And you know what that means; the beginning of the cold season, unless we have some climate change eccentricities. (smile) In any case, these last few days have been rather cool, possibly to have us adjust to the cool temps that are on the way. (smile) And the computer is promising afternoon rain, but that’s okay, for nothing can harm us once we’re fully dressed in the armour of God.
Now that’s what we spoke about yesterday, and promised to continue our refresher course today, if the good God gave us life to see another day. And it seems like He’s done just that, so let’s get into the meat and potatoes of the armour of God, what it actually is. Yesterday, we saw why we so badly need it, today we’ll discuss all the ramifications of what it is, thanks to Bruh Paul’s writings to the Ephesians. We stopped yesterday where he advised us to take up the whole armour of God and then to stand our ground.
Today, he continues: ‘Stand therefore, having your loins girt about (girded your waist) with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked (one). And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God:’ (Eph. 6:14-17) Now those are the basic parts of the armour of God, as Bruh Paul likens them unto the protective armour that the Roman soldier wore back then.
And according to the scholars, The belt of truth, is like the belt the Roman soldier wore around his waist, which held most of the other pieces of his armor. And in the believer’s case this belt of truth is a knowledge of the truth of God’s Word, which like the old soldier’s belt, holds all our other pieces of Christian armour, based on our knowledge of the truth.
Then there’s the breastplate of righteousness, or the breastplate which is righteousness. A breastplate of leather or metal was worn on the soldier’s chest and prevented damage to his upper body, for the Christian this represents a holy character and moral conduct. Obedience to the “truth” known produces a godly life (righteousness).
Meanwhile, the preparation of the gospel of peace, means ‘eagerness that comes from the gospel of peace.” That is, as the Roman soldier wore special shoes called caligae, enabling him to advance against his enemy, so the Christian must have on his feet (possess) a sense of “eagerness” or “willingness” to advance against the Devil and take the fight to him. Such “eagerness” to contend with Satan “comes from the gospel of peace.” The gospel gives peace to the believer, freeing him from anxiety though he advances against such a powerful foe.
Next we have the shield of faith, which the soldier carried to prevent missiles thrown at him, or weapons thrust at him from hitting him, therefore believers have a shield of faith to block all the enemy’s threats. That means taking God at His word, by believing His promises. Such trust will protect one from doubts induced by Satan.
And then comes the helmet of salvation. The Roman soldier wore a helmet to protect his head, and so do we believers. Or as the scholars point out, since the readers are already Christians, they are not here urged to be saved. First Thessalonians 5:8. Describes this helmet as “the hope of salvation” that is the certainty (assurance) of salvation. In other words, our helmet protects our heads by assuring us of salvation, leaving no doubts to the reality of the situation.
And last but not least, we have the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Now that means the pieces of scripture with which we battle the enemy, and you cannot quote any scripture unless you know it. That therefore means we have to be very familiar with God’s Word if we want to use it as a deadly weapon against the enemy. Remember how the author of Hebrews characterizes the Word of God? ‘For the word of God is quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart.’ (Heb. 4:12)
Wow! What a powerful weapon is God’s Word. In fact it’s the most powerful weapon in the universe! So if we’re wielding it as a sword against the enemy, he’d better look out! (smile) And those are the parts of the armour of God and some basic explanations of their purpose. However, there’s one more aspect of that armour without which, nothing will happen. That’s prayer. As Bruh Paul says: ‘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)
And the scholars tell us that ‘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 an individual and corporate matter.’
And so it is my people! As true believers in Christ Jesus, we don’t only look out for ourselves, but for all the saints of our faith. Now, I sincerely hope and pray that that refresher course on the armour of God has indeed refreshed and renewed our spirits and souls and has made us more aware of the spiritual warfare in which we’re engaged as children of God. And that we will always dress in the Lord’s armour, before going out to fight for His glory.
Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere 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 my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
That now makes us duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…if you’re not properly dressed for battle…you should not go into battle…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a healthy fear, a solid foundation to build on, acknowledging God's sovereignty, act in an appropriate manner, an ornament of grace to your head, beat about the bush, causes one to act in an appropriate manner, chains about thy neck, choose wisdom over folly, continue to the end with Jesus, discretion shall preserve thee, even when he is old, experiential knowledge of God, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, falsehoods, fanciful theories, fools despise wisdom, forsake not the law of thy mother, glad to be alive, godly wisdom, good and bad, halfway home, hands on the plough, he will not depart from it, hear the instruction of thy father, holy spirit, if God spares life, instruction, Jesus Christ, liable to fall for anything, LOVE, mercy, moral discipline, naive people, not looking back, on the wrong track of life, our Christian lifestyle, our second wind day, our wonderful position in Jesus, salvation, skill in living, Solomon, teach them the right way from the start, the apprehension of reality, the beginning of knowledge, the best gift we can give our children, the Book of Proverbs, the capability to distinguish between true and false, the controlling principle of wisdom, the fear of the Lord, the gospel truth, the power of formulating and carrying out right measures, the purpose of Proverbs, the reverential awe of God, the skill to live life successfully, the wisdom of God, the wisdom of man, the wisest man ever, the Word of god, those open any influence, to a glorious future with Jesus, train up a child in how he should go, truth, understanding, Wednesday Wail, who's the boss, wisdom, wisdom and understanding should begin at home
Proverbs 1:7. ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the beginning (the principal beginning) of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom.’
So, once again it’s Wednesday friends, our second wind day, and we on the late, late bus, because I had some stuff to take care of here at home. I couldn’t put them off any longer. I tried, but the Duchess would not allow it. And yuh know who’s the boss. (smile) Anyway, it’s a fairly warm, cloudy day with the promise of rain in the forecast, but that won’t bother me because I’ve already done my outside running around.
And today we’ll touch on the subject of wisdom, that’s godly wisdom, not the nonsense the world showcases as such, for if that was so right, our world would not be in the awful mess that its currently in. And who better to learn wisdom from, than the wisest man ever, Cousin Sol. And he touches, no, he examines it very deeply in the Book of Proverbs. He doesn’t beat about the bush either, but gets right to the point, opening with the purpose of the Book.
It’s been written for mankind ‘To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive (discern) the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgement, and equity; To give subtilty (prudence) to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; a man of understanding shall attain unto (acquire) wise counsels:’ (Prov. 1:2-5) And having stated his avowed purpose, he then sets down the basis of his theory with these wise words. ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the beginning (the principal beginning) of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom.’ (Prov. 1:7)
And both of those statements are indisputable true! The beginning of wisdom starts with acknowledging Almighty God, His sovereignty and omnipotence! And it’s obvious that fools despise wisdom, as so many of today’s population refuse to acknowledge Almighty God and serve Him. Then he pleads with his son, or those who follow after him: ‘My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.’ (Prov. 1:8-9) Yes friends, that’s how important wisdom is to us.
And what you ask, is this great thing called Wisdom? It’s the key word in the Book, and basically, as the scholars tell us, it means “skill in living.” So it can mean either having a physical skill like metalwork, engraving, carving or such, but metaphorically, as used in Proverbs, it refers to the skill to live life successfully. Meanwhile, Instruction (vs.2) refers to moral discipline of one’s life, not to classroom instruction. Understanding (vs.2) means the capability to distinguish between true and false, good and bad, what matters most and what does not matter at all.
The simple in verse 4 are naïve young people open to any influence, and they are among the ones to whom Cousin Sol chiefly addresses the book. Knowledge (vs.4) means the apprehension of reality, including experiential knowledge of God. Discretion (vs.4) refers to the power of formulating and carrying out right measures. And the wise (vs.5) as well as the untaught can learn from this book. The fear of the Lord (vs.7) means submission to the Lord and His revelation. When one is afraid of something, he either runs from it or submits to it. The latter idea is in view hear. It is a healthy fear, like the fear of electricity or the fear of one’s parents, which causes one to act in an appropriate manner.
The beginning (vs.7) does not mean that “the fear of the Lord “is left behind in the course of acquiring wisdom, but that it is the controlling principle of wisdom. Then My son (vs.8) begins the first of ten similar discourses in which the father appeals to his son to listen to his counsel and choose wisdom over folly. The mention of the mother shows that the original setting of the book was home, not the court or school. End of explanations.
And is that ever where wisdom and understanding ought to be begin…in the home, by the parents, unlike what’s happening today. We’re so busy and otherwise occupied that we claim not to have time to teach our children the right way, and leave that for places like school and the church to do. But neither do those who work in those places always have time to teach the children the right stuff, or most probably what they’re teaching them is not in accord with the Word of God and our Christian lifestyle. So they can be teaching them any of the many fanciful theories and falsehoods that exist today, and that’s basically why so many young people are currently on the wrong track of life.
They should have had the proper groundwork taught to them at home. Remember what Cousin Sol says later on in Proverbs? ‘Train up a child in the way he should go: and (even) when he is old, he will not depart from it.’ (Prov. 22:6) And that’s the gospel truth my friends! And I can vouch for that from personal experience, for my mother trained me properly, and though for a while I deviated from it, I never lost sight of what she taught me. And that’s the best gift we can ever give to our children; teach them the right way early on, for then they at least have the basic knowledge of life, and as we all know, if you don’t know have a solid foundation to build on, you’re liable to fall for anything.
And I’m chuckling here friends, because I never intended to get into all those explanations, but I’m glad we did, because it now gives us a good foundation to understand some of Cousin Sol’s very profound statements on wisdom, which we’ll get into tomorrow, if God spares life. Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and sincere 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 if we’ve learned true wisdom, then we’ll continue right to the very end with Jesus, because that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! So, hoping and praying to meet you there! Much LOVE!
…oh…for our world to know, understand and practice…the wisdom of God…and not that of man…as we’re currently doing…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a deeper unserstanding, a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, a leather belt, an individual and corporate matter, Bible, by grace ye have been saved through faith, challenges, Christian, christianity, conquer the enemy, cut us down to size, divine aid, dressed in God's spiritual armour, duty bound, eagerness, faith, feet shod, girded your waist with truth, hand to hand combat, having your loins girt about with truth, holy character, holy spirit, hurry, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, knowledge of the truth, logos, LOVE, mercy, moral conduct, obedience to known truth, of the joints and marrow, offense is the best part of defence, our omnipotent God, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, prayer is indispensable, praying always with all prayer, produces a godly life, quench the fiery darts of the wicked one, responsibly handled, rhema, righteousness, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, sharper than any twoedged sword, spiritual belt, spiritual combat, spiritual warfare, stand, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, the armour of God, the assurance of salvation, the beloved of God, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel frees the believer from anxiety, the gospel of peace, the helmet of salvation, the Holy Spirit's help in prayer, the hope of salvation, the preparation of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, the Word of god, the Word of God is quick and powerful, troubles, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, we cannot achieve victory without prayer, willingness to take the fight to the devil, win the spiritual war, wisdom, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, worry
Ephesians 6:14a. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth (girded your waist with truth),
So it’s Tuesday, and we have forgotten Monday’s problems, and are instead concentrating on the current ones that Tuesday is bringing, because that’s what Jesus said to do. (smile) ‘Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34b). And the scholars explain: ‘That means each day has its own troubles and challenges to be responsibly handled, without worrying about the hypothetical problems that could arise tomorrow.’ And one of the problems that can and will arise today and every day is that of putting on and keeping on the armour of God which helps us to fight against the deadly attacks of the enemy.
Now, yesterday we talked about what it meant to put on the armour of God and why it was necessary, today we will delve into exactly what it is. Bruh Paul defines them thus, in his epistle to the Ephesians. ‘Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth (girded your waist with truth), and having on the breast plate of righteousness; And your feet shod with preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked (one). And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.’ (Eph. 6:14-17)
Those are the six pieces of the armour of God, which we should always be clothed in, if we desire to effectively turn away, and eventually conquer the enemy. And what does it all mean? It’s essentially the six pieces of protection that a Roman soldier went into battle with, or any soldier should never go into hand to combat without. It begins with the truth, or knowledge of the truth of God’s Word girded about one’s waist. And per the scholars, ‘The ancient soldier’s loins (waist) were girt about with a leather belt which held most of the other pieces of armour in place. Similarly, the other pieces of the Christian’s armour depend on, and are held in place by, his spiritual “belt” or his knowledge of the “truth” of scripture.’
Then the second piece of protection in a soldier’s armoury was his breastplate, a device worn over the torso or chest to protect it from injury. The scholars say that ‘The breastplate of righteousness may be read “the breastplate which is righteousness.” It represents a holy character and moral conduct. Obedience to the “truth” known produces a godly life (righteousness).’
Meanwhile, the third piece of the believer’s armour, the ‘preparation of the gospel of peace, means “eagerness that comes from the gospel of peace.” That is, as the Roman soldier wore special shoes called caligae (heavy-soled hobnailed military sandal-boots) on his feet, enabling him to advance against the enemy, so the Christian must have on his feet (possess) a sense of “eagerness” or “willingness” to advance against the Devil and take the fight to him. Such “eagerness” to contend with Satan “comes from the gospel of peace.” The gospel gives peace to the believer, freeing him from anxiety though he advances against such a powerful opponent.’ That ought to remind us of the old adage; offense is the best part of defense. And that’s oh so true, especially in our spiritual warfare with Satan and his evildoers.
That brings us to the fourth part of our Godly spiritual armour; The shield of (which is) faith, the handheld protection that a soldier used to protect himself from the arrows launched at him, or from the enemy’s weapons in hand-to-hand combat. As per its spiritual interpretation, the scholars say, ‘it means taking God at His word by believing His promises. Such doubts will protect one from the doubts induced by Satan.’
Then there’s the fifth part of the armour, the helmet of salvation. And we know that soldiers going into battle all wear a helmet, or protection for their heads. The scholars put forth that ‘Since the readers are already Christians (Eph. 2:8), they are not here urged to be saved. First Thessalonians 5:8 describes this helmet as “the hope of salvation” that is the certainty (assurance) of salvation.’
And just because I like to spoil us so much, (smile) I will quote the two references that the scholars gave above. The first about Christians already being saved is a verse we all should know and LOVE, for it’s the very basis of our faith. ‘For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.’ (Eph. 2:8) Please let’s remember that salvation has nothing to do with our works or otherwise, but all to do with God’s great LOVE and compassion for us! And the verse from first Thessalonians about the helmet of salvation, says: ‘But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breast plate of faith and LOVE; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.’ (1 Thess. 5:8)
And finally, the sixth part of our spiritual armour: ‘The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.’ Now, according to the scholars, ‘The Greek term rendered “word” is not logos, referring to the whole Word of God, but rhema, referring to certain portions or selected verses of Scripture.’ However, when we wield those verses at the enemy, they’re powerful enough to cut them down to size. For remember what the Bible says about God’s word?
‘For the Word of God is quick (alive), and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart.’ (Heb. 4:12) Yes friends, the Word of our omnipotent God is living, powerful, can cut us down to size, and can judge all of our thoughts and intentions. In other words, we cannot hide from it.
And that’s the six basic pieces of our spiritual armour. But there’s one more piece that doesn’t pertain to the Roman soldier’s armour. And Bruh Paul reveals it in this later verse. ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph. 6:18)
Oh my people, all our armour is of no use unless we pray! The scholars tell us that ‘Without prayer God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. Because prayer is indispensable!’ And we have to pray whenever Satan attacks, seeking divine aid with the help of the Spirit. Furthermore, we are to be very vigilant in the matter of prayer, and to pray not only for ourselves, but also for all our fellow believers. Because spiritual combat is both an individual and corporate matter.’ And there we have it, the whole armour of God, that we need to fight the enemy. So please, let’s study, meditate on it, and put it on, so that we can have God’s protection in this our deadly spiritual war.
Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere 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 my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that commitment, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like do! Much LOVE!
…only dressed in God’s spiritual armour…with the Holy Spirit’s help in prayer…can we win the spiritual war…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a light unto my path, Bible, bind them continually upon thine heart, by them is thy servant warned, christianity, endure to the end, enlightening the eyes, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, falling prey, forsake no the law of thy mother, get ready for winter, god, guiding light, halfway home, hands on the plough, have good success, hibernate, holy spirit, in keeping of them is great reward, in whom I am well pleased, Jesus Christ, keep thy father's commandment, labour day weekend, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, making wise the simple, more to be desired than gold, moved by the Holy Ghost, no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation, northern climes, not by the will of man, not looking back, reproofs of instruction, salvation, sweeter also than honey, thank God, the author of our salvation, the breath of life, the commandment is a lamp, the drippings of the honeycomb, the fear of the Lord is clean, the infallibility of the scriptures, the law is light, the light that shines in the darkness, the way of life, the Word of god, this is my beloved Son, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, tie them about thy neck, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, Wednesday Wail, wiles of the devil, wisdom, write it indelibly in our hearts
Psalm 119:105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Another glorious summer day seems to be in the offing on this last Wednesday in August, as we wind down the summer holidays to the Labour Day Weekend, when all the fun and games of summer come to screeching halt. Chuh! The Ex (Canadian National Exhibition) closes. School reopens, adults go back to work and the long weekends are now fewer and further between. (smile) But that’s just the way it is these northern climes…after the summer comes the fall when you get ready for winter, then winter comes and you hibernate.
But let’s remember that through it all, both the bad times and the good, we have Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, to whom nothing is impossible, and His Holy Spirit as our Guiding Light, who will lead us on to glory, if we pay sincere attention to His guidance. But it all begins and ends with us knowing the Word of God, constantly reading and meditating on it, for as the Lord told Joshua, ‘for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8)
We need to write that indelibly in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds friends, if we desire to achieve success in this ungodly and evil world. Yes, it’s only by following God’s Word that we will rise above the evil and ungodly wiles of the devil. And the scriptures says it quite plainly: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) That is gospel truth my people! When you allow God’s word to lead you, you will never go wrong.
And Cousin Sol says as much in this section of Proverbs that deals with keeping the Father’s Commandment, and a warning against adultery. He writes: ‘My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:’ (Prov. 6:20-23)
Then Cousin Sol goes on to tell about how keeping God’s word will keep you from falling prey to an evil, adulteress woman. (Prov. 6:24-29) But the truth of the matter is that the keeping of God’s law will also keep you from falling prey to Satan’s many other deceitful schemes. Yes friends, our safety net all depends on knowing God’s law and keeping it! And for a more detailed testimony on the subject, let’s listen to Cousin Sol’s father, Bruh David from Psalm 19. He expounds thus on the perfection of God’s law:
‘The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting (restoring) the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the (drippings of the) honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.’ (Ps. 19:7-11)
Oh my people, what good news that is, re the benefits of knowing and keeping God’s law. Wow! It certainly is awesome: it makes wise the simple, rejoices the heart, enlightens the eyes, and is much more to be desired than gold, even fine gold, and it’s even sweeter than honey, or the drippings from the honey comb! Brother! What a magnificent thing is the Lord’s law, and such a wonderful thing to have always at one’s beck and call!
Meanwhile, the apostle Peter puts it this way about the Lord’s law. Early on in the passage he talks about being on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus, and being an eyewitness to His majesty. ‘For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
We have also a more sure word of prophecy (the prophetic word made more sure); whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts. Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation (origin). For the prophecy came not in old (any) time by the will of man: but the holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.’ (2 Pet. 1:17-21)
And there again Peter refers to the Lord’s law as a light shining in the darkness, that shines in our hearts when Jesus ,the day star, comes into them. But the general meaning of the passage is the assurance of the infallibility of the scriptures, because the revelation of God’s word didn’t originate with men, but came to them directly through the Holy Ghost. Thus we can lay our lives down on the truth of scripture. And let’s hope and pray that we’ll all continue doing that today, keeping the Lord’s commandments and enjoying the benefits that emanate from so doing.
Now, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere 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 furthermore, if we endure with Jesus right down to the very end, then it’s been promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, looking forward to seeing you there at the very end! Much LOVE!
…who is Jesus…the author of our salvation…and the light that shines in the darkness…to show us the true way…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a dearth of God's revelatory work, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a prophet of the Lord, Bible, chaos, chaotic situations, David, disobeyed your word, divisive dissentfor the sake of our children, don't give up on our dream, every man did that which was right in his own eyes, fix problems through peaceful talk, focus on what draws us together, god, God's discipline, godly leadership, godly revelation, Happy Birthday Canada, held in low esteem, how long shall the adversary reproach, humble ourselves, Israel's apostasy, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mo open vision, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, negative situations, no king in Israel, peace-loving nations, pray, prophetic vision, rears its ugly head, Samuel, Saul, shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever, sincerely seek your face, spectre of violence, than those that tend to separate us, the God who heals, the Lord revealed himself to Samuel, the mass confusion, the right thing to do, the Word of god, the word of the Lord was precious (rare), there is no more any prophet, truth, violent upheavals, where there is no vision the people perish, wisdom, wisely integrated land
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANADA!
Yes my fellow Canadians, our country is now one hundred and fifty seven years old. And that’s young compared to many other countries around the world, but we’re proud to be one of the most progressive and peace-LOVING nations in these strife-filled and turbulent times. Oh, we do have our problems, but unlike many other countries, we still try to fix them through peaceful talk, rather than violent upheavals. I don’t know how much longer that will last though, for now there are some, taking their cue from other nations, who have vowed to voice their displeasure through violence if their desires are not met. And it’s only a matter of time before more divisive and uncontrollable dissent reaches our fair land.
But please, my fellow Canadians, especially for the sake of our children, many born in this new land, and are unspoiled by strife and bloodshed, let’s promise ourselves to avoid, to turn away from the spectre of violence that currently haunts so many other countries, and where death, weeping and anguish, sickness, poverty and economic insufficiency are the predominant features of the land.
All of us came here from different lands, with the intention to build a better country and lifestyle than we previously had, so please let’s not give up on that dream, for though we have many differences, I believe the similarities are stronger and more pervasive, and it’s time we start focusing on the things that draw us together rather than those that tend to separate us. And please remember that it’s only sincere cooperation and not petty dissension that will see us through to that wisely integrated, strong and steadfast land that we dream of becoming.
That reminds me of this most appropriate scripture from the pen of Cousin Sol in Proverbs, where he shares this very truthful bit of wisdom: ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ (Prov. 29:18) In other words, where there is no prophetic vision or godly revelation, the people cast off restraint, do as they want, and it all ends up in a rather chaotic situation. And we can certainly see the truth of that in so many of the world’s nations, where God and His moral law don’t count for much, if anything.
There’s no one, or no group with God given revelation actively leading the way, or setting proper direction in most countries. As Asaph says in Psalm 74 – Remember Your Chosen People – ‘We see not our signs: there is no more (no longer) any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long. O God, how long shall the adversary reproach (revile)? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?’ (Ps. 74:9-10)
Yes friends, that certainly seems to be the case; the enemy is blaspheming God’s name and nature in a most horrible way, and there seems to be none who can stop him, or any who knows when the Lord is going to intervene and take matters into His own hand. And this passage from 1Samuel tells how things were in Israel before Samuel came on the scene: ‘And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious (rare) in those days; there was no open vision.’ (1 Sam. 3:1)
The last verse of the Book of Judges also tells us the sad state of affairs that existed in Samuel’s early years. ‘In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.’ (Judg. 21:25) And that’s exactly what’s happening in today’s world; everyone’s doing as they please, with people calling right wrong, and wrong right, and the Word of God is held in very low esteem.
It’s like the scholars explain re that verse from Samuel above: ‘The severity of Israel’s apostasy (abandonment or renunciation of God) (cf. Judg. 21:25) caused a dearth (scarcity, deficiency) of God’s revelatory work. The condition was perpetuating and self-defeating (Prov. 29:18). By God’s grace the prophetic institution would receive renewed impetus and standardization in the person and work of Samuel (cf. Sam. 3:21).’
And just to round it all out, let’s see what that last scripture reference says, but starting from verse 19. ‘And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground (fail). And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord. And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh: for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.’ (1 Sam. 3:19-21)
Oh my people, how wonderful it would be for us to have some strong godly leadership right now as our world is currently being turned upside down by the evil doers. But although there is no overall direction, all of us believers know the right things to do, the right way to live, so let’s get serious and do it nuh, and thus make some small headway until a strong prophet, or Jesus shows up to lead us. And to help us do that, let’s turn to Almighty God, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid for 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 now, having placed it all in God’s hands, let’s go out and celebrate the birth of our land, but all in moderation, for tomorrow is a workday, and too many of us cannot book off sick because of too rich a celebration. (smile) For that in itself just kills the productivity of our economy, and we need to build it, not break it down. Much LOVE!
…where God’s discipline and morality are lacking…chaos eventually rears its ugly head…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Jun 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a snowball's chance in hell, against forces of spiritual wickedness, an individual and corporate matter, avail ourselves of God's provision, Bible, christianity, Christians should never quit, deliver us from this present evil world, departed from him for a season, developed evil to a high science, endure to the very end, faith, fighting a spiritual battle, fully clothed in the Lord's armour, god, God's breath of life, grace be to you, halfway home, hands on the plough, having done all to stand, holy cahracter, holy spirit, Jesus Christ, knowledge of the truth of God's Word, LOVE, moral conduct, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not looking back, our Lord Jesus Christ, peace from God the Father, praying always with all prayer, put on the whole armour of God, quench the fiery darts of the wicked one, rebuking the enemy, salvation, spiritual combat, spiritual warfare, thank God, the breastplate of righteousness, the devil never quits, the helmet of slavation, the preparation of the gospel of peace, the protective armour of God, the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, the wiles of the enemy, the Word of god, to a glorious future with Jesus, to successfully navigate this evil world, to whom be glory for ever and ever, truth, until an opportune time, watching thereunto, Wednesday Wail, who gave himself for our sins, willing to advance against the enemy, wisdom, with all perseverance and supplication for all saints, ye may be able to stand, your feet shod, your loins girt about with truth
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.
Well a good Wednesday morning to all you my Scrip-Bit friends and family out there in this crazy and turbulent world! And I do hope we all are handling our trials and tribulations in a calm and godly manner. Now, as Bruh Paul was won’t to greet the churches in his letters, and this particular one to those in Galatia: ‘Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world (age) according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’ (Gal. 1:3-5)
Yes friends, do we ever need the grace and peace of our Triune God if we’re to successfully navigate this evil and lawless world. And if Bruh Paul thought his time was bad and evil, he should be living now, when we’ve developed evil to a high science. And the only way to navigate this evil world successfully is as Bruh Paul writes to the Ephesians. ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:11)
Oh my brethren, if we’re not fully clothed in the Lord’s armour, then we don’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell of rebuking the enemy. Let’s understand that from the get-go. ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (hosts) of wickedness in high places.’ (Eph. 6:12) That means we’re not fighting a physical but spiritual battle, against forces of spiritual wickedness: ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up, put on) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph. 6:13)
Ah mih people, it’s a tough fight in which we’re involved, one to the death, for the enemy is not going to give any leeway, neither should we. And we can’t do that, we can’t stand our ground, without being fully clothed in God’s armour. The scholars explain that last verse thus: ‘Wherefore means “because of this,” that is, because we face such a formidable foe, we must avail ourselves of God’s provision lest the enemy destroy our Christian witness and ministry. The evil day refers to the periodic demonic onslaughts and Satanic assaults. Having done all includes both dressing oneself in God’s armour and resisting Satan. Having done all these, be ready, for the devil will attack again and again.’
That reminds us of this scripture from Luke after the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness. ‘And when the devil had ended all the temptation (testing), he departed from him for a season (until an opportune time.’ (Luke 4:13) Yes mih bredrin, the devil never quits. If you successfully resist for a time, then he will go away, but be sure that once you’re breathing God’s breath of life, he will surely come back at a later date, with more evil schemes to test you. That’s why we have to stay always dressed in that protective armour of God. And what’s this protective armour you ask?
Well let’s refresh our memories. And to help us better understand Bruh Paul’s words, I have embedded some of the scholars’ explanations in the verses. He writes: ‘Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth; (or your waist girded with a knowledge of the truth of God’s word), and having on the breastplate of righteousness (that’s a holy character and moral conduct. Obedience to the “truth” known produces a godly life (righteousness). And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace (that’s eagerness that comes from the gospel of peace, or a willingness to advance against the enemy and take the fight to him. The gospel gives peace to the believer freeing him from anxiety, though he advances against a powerful opponent).
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked (one). (And that shield of (which is) faith means taking God at His word by believing His promises. Such trust will protect one from doubts induced by Satan.) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: (This helmet is the hope of salvation, the certainty (assurance) of salvation. And the sword of the Spirit is God’s word, possibly referring not to the whole Word of God, but to certain portions or selected verses of scripture). Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for the saints.’ (Eph. 6:14-18)
Oh my people, those first six parts of armour are important to keep us from the devil’s evil schemes, but they are of no use without the mammoth assistance of prayer. As the scholars say: ‘Without prayer God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. Prayer is indispensable. Always means on every occasion that 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 for all saints; spiritual combat is both an individual and corporate matter.’
Oh my fellow saints, let’s hope that that revision of how to protect ourselves from the evil schemes and temptations of Satan are timely, and that we renew our vigilance and understanding of God’s armour, of His provision for our protection, and that we faithfully put it on and stand. Yes, that we stand strong against the evil forces of this world of darkness. And for those of us who are sincerely trying to do that, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and sincere 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 if we endure with Christ to the very end, then it’s been promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So please, let’s be wise and plan to meet at the very end and enjoy that more than glorious future nuh! Much LOVE!
…no soldier goes into battle without the proper protective armour…neither should Christians…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Apr 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, a new flock of believers, against the knowledge of God, anathema to our souls, anything of good report, anything praiseworthy, backsliders, bringing in to captivity every thought, Casting down imaginations, christianity, control of the mind, deceitful arguments, divine assistance, error of their ways, every high thing, faith, Friday chant, god, Jesus, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mighty through God, powers, pricipalities, rulers, sharper than a two-edged sword, simmering unrest, spiritual armour, spiritual warfare, spiritual wickedness, surrender our lives to Jesus, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that exalteth itself, the battlefield of our mind, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the God of peace, the helmet of slavation, the shield of faith, the shoes of peace, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, the Word of god, think on these things, though we walk in the flesh, to the obedience of Christ, to the pulling down of strongholds, truth, unexpected storms, wake up and smell the coffee, we do not war after the flesh, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are true, wisdom, wise guidance
2 Corinthains 10:3. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after (according to) the flesh:
And the rain has returned…but we’re still going to shout ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ because regardless of the weather, it’s still the last day of our work week and the start of our short weekend, and for that we’re always grateful! (smile) Ah friends, what wonders a Friday can work for and on us eh! Meanwhile, Mondays are anathema to our souls! But unfortunately that’s the way we are, and if we want to be better, we need to put our trust, surrender our entire selves to Jesus, so that we can get His peace, LOVE, grace and mercy working for us, instead of the evil and ungodly doings Satan tempts us with.
But as Bruh Paul warns us in his second letter to the Corinthians, that we should not walk according to Satan’s ways, but according to Jesus’ ways. ‘For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after (according to) the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (of the flesh), but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations (arguments), and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.’ (2 Cor. 10:3-5)
Ah friends, though we live in a body, we don’t fight a physical war, or one by human standards. Instead our warfare is spiritual, ‘against principalities (rulers), against powers (authorities), against the rulers of the darkness of this world (world rulers), against spiritual wickedness in high places (wicked spiritual beings), that is fallen angels, demons and Satan himself.’ (Eph. 6:12) And they try to take hold of us through our minds, our thoughts and other ingenious and deceitful arguments. Remember the battlefield is our mind, and whoever wins the battle of our minds is the victor.
That’s why it’s absolutely necessary to be careful of what we think and talk about, for Satan and his evil cronies are very disciplined and ingenious and can come at you from all sides with all different kinds of arguments that sound right and will eventually wear you down. But as children of the Most High God, we need to stand strong and fight these evil doers with the spiritual armour and weapons that God has given us, namely: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s Word, all of that bound together with prayer are the spiritual weapons we have to use against the enemy. (Eph. 6:14-18)
And let me point out one thing here, it’s about the Word of God, our spiritual sword. As the author of Hebrews so kindly informs us: ‘The word of God is quick (alive), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart.’ (Heb. 4:12) Now that just goes to show how powerful the Word of God is, and the powerful weapon we have at our disposal.
But there’s also a drawback to that power of the Word, because God is constantly scrutinizing our lives through it, and we ought also to carefully scrutinize our own lives with it, to ensure that we’re living the way we ought to. As the scholars say: ‘God’s eyes sees man as though he were naked, unable to hide behind excuse or pretense.’ But yet, so many of us try to do just that; hide from God behind some flimsy excuse or pretense. When are we going to learn eh, that our lives are like open books before our Creator and Controller.
Anyway, we now know that through deceit and lies, the enemy tries to get strongholds in our minds, but we have to ignore those evil and untrue desires, with good and proper thoughts, while fighting the spiritual battle with the armour and weapons of war provided us by God. And what are those good and proper thoughts upon which ought to dwell? As always, Bruh Paul doesn’t give us any theory without giving us some practical examples. Listen as he writes to the Philippians on the general kind of thoughts we ought to have.
‘Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things honest (noble), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are LOVELY, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think (meditate) on these things. Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.’ (Phil. 4:8-9) So there we have the whole picture my fellow believers, and to help us put it into practice, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine assistance.
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 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, if we truly want divine help, then we have to start the ball rolling by improving ourselves, by being better examples of Christian faith and discipleship! That’s the long and short of the story, my people! Much LOVE!
…the mind…the mind…it’s all about control of the mind…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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