19 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a born-again child of God, a refreshing bit of air, Bible, bought by Christ's blood, christianity, Comforter, conscience, divine aid, down payment, faith, gather together all things in one, God's gift of salvation, Guide, harmony, holy spirit, humble ourselves, I will not leave you comfortless, identification mark, in whom after ye believed, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, kept forever, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, need for Jesus, on the outside looking in, orphans, promise of salvation, repentance, salvation, sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, seek your face, the born again believer, the chaotic world, the earnest of our inheritance, the fullness of times, the God who heals, the mystery of his will, the power of God, the redemption of the purchased possession, the Spirit of truth, truth, turn from our evil ways, universal unity, wisdom, wise guidance
Ephesians 1:13b. in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Oh Monday, we’re so glad to see you! You’re like a refreshing breath of air! (smile) You challenge us like no other, to get back into the chaotic world, after a couple days of rest and continue the never-ending fight against the enemy who desperately desires to steal us away from Jesus! But please let him know that that’s an impossible feat, for once we become born again children of God, His Holy Spirit comes to live within us and secures us with an impregnable seal, one that can never be broken.
Yes friends, the seal of the Holy Spirit is the identification mark that the born-again believer is truly God’s own and is kept forever by the power of God. And this scripture on the redemption by Christ from Ephesians tells us about it. God, ‘Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest (down payment) of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.’ (Eph. 1:12-14)
And what does all of that mean eh? Basically, that God, in His own time, according to His own desire, will put everything both in heaven and on earth, under ONE rule, ONE Head, that’s Jesus Christ. So, as the scholars tell us: ‘In the near future, when the time is ripe, God will put His good purpose into effect and carry it out. And His “good pleasure” or intention is the restoration of original universal unity, when all things are brought back into harmony with Himself and under the headship of Christ.’
And the Lord got the ball rolling with Jesus coming to earth to give us a better understanding of what was to come. The Jewish Christians were the first to believe in Christ and were given the seal of the Holy Spirit, then, when we Gentiles believed, we were also sealed by the Holy Spirit as a down payment of our inheritance, or the Lord’s promise of salvation. As one commentary says: ‘We just discovered the foundational purpose of the Holy Spirit. He is the seal of our salvation, and He is the down payment of our inheritance.’
Or, as the scholars further clarify: ‘The Holy Spirit is here called the “earnest of our inheritance.” The word ‘earnest’ means ‘down payment’; as such the gift of the Spirit is viewed as an installment or as part of our salvation. God therefore assures the Christian that the realization of the rest of his salvation is forthcoming. How long is the believer assured of his salvation? Until the redemption of the purchased possession, or “until God glorifies and perfects the believer (the purchased possession) whom He has bought by Christ’s blood.”
Yes my people, that seal of the Holy Spirit represents the surety that we belong to God, regardless of what we think, or feel or whatever lies the enemy might throw at us! And I like how this commentary answers the question it poses: ‘How does the Holy Spirit seal believers? The Spirit Is Our Seal. By being present in the Spirit, God not only claims us for Himself, He also gives us claim on Him. The Spirit certifies His promise, His pledge to us. Indeed, the Spirit is God’s keeping of His promise.’
We can’t ask for more than that my fellow believers, since we know that our ever-faithful God keeps all of His promises. And the Holy Spirit is the workhorse of our Triune God. He does all the work that’s needed now, after Jesus came and did His thing. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter, our Guide, our Reminder, our Conscience, our Helpmeet, while working in the hearts of unbelievers to convict and convince them of their sin and of their need for Jesus.
Remember how Jesus characterized the Holy Spirit. ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter (Helper), that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him: for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you.’ (John 14:15-18) And Jesus kept that promise by coming to believers through the Holy Spirit, which began indwelling believers on the day of Pentecost after Jesus’ ascension.
So, the Lord’s plan is motion, He’s done all He can. We know all about it, we have all the promises, the only thing left is for us to accept God’s gift of salvation, by accepting His Son Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, so that when the final bells toll, we won’t be eternally separated from God, because that is the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul. Now, let’s go to God in prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking help to keep us on the straight and narrow path of life.
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’re wise, and truly desire divine aid, then we’d better start by changing our evil ways! Much LOVE!
…come the fullness of time…being on the outside…looking in…won’t be pleasant…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a disciple of Christ, a living sacrifice, a society without discipline, abusing children, an incorruptible crown, an unruly mob, be not conformed to this world, be ye transformed, bring my body into subjection, chasteneth him betimes, crown of righteousness, discipline, disciplining our body, disobeyed your word, divine help, every man that striveth for mastery, faith, faith restored, God's Word, he that loveth him, he that spareth his rod hateth his son, humble ourselves, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, if any man will come after me, infallible truth, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, let him deny himself, live godly lives, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, Monday morning debacle, Olympic Games, pray, present your bodies, running amok, self-control, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, spiritual tank refilled, strong faith in Christ, take up his cross daily, temperate in all things, the bullyboy, the God who heals, the gospel truth, the perfect will of God, the renewing of your mind, the righteous judge, traffic jams, truth, turn from our evil ways, wisdom, wise guidance
1 Corinthians 9:25a. And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control).
Ah friends, another weekend disturbing Monday to contend with! But we’re fully able to handle it if we’re true believers in Christ Jesus, went to church yesterday, had our spiritual tank refilled, our faith restored, and we got some decent rest last night. Yes, that’s all it takes to handle the bullyboy called Monday!
The problem though, is that so many of us don’t acquire the necessary tools for the job, the things we just recommended, therefore, come Monday morning we’re scrambling and rushing around helter skelter, frustrated and afraid of being late for work, especially with the maddening traffic jams that constantly clog up the roadways.
And the sad part is every week we complain, but come the long-awaited weekend we forget about the Monday morning debacle in our lives, and thus, never make the effort to improve the situation. But it all comes down to two words: discipline and self-control. Two words that are not adhered to very much in our modern technology and information-based society. No wonder the society is running amok with so much chaos and man-made disaster.
And since the Bible, the Lord’s Word is the Guidebook for our earthly journey, let’s see what it has to say on the subject nuh. Remember, the Lord’s Word is infallible truth, so whatever it says, we ought to believe and live by it. And there are numerous Bible verses on the subject. So, let’s look at few, some of which we already know, but don’t put into action. (smile)
And the first one comes from the wisdom of Cousin Sol, the supposed wisest man ever. In terms of rearing children, Cousin Sol advocates: ‘He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that LOVETH him chasteneth him betimes (promptly).’ (Prov. 13:24) And that’s the gospel truth! Although nowadays our foolish society takes that to mean abusing our children. And thus, many parents don’t discipline their children, and it’s one of the reasons why our society is so undisciplined and godless.
But disciplining our children is an important aspect of parenthood, and there are many ways to teach them discipline, which they need to learn to become valuable members of the society. For a society without discipline is nothing but an unruly mob. And that’s where we’re heading today because, for whatever reason(s), we refuse to discipline our children. Nuff said on that. (smile)
Then there’s this scripture on disciplining our body from Bruh Paul to the Corinthians. ‘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: 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 (disqualified). (1 Cor. 9:24-27)
Yes friends, that’s also true. If we want to be good at anything we’ve got to train our bodies, discipline them so that they can perform at a high level. And we have the best example of that in the recently concluded Olympic Games in Paris, where all the athletes trained to the nth degree, disciplined their bodies so that they could perform at the highest level possible, and hopefully win a gold medal, the highest honour in whatever sport they participated in.
Likewise, we believers in Christ need to train our bodies, so that we live the goldy lives that Christ desires of us, although our goal is a much higher and better honour than a mere perishable gold medal, that’s an imperishable crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to all who obey His will. (2 Tim.4:8)
So we’ve dealt with disciplining our children and our bodies, let’s turn to our minds now, with words from Bruh Paul to the Romans. ‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (rational) service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’ (Rom. 12:1-2)
Oh my fellow believers, to live sincerely for God, or even be successful at anything, our minds must also be disciplined, turned away from the lusts and ungodly behaviour of the world. And I’m chuckling here, because I just remembered the activity that possibly requires the biggest and longest efforts of discipline and self-control. It’s being a true disciple of Jesus. He puts it thus: ‘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).
Now that’s something that requires lots of discipline, self-control, sacrifice, belly and backbone – every day! But like most things in this world, if we are serious about them and are willing to contribute the necessary effort, we can certainly do them, especially when the Bible assures us that we can do anything and everything through Christ who strengthens us. (Phil. 4:13)
But we first need to develop the discipline and self-control, which doesn’t come easily or overnight, but is oftentimes a long, hard and painstaking process. However, it always begins with prayer. So let’s take this opportunity through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and go to God for divine help, without which we’ll be totally lost.
As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And a word to the wise; unfortunately, that divine aid doesn’t start flowing until we begin to change our evil ways! Much LOVE!
…to do anything properly…demands discipline and self-control…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a horse of a different colour, a still small voice, be prepared, being proactive, Bible, divine aid, Dr. Charles Stanley, faith, forgotten our mistakes, get enough rest, god, have good success, he will guide you into all truth, holy spirit, humble servants, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus, Jesus Christ, like a chicken with our heads cut off, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, more than you sow and later than you sow, obey God and leave all the consequences to him, one of the realities of nature, pay for our sins sooner or later, power to solve our problems, pray and sincerely seek your face, pray without ceasing, put the word into action, ready fro whatever may come, rebellious, renew our fellowship with God, salvation, shall not depart out of thy mouth, shew you things to come, sincere meditation on God's word, sinful behaviour, speak the word, take us by surprise, the God who heals, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, this book of the law, to show us the truth of Jesus, truth, turn from our evil ways, vacillating nature, when he the Spirit of truth is come, wisdom, wise guidance, you reap what you sow
John 16:13a. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:
And once again Monday has graced us with its presence, as it will many more times in our long lives. It’s just one of the realities of nature; day will change to night some seven times … and bother it all, Monday will appear again. (smile) So, since we know it’s going to keep cropping up every seven days, we ought to be prepared for it.
But because of our vacillating nature, and our penchant for overdoing the weekend festivities, Monday seems to take us by surprise, thus, often we’re not ready for it and we get miserable and frustrated by our lack of preparation. And all being prepared means is ‘being proactive and taking steps to ensure that you are ready for whatever may come your way.’
And if we know that Monday is coming, then hopefully on Sunday, we go to church and renew our fellowship with God and other believers, then we stop partying in time for us to get enough rest and get all of our stuff ready for the next morning, so that there will be no need to rush and get angry over the lack of preparation. But knowing what’s right and doing it, are two entirely different things.
So, because of our proud and rebellious nature, plus the deceitful egging on of the devil, we end up foolishly believing that we can handle it all in the morning. But when the morning arrives and we get up late and tired and have to rush around like a chicken with our heads cut off, then it’s a horse of a different colour. And we berate ourselves for not getting enough rest, and not having our things in order, and promise ourselves to do better in future.
However, by the time the next weekend rolls around, we’ve conveniently forgotten our mistake(s) of the previous week and simply do it again, allowing it to become a frustrating cycle. And how do we break that cycle? First, by not listening to the father of lies, the devil, when he sneaks into our subconscious and encourages us to do stuff that we know is obviously wrong. Then we get on the positive track and do what is right by listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
As Jesus promised the disciples: ‘Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself (on his own authority); but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine (what is mine), and shall shew (declare) it unto you.’ (John 16:13-14)
Yes friends, that’s one of the major purposes of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life; to show us the truth of Jesus, so we can repel the lies of Satan. But, unfortunately, that doesn’t happen automatically. We also have a role to play in the proceedings; that’s to attune our hearts and souls to the working of the Holy Spirit, by listening to His still small voice, and paying close attention to the circumstances He creates or changes in our lives.
But that calls for continual prayer, or as Bruh Paul says, ‘Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thess. 5:17) Then sincere meditation on God’s Word, and finally, putting the Word into action in our lives, with help of the Holy Spirit. And all of that ties in quite nicely with what the Lord told Joshua when He made him the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses.
‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8) It’s not rocket science friends, just good, ole, diligent work: study the Word, speak it and put it into action.
That’s the basic formula for godly success. But too many of us supposed believers find that too hard to do, and thus resist the prodding of the Holy Spirit, while listening to lying voice of Satan, encouraging us to do the easy thing, to give into our carnal lusts and desires. And carnal lusts and desires can be indeed nice for a period of time, but please, let’s remember that all our actions have consequences, either bad or good, and there comes a time when that rebellious and sinful behaviour must be paid for.
And no, we won’t like the steep payment required, for as the Maytag repair man famously said: ‘You can pay me now or pay me later, but later will be more expensive.’ That’s why we ought to consider the consequences of our actions before we commit them. And the easiest way to do that, is as the late departed Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) liked to say: ‘Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.’
Yes my fellow saints, our major aspiration should be simply obeying God, for if we do that, then He will take care of all of the consequences. And for help to do just that, lets’ go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. 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 friends, the long and short of the story is, only if we turn from our evil ways, with humility, prayer and sincerely seeking God, will divine aid be forthcoming. Much LOVE!
…you reap what you sow…more than you sow…and later than you sow… (Dr. Charles Stanley)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a position of strength, above and not beneath, be of good cheer, Bible, christianity, concrete jungle, divine aid, faith, faith as a grain of mustard seed, faith in Christ, freely give us all things, frustration. physical and emotional strain, give thanks unto the Lord for He is good, god, God walks with us through adversity, grace and mercy, head knowledge, heart action, his mercy endureth for ever, humble ourselves, i have overcome the world, if god be for us who can be against us, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, more than conquerors, negative circumstances, nothing can separate us from God's love, nothing shall be impossible to you, observe and do the Lord's commandments, pray, prosper us, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, sinned and disobeyed your Word, strong faith in Christ, the God who heals, the head and not the tail, the throne of grace, through him that loved us, to alleviate our problems, traffic jams, tribulation, turn from our evil ways, wisdom, wise guidance
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
17 Jun 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a creature of habit, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, as some of them also murmured, bear your iniquities, Bible, blameless and harmless, breach of promise, Caleb, complaining, death by serpents, destroyed by the destroyer, disobedience, divine help, do all things without murmurings and disputings, don't hurry on Mondays, faith, finding fault with the manna, get up off our fat fannies, giants in the land, go round the mulberry bush, god, how long shall I bear with this evil congregation, humble servants, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Joshua, lack of true faith, like grasshoppers, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Moses, neither murmur ye, shine as lights in the world, sincere repentance, sinned and disobeyed your Word, strong faith in Christ, the children of God, the end of his rope, the God who heals, the wrath of God, traffic jams, turn from our evil ways, uninspiring work, wandered in the wilderness, wisdom, wise guidance, without rebuke, your carcasses shall fall in the wilderness
Philippians 2:14. Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputing.
Here we go round the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush: Hear we go round the mulberry bush on a Monday morning! And does it ever feel like we’re going round and round that deleted expletive bush every first day of the new work week? It certainly does! After a terrific weekend, we’re forced to get up at an early hour and do basically the same things, the same way; travel the same route, with the same annoying traffic jams, to see the same people and do the same uninspiring work!
But that obviously gets a tad much doing it every week, for although mankind is basically a creature of habit, some habits become burdensome and frustrating if carried on too long without a break. So, perhaps to break up the sameness, we can sometimes try doing our Monday mornings a little differently. That all depends though on how much leeway we have in our routines. The first thing I would suggest though is to make whatever preparations are necessary, so you don’t have to hurry to get out the door on Mondays.
I believe that lack of rushing will help relieve some of the usual frustration. And what about possibly taking a different route, to and from work. Oh, I know, the traffic jams are everywhere! And since those are only suggestions, please don’t be offended. (smile) However, here’s one suggestion, or rather requirement that we do need for our Christian walk. In the words of Bruh Paul to the Philippians: ‘Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputing.’ (Phil. 2:14)
Now that exhortation will certainly solve some of our Monday woes, since those are the things we do most on that disliked day! (smile) So it seems like a very wise suggestion to act upon. And why did Bruh Paul write it to the church at Philippi? ‘That ye may be blameless and harmless (innocent), the sons (children) of God, without rebuke (fault), in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation (generation), among whom ye shine as lights in the world.’ (Phil. 2:15)
And that’s a wonderful reason for not complaining and getting into disputes. For then we will be setting a very good example as worthy children of God. And there’s also this verse about complaining from Bruh Paul to the church at Corinth. ‘Neither murmur ye, as some of them (the Israelites in the wilderness) also murmured, and were destroyed by the destroyer.’ (1 Cor. 10:10)
Yes friends, the Israelites were great grumblers and complainers as they made their way from Egypt towards the Promised Land, and for that unnecessary complaining the Lord punished them once with death by serpents for finding fault with the manna He provided (Num. 21) , and another with a plague for demanding meat (Num. 13). In fact they wandered in the wilderness for forty long years because of their disobedience and complaining and lack of true faith in the Lord who had showed them so many miracles and done so much for them.
And when Moses sent the twelve spies into the Promised Land to check it out, only Joshua and Caleb had positive reports, while the other ten were negative, saying there were giants in the land, to whom they were like grasshoppers and the land was unconquerable. That brought the Lord to the end of His rope.
‘And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur (grumble) against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole (entire) number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me.
Doubtless you shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware (solemnly promised) to make you dwell therein, save Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, the son of Nun. But your little ones which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised. But as for you, your carcasses they shall fall (die) in this wilderness. And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness.
After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities (guilt), even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise (rejection). I the Lord have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.’ (Num,. 14:26-35)
Yuh see friends, the older Israelites who came out of Egypt should have known better after witnessing all the miracles the Lord did for them, but instead they chose to grumble and complain, and so, none of those who left Egypt, except Joshua and Caleb ever set foot in the Promised Land, they wandered in the wilderness until they all died. Now let’s hope that teaches us a lesson about complaining, for the Lord has given us ALL that we need to live this life successfully, but we need to get up off our fat and lazy fannies and get to work on His behalf.
So, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine help in handling 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!’
Now, my fellow saints, please remember that without sincere repentance and turning from our evil ways, divine aid will not be forthcoming. Much LOVE!
…as a sincere believer…to murmur and to complain…is to raise the wrath of God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Jun 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: agent of Jesus, answer our prayers, believe me for the works sake, believing, Bible, disobeyed your word, divine help, do good work for Jesus, faith, faith can move mountains, faith like a mustard seed, go ye therefore and teach all nations, god, grace, greater works than these, he that believeth on me, humble servants, I am in the Father, if ye have faith and doubt not, in the name of the Father, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, negative situations, of the Holy Ghost, of the Son, put our whole hearts into it, receptive ears, repentnace, salvation, sincerely seek your face, strong faith in Christ, the Father is in me, the Father may be glorified in the Son, the Father that dwelleth in me, the God who heals, the works that I do shall he also do, turn from our evil ways, welcome Monday, whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, wisdom
John 14:12. … he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do;
Welcome Monday! We’re up and about and just dying to greet you, to get out into the evil and ungodly world and so some good work for Jesus! So greetings, as we open this new work week, where things in the world have not really improved, possibly gotten worse, but with Christ in front, behind and beside us we can most definitely make some amazing changes, if we put our whole hearts, bodies, souls and minds into the work.
For as Jesus said to the disciples after Philip asked Him to show them the Father. (John 14:8) ‘Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself (my own authority): but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works sake.’ (John 14:10 -11)
And the scholars explain that last verse thus: ‘Works sake: Jesus reiterates what He had said to the Pharisees (10:38), but here His words fall on receptive ears. The works have evidential value to the unsaved (to convince of the truth), and the saved (to assure them of the truth.’ So even if you refuse to believe Jesus, there is enough evidence of the truth in the works themselves. And just to spoon feed us a bit, (smile) John 10:37-38 says: ‘If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.’
Then Jesus continues to the disciples: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.’ (John 14:12) Yes friends, we are meant to do greater works than Jesus. That is greater in quantity, but not quality. In the sense that Christ’s ministry was primarily meant for Israel. But His followers were going to spread the gospel to the whole world.
As He said to them in the Great Commission: ‘Go ye therefore and teach (make disciples) of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.’ (Matt. 28:19) That means we are empowered my fellow believers; empowered to take the gospel to all parts of the world, and there’s nothing to stop us but ourselves. Especially after Jesus made these momentous statements. ‘And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.’ (John 14:13-14)
And the scholars explain those verses by saying: ‘In my name means “as My agent.” The promise of answered prayer is based on the disciple acting as the agent of Jesus’ will (cf. 16:23-26). It is also linked here especially in the accomplishment of the “greater works.” The promise is for unlimited resources to do the works of God.’ There we have it friends! That’s why we can confidently claim to have the power to do anything that God wills us to do.
And Jesus tells us that all throughout the gospels. For example, in Matthew, after He had cursed the fig tree that had only leaves but no fruit, and the disciples marvelled at how soon it withered. He said to them: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, if ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’ (Matt. 21:21-22)
So there’s absolutely no reason for us to doubt the amazing and awesome power that resides within us when we have faith, ask in prayer and believe! Let’s remember though that whatever we ask must be in the Father’s will, not just our selfish desires. I rest my case then for saying above that we have everything we need to go out this Monday morning and do whatever is necessary to forward the name of Christ and His Good News Gospel. So let’s get up and go and do our duty nuh. Jesus expects us to be good agents and ambassadors for His kingdom.
And to help us in our endeavours in these tough times, let’s seek divine aid through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. Altogether now: ‘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 please remember that divine help depends to a great extent on us turning from our evil ways, and sincerely seeking the Lord’s face! Much LOVE!
…even a little faith…like a mustard seed…can move mountains…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a atrife-filled country, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, Bible, cast over the precipice, chaos, Christ in you, christianity, deviate from God's law, divine guidance, do their own thing instead of God's, faith, forecasters of God's coming glory, god, greed, holy spirit, hunger for power, Jared C. Wilson, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus, Jesus Christ, leggo-beast lifestyle, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, no open vision, our Father who art in heaven, our unfortunate lot, perfect in Jesus, prophetic vision, prosper us, Revelation, run wild like savages, selfishness, serious problems, seriously disobeyed your word, sin, sincere repentance, sincerity, strife, strong faith in Christ, the God who heals, the good foundation, the mystery hid from ages, the people perish, the revelation of God, the riches of glory, the vision is Jesus, the word of the Lord was precious (rare), truth, turmoil, turn from our evil ways, ungodliness, Victoria Day, where there is no visioin, wisdom, with God all things are possible
Proverbs 29:18. Where there is no vision (prophetic vision or revelation), the people perish (cast off restraint): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Oh friends, what a blessed country is this land of Canada! And on this Victoria Monday holiday, I hope we realize and appreciate our blessedness, especially when compared to so many other countries that are right now only filled with strife and turmoil. Unfortunately though, we are beginning to see some of that strife and turmoil entering our otherwise fairly peaceful land. And if we ignore the good foundation we have and follow the rest of the world where nothing but complaints, dissatisfaction and discontent are ever heard, we too will also end up a strife-filled country.
If we stop talking to each other in all sincerity and truth, stop trying to build on what we already have, and instead allow the world’s greed, hunger for power and selfishness to rise to the top, then our days will soon be doomed like so many other nations who have allowed that to happen to them. Let’s hope and pray that won’t become our unfortunate lot. And yes, we do have serious problems, but they can all be worked out if we would just take the time to do so.
But in this modern society everybody wants everything like yesterday, and furthermore, without doing what it takes to get everything. That however is totally impossible. And even more so if we are not a God-fearing society. For with God ALL things are possible, but without Him, we cannot do a whole lot. Remember Cousin Sol words, that ‘Where there is no vision (prophetic vision or revelation), the people perish (cast off restraint): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ (Prov. 29:18)
And that’s not the leader’s good ideas and programs for his church but as this excerpt from the commentary by Jared C. Wilson on the subject states: ‘The vision is prophetic vision; what is in mind here is the revelation of God to his biblical spokesmen. Where there is no vision shared with us by the prophets, to whom God revealed the mysteries of the ages, we like savages run wild. In other words, we may have a vision, but if it is not the one given to the biblical representatives of God’s revelation and the forecasters of God’s coming glory, it is not to be conformed to.
“But blessed is he who keeps the law.” The latter part of the verse implies that when the vision of the prophets is held by the people, the blessing of living God’s way ensues. What is the vision of the prophets? It is “the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints” (Col. 1:26; see also Rom.16:25 and Eph. 3:9). The vision is Jesus.’
And these are the complete verses of Bruh Paul’s message to the Colossians: ‘Even the mystery (hidden truth, secret) which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest (has been revealed) to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Jesus.’ (Col. 1:26-28)
Yes, my fellow believers, if a society doesn’t know Jesus and live by His basic rules and guidelines, His standard of morality, then chaos, disaster and strife will be their eventual outcome. In simple language, when societies do not accept divine guidance, the people are unrestrained, they run wild. Or as one commentator puts it: ‘where there is no revelation from God, people do their own thing instead of what God wants them to do.’ But whoever obeys the law is joyful.
And that’s being totally proven by the rash of unrestrained and running wild societies, with the current style being for people to do their own thing instead of God’s. Consequently, there aren’t many joyful societies, if any, but the chaotic ones are indeed plentiful. And I believe this scripture from the days of Israels’ lawlessness are being replicated today. ‘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)
This verse from the Book of Judges also gives us an idea of what was happening with God’s people back then, and what’s also taking place with us right now. ‘In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.’ (Judg. 21:25) And unfortunately that is exactly what we are reverting to, a do as you like society. But friends we have prophetic vision; the mystery of Jesus has been revealed to us, so why are we living this chaotic, undisciplined, leggo-beast lifestyle eh?
Because with our short-sighted minds, only thinking of today’s pleasures and not tomorrow’s pain, totally influenced by Satan wiles and lies, we choose not to live for Jesus. And that is exactly why our society is going down the drain, almost ready to be cast over the precipice of sin and ungodliness. But all is not lost my people, for as we say, once there’s life, there’s always hope, and with the miracle working God that we serve, if we are willing to turn back to Him, He will surely help and retrofit us, and bring us back to His fold. So please, let’s go to Him now through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. 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 please remember that divine aid comes only when there is sincere repentance and a turning from our evil ways. Much LOVE!
…chaos always ensues…when we deviate from God’s law…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a tough row to hoe, ambassadors, as a good soldier of Christ, Bible, christianity, compassion, do the work of an evangelist, endure afflictions, endure hardness, eternal life, faith, God is faithful, humble ourselves, if any man will come after me, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus went out and prayed, joy, let him deny himself, let this cup pass from me, living in darkness, LOVE, make a way to escape, men ought always to pray and not faint, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, negative situations, new work week, not my will but thine, pray, prayer, prosper us, rising up a great while before day, salvation, seek your face, strong faith in Christ, such as is common to man, take up his cross, the fruit of the spirit, the God who heals, the throne of grace, turn from our evil ways, walk the walk, willing to sacrifice, wisdom, worldwide strife
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
06 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abhor that which is evil, as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, be not weary in well doing, Bible, brotherly LOVE, christianity, cleave to that which is good, count him not an enemy, divine aid, eat their own bread, enjoying the high life, faith, god, have no company with him, humble servants, if any would not work neither should he eat, if he thirst give him drink, if thine enemy hunger feed him, if ye love me keep my commandments, in due season we shall reap, instant in prayer, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus, Jesus Christ, let love be without dissimulation, LOVE, mass confusion, negative situations, no work no pay, patient in tribulation, recompense to no man evil for evil, rejoicing in hope, shame, shamed into working, sincere repentance, the God who heals, the household of faith, the separation of the sheep from the goats, turn from our evil ways, vengeance is mine saith the Lord, wisdom, with quietness they work
2 Thessalonians 3:13. But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
One more Monday, one more day of work, that’s the way the cookie crumbles! Yes friends, that’s how modern-day life works; no work, no pay, and no money, no food, clothing or shelter. And I do know that the Lord has promised that if we keep Him Number One in our lives, He will provide all of our material needs, but that doesn’t mean just sitting down and doing nothing. We are expected to work down here on earth, as well as in heaven above.
Don’t let all the glorious and marvellous aspects of heaven fool you into thinking that you’ll be doing nothing for eternity. No sir! And though I don’t know exactly what we will be doing in heaven, I do know that we will be doing something constructive, not just lazing around and enjoying the high life, like so many of us want to do down here.
And it always intrigues me when I think of Bruh Paul’s writings to the Thessalonians on the subject of working and eating. ‘For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk disorderly among you, working not at all, but are busybodies.
Now them that are such, we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing. And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not an enemy.’ (2 Thess. 3:10-15)
Now in these modern times there are many busybodies, gadabouts and lazy people who don’t want to work, but prefer to live like parasites off of others who toil and labour for their daily bread. And I wonder how Bruh Paul’s system would work in today’s crazy and oh so convoluted world. He doesn’t mean to have the lazy person excommunicated, just shamed into working.
Hn! I don’t believe that would work very well in our society, because there are so many layabouts who have absolutely no shame. In fact, our current society is one in general that doesn’t know the meaning of the word. Some of the things we do, the atrocities we commit nowadays, would never have been committed just a few generations ago, because they would just be too shameful and definitely not appreciated. But in today’s free for all society, any and everything goes, and words like shame, disgrace, disrepute and embarrassment, no longer carry a strong deterrent value.
But what we really want to talk about today is the li’l gem hidden in Bruh Paul’s words above: ‘But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.’ That friends, is one of the most important aspects of our Christian faith. Jesus alluded to it in Matthew 25:31-46, when He spoke of the separation of the sheep and the goats, where doing good to the poor and needy also meant doing good to him. ‘Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.’ (Matt. 25:40)
And Bruh Paul exhorts us in several scriptures to do the same thing. Listen to him in the letter to the Galatians. ‘And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.’ (Gal. 6:9-10)
Then in his first letter to the Corinthians, in speaking of victory over death, he says: ‘But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain (futile) in the Lord.’ (1 Cor. 15:57-58)
And last but not least, to the church at Rome, Bruh Paul writes: ‘Let LOVE be without dissimulation (hypocrisy). Abhor that which is evil; cleave (cling) to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned (be affectionate) one to another with brotherly LOVE; in honour preferring (giving preference to) one another…Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation (persevering in tough times); continuing instant (steadfastly) in prayer; Distributing to the necessity (needs) of the saints; given to hospitality.
Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not…Recompense (repay) to no man evil for evil. Provide (have regard for) things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in (depends on) you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:9-10, 11-14, 17-21)
Now, having read and inwardly digested those scriptures, (smile) let’s go to the throne of grace in prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, for divine aid to put it all into action. 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!’ Please, let’s not forget that God promised to prosper us… if we turn from our evil ways, so let’s be wise and begin there nuh. Much LOVE!
…if ye LOVE me…keep my commandments… (John 14:15)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
15 Apr 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good attitude, abide with you forever, another comforter, bring all things to your remembrance, christianity, degeneration of our well being, divine help, ease the pain, faith, forgiving God, full spiritual armour, gentle leading, god, God-centred lives, grace, guide you into all truth, he shall testify of me, holy spirit, I will pray the Father, if ye love me keep my commandments, in the holy name of Jesus, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus, Jesus Christ, leave you comfortless, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, mercy, method to God's madness, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my peace I give unto you, negative situations, neither let it be afraid, our Triune God, Peace i leave with you, Pentecost Sunday, rat race, repentance in our hearts, road rage, send in my name, stressful factors, teach you all things, the calming power of Jesus, the God who heals, the Holy Ghost, the Holy Trinity, the pittance, the Spirit of truth, truth, turn from our evil ways, unsavoury work mates, until our dying day, weekend reverie, wisdom
John 14:16. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter (Helper), that he may abide with you for ever;
And as always, after Sunday comes Monday – the day we rather unfairly dislike. And why do we dislike Monday? Because it disturbs our weekend reverie, sending us back out into never ending rat race of the workday world, with endless traffic jams, that breed bitter road rage, and on top of all that, unsavoury work mates. (smile) But if we want to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table, then we have to bite the bullet, get out there and labour for the pittance our selfish and greedy masters believe we’re worth.
And it’s best we do it with a good attitude, for anything less will only lead to further degeneration of our wellbeing. We cannot be overwhelmed by the stressful factors of this busy world and yet lead productive, God-centred lives. Thus, we need the calming power of Jesus at the forefront of all that we do, through the leading and guidance of His Holy Spirit that dwells within us to accomplish that very task. Remember Jesus’ promise to the disciples, when He informed them of His return to heaven in the near future? ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter (Helper), that he may abide with you for ever;’ (John 14:15-16)
Please note that last phrase, the Comforter is to be with them and us forever! So, from the day we believe in Christ, and that Comforter comes to dwell within us, He never leaves until our dying day. Now, that ought to give us a wellspring of confidence, but unfortunately not enough of us supposed believers enjoy it, because we don’t follow the Comforter’s gentle leading. We talk the talk, but in reality don’t walk the walk. And what’s this Comforter all about eh? As per Jesus: ‘Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you.’ (John 14:17-18)
And there Jesus promises that He will always be with us through the Spirit of truth, which the world doesn’t and cannot know, but that we know and will eventually have dwelling in us. Then later on He expands on the Spirit of truth and what it would do. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter (Helper), which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:25-27)
Ah friends, what comforting words from our Lord and Saviour! Yes, the Comforter or Helper, would be the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Holy Trinity, our Triune God! And according to Jesus, He would enable the apostles to remember all His words and works as they endeavoured to do His bidding and put quill to parchment to ensure that His earthly legacy endured down through the ages. And that’s exactly what the Holy Spirit did back then when He filled the believers on that fateful Pentecost Sunday in Jerusalem and the church of Christ was born, and what He’s still doing to this day for us who have believed because of what the disciples have written; that’s the New Testament.
And if there’s one thing to be said for Jesus, He was always encouraging His followers. As we saw above there, He blessed them with His particular kind of peace, unlike any the world could provide, and that they should not be worried because He had things under control. And in the next chapter, He reiterates His earlier encouragement. ‘But when the Comforter (Helper) is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which preceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye shall also bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.’ (John 15:26-27)
Then Jesus expands on that when He tells them: ‘I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself (on his own authority); but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine (what is mine), and shall shew (declare) it unto you.’ (John 1612-14) Now that’s certainly an interesting scripture and as the scholars point out: ‘Just as Jesus came to do the will of His Father, so the Holy Spirit is sent to speak not of Himself, but of Christ.’
So what’s the long and short of the story? That if we have Jesus, His peace, LOVE, grace, mercy etc. as well as the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us and remind us of Jesus, then we ought not to be afraid of this evil and ungodly world, and should get out there on Mondays, in full spiritual armour, just rearing to go and to do serious battle in the holy name of Jesus! And to help us keep everything in perspective, let’s go to the throne of grace right now, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine help.
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 do as we prayed; turn from our evil ways, by humbling ourselves, praying and sincerely seeking God’s face, then divine help will surely be forthcoming! Much LOVE!
…there is method to God’s supposed madness…as first He operated through Jesus…and now operates through the Holy Spirit…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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