The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Understanding that Christ is the Perfect Example to Follow!

30 Jul 2026 Leave a comment

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   30 July 2026   Hebrews 12:2a.

Hebrews 12:2a.         Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith;

Oh friends, it’s another glorious, sunshiny, summer’s day, with the wind again dancing the light fandango with the trees! And on this Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week, and also the penultimate day of this eccentric month of July, we’ll look at the prayer from this month’s In Touch Devotional. So please pray with me.

‘Lord, sometimes others’ words cut deeper than I let on. I want to hide, keeping close only those who make me feel safe. You were pierced by words and nails, yet LOVE flowed from Your wounds. Fill my heart with courageous LOVE, strong enough to choose connection. Help me see others as you do, imperfect people like me who need grace and compassion. When I’m tempted to pull away from someone, soften my heart. Show me why that person hurts – make me a source of Your healing. In Jesus’ name, amen.’

And yuh know what my brethren, in these oh so deceitful, dishonest, angry and strife-filled days, where words are commonly used like a weapon, thrown out without thought to the other person’s emotional wellbeing, that kind of backing away, steering clear of our fellow human beings is quite prevalent, as well as understandable. Because who wants to get their feelings hurt by often untrue and hurtful words. And believe me, words can cut to the quick even more deeply than a real weapon.

All of us, at some time or another, have experienced cutting words that just shook our souls to their very foundations, leaving us wondering what had hit us, so strong was the vehemence and the poison that emanated from someone else’s mouth toward us. But thankfully we don’t have to fear those kinds of diatribe, because we have a Saviour who experienced those deadly slings of word arrows, as well as the nails and shame of the cross, but who instead fought them with LOVE and compassion, rather than with the same sort of evil that was cast upon Him.

As the author of Hebrews so rightly advises us. ‘Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (become discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:2-3) Yes my fellow believers, that’s the worthy example Jesus gave us to follow.

And as Bruh Paul warns us in Romans: ‘Recompense to (repay) no man evil for evil … 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 (cause him shame). Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:17a, 19-21) Now that’s how we ought to handle the harsh and hurting words or actions that come against us. And we all know that it’s easier said than done, but that’s how our leader, Jesus wants us to react. He said it Himself in the Sermon on the Mount.

‘Ye have heard that it hath been said , Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you, and persecute you: That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye LOVE them which LOVE you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) the same? And if ye salute (greet) your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) so? Be ye perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ (Matt. 5:43-48)

Now that is indeed a tough row to hoe my people, but it’s what Jesus expects of us, his faithful followers. And let’s understand that not all our enemies that we try to be nice to will respond with gratefulness or graciousness, for the tempo and temper of our times are such that they don’t encourage such decent behaviour. We’re living in a dog eat dog world, one like we’ve never seen before, with many of the so-called niceties and manners of previous generations having unfortunately fallen by the wayside.

And one other important point we need to consider in this era of harsh words and uncompromising actions, is that hurting people, hurt others. Yes, many a time that harsh words or actions are thrown out, it’s because the originator of such behaviour has been hurt themselves and either consciously or unconsciously wishes to hurt someone else, for that’s the nature of the human animal. Our sinful nature automatically calls for some sort of revenge. But let’s remember that’s not our job, it’s the Lord’s.

Ah friends, we’re all imperfect, and thus liable to behave imperfectly, but we have the perfect example of Jesus Christ before us, so, when those kinds of situations arise in our lives, let’s remember all that we’ve said today, and don’t immediately react with trepidation, that feeling of fear or worry, but let’s turn first to God and ask for His help to handle the situation in the right manner. As the prayer says; ‘fill my heart with that courageous LOVE, strong enough to make a connection. Help me see others as You do. Imperfect people like me who need grace and compassion. When I’m tempted to pull away from someone, soften my heart. Show me why that person hurts – make me a source of Your healing. In Jesus’ name, amen.’

And yuh know what? The Lord has already given us the tools to handle such situations. We call them our Thursday Blessings, undeserved blessings the Lord has generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. So let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh, for a blessing is not a blessing until it’s spoken. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!

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

And having made that declaration, we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously the Lord bestowed them on us! Much LOVE!

…Jesus has set a tough example for us to follow…but follow it we must…as best as we can…

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

The Overwhelming Importance of Christians doing Everything to Please God and not Man!

20 Mar 2026 Leave a comment

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

Colossians 3:23.        And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

So it’s finally Friday! Yes the day we’ve all been looking forward to since Monday. (smile) And though it’s dark, cloudy and rainy, we still lifted up our voices in our Friday Mantra with much enthusiasm. ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is hear at long last!’ But friends, just because today is Friday, the entry day to the weekend, it doesn’t mean that we can laze around and not do what needs to be done in an efficient and diligent manner, just like Jesus desires.

For some of us mistakenly think that Friday is a lazy day, but that is Saturday. Friday is another working day, it’s just that on Friday we can look forward to Saturday, the truly lazing day.  But all five days of the work week ought to be taken seriously and not slacking off on Friday. I know it’s become a sort of cultural thing, with dress down Fridays, and Friday after work gatherings, but there’s nothing that says work should be shirked. And sadly, if some of us were paid on the work we actually did, we’d get very little in our pay packets.

However, as believers in and followers of Jesus Christ, we ought to follow this golden rule that Bruh Paul wrote to the Colossians. ‘And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong that he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.’ (Col. 3:23-25) Yes friends, whatever we do down here on this earth it must be done as to God and not unto man.

As this commentary tells us, ‘”Do everything as unto the Lord,” means performing all tasks—work, chores, or relationships—wholeheartedly, with enthusiasm, and as a service to God rather than for human approval. This mindset shifts the focus from seeking recognition from others to serving Christ, which provides peace, purpose, and a heavenly reward.’

I could not put it any better my people!  And that’s one of the shortcomings of many of us Christians, we work as for man, and not as for God. But remember that last verse from Bruh Paul’s letter above, warns us that wrongdoers will pay for their wrong doing, and we all know that the Lord is no respecter of persons, regardless of who you are, you will pay.

And unfortunately, that’s one the things that causes the unbeliever to doubt our witness. We talk a good talk about Jesus, but then they see us lazing around and slacking off from work. That either makes them feel that you can do that as a Christian, or we are just a bunch of hypocrites. Which again, unfortunately, many of us are.

It’s like Jesus describes the Jewish leaders of His time. ‘Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres (whitewashed tombs), which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (lawlessness).’ (Matt. 23:27-28)

Now, sadly, that can be said of many supposed believers. Like this commentary explains: ‘”Like whitewashed sepulchres” (or tombs) is a metaphor used by Jesus in Matthew 23:27 to condemn hypocrisy, describing people who appear righteous, beautiful, or holy on the outside but are inwardly corrupt, full of “dead men’s bones,” and moral uncleanness. It signifies a stark contrast between outward appearance and inner reality.’

And that’s such a common occurrence in these greedy, deceitful, evil and ungodly times, not only amongst Christians, but in our entire society. Consequently, because of the kind of society in which we currently dwell, hypocrisy has become rampant and more the norm than the exception. And yes, we all have our likes and dislikes, our prejudices and whatever, but that doesn’t mean we have to encourage or action them, especially when Jesus says we should not.

So let’s remember these words of Jesus: ‘Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you, and persecute you. That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

For if ye LOVE them which LOVE you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) the same? And if ye salute (greet) your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ (Matt. 5: 43-48) Yes my brethren, as disciples and ambassadors of Jesus, we’re expected to do a tad more than the ordinary unbeliever.

Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant for divine aid to help us do just that! Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough…  because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. 

Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.

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

Oh my people, you know we can talk a good talk, but the Lord doesn’t listen to our talk, but instead looks at the sincerity and motives of our hearts, and if our motives weren’t right and our prayer sincere, then we won’t be receiving any divine aid. It as simple as that. That means we need to improve our motives and our sincerity! Much LOVE!

…Christian behaviour is expected to be serious and sincere…not hypocritical…

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

The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Living Their Lives for the Purpose of Doing Good rather than Evil!

06 Feb 2026 Leave a comment

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

Romans 12:21.         Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

And we’ve finally gotten to Friday! But though it’s a somewhat snowy and cloudy day, we’ve nonetheless sent up our Mantra: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here!’ We don’t seem to care what kind of day it is, once it’s Friday, (smile) because it means the work week is almost over. 

Now, before we get into today’s topic, let me apologize for my mistake of yesterday. Ah Lord eh! I got so tied up in the prayer situation that I referred to yesterday’s message as the third instead of the fourth. My poor brain could not comprehend that we had already done three messages on prayer. I hope you all realized that it was a senior’s moment, (smile) and forgave the ole fella. He’s getting on in age, so anything’s possible.  

Anyway, today we’re going to talk about a topic that should be at the heart of Christ’s church, but sadly isn’t. That topic is overcoming evil with good.  And Bruh Paul wrote a lot about that, especially in his letter to the Romans. ‘Let LOVE be without dissimulation (hypocrisy). Abhor that which is evil; cleave (cling) to that which is good… Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not… Recompense (repay) no man evil for evil. Provide things  honest in the sight of all men (have regard for good things). 

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 shall 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, 14, 17-21)  

And the pertinent question now is whether the members of Christ’s church are living like that? Unfortunately, the answer is no. Definitely not to a sufficient amount or level. And yes, some of that stuff is difficult to do, especially in these strife-filled and greedy times, but that’s the whole point of being a disciple of Jesus; going against the grain, going against what the world considers normal and right. 

Remember Jesus said basically the same thing in the sermon on the Mount. ‘Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you, and persecute you: That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 

For if ye LOVE them which LOVE you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) the same? And if ye salute (greet) your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ (Matt. 5:43-48) 

And we all know that we’ll never be perfect like our heavenly Father while we’re here on earth, but the important thing is to try to be much more like Him than we currently are. Remember what a disciple is supposed to be: One who denies himself, picks up His cross daily and follows Jesus. (Luke 9:23) Now that doesn’t mean being like the rest of the world. And if we need to show the unbelievers the goodness of God, then we have to relent from all the evil we carry in our souls and bodies, and let the good that resides there come out instead. 

And I’m amazed at the way our God moves. Earlier on, when I opened the Bible, it opened at a passage that showed exactly what we’re talking about, and it’s what eventually lead me to the topic. And that scripture is about the time when Bruh David, after running from King Saul for many years, had the chance to kill him in a cave in the wilderness, but only cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. And when his men encouraged him to kill Saul, he refused, saying: ‘The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.’ (1 Sam. 24:6) 

But after Saul left the cave, Bruh David rose up and accosted him outside of the cave, even bowing to his nemesis, because he was still the king and the Lord’s anointed. He than gave Saul a long speech, which you can find in 1 Sam. 24: 9-15. And surprisingly, after that, Saul admitted his sin. The Bible tells us that Saul said, ‘Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted his voice and wept. 

And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. And thou hast showed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the Lord hath delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not. For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away (get away safely)? Wherefore the Lord reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day.’ (1 Sam. 24: 16-19) 

Oh my people, what a wonderful example that is of overcoming evil with good. Although Bruh David had the right and the chance to kill Saul, instead, he took the high road and showed mercy like the Lord required of him. And it’s the same way that the Lord requires us to be much more merciful that we currently are, for when we show others mercy, He shows it back to us. Remember, everything in the Lord’s Word is for our benefit! Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid to handle the evil that surrounds us with the goodness of God. 

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

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

Oh friends, prayer is a wonderful tool, but divine aid will only be forthcoming when the Lord sees us willing to get up and make the sacrifices available to us! Much LOVE!

…the only thing that can overcome evil…is good…

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