01 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a mercy that defies explanation, a personal attack of slander, a physical pursuing of the persecuted, a tough row to hoe, all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution, ambassadors of God, another week of work, back to the dark ages, blessed are the merciful, blessed are the peace makers, blessed are the pure in heart, blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, blessed are ye when men shall revile and persecute you, born again by the mercy of God, by the good example we your faithful believers set, called the children of God, christianity, Christians, conforming them to the image of Christ, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, desire to live in peace with all men, divine Love, faith, Father forgive them, fight for good working conditions, fighting tooth and nail, for my sake, for they know not what they do, for they shall see god..., Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship, God's omnipotent help, God's message to a troubled world, great is your reward in heaven, have the work of the Holy spirit in them, help us to be responsible, holiness, holy spirit, in direct contrast to the world, International Worker's Day, Jesus Christ, Jesus the ultmate example, lives transformed by the grace of God, LOVE, make inroads into the enemy's stronghold, May Day, mercy, New Birth, ones that are at peace with God, problems are escalating, rejoice and be exceeding glad, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, rest and relaxation, salvation, saving faith, say all manner of evil against you falsely, Sermon on the Mount, so persecuted they the prophets which were before you, spring festivals, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the Beatitudes, the BIBLE, the eternal destiny of all things, the process of sanctification, the qualities of a changed life, the sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, the throne of grace, the truly saved shall see God, theirs is the kingdom of heaven, they shall obtain mercy, to restrict our hard won privileges, trusting faith, truth, unregenerate men, wisdom, wise guidance, with your generous help
Matthew 5:12a. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven:
So we’ve finally come to Friday, and our Friday Mantra’s has been sent on high: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at last!’ But it’s also the first of May, with May Day celebrations around the world, as this overview tells us: ‘May Day, celebrated annually on May 1st, is a dual-purpose occasion marking ancient spring festivals and International Workers’ Day. It honors the fight for an eight-hour workday, originating from the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago, and is celebrated worldwide with marches, rallies, and traditional festivals celebrating the start of summer.’
Unfortunately, many of the young people don’t know of the enormous fight in the last couple of centuries to gain some decent labour relations. And though the current employers are fighting tooth and nail to restrict our hard won privileges, we cannot afford to let that happen, because if they had their greedy and exploitative way, we’d go right back to the dark ages. But thankfully some of us are still willing to get up and fight for good working conditions.
Anyway, since the Lord saw fit to bless us with life today, we need to keep our promise of checking out scriptures that talk about ‘blessed.’ And we ended yesterday right in the middle of the Beatitudes, a number of statements Jesus pre-fixed with the term ‘Blessed’ at the beginning of His Sermon on the Mount. So the next one is: ‘Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.’ (Matt. 5:7)
And the scholars tell us ‘Those who are merciful…shall obtain mercy has reference to those who have been born again by the mercy of God. Because divine LOVE has been extended to them, they have the work of the Holy Spirit in them producing a mercy that defies explanation by unregenerate men. Jesus Himself became the ultimate example of this when He cried from the cross, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
Then we have, ‘Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.’ (Matt. 5:8) And per the scholars, ‘Those who are truly saved shall see God. These are the pure in heart. Their lives have been transformed by the grace of God. They are not yet sinless, but their position before God has been changed. They have the New Birth, saving faith, and holiness. The process of sanctification is ever conforming them to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29), which image consists in “righteousness and true holiness” (Eph. 4:24).
Then there’s this Beatitude: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.’ (Matt. 5:9) Sadly in these strife-filled times there doesn’t seem to be any peacemakers or children of God around. But as the scholars explain, ‘The peacemakers are ones at peace with God, and desire to live in peace with all men (cf. Rom. 5:1). Their peace with Christ enables them to be ambassadors of God’s message to a troubled world. Hence they shall be called the children of God. Throughout the Beatitudes Jesus clearly underscores that only those who have the qualities of a changed life, herein described, are citizens of His kingdom.’
Then we come to this somewhat tough Beatitude. ‘Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. 5:10) And the scholars tell us, ‘As Jesus develops His message, He clearly teaches that such a life causes His people to be in direct contrast to the world in which they live. Therefore He reminds us, Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. The plural use of “ye” in verse 11 indicates that He foresaw this persecution touching all His followers. Notice 2 Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
Yes friends, that’s a tough row to hoe, but hoe it we must, if we’re to consider ourselves followers of Jesus Christ. And the blessedness get even tougher as we continue; (smile) ‘Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’ (Matt. 5:11-12) Ah mih bredrin, those are not easy sentiments to take in, but as followers of Christ they are true.
As per verse 11, the scholars say that ‘Again, Jesus warns that men shall revile you, and persecute you. This became true during His own ministry, in the lives of the apostles, and throughout the history of the church. The persecution spoke of here is twofold. First, it involves a physical pursuing of the persecuted, and second, a personal attack of slander against them.’ And Bruh Paul personified the persecution of the church when he was still called Saul.
Then per the next verse, the scholars inform us: ‘Rejoice is the command that grows out of the blessedness of the believer. The phrase Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, means even more, exult! Great is your reward in heaven focuses attention on the eternal destiny of all things. If God is as real as He claims, if the Bible is true, if heaven is to be gained, then no temporary earthly trouble or persecution can dispossess the child of God of joy in the prospect of the eternal glory that lies ahead.’
Wow! That’s much easier said than done! But that’s why the Lord has given us all the tools to do it. He knows that fighting His battle here on earth will be tough, but then He expects us to allow the eternal rewards to encourage and strengthen us. And these days we badly need help to keep the fight going, so let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, to receive divine help in these times of dire need.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. 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. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And we Christians definitely need to wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong, if we are ever going to make inroads into the enemy’s stronghold. Much LOVE!
…truly living for Jesus is not easy…but the rewards are certainly worthwhile…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a strange sight, a surrendered heart, always say thank you to god, an angry and discourteous manner, an underhanded approach, anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, appropriate for these times, be renewed and refreshed, be responsible, be the children of your Father in heaven, bless them that curse you, by the good example we your faithful believers set, called according to His purpose, Christian behaviour need improving, christianity, Christians, climate change, courtesy, curse God and die, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, divine aid, do good to them that hate you, don't waste the weekend in fun and frolic, dost thou still retain thine integrity, faith, for those who love God, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship, God will work everything out for good, God's omnipotent help, he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, holy spirit, I made it through, in a courteous manner, in all this, in our opinion, in soul body and mind, innate trust in God, Jesus Christ, Job did not sin with his lips, living just like the rest of the world, LOVE, Love your enemies, many reject the Lord's offerings, mercy, more delighted with your trust, no matter how good you are there's going to be some rain in your life, no thank you Lord, omit the first word. delighted with your courtesy, One Year Book of Bible promises, our sinful world, our trusting faith, pray for them which spitefully use you, problems are escalating, regardless of your good Christian behaviour, rest and relaxation, right motives, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, seems difficult or unfair, sendeth rain on the just and the unjust, separates the sheep from the goats, shall we not receive calamity, shall we receive good at the hand of God, smiled and said, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, Thank You Lord, the BIBLE, the Lord never reneges on His promises, the remarkable promise of God, the throne of grace, the weekend is here at last, total surrender to God, tough to accept calamity, tried to be very courteous, truth, unexpected storms, use the weekend for rest and rejuvenation, wake up and smell the coffee, when you honour God you'll still be standing after the storms, wisdom, wise guidance, with your generous help
Job 2:10a. What? shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive (accept) calamity?
And then it was the day we all long for, Friday, which causes our Friday Mantra to rise to high heaven: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at long last!’ And that’s all well and good, but let’s hope we use the weekend to its best advantage, for rest and rejuvenation, and don’t simply waste it away in fun and frolic, as so many of us tend to do.
Oh, by the way, remember that tall tree in my neighbour’s backyard that I recently told you had leaves that made it through both the fall and winter? Well, yesterday I looked out my bedroom window and saw it budding with new leaves, but lo and behold, the old leaves were still there! I can’t wait to see what happens when all the new leaves come out, if the old ones will finally fall off, or remain for the rest of the summer. They will certainly be a strange sight, for the new leaves will be green while the old ones are a light brown. Anyhow, that’s between the Lord and climate change! (smile)
And, today, I have a rather interesting poem to share from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one’s simply titled ‘Courtesy.’ And I don’t believe I’ve ever shared this one because it even seems new to me, but as always, they are very appropriate and informative for the times we live in. So please read with me: ‘I tried to be Very courteous. I smiled and said “No thank You, Lord.” You smiled back and said “Omit the first word And I’ll be delighted With your courtesy – And more delighted with your trust.” “Thank You Lord.”
I got a chuckle from that when I first read it, because it does sound like how the Lord might behave, with that sort of underhanded approach. But the truth is that many of us do reject the Lord’s offerings, sometimes in a courteous manner, and sometimes in an angry, discourteous one, especially if He’s offering some thing we don’t like or in our opinion, seems rather difficult or unfair. However, at all times, we do need to remember that remarkable promise of scripture where the Lord assures us that He will work everything out for good in the end, for those who LOVE Him and are called according to His purpose. (Rom. 8:28)
That means we need to accept both the good and bad which comes into our lives with that promise at the back of our minds. Or, as the Bible verse for the poem which comes from Job’s discourse with his wife, when complete disaster befell him, and he was sitting in the ashes after scraping away the many boils that Satan had inflicted on his body. She said to him: ‘Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God and die. But he said unto her, thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive (accept) calamity? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.’ (Job 2: 9-10)
Yes friends, it’s sometimes tough to accept calamity as though it comes from God, but that’s the best way to handle it, because then we will know that He will make it right in the end. It’s like Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount, when teaching about LOVING one’s enemies. ‘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 the unjust.’ (Matt. 5:44-45)
In other words, the Lord causes the sun and rain to fall on everyone, however, as this commentary says; “Rain falls on the just and the unjust.” Means no matter how good of a person you are, no matter how much you honor God, there’s going to be some rain in your life. The difference is that when you honour God, the storms may come, but when it’s all said and done, you’ll still be standing.’
Glory to God my brethren! Again, we fall back on that marvellous promise from Romans, that in the end, all will be right with us, because our faithful God promised it, and He never reneges on any of His promises. That’s why saying ‘no thanks’ to God is not a good idea, and why He’s always more interested and delighted by our courtesy and more so by our trust. For that’s what separates the proverbial goats from the sheep, or sheep from the goats; (smile) that innate trust, the total surrender to His Word and ways.
And God knows it’s not always easy for us to do what’s right, but He does expect us to make the attempt, even if we fail in so doing. Because then he will see and know that our heart’s in the right place. And that’s all He really expects from us in our frail and finite selves; right motives in a surrendered heart! Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid to stand strong when the storms of life batter us.
Altogether! Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. 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. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And unfortunately, it’s not the sinful world alone that needs to wake up and smell the coffee, but also a large portion of we supposed believers, because we’re living just like the rest of the world, and our Christian behaviour needs improving in the worst way! Much LOVE!
…whatever comes against…we should always say…Thank You God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a dislike of Monday, a job I dislike, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a quandary, a rat race, a sensible option, a warm comfortable bed, all sinned and disobeyed your word, always be the best we can be, become more miserable and disgruntled, Christian behaviour, christianity, Christians, divine aid, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, do it as of the ability which God gives, do it with thy might, done with diligence and excellence, ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, employees becoming less interested and efficient, faith, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, find ourselves in a quanday, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him, God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, good jobs are few and far between, good stewards of the manifold grace of God, grin and bear it, have your cake and eat it, he that does wrong, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, if any man minister, if any man speak, in sincerity of heart, in singleness of heart, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, jobs are much hared to come by these days, keep your promise to prosper us, knowing that of the Lord, lessen the irritation and pain, little loyalty on either side, looking out for their own benefit, LOVE, mercy, monetary compensation, nasty weather, no respect of persons, not as easy as it sounds, not unto men, not with eyeservice as men pleasers, obey in all things your masters, our attitude is always right when we work for God, practical advice, pray, putting on the new man, receive for the wrong he has done, receive the reward of the inheritance, rush hour traffic, salvation, see very little future in my job, servants, show them your awesome grace and mercy, shut up, sincere repentance in our hearts, sincerely seek God's face, speak as the oracles of God, thank you for life and strong faith in Christ, the BIBLE, the God who heals, the mass confusion in our world, the only way to handle uncomfortable situations, the power to solve our many problems, there's no work device knowledge nor wisdom in the grave, to live for Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever, truth, trying to squeeze every last penny, turn from our evil ways, up the ante, whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God, whatsoever ye do do it heartily as unto the Lord, whatsoever ye do in word or deed, whether therefore ye eat or drink, wisdom, wise guidance, working directly for God and not men, ye serve the Lord Christ
1 Corinthians 10:31. ‘Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.’
Monday, Monday, how I dislike that day! Why? Because it causes me to get up in the early hours of the morning from a warm, comfortable bed and make my way through the rush hour traffic in all kinds of nasty weather, to a job I dislike, and in which I see very little future. Well then, find another job that you like, one you can see a future in.
Yes, that’s a sensible option, but it’s not as easy as it sounds, with jobs much harder to come by these days, even with a decent education and experience. Then there’s the problem of the salary, the monetary compensation for doing the job. Not all of them pay well, and this one pays better than most. So then just shut up and grin and bear it! (smile)
You want to have your cake and eat it, but very few of us are able to do that in this life. And, unfortunately, that’s a quandary that many of us find ourselves in these days; we don’t like our jobs, but it’s hard to get up and look for one we like, and good ones are few and far between, then that might not pay as well as our current job. So we just stick with what we have, and become more miserable and disgruntled every day. And that’s the story of many people in our work force today. Not only unbelievers, but believers too.
And sadly, the work scene is becoming more and more of a rat race every day. There’s little loyalty on either side of the divide, because everyone’s simply looking out for their own benefit, and seeking where they can improve it. Employers are trying to squeeze every last penny out of their employees, while the employees are becoming less interested and efficient every day.
Now, for us believers, it seems we have forgotten the practical advice that Bruh Paul offered, first to the Corinthians, then to the Colossians. To the Corinthians re food, he says it thus: ‘Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.’ (1 Cor. 10:31) Then to the church at Colossae, re putting on the new man, he directs them: ‘And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. (Col. 3:17)
Then in the next passage he advises: ‘Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as men pleasers; but in singleness (sincerity) of heart, fearing God: 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 which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.’ (Col. 3:22-25)
And sometime recently, possibly last week, we considered that same passage of scripture, pointing out that regardless of who we are, whatsoever we do, should be done with diligence and excellence, as though we were working directly for God, and not men. And that’s the only way to handle uncomfortable or unlikeable situations in which we find ourselves. Consider we’re doing it for Almighty God, and that ought to lessen the irritation, pain or dislike, because when we work for Him, our attitude is always right. (smile)
And the wisest man ever, Cousin Sol, as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes, when talking about living joyfully, says: ‘Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.’ (Eccl. 9:10) And we know that’s true, so we might as well do whatever we do here well and also enjoy it.
Then Peter adds his two cents worth as he talks about how believers ought to behave, ‘as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles (utterances) of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever. Amen.’ (1Pet. 4:10b-11)
Yes mih bredrin, it’s not always easy to do, but in whatever aspect of life we are involved, the glory of God must always be our number one priority. We need to behave as though it’s God we’re directly doing it for, so that no bad stain can be attached to His name through our actions, or inaction. That’s just the way the believer’s life ought to be lived. And to help us do it like we ought to, (smile) let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid.
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 must up the ante on our Christian behaviour, because right now it’s definitely not good enough! Much LOVE!
…to truly live for Christ…is to always be the best we can be…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a directive to perform every task wholeheartedly, a mindset designed to replace stress and people pleasing, a sense of purpose and integrity, all things that are reproved, anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, approach the throne of grace, arise from the dead, as if Christ himself were the direct employer, awake thou that sleepest, blasphemers, boasters, brutal, but rather reprove them, by the good example we your faithful believers set, Christ shall give thee light, Christ the light of the world, christianity, Christians, coasting through the work week, covetous vultures, currying favour, deeds are wrought in God, deeds made manifest, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, denying the power thereof, despisers of those that are good, disobedient to parents, divine aid, do a decent day's work, do as little as possible for as much as possible, do it heartily as unto the Lord, doesn't come to the light, doing just enough to get by, doing their best to muddy the waters, elevates daily tasks into acts of worship, encourages action motivated by love and service to christ, every one that does evil hates the light, exposed sin becomes light, faith, false accusers, fearing God, fellowship, fraud artists, Friday chant, from such stay away, further your glorious kingdom, God's omnipotent help, gossips, greedy saps, haughty, have no fellowship, having a form of godliness, he that doeth truth cometh to the light, he that doeth wrong, he that hath ears to hear let him hear, help us to be responsible, highminded, holy spirit, in accordance with Jesus' desire, in singleness of heart, in the last days perilous times shall come, irreconcilable, it is a shame, Jesus Christ, keep our world sinking into the mire of ungodliness and evil doing, lest his deeds be reproved, light is come into the world, LOVE, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, made manifest by the light, make their deeds manifest, men loved darkness rather than light, men shall be lovers of their own selves, mercy, money lovers, mundane or significant, no respect of persons, not with eyeservice as men pleasers, obey in all things your masters, offering your best in everything, problems are escalating, proud, receive for the wrong he has done, receive the reward of the inheritance, reckless, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, resist the pull of evil, rest and relaxation, ridiculed by co-workers, salvation, scandal mongers, shine our light on thier darkness, slanderers, spiritually enlightened, stand strong and steadfast, stoop to such low levels of decency, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the focus being on God's will, the lowest of the low, the sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, the way of today's world, the weekend is here at last, their deeds are evil, this is the condemnation, this perspective brings a spiritual reward, to speak of those things done in secret, traitors, true repentance, trusting faith, truth, turn from our sin, turning away from our sin, unexpected storms, unholy, whatsoever ye do do it heartily as unto the Lord, wisdom, wise guidance, with diligence and excellence, with the unfruitful works of darkness, work as though we're working for jesus
Ephesians 5:11. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (expose) them.
So we’ve come to Friday; another rainy night and cloudy morning, but that doesn’t stop us from somewhat tiredly declaring our Friday Mantra: ‘Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at long last! Some rest and relaxation are long overdue!’ And some of us do deserve the rest and relaxation because we do a decent days work, in accordance with Jesus’ desire that we work for our bosses as though we’re working for Him, that is with diligence and excellence. However, far too many of us are just coasting through the work week, doing just enough to get by, which is definitely not what Jesus expects from His followers.
It’s as Bruh Paul puts it to the Colossians: ‘Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart (with sincerity), fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as unto 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 which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.’ (Col. 3:22-25) Yes friends, even slaves are to obey their masters with all diligence and sincerity, just as though they are obeying God, and we free believers are expected to do even better than that.
And this overview explains it very nicely: “Do all things as though unto God” is a directive to perform every task—whether mundane or significant—wholeheartedly, as if working for God directly rather than people. It advises against working only for human approval or “eye-service,” encouraging action motivated by LOVE and service to Christ. We are to work heartily and enthusiastically, putting our full effort and soul into every task. With the focus being on doing God’s will, which elevates daily tasks into acts of worship. And while not seeking human praise, this perspective brings a spiritual reward, described as an inheritance from the Lord. It means offering your best in everything—even daily chores or work—as if Christ Himself were the direct employer. This mindset is designed to replace stress and people-pleasing with a sense of purpose and integrity.’
I could not put it any better than that my brethren. But unfortunately too many of us supposed believers don’t follow that directive, we go along with the sinful and fraudulent method of seeing how little we can do for the most we can get. Sadly, that’s the way of today’s world, and it’s so bad, that those who try to do a good job are even derided, ridiculed by their co-workers for …. Sorry, that’s a term I can’t use here, (smile) but let’s put it nicely and say for currying favour with the boss, for seeking promotion, or whatever extra perks, their diligence might bring.
Oh my people, when we did stoop to such low levels of decency eh? Many of us have never been diligent workers, but to ridicule a co-worker who wants to do a good job, is the lowest of the low. The problem there is that we are afraid the diligent co-worker will show us up, show us up for the lazy, greedy saps we truly are. But doesn’t it make sense that if we all work diligently together, the organization will be better for it. In theory it will be. But unfortunately our world has become so littered with scandal mongers, gossips, fraud artists, heifer dust disturbers (smile) and various other types of evildoers that doing good work to day is often frowned upon.
It reminds us of Bruh Paul’s warning to Timothy. ‘This know also, that in the last day perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous (money lovers), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal), despisers of those that are good, Traitors,, heady (reckless), highminded (haughty), lovers of pleasures more than (rather than) lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such stay away.’ (2 Tim. 3:1-6)
And that’s some of the best advice we can get these days my fellow believers, because whether or not these are the last days, all those types of people that Bruh Paul mentioned back then are not only on the scene right now, but are very prevalent and doing their best to muddy the waters as much as possible, so that our world will keep sinking into the mire of ungodliness and evil doing. And Christ is depending on us, His faithful followers to resist their evil pull, and instead shine our light on their darkness and so make their deeds manifest.
It’s like Jesus says: ‘And this is the condemnation, that light (the light) is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth (practices) evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds be reproved (exposed). But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.’ (John 3:19-21)
It’s also like Bruh Paul says when he warns the Ephesians and consequently us, to walk as children of light. ‘And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (expose) them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved (exposed) are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.’ (Eph. 5:11-14)
Yes friends, whenever sin is exposed, it becomes light, and many are still caught up in their sin and unbelief, that’s why’ve been invited to turn from our sin, with the promise that we’ll be spiritually enlightened and helped through the auspices of Christ Jesus; the light of the world. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. 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. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, let’s remember that though we repent and pray for forgiveness, divine aid will not be forthcoming until there is true repentance, which means actually turning away from our sin! Much LOVE!
…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a modicum of circumspection, a new commandment I give unto you, anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, as I have loved you that ye also love one another, as it pleased God, as the body is one and hath many members, be disciples both in word and deed, be renewed and refreshed, been all made to drink into one Spirit, believers though diverse in gifts and roles are united in Christ, brought to desolation, by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, by the good example we your faithful believers set, by this shall all men know that ye are my disiciples, championing goodness and godliness, Christ's Church, christianity, Christians, Christians are united in Christ, Christians divide themselves, clouding its spirit, correct the disunity in the church, daunting week of work, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, desire for comfort and earthly pleasure, different parts with different duties, different responsibilities, divine aid, divisions and dissensions within Christ's church, every city or house divided against itself shall not stand, every kingdom divided against itself, every one members one of another, evil and ungodliness is running rampant all over our world, faith, follow Christ's example, Friday chant, further your glorious kingdom, get much needed rest after the Easter celebrations, get our act together right now, get sufficient fun fellowship, God set the members everyone of them in the body, God's omnipotent help, have the same care one for another, help us to be responsible, holy spirit, if the whole body were an eye where were the hearing, improved Christian witness, Jesus Christ, LOVE, LOVE FOR EACH OTHER, loving each other the way Christ loves us, make a positive difference, many members yet one body, mercy, only unity moves an organization forward, our sinful world can wake up, problems are escalating, rest and relaxation, salvation, seeking excess in everything, smell the coffee strong and sweet, so we being many are one body in Christ, stand strong and steadfast, tenet of our faith, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that ye love one another, the BIBLE, the body is not one member but many, the church is one body, the church is rife with strife jealousy and backbiting, the church requires cooperation, the crowning glory of discipleship, the road to certain destruction, the shed blood of Christ, the throne of grace, the weekend is here at last, there should be no schism in the body, to avoid dysfunction and ensure growth, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, vim and vigour, welcome the weekend, whether we be bond or free, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, wisdom, wise guidance
Matthew 12:25. ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.’
And then it was Friday; a cloudy and rainy day, but that didn’t stop us from shouting out our Friday Mantra: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ And many of us are indeed overjoyed to welcome the weekend, be it rain, sleet or snow, so that we can get some much needed rest after the exhausting Easter celebrations and this daunting week of work. (smile)
But as usual, we don’t listen, we never introduced a modicum of circumspection in our celebrations, so when the work week hit us, shortened though it might have been, we still were not prepared to meet it with the necessary vim and vigour. Thus, we had to labour, drag ourselves through it, desperately hoping that we could make it until that day of release called Friday. Hopefully, one day we will learn though, not to behave like the world, seeking excess in everything, for that’s the road to certain destruction. End of Sermon. (smile)
Now, since I had nothing to say in particular, I opened the Good Library for some inspiration, and lo, and behold, it opened at a rather interesting scripture in the gospel of John. It’s where Jesus declares to the disciples: ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35)
Yes friends, the crowning glory of discipleship in Christ is our LOVE for each other. At least it ought to be. But unfortunately, too many Christians today don’t share that attribute with each other. Just look at the numerous divisions, disputations and dissensions in Christ’s church nuh, even within the same religion. How can true LOVE flow from a group of supposed similar faith, when there is so much strife, envy, jealousy and backbiting clouding it’s spirit eh?
Let’s remember that the church of Christ is supposed to be one body, as specified by Bruh Paul in Romans: ‘For as we have many members in one body, and all the members have not the same office (function): So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one (individually) members one of another.’ (Rom. 12:4-5) And this commentary explains it thus: ‘The church as “one body” is a central biblical metaphor (1 Cor 12:12-27, Romans 12:4–5) indicating that believers, though diverse in gifts and roles, are united in Christ. Christ is the head, leading the organism, while individual members function as interdependent parts, requiring cooperation to avoid dysfunction and ensure growth.’
Yes my fellow believers, we are indeed supposed to be one body under the marvellous umbrella of the shed blood of Christ and His amazing resurrection. That tenet of our faith is so important that Bruh Paul again explained it to the church at Corinth. ‘For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond (slaves) or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.’ (1 Cor. 12:12-14)
Oh my people, Christ’s church can never be victorious if it’s filled with as much dissension and disunity as it now contains, for the ONLY thing that moves any body or organization truly forward is unity. That’s why in any war, the enemy always tries to disunite its foe, so they can be more easily routed. But sadly, the devil, our arch enemy, doesn’t even have to do that with us, because we do it ourselves. Why do you think there’s so much evil and ungodliness running rampant all over our world eh?
Because the body, Christ’s church, that is supposed to be championing goodness and godliness has apparently lost the will to fight the enemy, through fear or the desire for comfort and enjoyment of earthly pleasures, but it doesn’t stop them from fighting amongst themselves. Just look at the state of our world and of Christ’s church, and tell me if any visitor to earth would be able to differentiate the godly from the ungodly by their LOVE for each other, as Christ desires? Certainly not! They would most likely think that we’re all one ungodly, unrighteous bunch, because that’s the way we behave.
That’s why Bruh Paul, after saying: ‘For the body is not one member, but many,’ broke it down finely for the church in Corinth. ‘If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body (where would the body be)? But now are they many members, yet one body.’ (1 Cor. 12:15-20)
Yes my brethren, just as the Lord made man with one body, but many different parts with various duties, so has Christ has set many members in His body, the church, each with different responsibilities. ‘That there should be no schism (division) in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.’ (1 Cor. 12:25) Sadly though, Christ’s body is terribly divided, and until that division is mended, the church will not be able to perform the way it ought to.
For as Jesus Himself said: ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.’ (Matt. 12:25)So let’s take serious heed of those words nuh, and do our best to correct the disunity in the church, so that we can follow Christ’s example and be His disciples both in word and deed, by LOVING each other, the way that He LOVES us. Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking help to do just that!
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. 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. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And though the Lord might acknowledge our prayer, He’s definitely looking for improvement in our Christian witness, before dispensing divine aid. Much LOVE!
…Christians badly need to get their act together…if they truly desire to make a positive difference in our world…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man who sowed good seed, a warning to labourers in the filed, an enemy hath done this, anxiety and confusion, be renewed and refreshed, bind them in bundles to burn them, brought forth fruit, by the good example we your faithful believers set, cast them into the furnace of fire, christianity, Christians, didst thou not sow good seed, divine aid, easier in the church age to have counterfeits, escalating problems, faith, faithful believers, false converts produce no lasting fruit, fellowship. rest, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, gather the wheat into my barn, gather together first the tares, get sufficient fun, good example, he that soweth the good seed is the Son of man, help us to be responsible, I made it through, ignorance of the law is no excuse, in the kingdom of their father, in the time of harvest, is likened unto a man, Jesus Christ, lest while ye gather up the tares, let them both grow together until the harvest, LOVE, mercy, omnipotent help, practice lawlessness, refeshed in body soul and mind, relaxation, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of heaven, shall we go and gather them up, tares bear no fruit, tares look almost identical to wheat, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, thanks for getting me safely though another week of work, the BIBLE, the enemy is Satan, the enemy sowed tares among the wheat, the field is the world, the good seed are the children of the kingdom, the harvest is the end of the church age, the meaning of the parable's gone over our heads, the parable of the wheat and the tares, the reapers are the angels, the righteous shine forth as the sun, the sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, the Son of man shall send forth his angels, the tares are false converts, the throne of grace, the time for serious christianity is right now, them which do iniquity, then appeared the tares also, true converts produce fruitful lives, truth, unexpected storms, ungodly times, wailing and gnashing of teeth, when the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit, while men slept, who hath ears to hear let him hear, wisdom, wise guidance, with your generous help, ye root up also the wheat
Matthew 13:43b. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Oh mih people, Friday, that long awaited day, is here at last! Therefore, we can offer up our Friday Mantra: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is finally here!’ What would we do without the weekend eh? I don’t know. Our forefathers must have had it really hard when they were forced to work six and seven days a week, but thanks be to their fighting spirit, we’ve cut it down to five, and some are blessed enough to have only a four day work week. But let’s remember the hefty price our forefathers paid for reducing the work week, and truly appreciate it, and thus work diligently and efficiently as unto Jesus.
And today, we’ll look at an interesting parable of Jesus, that of the Wheat and the Tares (weeds), one we don’t hear a lot about. Jesus said to the multitude: ‘The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade (grain) was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.’ (Matt. 13:24-26)
Now, according to this commentary, ‘Tares are weed plants (specifically darnel,) that look almost identical to wheat in their early stages, acting as a poisonous, bitter choking weed in grain fields. In appearance, they are incredibly similar to wheat, making them difficult to identify until the wheat bows down with grain and the tares remain upright.’
And Jesus continues the parable. ‘So the servants of the house-holder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? From whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while we gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.’ (Matt. 13:27-30)
And it’s obvious that Jesus’ audience back then would hardly understand what He was talking about. Oh, they knew about wheat and tares because it was an agrarian, or agricultural society, but Jesus’ hidden meaning would have gone over their heads, much like it would go over ours. (smile) So what does He mean?
The scholars offer these explanations. ‘24-27. This parable serves as a warning to the labourers in the field (the world, vs. 38). Unlike the Jewish form of the kingdom in the Old Testament, where citizens could easily be recognized, during the church age, converts will be made from all over the world and received upon their profession of faith. Thus, it will be easier to slip in some counterfeits who profess the church, which is the subject of these parables.
The enemy is Satan and the tares (darnel) are false converts. The darnel, although it resembled the wheat did not come to fruition (didn’t bear fruit). Thus Jesus words: The good seed …sprung up, and brought forth fruit, again, emphasizing that true converts produce fruitful lives. By contrast, false converts produce no lasting fruit.’
Then, as per verses 28-30, the scholars note: ‘The servants asked what could be done with these tares. To uproot them would be to damage the entire crop. Root up…the wheat with them: The implication seems to be that too much scathing (caustic criticism) of people’s genuineness of faith may damage the saved before it exposes the lost. Let both grow together indicates that there will always be some false professors among true Christian believers until the time of harvest or judgement. Note that the tares are gathered, bound, and burned first, whereas the wheat is gathered into my barn (heaven).’
Now, that’s a tough parable to break down, and not surprisingly, even the disciples didn’t understand it, and later asked Jesus for an explanation. ‘He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man. The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world (age); and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world (age).
The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity (practice lawlessness); And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.’ (Matt. 13:37-43)
Oh friends, none of that needs further explanation. Jesus explained it fully, and if we don’t receive it, then that’s our problem. As He says, ‘Who has ears to hear, let him hear.’ So it’s all up to us now. We cannot say we didn’t know. Remember, ignorance of the law is no excuse. Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant for divine aid in these crucial times. And you’ll notice that I’ve reworked it with an older version, and made it a little shorter. (smile)
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. 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. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example that we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And to receive that divine aid, it now behooves us to go out and set the good example that we were talking about! Much LOVE!
…the time for serious Christianity…is RIGHT NOW…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a new creation, a roaring toothless lion, a toehold in our minds, alienated from God, all sinned and disobeyed your word, all things are become new, be not conformed to this world, be renewed in the spirit of your mind, be ye angry and sin not, be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, beaming with confidence, behave like the world, belly and backbone, comprehend the true ramifications of the situation, corrupt according to deceitful lusts, created in righteousness and true holiness, depending on our own strength, divine aid, don't give opportunity to the devil, dressed in God's spiritual armour, ease the pain of the many, eternal life, Eve disobeyed God's directive, evil, faith, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, follow Christ's battle plan, futility of their mind, given themselves over to lasciviousness, having their understanding darkened, holy spirit, humble ourselves and pray, if any man be in Christ, in the vanity of their mind, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus guarantees us victory, Jesus' selfless sacrifices, julie mango, keep your promise to prosper us, let not the sun go down upon your wrath, licentiousness, lies, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, members one of another, mercy, mind games, neither give place to the devil, old things are passed away, patience, perseverance, practical guidelines, prayer, put off the former conversation, put on the new man, putting away lying, right motives, salvation, seek supremacy to control our lives, sincere repentnace, sincerely seeking God's face, speak every man the truth with his neighbour, strong faith in Christ's promises, suffering from negative situations, temptations, thank you for life and strong faith in Christ, the battel for our souls is waged in our minds, the blindness of their heart, the devil convinced Eve to eat of the forbidden tree by logical reasoning, the devil is a master of mind games, the forbidden fruit, the former conduct of the old man, the God who heals, the power to solve our problems, the serpent beguiled me, the throne of grace, the truth is in Jesus, the Word, through their ignorance, to alleviate our problems, to live for Christ, to work all uncleanness with greediness, truth, turn from our evil ways, turn us away from Christ, ungodliness, walk not as other Gentiles walk, we cannot defeat the enemy in our own strength, wiles, wisdom, wise guidance, ye have not so learned Christ
Romans 12. 2. ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’
One more Monday, one more time to face the foe, dressed in all of God’s spiritual armour and beaming with confidence in the upcoming clash! For Jesus guarantees us victory if we follow His battle plan. And we only fail when we don’t carry out His perceptive and enemy defeating strategy, inserting in its place, a plan from our own finite, inferior and diminutive mind. In other words, depending on our own strength. I don’t know when we’re going to learn that we cannot defeat the enemy in our own strength. That’s why Jesus gave us the tools we have; His Word, the Holy Spirit, prayer and strong faith in His faithful promises.
But again, because our mind is puny and inferior, some of us cannot fully comprehend the true ramifications of the situation. The enemy might be powerless, like a roaring, toothless lion, but he’s not stupid when it comes to temptations, wiles and lies, in an effort to turn us away from the teachings and values of Christ. And all he seeks is a small toe or fingerhold in our minds, then he can go to work more fully on us. That’s why Bruh Paul warned the Ephesians with some practical guidelines: ‘Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil.’ (Eph. 4:26-27)
Therefore friends, it is imperative that we don’t give the enemy any opportunity to get that fingerhold or toehold in our affairs so he can play games with our minds, and when we get angry it’s very easy to lose our composure and give into his desires. And believe me, the devil is a master at mind games. You just have to check out in the Book of Genesis Chapter 3, how he confused and then convinced our first mother Eve, with seemingly logical arguments, so that she disobeyed God’s directive to not eat from the Julie Mango tree in the middle of the Garden of Eden, even to the point of getting Adam to have a bite himself.
And I know the temptation was strong, because the Julie Mango is the best fruit the Lord’s made. (smile) But still, both she and Adam should have been careful not to fall for the devil’s wiles. And when the Lord asked Eve if she recognized the seriousness of her situation, her answer was, ‘The serpent beguiled me.’ (Gen. 3:13) And she was quite right, because that’s what serpents do. And why is the mind so important you ask? Because that’s where the battle for our souls is waged.
No wonder Bruh Paul wrote thus to the church at Rome: ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’ (Rom. 12:2) Yes friends our mind is the battlefield where both the enemy and Jesus seek supremacy to control our lives. The devil tries to get us to behave like the world with all its ungodliness and evil, while Christ tries to bring us to salvation and eternal life through belief and faith in His selfless sacrifices on our behalf.
Consequently, Bruh Paul also warned the Ephesians. ‘This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity (futility) of their mind. Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from God through (because of) the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness (hardening) of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness (licentiousness), to work all uncleanness with greediness.
But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness, Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.’ (Eph. 4:17-25)
That basically means, if you have received Christ as Lord and Saviour, you have to stop living like you did before that occurrence took place: put off the old man, or old conduct with all the ungodliness, lawlessness and licentiousness of the world. And instead, be renewed in your mind, that’s constantly being changed, as you gain greater understanding of God’s viewpoint, putting on the new man, the new nature and conduct as desired by Christ. And none of that is very easy to do, for it takes plenty patience, perseverance, faith and much belly and backbone to live for Christ. But that’s why God invited us to come to the throne of grace when we need help in troubled times. And are our times ever troubled right now. So, let’s go there, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid.
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 that prayer assumes that our hearts are sincere with right motives, and if the Lord discovers otherwise when He inspects our hearts, then divine aid will not be forthcoming. That’s just the way it is! Much LOVE!
…therefore…if any man be in Christ…he is a new creation…old things are passed away…behold…all things are become new… (2 Cor. 5:17)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a common occurrence, a contrast between outward appearance and inward reality, a cultural thing, a heavenly reward, a shortcoming of Christians, appear beautiful outward, as a service to God not for human approval, as unto the Lord and not unto men, as your Father in heaven is perfect, be responsible, be the children of your Father in heaven, be ye therefore perfect, bless them that curse you, by the example we faithful believers set, Christian behaviour, Christians, confusion of these ungodly times, crying our for help, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, do good to them that hate you, do not even the publicans the same, dress down Fridays, faith, Friday chant, full of dead men's bones, God sends rain on the just and the unjust, God's omnipotent help, greedy and deceitful times, greet only your brethren, he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, he that doeth wrong, holy spirit, hypocrisy has become rampant in today's society, hypocrites, if ye love them which love you, improve our motives and sincerity, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus Christ, knowing that of the Lord, lazing around, LOVE, love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy, Love your enemies, mercy, no respect of persons with God, our sinful world can wake up, performing all tasks wholeheartedly, pray for them which spitefully use you, prayer for divine aid, prejudices, receive the reward of the inheritance, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, serious problems are escalating, shall receive for the wrong that he hath done, show them the error of their ways, slacking off from work, smell the coffee, stand strong and steadfast for Christ, stay safe, talk a good talk about Jesus, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, The Bible - God's divine word, the norm not the exception, the sincerity and motives of our hearts, the throne of grace, trusting faith, truth, unbelievers doubt our witness, unexpected storms, we work as for man not as for God, what do ye more than others, what reward have ye, whatsoever ye do do it heartily, white washed sepulchres, wisdom, wise guidance, woe unto you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, work in an efficient and diligent manner, work should not be shirked, ye serve the Lord Christ
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
16 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a frail and finite man, a peace that passes all understanding, active obedience, an eternal perspective, another week of work, be as a tree planted by the waters, better to put trust in the Lord, biblical principle, blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, cannot live by feelings, change of heart, changing from one moment to the next, choosing to believe in God's guidance, christianity, Christians, circumstances look negative, cursed be the man that trusteth in man, daily choice to obey God, Daniel McCoy, divine aid, donn't consider walking by faith, encourages believers, ensuring their confidence is placed in god's power, experienced untrustworthiness in man, faith, faith sounds admirable, faith trusts in God's plan, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, find assurance in God's character, focuses on the eternal not the temporary, God is ever-faithful, God is infinite, God offers unconditional love, God will never fail nor forsake you, guiding daily life by trust in God's word and promises, he shall be like the heath in the desert, her leaf shall be green, holy spirit, human understanding, humble ourselves, improved attitude, in a salt land not inhabited, in he year of drought, increase our Christian witness, inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, it sounds inspiring but not intelligent, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, LOVE, maketh flesh his arm, mankind is fallible, mercy, neither shall cease from yielding fruit, not personally attractive, not relying on circumstances, omnipotent, physical evidence, please ease the pain, pray, puny, RENEW.org website, salvation, secure refuge in times of trouble, seek your face, shall not be anxious, shall not fear when heat comes, shall not see when good comes, sincere repentance in our hearts, solid as a rock, spititual truths, spreads out her roots by the river, tempting us to do the wrong thing, the BIBLE, the future is uncertain, the God who heals, the many suffering from negative situations, to put confidence in man, to put confidence in princes, truth, turn from our evil ways, unreliable, unseen reality, untrustworthy, vim and vigour, visible challenges, visible temporal evidence, we walk by faith not by sight, whose heart departs from God, whose hope the Lord is, wisdom, wise guidance
2 Corinthians 5:7. For we walk by faith, not by sight:
Another week of work is upon us friends, and I do hope we were up and about early, with as much vim and vigour as the damp, windy, cloudy Monday morning calls for! (smile) Yes, I hope we did Jesus proud by having a diligent and excellent attitude although our spirits didn’t feel like it. That’s why we cannot live by feelings, for they are very unreliable; easily changing from one moment to the next, and often tempting us to do the wrong thing, or not do the right one. That’s why Bruh Paul advises: ‘For we walk by faith, not by sight:’ (2 Cor. 5:7)
And what’s that about eh? This commentary tells us that basically ‘means guiding daily life by trust in God’s promises and Word, rather than relying solely on immediate circumstances, feelings, or physical evidence. It implies an eternal perspective, choosing to believe in God’s guidance and unseen reality over temporary, visible challenges.’ Then the commentary breaks down walking by faith into these key aspects. ‘Trust over Circumstances: Faith trusts in God’s plan even when the future is uncertain or circumstances look negative.
Spiritual Over Physical: It prioritizes spiritual truths—what God says—over physical senses—what we see or feel. Active Obedience: It is not passive; it is an active, daily choice to obey God regardless of the visible situation. Eternal Perspective: It focuses on what is eternal rather than temporary, passing things. This biblical principle encourages believers to find assurance in God’s character, ensuring their confidence is placed in His power rather than human understanding or visible, temporal evidence.’
And it’s always best to put our trust in God rather than man. And there are several verses in the scriptures that warn us thus, like these from Psalm 118 that spell it out loud and clear: ‘It is better to put trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidences in princes.’ (Ps. 118:8-9)
And why is that? Because mankind is fallible, changes very easily through living by feelings, and even the most trustworthy ones can fail you. On the other hand, unlike frail, finite and puny man, God is infinite, omnipotent, ever faithful, always consistent, offers unconditional LOVE and a secure refuge in times of trouble, He is solid as a rock, provides a peace that passes all human understanding and will never fail nor forsake you as the Bible says and proves all down through the ages.
What more can you ask for eh? Man certainly cannot guarantee any of that! And if you’re still not sure about trusting God over man, then listen to these verses from Jeremiah that say it very explicitly. ‘Thus saith the Lord, Cursed be the man that trusteth in man (strength), and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath (a shrub) in the desert, and he shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.
Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see (fear) when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer. 17:5-8)
Now which one would you rather be friends; a dry, stunted, thirsty shrub existing in a desert, or a thriving tree with roots planted by the water with no fear or anxiety when negative circumstances arise? I’d much rather be the latter, that’s why my trust is in God and not man. And it’s not that we don’t know that man ought not to be trusted, because we all have experienced serious instances of untrustworthiness in our fellow man, especially in these times of much fraud and deceit. But for some reason, we keep on trusting him, instead of God.
What will it take for us to wake up and see the truth of the situation eh, and action it? And that’s why we need to walk by faith, or steadfast trust in God, rather than by sight. Oh, and I might just have discovered the answer to the question we just posed. It comes from an article on the subject by Daniel McCoy on the RENEW.org website.
He writes: ‘Many people admire the idea. They likely find it inspiring. But they don’t look at walking by faith as something they themselves would want to do. After all, it sounds inspiring but not intelligent. Sure, there are some of the more pugnacious atheists out there who treat faith as a bad thing—like Richard Dawkins who has called faith “one of the world’s great evils.” But most people would say that walking by faith sounds admirable even if it’s not personally attractive.’
Let’s hope that doesn’t apply to us true believers in God. Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, to find divine help in these desperate times of need. 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 we can say all the right things in our prayer, but if the Lord doesn’t see some change of heart and an improved attitude, He will not grant us any divine aid. That means we must increase our Christian witness if we truly seek help from on high! Much LOVE!
…life can be incredibly difficult in this evil world…and the only successful way to walk it is…by living in faith in Almighty God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a breakneck intensity, a new flock of believers, a partnership with Almighty God, a time of desperate need, be a church mem, be a church member, believe and receive, biblical cliches, children of the Most High God Jehovah, christianity, Christians, come boldly before the throne of grace, communicate with god through prayer, crying out for God's help, discipleship is a daily ocurrence, discontent and dissatisfaction, divine aid, faith, fellowship, find grace to help in time of need, Friday chant, gain spiritual benefits from hardships, gift of salvation through grace, God expects us to do our part in our partnership with Him, God is faithful, God searches our hearts, God will give you the strength to resist the temptation, God will make a way of escape, God will not suffer you to be tempted more than you can bear, good motives, holy spirit, if any man will come after me, in all these things, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is our Lord and Saviour, Jesus our Redeemer, Jesus rose majestically from the dead, let him deny himself, listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, LOVE, mercy, no need to worry, not just victorious over hardships, omnipotent help, our sinful world cn wake up, problems are escalating, put our faith to work, relying on Christ's power not personal strength, restoring faith in God, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, signifies a triumpant state, simmering unrest, snow storm, stand strong and steadfast, stand the strain, study God's Word, such as is common to man, super conquerors, take up his cross daily and follow me, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the error of their ways, the example we faithful believers set, the gospel truth, the Lord will help us bear whatever burden He tests us with, the rewards are certainly worth it, the weekend is here at last, the world spinning out of control, them's the breaks, there hath no temptation taken you, through him that loved us, to obtain mercy, trials and enemies are turned into tools for good, trusting faith, truth, wake up and smell the coffee, we are more than conquerors, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, wisdom, wise guidance, with the temptation, with unexpected sacrifices, ye may be able to bear it, you won't escape all temptation
Romans 8:37. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.
Well then, it’s the day we’ve all been looking forward to; Friday. And we’ve offered up our Friday Mantra; ‘Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ Now, fortunately, the morning commute was precipitation free, although we’d been promised snow by eight o’clock. However, I don’t know if the evening commute will be precipitation free because the snow began around 11 o’clock and it looks it means serious business. Some minutes before eleven, I was upstairs in my bedroom getting ready to come downstairs and looked outside and there was nothing. But by the time I came down to the living room a few minutes later, the place was white and the snow was tumbling down with a breakneck intensity. (smile)
Now I understand why we recently had that spring-like period; so the snow could melt and make room for more. But as I keep reminding us, we can handle anything that comes against us, for we are the children of the Most High God Jehovah, with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, the One who rose majestically from the dead to take rulership of this evil and ungodly world! So we are not afraid of anything or anyone, for He’s vowed to protect us, and besides that, as this scripture tells: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:37)
And I like how this commentary explains that verse. “More than conquerors,” from Romans 8:37, refers to believers in Jesus Christ who, through His LOVE, are not just victorious over hardships, but “super-conquerors” who gain spiritual benefits from them. It signifies a, triumphant state where trials and enemies are turned into tools for good, relying on Christ’s power rather than personal strength.’ And is that ever the gospel truth, for we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! (Phil. 4:13)
Therefore, there’s no need to worry, just put our faith to work, believe and receive. Well, in truth, it’s not as easy as all that, but you do have to believe before you can receive. You also have to ask and knock and seek. (Matt. 7:7-8) So being a disciple or a true follower of Jesus is not an easy job, although it’s a very rewarding one. Remember how Jesus characterized discipleship: ‘If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23)
Yes friends, we need to remember that following Jesus is a daily occurrence, with sacrifices thrown in where we would prefer them not to be. (smile) But them’s the breaks! If you want in, then you must stand the strain, even when it seems impossible to bear, for the Lord won’t give us more than we can bear…now that’s not completely true. He will give us more than we can bear in our own strength, but by the same token, He will help us to bear whatever burden He tests us with.
That’s why Bruh Paul wrote thus to the Corinthians. ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13) Now that doesn’t mean you’ll escape all temptation. Certainly not! In other words, God will oftentimes give you the strength to resist the temptation rather than take it away completely.
And that’s one of the problems with today’s church, we mouth all these biblical clichés without fully understanding how they truly work. But beneath each statement that God makes there is usually something for the believer to do to receive it. Even the greatest gift, salvation through grace, although it’s free, one must believe and accept Christ as Lord and Saviour to receive it. So Christianity is not a something for nothing spree, it’s a partnership with Almighty God, and as in all partnerships, both partners have responsibilities, and God expects us to do our part of the partnership.
And the corollary to that is that you cannot know what you are expected to do in this partnership with God until you read and study His Word, listen to the guidance of His Holy Spirit that dwells within you, be a church member, so you can fellowship with other believers, and communicate with the Father Himself through the system of prayer. Don’t worry, the Father has it all well worked out, you just have to get serious, buckle down and do your part. He will do His. In fact, He’s already done most of His work, by giving us Jesus as our Redeemer, and plenty of what’s left to do is now in our hands.
And one of God’s great promises comes from this scripture in Hebrews: ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently but humbly) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:16) And are we ever in a time of desperate need, with our world quickly spinning out of control. So let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid in these lawless times.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now friends, praying for help is fine, but remember God searches our hearts first before responding to our prayers, so let’s hope that all of our hearts were, and still are filled with good motives, otherwise divine aid will not be forthcoming. Much LOVE!
…the Christian’s walk is not a Sunday afternoon stroll in the park…but the rewards are certainly worth it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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