31 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a greater presence of God in our lives, a man after God's heart, a modicum of circumspection, a new yearning for God, all these things shall be added unto you, as the hart panteth after the water brooks, Bible, Christian witness, christianity, deepen my breath, early will I seek thee, entitled life, eternal life, faith, for the living God, god, goodness, hate, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, in a dry and thirsty land, increase my awareness of you, Jesus Christ, labour day weekend, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, light of the world, LOVE, made for a time such as this, mercy, my lips shall praise thee, my soul shall be satisfied, my soul thirsteth for god, O God thou art my God, praise thee with joyful lips, proliferating darkness of the world, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, ruling the roost, salt of the earth, salvation, seek ye the kingdom of God, selfless sacrifice, slow my thoguhts, so panteth my soul after thee O God, spiritual renewal, thanksgiving, the believer's thirst for God, thy loving-kindness is better than life, thy right hand upholdeth me, trust, truth, warms the cockles of God's heart, wisdom, with marrow and fatness, your love surrounds and fills me
Psalm 42:1. As the hart panteth after (the deer longs for) the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
Well, it’s the last day of August 2024! Just imagine that nuh; the summer holidays done and over with…but we still have the whole long Labour Day weekend to cavort about and get in some last minute flings. (smile) But remember, a modicum of circumspection is always the best advice in those rushed circumstances. And this lazy-day Saturday seems to be tailor-made for laziness. (smile) It’s damp and cloudy, after a big thunderstorm last night, and there might even be some more rain later in the day. But right now the sun is making a valiant effort to overcome the dark clouds that insist on holding it up.
In the meanwhile, while we enjoy a lazy Saturday morning, there’s nothing better than offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. So as one sincere voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
Now that’s the best kind of prayer we can ever pray; asking for a greater presence of the Lord in our lives and desiring to know Him better than we already do. Because there’s nothing the Lord appreciates more than His people wanting to have a closer association with, and knowledge of Him. That kind of prayer warms the cockles of His heart and He immediately answers it. That’s why we’re now feeling the increased warmth, the LOVE, the glowing presence of our God moving in our souls and spirits.
And that mind frame just reminded me of these yearning words of the Sons of Korah from Psalm 42. ‘As the hart panteth after (the deer longs for) the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’ (Ps. 42:1-2) Yes friends, that’s the kind of hunger and thirst we ought to have for our God, the One True Living God, Jehovah! For all that we are, everything we have, comes from, is derived from Him.
Obviously Bruh David was of the same mind, for although He was running from Saul in the wilderness of Judah, he nonetheless longed for the Lord; for spiritual renewal with thanksgiving and trust. Listen to how he puts in in Psalm 63. ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen (looked for) thee in the sanctuary. Because thy LOVING-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.’ (Ps. 63:1-4)
Now that’s how we ought to feel about our great and LOVING God, my people! And some might say that Bruh David was laying it on somewhat thick because He was out in the wilderness suffering, but we all know that from a youth, out in the fields as a shepherd, he was always entranced by and calling out to God. As these other verses testify. ‘My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow (the best) and fatness (abundance); and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. My soul followeth hard after (close behind) thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.’ (Ps. 63.5-8)
Yuh see what happens when we keep God first place in our hearts and souls. He helps us, and when further tough times come, we can remember that earlier help and not be afraid, but rejoice that the Lord will help us again. And that’s why Bruh David enjoyed so much of God’s goodness in his life. He never strayed far from Him, always kept Him at the forefront of his mind. And that’s how we supposed believers in Christ Jesus ought to behave. As Jesus so wisely advised: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
And we see that in Bruh David’s life. He kept God first place and the Lord made him the greatest king that Israel ever had. His life was not easy, but the rewards were certainly worth it. And anyway, after he became king, most of his trouble came from his own doing. The Lord could have certainly demoted him to a lowly servant for his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah, but He knew that Bruh David’s heart was right, that’s why He could call him a friend, and a man after His own heart. (1 Sam. 13:14)
And that basically means Bruh David valued the things of God, and generally walked with a heart filled with faith, LOVE and repentance. Now that’s what we ought also to be doing in these very troubled and critical times, because that’s why God has us here at this particular time. We were made for a time such as this; to show forth God’s praise and glory, His goodness and mercy, and challenge others to come to Him in faith and receive salvation and eternal life! We’re not here just to live the good, comfortable, entitled life, as so many of us insist on doing.
No, we need to be sacrificing some for Jesus and those who don’t know Him, and will thus lose out on His selfless sacrifice on their behalf. That’s what Jesus expects of those who call themselves, Christians, or His followers. But unfortunately we’re not doing enough good Christian witness, otherwise the world would not be in as sorry a state as it currently is. Hate, and not LOVE, is ruling the roost.
We’re not being the true salt of the earth and the light of the world as Jesus desires. Sadly, our salt has lost its flavour, and our light has been dimmed by the proliferating darkness of this ungodly world. That means we’re not seeking God and His presence in our lives as much as we ought to. But please, let’s try and turn that around with a new yearning for our Creator, so that we can do a better job, and thus leave our children’s children a better world. Much LOVE!
…the believer’s thirst for God…is not as dire as it ought to be…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new flock of believers, according to the beauty of man, all of them are vanity, battening down the hatches, better examples of Christian witness, Bible, christianity, confusion, crying out for your help, deceived hearts, deliver me according to thy word, faith, Friday chant, god, god made in the image of man, graven image, he hath shut their eyes, he makes a god and worships it, idols, Jesus Christ, labour day weekend, lay up treasures for yourself in heaven, LOVE, makes a god of the residue, makes it after the figure of man, omnipotent help, pagan idolatry, return backsliders to your fold, show them the error of their ways, simmering unrest, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that they cannot understand, the dreaded winter season, the example we faithful believers set, the foolishness of worshipping idols, their hearts, there your heart will be also, they cannot see, they have not known nor understood, thou art my God, trusting faith, truth, ungodly times, wake up and see the light, wake up and smell the coffee, wherever your treasure is, wisdom, worth a snowball's chance in hell
Isaiah 44:18. They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
And would you believe it’s the second to last day of August, which means the Labour Day long weekend is on tap! So you can imagine the many joyous shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ that have been sent up on high this morning. Let’s remember though, that also means the end of the summer holidays, and on the other side of Monday is a return to school and work and less play. The time to begin battening down the hatches for the dreaded winter season that so many of us despise. But that’s life…and sometimes we make it seem so awful and terrifying, when it’s not, and we always take it in stride, because that’s what we do as true believers in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
So what are we going to talk about today eh? I don’t have anything particular in mind. And when in doubt, what do we do? Obviously check the Good Library to see what it says. (smile) So let’s open it and see what comes up. Soon come. Oh, we’re back, a couple minutes later. And I’ve been led to a most interesting item of scripture from the prophet Isaiah, as he talks about the foolishness of worshipping idols. And that’s certainly a most important topic in our modern world, because so many of us worship idols, be they dead or otherwise, for an idol is whatever we treasure above the presence and company of God.
Remember what Jesus said on the subject: To lay up treasures for yourself in heaven not on earth. ‘For wherever your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:21) That means unless you’re laying up treasures in heaven, you’re worshipping some idol on earth more than God. And Isaiah says on God’s behalf. ‘They that make a graven image are all of them vanity (useless); and their delectable (precious) shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. Who hath formed a god, or molten (moulded) a graven image that is profitable for nothing?
Behold, all his fellows (companions) shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men (mere men): let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together. The smith (blacksmith) with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint. The carpenter (craftsman) stetcheth out his rule; he market it our with a line (chalk); he fitteth it with planes (fashions it with a plane), and he market it our with a compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.
He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth (secures) for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash (pine), and the rain doth nourish it. Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh a graven image, and falleth down thereto.
He burneth part (half) thereof in the fire; with part (half) thereof he eateth flesh; he roastest roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire. And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.’ (Is. 44:9-17)
Oh friends that was true of the Israelites back then and it’s also true of us right now. Many of us don’t worship graven images of wood and metal, but we worship all sorts of other stuff beside the One True God Jehovah! And that’s utter foolishness! How can you plant a tree, then when it grows, cut it down, warm yourself and bake bread with it, then use the remainder to make a god in your own image to bow down and worship eh. Or as Isaiah says: ‘shall I fall down to the stock of a tree (a block of wood?’ (Is. 44:19) But we fall down nowadays to even more foolish things.
However, let’s get some further insight into the scripture from the scholars. They say: ‘This exposé of idolatry is the most taunting in all of the Bible. The prophet Isaiah, serving as the spokesman of Yahweh, reveals the utter foolishness of polytheistic pagan idolatry. The graven image (carved idol) is called vanity (nothing). Delectable things refers to the adornment of idols with gold, silver, and precious stones. The prophet announces that idols themselves are their own witnesses. They see not, nor know. Therefore these inanimate objects are profitable for nothing.
Isaiah then berates the workmen (artisans) for designing and constructing their idols in the figure of a man. He exposes the basic fallacy of idolatry, a god made in the image of man. Thus the prophet’s criticism of one who would worship an idol carved from the same tree that he would use for firewood is that he feedeth on ashes.’
However you look at it friends, worshipping anything in the image of a man or another God-created being is foolishness. But as Isaiah says of their deceived hearts: ‘They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.’ (Is. 44:18) Thus they are unable to see their folly.
And that’s exactly what happens to us when we are intent on rebelling against the Lord; He shuts our eyes and ears of understanding so we can continue in our foolish behaviour, until we wake up and see the light. And many of us need to do that today, as we are still considering other things in this material and evil world more important than God. But let’s go to Him right now, through our Friday Chant and ask for His omnipotent help in whatever is ailing us.
Altogether. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Let’s not forget though, that our prayers won’t be worth a snowball’s chance in hell, if we don’t set better examples of Christian witness! Much LOVE!
…too many of us worship…everything else…but God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundance, according to his excellent greatness, afraid, all things work together for good, at the hand of God, Bible, called according to His purpose, christianity, climate change, courage, creativity, Creator, curse, divine protection, duty bound, faith, faults and foibles, generously share our blessings, god, god of all comfort, God will help us fix whatever is wrong, help me understand everything in my heart, in the firmament of his power, In Touch Devotional, Jesus Christ, let everything that hath breath praise the Lord, LOVE, mercy, negative word, not receive evil, praise God in his sanctuary, praise him for his mighty acts, Praise the Lord, Praise ye the Lord, promotion, prosper and succeed, receive us with loving arms, shall we receive good, shout Hallelujah, supernatural wisdom, sustainer, talent, the Great God Jehovah, Thursday Blessings, to them that love God, true believers in Christ, trust, truth, upon the loud cymbals, what I'm afraid to see, what I've never noticed, what is pure and good, what's holding me back, wisdom, with stringed instruments and organs, you'll never leave me to face anything alone, your truth sets me free
Psalm 150:6. Let every thing that hath breath, praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah).
Sorry Friends, but today, Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week, doesn’t look like it will live up to the summer image of the last few days, sunny and warm. In fact, it’s been forecasted to be somewhat cool and cloudy. And though we’d like every day of the summer season to be seasonally summer, (smile) we know that’s not always possible, especially with the vagaries of climate change, it’s unpredictable, unexpected behaviour.
And furthermore, since we are true believers in Christ Jesus, we understand as Job says to his wife: ‘What? shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive (accept) evil (calamity)?’ (Job 2:10) That’s a very good question my people, but we can accept the tough things that will happen in this life to all of us, because we also believe these words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28)
Yes, in the long run, eventually, our great God will work everything out for our good, so we don’t have to worry too much about what happens in our daily lives. And here’s a prayer that can certainly help us to reduce our anxieties as we go about God’s business. It’s the prayer from the In Touch Devotional for this month.
So please pray with me: ‘God, sometimes I feel stuck and hesitate to talk to you about it. Maybe I’m afraid of what You’ll say. Give me the courage to pray these words: Father, help me understand everything in my heart – what is pure and good, what’s holding me back, what I’ve never noticed, and what I’m afraid to see. Help me remember Your truth sets me free and you’ll never leave me to face anything alone. I trust You, God of all comfort. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Oh friends, is there ever a lot of truth and reassurance in that simple prayer! And by the way, we don’t need courage to go to God, just faith and trust, because we know He’s made it so we can come to Him at any time with anything. Even when we’re so low down, we believe we cannot get any lower, all we have to do is turn to him and pour out our hearts, for He will understand and receive us with LOVING arms.
Remember, the Lord created us and He knows all of our faults and foibles, so nothing we do or happens to us, is news to Him. He just desires us to come to Him with all of our problems, be they big or small, because He enjoys taking an active part in our lives… all parts of them. So whatever is holding us back today, let’s go to God and pour it our to him. He LOVES to listen to us, and will help us fix what ever is wrong.
And as the prayer says, His truth sets us free, and He’ll NEVER leave us to face anything alone, because He’s a most faithful and trustworthy God, of LOVE, comfort, peace and joy! And all God’s children gave out a loud and grateful shout of ‘Praise the Lord! Praise Him for his goodness and mercy to the undeserving children of men!’ And that just dovetails right into these amazing words of praise from Psalm 150. So let’s get right into it:
‘Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah). Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power (his mighty heavens). Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet (cornet): praise him with the psaltery (lute or lyre) and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath, praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah).’ (Ps. 150. 1-6)
And isn’t that the god-awesome truth! Everything that has breath ought to praise the Lord, their Creator and Sustainer! Shout Hallelujah to Him in His high heaven and give Him thanks and praise for the marvellousness of His great creation; heaven and earth, the seas, and all that therein is!
What an amazing God we serve my people! One who can do any and everything. Just look at how His creation earth, heaven, the seas, Mother Nature run, like clockwork, without any help. Who else can create such an amazing entity eh? No One but the great God Jehovah, he of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! That’s why we ought to worship and praise him with all of our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, for without Him, we’re nothing!
And although we don’t deserve His awesome generosity, He still bestows it on us, for example in what we call our Thursday Blessings, given to help do His earthly work. So, let’s activate them now by declaring (chuh!!!) them. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (yesss!!!) we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings in the same generous manner to help others less fortunate. Much LOVE!
…there’s only ONE TRUE GOD…JEHOVAH…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a light unto my path, Bible, bind them continually upon thine heart, by them is thy servant warned, christianity, endure to the end, enlightening the eyes, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, falling prey, forsake no the law of thy mother, get ready for winter, god, guiding light, halfway home, hands on the plough, have good success, hibernate, holy spirit, in keeping of them is great reward, in whom I am well pleased, Jesus Christ, keep thy father's commandment, labour day weekend, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, making wise the simple, more to be desired than gold, moved by the Holy Ghost, no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation, northern climes, not by the will of man, not looking back, reproofs of instruction, salvation, sweeter also than honey, thank God, the author of our salvation, the breath of life, the commandment is a lamp, the drippings of the honeycomb, the fear of the Lord is clean, the infallibility of the scriptures, the law is light, the light that shines in the darkness, the way of life, the Word of god, this is my beloved Son, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, tie them about thy neck, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, Wednesday Wail, wiles of the devil, wisdom, write it indelibly in our hearts
Psalm 119:105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Another glorious summer day seems to be in the offing on this last Wednesday in August, as we wind down the summer holidays to the Labour Day Weekend, when all the fun and games of summer come to screeching halt. Chuh! The Ex (Canadian National Exhibition) closes. School reopens, adults go back to work and the long weekends are now fewer and further between. (smile) But that’s just the way it is these northern climes…after the summer comes the fall when you get ready for winter, then winter comes and you hibernate.
But let’s remember that through it all, both the bad times and the good, we have Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, to whom nothing is impossible, and His Holy Spirit as our Guiding Light, who will lead us on to glory, if we pay sincere attention to His guidance. But it all begins and ends with us knowing the Word of God, constantly reading and meditating on it, for as the Lord told Joshua, ‘for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8)
We need to write that indelibly in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds friends, if we desire to achieve success in this ungodly and evil world. Yes, it’s only by following God’s Word that we will rise above the evil and ungodly wiles of the devil. And the scriptures says it quite plainly: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) That is gospel truth my people! When you allow God’s word to lead you, you will never go wrong.
And Cousin Sol says as much in this section of Proverbs that deals with keeping the Father’s Commandment, and a warning against adultery. He writes: ‘My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:’ (Prov. 6:20-23)
Then Cousin Sol goes on to tell about how keeping God’s word will keep you from falling prey to an evil, adulteress woman. (Prov. 6:24-29) But the truth of the matter is that the keeping of God’s law will also keep you from falling prey to Satan’s many other deceitful schemes. Yes friends, our safety net all depends on knowing God’s law and keeping it! And for a more detailed testimony on the subject, let’s listen to Cousin Sol’s father, Bruh David from Psalm 19. He expounds thus on the perfection of God’s law:
‘The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting (restoring) the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the (drippings of the) honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.’ (Ps. 19:7-11)
Oh my people, what good news that is, re the benefits of knowing and keeping God’s law. Wow! It certainly is awesome: it makes wise the simple, rejoices the heart, enlightens the eyes, and is much more to be desired than gold, even fine gold, and it’s even sweeter than honey, or the drippings from the honey comb! Brother! What a magnificent thing is the Lord’s law, and such a wonderful thing to have always at one’s beck and call!
Meanwhile, the apostle Peter puts it this way about the Lord’s law. Early on in the passage he talks about being on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus, and being an eyewitness to His majesty. ‘For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
We have also a more sure word of prophecy (the prophetic word made more sure); whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts. Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation (origin). For the prophecy came not in old (any) time by the will of man: but the holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.’ (2 Pet. 1:17-21)
And there again Peter refers to the Lord’s law as a light shining in the darkness, that shines in our hearts when Jesus ,the day star, comes into them. But the general meaning of the passage is the assurance of the infallibility of the scriptures, because the revelation of God’s word didn’t originate with men, but came to them directly through the Holy Ghost. Thus we can lay our lives down on the truth of scripture. And let’s hope and pray that we’ll all continue doing that today, keeping the Lord’s commandments and enjoying the benefits that emanate from so doing.
Now, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And furthermore, if we endure with Jesus right down to the very end, then it’s been promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, looking forward to seeing you there at the very end! Much LOVE!
…who is Jesus…the author of our salvation…and the light that shines in the darkness…to show us the true way…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a learned behaviour, affections and lusts, be desirous of vain glory, Bible, bounden duty, Christ in us, christianity, conceited, crucified the flesh, encying one another, faith, faithfulness, goodness, greed, holy spirit, how to abound, how to be abased, hurry, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I have learned, in god's eyes, in whatsoever state I am, jealousy, Jesus Christ, joy, kindness, live humbly, live in prosperity, LOVE, not that we are sufficient of ourselves, our sufficiency is of God, pateince, peace, Praise the Lord, prayer, provoking one another, ready for battle, self-control, selfishness, share His love with my neighbour, speak in respect of want, spiritual armour, suffer need, telling it like it is, the beloved of God, the fruit of the spirit, the mature Christian, the same bringeht forth much fruit, therewith to be content, trust my friend Jesuss, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wisdom, without me ye can do nothing, worry
Philippians 4:13. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Ah friends, this Tuesday, the last one in August, is shaping up to be another glorious summer’s day! Praise the Lord! For, come September, who knows what’s going to happen. But the good thing about being a believer in Jesus Christ is that we know we can handle whatever comes against us, especially if we are wearing His spiritual armour and draped up in prayer! Then we’re ready for battle on all and any front!
Remember these fighting words of Bruh Paul to the Philippians: ‘Not that I speak in respect of want (in regard of need): for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased (live humbly), and I know how to abound (live in prosperity): every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:11-13)
Yes friends, through Christ’s strength flowing in us we can learn how to live both in want and in prosperity. But please note it’s a learned behaviour, it doesn’t just happen automatically or overnight, you have to work at it, and with the strength of Jesus buoying you up. Ah mih bredrin, it’s so wonderful to know that with Christ’s strength behind us we can do any and everything!
But we also need to notice the opposite end of the spectrum as Christ so wisely pointed out to the disciples: ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) And that’s telling it like it is my people! With Christ we can do anything, but by the same token, without Him, we cannot do anything!
That means Christ is essential, a real necessity in our lives, we’re absolutely nothing without Him. As Bruh Paul adds in 2 Corinthians: ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;’ (2 Cor. 3:5) And that you cannot deny!
That brings us to this interesting remark in that scripture from John where Christ talks about those who believe in Him bearing much fruit. There He’s talking about the fruit of the Spirit which flourishes, or is supposed to flourish in true believers in Christ. And Bruh Paul explains the Fruit of the Spirit thus to the Galatians: ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE (the willing sacrificial giving of oneself to another without thought of return), joy (gladness of heart), peace (tranquility of mind), longsuffering (patience), gentleness (kindness), goodness (generosity), faith (faithfulness), Meekness (courtesy and consideration), temperance (self-control): against such there is no law.’ (Gal. 5:22-23)
Yes friends, there are nine things that are considered the Fruit (not fruits) of the Spirit. And as we’re on the subject, we might as well get some explanations from scholars. (smile) They say: ‘The word fruit is significant for three reasons. (1) It means the result, product, outcome, or effect produced by the Spirit in the believer’s life. (2) Unlike the “gifts of the Spirit” (plural), only some of which are given to a Christian, each believer is to have all nine virtues composing “the fruit of the Spirit” (singular) (3) As fruit on a tree takes time to grow and mature, so the Spirit does not cultivate these virtues in the believer overnight.’
Oh yes my fellow believers, unlike the gifts of the Spirit, like prophecy, the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, the gifts of healing, the interpretations of tongues etc. (1 Cor. 12) of which we might get a few, if we’re truly blessed, (smile) with the fruit of the Spirit it’s expected that all of those nine virtues will eventually blossom in the mature Christian!
And believe me, that’s no easy task, especially when you’re continually hounded by the devil and his evil cohorts to do wrong. But as we said before, with Christ on our side, and our willingness to learn and sacrifice on His behalf, then we can certainly attain that goal of having all nine fruit of the Spirit flourish in us.
Then, Bruh Paul follows up the definition of the Fruit of the Spirit with these poignant and most pertinent words. ‘And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections (its passions) and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory (conceited), provoking one another, envying one another.’ (Gal. 5: 24-26)
Yes my fellow saints, once we’re born again believers in Christ, it is then expected that we’re to throw away all our old satanic vices and adopt the fruit of the Spirit. That means both living and walking in the Spirit, or as the scholars explain: ‘since the Spirit gave us new life at conversion, we then should stay in step with His leading and promptings throughout life.’ And paying sincere and close attention to the guidance of the Holy Spirit is the only way to have that fruit flourish in us, to stop us from being greedy, selfish, materialistic and all the other wrong things that the world considers right.
Now, having refreshed our minds and spirits on those important topics, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that declaration, it then becomes our bounden duty to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…only when we’re in Christ…and Christ is in us…are we truly powerful…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: .praying always in the Spirit, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a sense of urgency, against the wiles of the devil, an opportune time, answer our prayers, be strong in the Lord, Bible, christianity, defeat the enemy, demonic onslaughts, divine aid, dressed in spiritual armour, faith, fight to the death for Christ, for a season, God's provision, having done all to stand, holy character, holy spirit, humble ourselves, in the power of his might, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, LOVE, moral conduct, negative situations, powers, pray, principalities, put on the whole armour of God, quench the fiery darts, ready for the challenge, repentnace, resisting Satan, Satanic assaults, sincerely seek your face, sitting ducks, spiritual battle, spiritual wickedness in high places, supplication for the saints, the best defence is offence, the breastplate of righteousness, the enemy destroy our witness, the God who heals, the helmet of salvation, the individual nature of spiritual warfare, the preparation of the gospel of peace, the rulers of darkness, the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, the throne of grace, the truth of God's word, the whole armour of God, truth, waging spiritual war, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, wisdom, wise guidance, withstand in the evil day, ye may be able to stand, your feet shod, your loins girt about with truth
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (carefully crafted schemes) of the devil.
Come on down Monday…the followers of Jesus are ready for your challenge! We’re dressed in our spiritual armour just rearing to get out on the battlefield and fight to the death for Christ! Ah friends, those are easy words to spout, but much harder to put into real, live action. And now is as good a time as any to review and remember what we mean by our spiritual armour.
Bruh Paul spells it out very nicely for us in his epistle to the Ephesians. He writes: ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (carefully crafted schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:10-11)
Oh my fellow believers, as the scholars tell us, those words ‘Put on,’ denote a sense of urgency, demanding immediate action.’ We cannot wait to see what the enemy is up to we have to be ready asap. And any soldier going into battle must secure protective equipment before they hit the battlefield, otherwise they will be sitting ducks for the enemy. And although we’re not waging a physical but spiritual war, we still need protective armour to assist us in our fight.
Now what’s this spiritual war, you ask? Listen to Bruh Paul tell it: ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.’ (Eph. 6:12)
And the scholars explain it thus: ‘Wrestle, used of hand-to-hand combat, emphasizes the personal and individual nature of spiritual warfare waged against each local church and Christian. Flesh and blood refers to humanity. Such is not the church’s adversary. Instead, she opposes principalities (rulers), powers (authorities), rulers (world rulers), spiritual wickedness (wicked spiritual beings), that is, fallen angels, demons, and Lucifer himself.’
Yes, the spiritual battle is not only against the church, but also against individuals, which means, each and every believer needs that spiritual protective armour. That’s why Bruh Paul writes: ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.’ (Eph. 6:13)
And per the scholars, that means ‘because we face such a formidable foe, we must avail ourselves of God’s provision lest the enemy destroy our witness and ministry. The evil day refers to the periodic demonic onslaughts and Satanic assaults. Having done all includes both dressing oneself in God’s armour and resisting Satan. Having done all these, be ready, for the Devil will attack again and again.’
Of that you can be very sure my brethren. The devil will never stop completely, as the Bible tells us re the temptations of Jesus. ‘And when the devil had ended all the temptation (testing), he departed from him for a season (until an opportune time).” (Luke 4:13) So when he stops tempting you, he’s not gone forever, but only until he sees another opportunity.
And we finally come to the big question, what is this armour of God that we’ve been talking about. Let’s listen to Bruh Paul again from his letter to the Ephesians. ‘Stand therefore, having your loins girt about (your waist girded) with truth (the knowledge of the truth of God’s word), and having on the breastplate of righteousness (a holy character and moral conduct): And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace (an eagerness or willingness to advance against the Devil, and take the fight to him).
Above all taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked (one). That means ‘taking God at His word believing His promises. Such trust will protect one from doubts induced by Satan.’ And take the helmet of salvation (the hope or assurance of salvation), and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (selected verses of Scripture):
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for the saints.’ Meaning that ‘prayer is indispensable; without prayer God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. And we must be vigilant in the matter of prayer, praying always when Satan attacks, not only for ourselves, but for all saints, with the help of the Holy Spirit.’ (Eph. 6:14-18)
Now that’s how we’ll be able to handle Monday and whatever the devil decides to throw at us. But we have to be proactive, not wait for the devil to come, but take up the Lord’s armour and go after him. As they say, the best defence is offence! Oh friends, I do hope this brief review on God’s protective spiritual armour reawakens our spirits and our desire to fight for Christ. And if we’ve gotten off-course, sets us back on course, keeps us on the straight and narrow road that leads to heaven and Christ.
And having said all that, let’s go 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 a word to the wise; the only way we’ll ever see divine aid is if we humble ourselves, pray, sincerely seek God’s face, and turn from our evil ways. Much LOVE!
…without God’s protective spiritual armour…the believer cannot defeat the enemy in spiritual battle…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a mystery, all about Somebody who saved my soul, another blood bought member of the family, belong at the end of the line, Bible, broken down the wall of partition, Casting Crowns, Christ's Church, christianity, ever since you recued me, everybody's got a purpose, faith, fellowship, for ye see your calling, god, god hath chosen the foolish things of the world, God uses ordinary people, he that glorieth, holy spirit, I am with you unto the end of the world, I'm Just a Nobody, Jesus Christ, Jews Gentiles, let him glory in the Lord, let me go down in history, living for the world to see, LOVE, Never-Get-it Rights, nobody but Jesus, not many mighty, not many noble are called, not many wise men after the felsh, Not Quites, One Body, picked twelve outsiders, sacrificial work, spread the gospel of Jesus, sweet sacrifices of praise, teach all nations, the Great Commission, the Lord's House, the pearly gates of heaven, the weak things of the world, to confound the mighty, to confound the wise, to observe all things, treasure in heaven, truth, trying to tell everybody, wisdom, you gave my heart a song to sing
1 Corinthians 1:26. For ye see (consider) your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
And it’s another Sunday! A glorious looking one indeed! Made just for visiting the Lord’s house on His day, to fellowship with other believers and bring joy to both the Lord’s heart and ours. Nothing could be better than that my people, except entering the pearly gates of heaven. But we’re not quite ready for that. (smile)
In the meanwhile, let’s get to our song of worship for today, a Christian Contemporary tune titled, ‘I’m just a Nobody.’ I don’t know the author(s) of the song, but the lyrics describe how God uses ordinary people to spread the Gospel of Jesus! We are all flawed, yet the Lord has a purpose for us. In our joy of having been forgiven, we excitedly point to the forgiver, Jesus Christ!
And we’re going to do a raunchy, rocking, scintillating version, as that done by the Casting Crowns, featuring Matthew West. There will be lots of clapping, dancing, and of course singing! (smile) So, let’s begin with some handclapping, in three fourths time, sing the first line of the chorus three times acapella, then get into the full chorus as the music comes up. So here goes: clap, clap: ‘I’m just a nobody…clap, clap: I’m just a nobody…clap, clap: I’m just a nobody…’ Now the music, and everybody goes crazy:
(Chorus: ‘I’m just a nobody, trying to tell everybody, all about Somebody, who saved my soul. Ever since You rescued me, You gave my heart a song to sing. I’m living for the world to see…Nobody but Jesus! I’m living for the world to see…Nobody but Jesus!) Why you ever chose me, has always been a mystery. All my life, I’ve been told I belong, at the end of the line. With all the other “Not Quites” with all the “Never-Get-it Rights” But it turns out, they’re the ones you’ve been looking for all this time,
(Chorus: I’m just a nobody…) Moses had stage fright, and David brought a rock to a sword fight, You picked twelve outsiders, nobody would have ever chosen, and you changed the world. Well the moral of the story is, Everybody’s got a purpose. So when I hear that devil start talking to me saying, “Who do you think you are?” I say, (Chorus: I’m just a nobody…) So let me go down, down, down in history, as another blood-bought faithful member of the family. And if they all forget my name, well, that’s fine with me. I’m living for the world to see…Nobody but Jesus…
So let me go down, down, down in history, as another blood-bought faithful member of the family…That’s all I ever want to be… And if they all forget my name, well, that’s fine with me. I’m living for the world to see…Nobody but Jesus… Cause I’m just a nobody, trying to tell everybody, all about Somebody, who saved my soul. Ever since You rescued me, You gave my heart a song to sing. I’m living for the world to see…Nobody but Jesus! I’m living for the world to see…Nobody but Jesus! I’m living for the world to see…Nobody but Jesus!’
Oh what sweet sacrifices of praise friends! And Jesus blushed all the way through, while the Father and the rest of heaven sang along with us, giving our wonderful, selfless Lord and Saviour the hearty praise He so rightfully deserves! And strangely enough it’s the ones that world casts aside and looks at in scorn, the “Not Quites”, and the “Never-Get-it Rights” that Jesus seems to pick to do His selfless, sacrificial work.
As Bruh Paul writes: ‘For ye see (consider) your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound (put to shame) the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound (put to shame) the things which are mighty.’ (1 Cor. 1:26-27)
That’s exactly like the twelve outsiders, or disciples whom Jesus chose, that no one else would have chosen to do such important, painstaking work. But Jesus knew that although they were nobodies in the eyes of the world, they had the qualities of strength and tenacity that He needed in His followers. ‘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) How many rich, comfortable and well-educated people are willing to live such a sacrificial and self-denied life eh?
Not many, as can be seen in the example of the rich young ruler who came to Jesus seeking what he must do to have eternal life. Jesus told him about keeping the commandments, but he said that he’d done all that from his youth and enquired what else he lacked. ‘Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt (want to) be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.’ (Matt. 19:21) But the young man went away sad, because he had lots of possessions.
And in any case, when Jesus calls you into His employ, He moulds and shapes you into the vessel that He desires, like a potter does to clay. And once you get in with Jesus, you only have eyes and ears for Him. Your divine destiny is to tell the world about Him and His good news gospel. As He said to the disciples in what we call the Great Commission:
‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:18-20)
Oh my fellow believers, as the song says, ‘Everybody’s got a purpose.’ And that’s our purpose! To help Jesus and those twelve outsiders, twelve disciples change the world. And the good thing about working for Jesus is that He’s always with you through the indwelling of His awesome Holy Spirit, and He always gives you the wherewithal to do whatever He asks you to do. You cannot find a better Boss than Him!
That’s why all who come to Him don’t seek their own advancement and don’t boast about their doings, but in the work of Jesus. That’s why Bruh Paul writes: ‘But he that glorieth (boasts), let him glory (boast) in the Lord. For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.’ (2 Cor. 10:17-18)
And in closing, let’s remember that whatever our original background, we are now, all ONE in Christ, for by His work on the cross, He has broken down the wall between us, bringing both Jews and Gentiles into ONE body, His church. And our job is simply to do His work to the best of our ability! Much LOVE!
…living and working for Christ…is the best life possible…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a positive answer, a thirsty land, Bible, broken the teeth of the ungodly, christianity, deepen my breath, desperate need, desperate prayers, done that which is good in thy sight, faith, give ear to my supplications, he heard me out of his holy hill, hear my prayer O Lord, Hezekiah wept sore, I cried unto the Lord with my voice, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears, I laid me down and slept;, I remember the days of old, I will add unto thy days fifteen years, i will heal thee, in thy sight, increase my awareness of you, Jesus, Jesus Christ, king Hezekiah, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, Lord bow down thine ear and hear, LOVE, many rise up against me, my heart is desolate, my soul thirsteth after thee, my spirit is overwhelmed within me, no disgrce to cry out to God, open thine eyes and see, persecuted my soul, quiet my soul, Salvation belongeth unto the Lord, save me O my God, Selah, set thine house in order, shall no man living be justified, slow my thoughts, smitten all my enemies, that I may know you all the more, the angel of the Lord, the enemy, the Lord sustained me, the rebellion of Absalom, thou shalt die and not live, walked before thee in truth, with a perfect heart
Psalm 3:4. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill (mountain). Selah.
Oh friends, what a beautiful lazy-day Saturday this is turning out to be! Sunny and cool, with just the right amount of laziness attached to it. (smile) And I did take some advantage of the situation by lying in bed a little longer than usual. But it’s now time to get the Lord’s work going, and we’ll do that by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with heartfelt sincerity.
As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ And we know that a positive answer will soon be forthcoming because our God just LOVES those kinds of prayers that cry out for His awesome presence in our lives!
Now, let’s continue looking at some desperate prayers from men of great faith, beginning with Bruh David, who had numerous prayers of desperation, as can be seen in his psalms while he ran from king Saul who desired to take his life. Listen to this excerpt from Psalm 143 – A Prayer for Guidance and Deliverance.
‘Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness. and enter not into judgement with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified (righteous). For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten (crushed) my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness (dark places), as those that have been long dead. Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate. I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse (ponder) on the work of thy hands. I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land.’ (Ps. 143:1-6)
And that’s only the tip of the iceberg, for Bruh David had numerous foes in his lifetime. Hear this prayer of desperation from Psalm 3, when he fled from the rebellion of his son Absolom. ‘Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for (around) me; my glory, and the lifter up of (the one who lifts up) my head. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill (mountain). Selah.
I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about. Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten (struck down) all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.’ (Ps. 3:1-8)
Please note that although Bruh David cried in desperation to the Lord for help, he never stopped believing and always acknowledged God’s power, goodness and mercy. And Bruh David wasn’t the only king to cry out in desperation to God, King Hezekiah did it too. First when the Assyrian army threatened to destroy Israel unless they paid tribute.
The Bible tells us: ‘And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said, ‘O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth. Lord, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, Lord thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God.
Of a truth, Lord, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands. And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone: therefore thy have destroyed them. Now therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech thee, save us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only.’ (2 Kin. 19:14-19)
Yes friends, the first place Hezekiah went was to the Lord. And I like how he laid out the letter before Him. And we know the outcome. After sending reassurances to Hezekiah by the prophet Isaiah, (2 Kin. 19:20 34) the Lord showed up in all power and might. The Good Book says: ‘And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote (killed) in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they (the Israelites) arose early in the morning, behold, they (the Assyrians) were all dead corpses. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.’ (2 Kin. 19:35-36)
But that wasn’t the end of Hezekiah’s woes though. The Bible says: ‘In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. Then he (Hezekiah) turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying, I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. and Hezekiah wept sore (bitterly).
And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city (Jerusalem) for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake. And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he (Hezekiah) recovered.’ (2 Kin. 20:1-7)
Yes my fellow beleivers, many men of great faith endured desperate times and were forced to pray desperate prayers, men like Elijah, Jonah, Jacob, Job, Abraham, Bruh Joseph and Bruh Paul. So it’s quite okay to cry out to God in desperate times, and if you have a heart for Him, He will hear you and act on your behalf! Much LOVE!
…there’s no disgrace in desperately crying out to God…in desperate times…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all the days of his life, as long as he liveth, barren womb, be responsible, being in agony, Bible, christianity, desperate prayers, different levels of intensity, divine aid, even unto death, faith, Friday chant, give unto thine handmaid a man child, god, Hannah's Prayer, Hannak kept her vow to God, he prayed more earnestly, he shall be lent to the Lord, his sweat as it were great drops of blood, I have lent him to the Lord, I will give him unto the Lord, if it be possible, if this cup may not pass from me except I drink it I, improve our Christian witness, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus agonized over separation from the Father, Jesus Christ, let this cup pass from me, look on the affliction of thine hand maid, LOVE, My God my God, my soul is exceeding sorrowful, no razor shall come upon his head, not as I will but as thou wilt, O thou that hearest prayer, omnipotent help, return backsliders to your fold, show them the error of their ways, simmering unrest, strengthening him, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the example your faithful believers set, the Garden of Gethsemane, the sin-bearer for all mankind, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, thy will be done, unexpecte storms, ungodly times, vowed a vow unto God, wake up and smell the coffee, watch and pray, why hast thou forsaken me, ye enter not into temptation
Psalm 65:2. O thou that hearest prayer…unto thee shall all flesh come…
And so it’s Friday; with the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ reaching up to heaven with different levels of intensity and sincerity, according to our particular circumstances. (smile) Yes, in times of dire need our intensity level does ramp up, while in good times our prayers have a greater calm and peace to them. We don’t need God or His help as quickly and desperately, so we’re much more relaxed. And that’s only human, as we can see in the Bible, where many great people of faith prayed desperate prayers. Let’s look at a couple of them.
Now, the first one that comes to mind is that of Jesus Himself, where on the night before His crucifixion, after the Passover meal, His disciples and himself went to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. There, He took His three favourites, Peter, James, and John aside, and began to be sorrowful (grieved) and very heavy (deeply distressed). Then He told them: ‘My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: Tarry (stay) ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.
And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing , but the flesh is weak. He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except (unless) I drink it, thy will be done.’ (Matt. 26:38-42) After that second prayer, Jesus came back to the three disciples and again found them asleep, but left them alone and went back by Himself and prayed the same prayer.
Then we pick up the story from Luke: Jesus prayed: ‘Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.’ (Luke 22:42-44) Yes friends, three times Jesus prayed asking the Father to abandon the crucifixion, and He was in so much agony that His sweat seemed like drops of blood. And as the Lord is won’t to do when we are in need, He sends an angel to strengthen Christ.
Oh, Jesus knew that the cross was the reason for His coming to earth, and according to the Scholars, ‘He wrestles, not so much with death itself, but with His own destiny to be made the sin-bearer for all mankind for all the ages. The punishment that had to be borne for our sins brings Jesus to His knees in anguish.’ And so it should, with the mighty weight of all sins placed on one person’s shoulders.
It should also be noted that Jesus was agonized by the coming separation from His Father, for they had never been separated before, and since the Father could not tolerate sin, when He became the world’s sin bearer, He’d become accursed of God, and the Father would automatically turn away. Thus His plea the next day on the cross: ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt. 27:46)
And sadly we have time for only more one example of desperate prayers from people of great faith; that’s Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel. She was the barren second wife of Elkanah, a prosperous man who LOVED her deeply. But she was constantly laughed at and scorned by the other very fruitful wife for her barrenness. One time when the family went up to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the Lord, Hannah couldn’t take it anymore and went into the temple.
The Bible tells us: ‘And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, wand wept sore (in anguish). And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine hand maid, and remember me, and forget not thine hand maid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.’ (1 Sam. 1:10-1)
And we all know that eventually the Lord answered her desperate prayer with the birth of the prophet Samuel. But most important of all, Hannah kept her vow to the Lord. When Samuel was of age she took him up to the temple in Shiloh and feasted and sacrificed to the Lord before the priest Eli, who, had seen her praying that day for the child but thought her drunk and accused her thus, but found our differently after their conversation. (1 Sam. 1: 12-18)
‘And she (Hannah) said, Oh my lord, (referring to Eli) as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by here, praying unto the Lord. For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent (granted) him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there.’ (1 Sam. 1:26-28)
Oh friends, our God does answer prayers, especially sincere and desperate ones. (smile) Now, let’s offer up our sincere and desperate prayer for help through our Friday Chant. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And do we ever need to improve our Christian witness in these very troubled times… if we expect to receive divine aid! Much LOVE!
…O thou that hearest prayer…unto thee shall all flesh come… (Ps. 65:2)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to his riches in glory, all the tools, all these things shall be added unto you, became obedient unto death, Bible, chaos, children of God, christianity, climate change, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, even the death of the cross, faith, favour, good health, handle whatever comes against us, have good success, human reasoning, humbled himself, in the form of God, Jesus, Jesus Christ, know who we are in Christ, let this mind be in you, LOVE, made himself of no reputation, made in the likeness of men, make thy way prosperous, meditate therein day and night, meditation on the word of God, my God shall supply all your needs, negative word, no need to boast, obeying God's word, observe to do all that's written therein, one truth fron the Bible is worth more than all the wisdom of man, Praise the Lord, refuse to go to God, satanic reasoning of men, seek ye first the kingdom of God, shall not depart out of thy mouth, spiritual things are wiser than carnal ones, tempestuous world, the essence to success, the form of a servant, the light of the world, the salt of the earth, the spiritual reasoning of God, this book of the law, true believers in Christ, truth, where the true answer lies, wisdom
Joshua 1:8a. This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night,
Where has all the hot weather gone, in this August month eh? You’d think it was September! Yes friends, this past week has been sunny but rather chilly in my neck of the woods, no use whatsoever for the A/C. It’s tough to even get the daytime temperature in to the early twenties, much less the thirty we expect in mid August. The windows are also closed at night, for fear of freezing. (smile) The scenario is not helped either by the ever constant, vibrant, cool wind that accompanies it. I guess this is one of the effects of climate change. Let’s hope then that in September and October, we’ll have the hot weather that we’re missing right now. (smile)
But thankfully, as true believers in Christ Jesus, we have all the tools to handle whatever comes against us. And all God’s people said a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord!’ And yes, He does deserve much thanks and praise for all that He’s done, is doing and has promised to do on our behalf! He’s provided us with EVERYTHING we need to make a good go of it in this crazy and tempestuous world.
And the first and most important thing, is as the Lord told Joshua in no uncertain terms when He made him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8)
Oh my people, right there is the very essence to success! Meditation on the word of God, then putting what it says into practice! Not all the nonsense that the world writes about success. None of those books on so-called success and prosperity can even come close to what one can gain by reading, studying, and putting the Lord’s word into practice!
But we blatantly refuse to accept what the Creator of the world and the One who allows us to get wealth says, in foolish favour of what sinful and ignorant man writes! Please remember that ONE truth from God’s word is worth more than ALL the wisdom of man. As Bruh Paul puts it to the church at Corinth: ‘Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.’ (1 Cor, 1:25)
And what does that mean? Listen to this commentary. ‘When Paul speaks of the “foolishness of God,” he is not implying that God is foolish. Rather he is saying that since God’s way of reasoning is in accord with things of the spirit, it confounds the reasoning of this world. It is wiser than human reasoning, because spiritual things are wiser than carnal ones.’ And that’s exactly why our world is in such a disastrous and chaotic state! We have not been listening to the spiritual reasoning of God, but to the carnal, Satanic reasoning of men! And what else can you expect from a satanic soul eh, but total chaos and strife, because that’s the very nature of Satan!
Remember too that Jesus backed up that scripture in Joshua, when he told His listeners: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) That’s God’s indisputable and faithful promise! If you seek the things of His kingdom, then all that you need will be given to you. And God has no need to lie, because with His omnipotence, He can do exactly what He says! And Bruh Paul also promised in his epistle to the Philippians, that our needs will be met when we sincerely seek the Lord and serve Him. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19)
What more do we want or expect eh my brethren? And it’s not like there aren’t oodles of believers who are living comfortably while obeying God’s word, but most of them don’t have to bray or boast about their possessions, because that’s not the attitude of true believers. We ought to go about our business without too much fuss, working for the Lord, being the salt of the earth and light of the world, enjoying whatever He blesses us with, and sharing it with others who are less blessed.
Jesus was the Son of God, could do miracles and anything else He so desired, but He didn’t go around boasting about it. In fact He took the opposite attitude, that of a servant, gave up all his privileges. As Bruh Paul writes to the Philippians. ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:5-8)
Yes my fellow believers, Jesus was the greatest, but He never boasted about it, because He was sure of Himself. He knew who He was, and let it show in His works, rather than in His boasts. It ought to be the same way with us: when we know who we are in Christ, are sure that we’re the children of God, then we don’t need to boast about it, but just show it in how we live our daily lives. And we can never be sure that we’re children of God until and unless we read, meditate and put God’s Word into practice in our daily lives. It’s as simple as that my people!
And what amazes me about mankind in these turbulent times, is that we’re trying everything we know in man’s lexicon to make things better without any success, but for whatever reason, we simply refuse to go to God, where the answer truly lies. Sadly, such is the hold that Satan has on us. But for those of us who are trying to live right, lets’ go home declaring (chuh!!!) and thus activating our Thursday Blessings, generously bestowed by the Lord to do His earthly work.
As one strong voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (steups!!!) it now behooves us to go out and share the benefits of those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…Success 101…read, meditate and put into practice…God’s Word…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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