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
21 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, a generous God, a second wind, always wants something for nothing, as to the Lord and not unto men, ask, Bible, boost our spirits, but one receiveth the prize, Christ - the answer to everything, Christian performance, christianity, courage, do God's will, do it heartily, endure to the end, enjoy the fruits of life, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, finished my course, for God so loved the world, grace, greedy. selfish, halfway home, hands on the plough, hath nothing, he gave his only begotten son, hearken unto you, I have fought a good fight, I know the thoughts I think toward you, it shall be given you, it shall be opened, Jesus Christ, kept the faith, knock, LOVE, mercy, not a doting grandfather, not looking back, obedience to God's will, pray unto me, provisos to God's promises, salvation, search for me with all your heart, seek, seek me and find me, should not perish but have everlasting life, sit on our lazy fannies, so run that ye may obtain, thank God, the breath of life, the soul of the diligent shall be made fat, the soul of the sluggard desireth, they which run in a race run all, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to a glorious future with Jesus, to give you an expected end, trust, truth, wallowing in the mire, Wednesday Wail, whatsoever ye do, whosoever believeth in him, wisdom, without lifting a finger, without rhyme or reason, ye serve the Lord Christ, ye shall find, ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance
1 Corinthians 9:24b. So run, that ye may obtain.
Here comes Wednesday, our mid-week work day, with the promise of a second wind and thus better things, or rather, better Christian performance from us supposed believers. And isn’t that good news? It surely is! For any improvement in our Christian lifestyle is welcome because it gives more credence to Christ’s gospel. And today we’ll look at some scripture promises that will inspire us to do better And there’s no better scripture to begin with than this one where the Lord clearly spells it out through the prophet Jeremiah.
‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) Now friends, that’s a scripture we all know, but do we use it to boost our spirits, our courage and trust in the Lord? Possibly not as much as we should. But the Lord is saying loud and clear that He has a good future in store for us, if we will only do His will. And yes, it all comes down to doing the Lord’s will. He’s not going to hand out blessings and such to those who refuse to obey Him…although some of us seem to think so.
And ofttimes there are provisos to God’s promises – like if you do this, I’ll do that, or I’ll do that, when you do this. And this is one such case, as the Lord expands on the promise of a future and a hope. ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen ) to you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13) And that’s very understandable, for we do the very same thing when others come to us asking for help, we look for some sincerity and a promise that we won’t be deceived.
So why can’t the Lord, the Creator of the earth and all therein do likewise eh? The problem is that we’re just greedy and selfish and always want something for nothing. But that doesn’t work, especially with our heavenly Father. Oh, He’ll give us oodles of things we don’t deserve, for He’s a most generous God, but He must see some obedience and a light burning in our hearts for Him. Nothing different to our human behaviour.
Then there are these words of promise from Jesus: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7:7-8) There you have it again friends, a great promise, but we have to do something to claim it.
We cannot expect to have all the good things thrown in our lap without any involvement on our part. Life just doesn’t work that way, although some of us seem to think that we can just sit on our lazy, entitled fannies and enjoy the fruits of life, without even lifting a finger. And that’s why so many of us are just wallowing in the mire of this evil world, lost and alone, with no real future or hope.
And yuh know, even God’s greatest gift, that of salvation, comes with something for us to do. Listen as Jesus spells it out for us. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) Yes my people, to get everlasting life all you have to do is believe, simply believe.
But there are many of us who refuse to believe but expect to receive everlasting life. No way! Our God is great and good and kind and LOVING and all those wonderful things, but He’s definitely not a doting grandfather who just throws goodies at us without rhyme or reason., although that’s what many of us think, or believe, or expect.
And in accordance with all that we’ve said, here’s this pearl of wisdom from Cousin Sol. ‘The soul of the sluggard (lazy) desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat (rich).’ (Prov. 13:4) It’s oh so simple and straightforward my people; the lazy will die in poverty, while those who make a diligent effort will prosper! And that’s all the Lord is asking of us; to make a diligent effort in living for Him. It’s all up to us, the goodness of His grace and mercy are waiting for us to come and get them, they certainly won’t come to us without some effort on our part.
Then there’s this great promise from Bruh Paul to the Philippians: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) And that’s the gospel truth, but we also have a part to play; belief and obedience to God’s will! And these words of Bruh Paul to the Corinthians tells us of how it should be. ‘Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.’ (1 Cor. 9:24)
Yes friends, the only way we will ever obtain what’s been promised to us is if we RUN! Not dawdle or take our time, but RUN towards what’s been promised to us! Or as Bruh Paul says to Timothy: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith.’ (2 Tim .4:7) And how do we do that? By following this basic but very wise advice 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.’ (Col. 3:23-24)
Oh my fellow believers sincerely living for Christ means serving and doing, not just sitting on our laurels and expecting stuff to fall into our laps. So let’s wake up and get going nuh, show the world some serious action on Christ’s behalf! And we’ll begin that action right now, by going 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 if we endure to the very end with Jesus, then He’s promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, hoping to see you there! Much LOVE!
…running to, and for Christ…is the answer to everything…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a peace that passes all understanding, a personal journey with God, a true christian life, abide in his love, above that ye are able, anointing, as the day follows the night, be able to endure it, be of good courage, blessed assurance, called thee by name, duty bound, even as I have kept my Father's commandments, faith, fear not, getting through to the other side with God, God is faithful, God will come to our rescue, God's never late, grace, he shall strengthen thine heart, hope, hurry, I am the beloved of god, I have redeemed thee, I will be with thee, if ye keep my commandments, in god's eyes, in the face of adversity, Jesus Christ, lay not up treasures on earth, lay up treasures in heaven, LOVE, lustful eyes, make a way to escape, many are the afflictions of the righteous, marinating in our hearts, moth and rust doth corrupt, necessary ingredients, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee, no temptation has overtaken you, nothing is impossible with God, obedience, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, share His love with my neighbours, such as is common to man, suffer you to be tempted, the Holy One of Israel, the Lord delivereth him out of them all, the sinless blood of Christ, the transformative power of faith, the way the cookie crumbles, they shall not overflow thee, thieves break through and steal, thou art mine, thou shalt not be burned, through the rivers, to our detriment, troublesome Monday, trust, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wait on the Lord, walk the talk, walkest through the fire, when thou passest through the waters, where your treasure is there will be your heart also, wisdom, worry, ye shall abide in my love
Isaiah 43:2a. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee;
And so, without any due notice or welcoming applause, we come to Tuesday, which follows Monday, just like the day follows the night and vice versa! (smile) But most likely, we’ve breathed a huge sigh of relief that we’ve gotten through troublesome Monday, and fallen into much easier Tuesday. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles. But the wonderful thing about it all, is that we believers have Jesus to backstop all our doubts and fears, so even when circumstances don’t look so good, we don’t need to worry, but call up scriptures like this one from the wise words of Bruh David: ‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.’ (Ps. 34:19)
And with those words of blessed assurance steeping, marinating in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, we can then stand strong in faith with a good attitude, and do what Bruh David so wisely advises: ‘Wait (patiently in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (patiently in faith), I say on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14) That’s marvellous advice friends, although it’s not always easy to put into action, because oftentimes we feel as though our world is just being torn apart and there’s no time to wait, an instant remedy is required. But please have no fear, for in good time, His time, our amazing and faithful God will come to our rescue.
As Bruh Paul says to the church at Corinth: ‘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 to escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13) Yes friends, our great God will either make a way for us to escape the tough circumstances, or give us the strength, the grace, the anointing to go through it with a calm peace that passes all understanding.
And, one more very important thing: He won’t be late. No! God’s NEVER late! And I can testify to that, because so often in my own life, when I’ve thought that all was lost, I’ve seen Him show up just at the right time. Sometimes He waits until the very last moment to show up, because He’s testing our faith, to see if we will actually walk the talk that we’ve been spewing out to others. And why would He not rescue us, or at least give us the strength to go through our problems after He’s made promises like this one.
‘But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon (scorch) thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee (in thy place). (Is. 43:1-3)
Yes friends, that’s all the gospel truth, for the Lord our God has certainly redeemed us, bought us with a price, the sinless blood of Christ, which means we are indeed His! And we’ve seen examples of His people passing through the waters on dry ground through the Red Sea to escape the army of Egypt, (Ex. 14:19-31) and the rivers, where they passed through the River Jordan and it did not overflow them. (Josh. 3) And we all know the famous story of the three young Hebrew men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who refused to bow to the idol made by the king of Babylon and were thrown into the furnace, heated seven times hotter than normal, yet they came out alive, not even smelling of smoke. (Dan. 3)
Wow! What a powerful and faithful God we serve my brethren! Remember, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH HIM! But He seeks faith and trust in those who claim to believe, and consequently tests us by allowing unfortunate stuff to happen to us, like passing through the waters. And what does passing through the waters really mean? Listen to these two commentaries on the subject. The first one says: ‘Isaiah 43:2 is a verse that calls for a personal journey with God, where trust in His divine promise leads us to discover our own strength and resilience. In essence, the heartfelt message of Isaiah 43:2 is about the transformative power of faith in the face of adversity.’ No doubt about that!
And the second tells us re Isaiah 43:3-5. ‘Another thought about “when you pass through the waters”: this phrase implies getting through to the other side with God. Whether it ends with resolving a problem here or taking us home to heaven, God will be with those who LOVE Him and whom He LOVES.’ And you can bet your bottom dollar on that my people! God will ALWAYS be with those He LOVES, and those who LOVE Him! As Jesus said to the disciples: ‘If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my LOVE; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his LOVE!’ John 15:10)
Yuh see friends, it’s all about obedience and doing the will of God! You cannot expect God to bless you while you are constantly ignoring Him and doing the will of Satan. And yuh know, that’s all the Lord really desires of us, obedience. But we allow the bright and shiny baubles and bangles of the world to dazzle our lustful eyes and thus turn away from God, all to our certain detriment. That’s a fool’s wisdom my people! For even if you acquire all of the world’s wealth, you cannot carry one iota of it with you when you die, regardless of if you make your bed in heaven or in hell.
For as Jesus so wisely advises: ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth doth corrupt (ruin) and rust, where thieves break through and steal: But lay up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:19:21) More gospel truth and wise advice my fellow believers. Instead Jesus gives this wise and heartfelt advice as to what we should do. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
Now, Jesus doesn’t have cause to lie, like Satan does, so it’s wise and sensible to believe Him. And for those of us who have been wise and sensible, and have believed Jesus, (smile) 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, (yesss!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…trust, faith, hope, obedience and LOVE…all necessary ingredients for a true Christian life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a born-again child of God, a refreshing bit of air, Bible, bought by Christ's blood, christianity, Comforter, conscience, divine aid, down payment, faith, gather together all things in one, God's gift of salvation, Guide, harmony, holy spirit, humble ourselves, I will not leave you comfortless, identification mark, in whom after ye believed, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, kept forever, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, need for Jesus, on the outside looking in, orphans, promise of salvation, repentance, salvation, sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, seek your face, the born again believer, the chaotic world, the earnest of our inheritance, the fullness of times, the God who heals, the mystery of his will, the power of God, the redemption of the purchased possession, the Spirit of truth, truth, turn from our evil ways, universal unity, wisdom, wise guidance
Ephesians 1:13b. in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Oh Monday, we’re so glad to see you! You’re like a refreshing breath of air! (smile) You challenge us like no other, to get back into the chaotic world, after a couple days of rest and continue the never-ending fight against the enemy who desperately desires to steal us away from Jesus! But please let him know that that’s an impossible feat, for once we become born again children of God, His Holy Spirit comes to live within us and secures us with an impregnable seal, one that can never be broken.
Yes friends, the seal of the Holy Spirit is the identification mark that the born-again believer is truly God’s own and is kept forever by the power of God. And this scripture on the redemption by Christ from Ephesians tells us about it. God, ‘Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest (down payment) of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.’ (Eph. 1:12-14)
And what does all of that mean eh? Basically, that God, in His own time, according to His own desire, will put everything both in heaven and on earth, under ONE rule, ONE Head, that’s Jesus Christ. So, as the scholars tell us: ‘In the near future, when the time is ripe, God will put His good purpose into effect and carry it out. And His “good pleasure” or intention is the restoration of original universal unity, when all things are brought back into harmony with Himself and under the headship of Christ.’
And the Lord got the ball rolling with Jesus coming to earth to give us a better understanding of what was to come. The Jewish Christians were the first to believe in Christ and were given the seal of the Holy Spirit, then, when we Gentiles believed, we were also sealed by the Holy Spirit as a down payment of our inheritance, or the Lord’s promise of salvation. As one commentary says: ‘We just discovered the foundational purpose of the Holy Spirit. He is the seal of our salvation, and He is the down payment of our inheritance.’
Or, as the scholars further clarify: ‘The Holy Spirit is here called the “earnest of our inheritance.” The word ‘earnest’ means ‘down payment’; as such the gift of the Spirit is viewed as an installment or as part of our salvation. God therefore assures the Christian that the realization of the rest of his salvation is forthcoming. How long is the believer assured of his salvation? Until the redemption of the purchased possession, or “until God glorifies and perfects the believer (the purchased possession) whom He has bought by Christ’s blood.”
Yes my people, that seal of the Holy Spirit represents the surety that we belong to God, regardless of what we think, or feel or whatever lies the enemy might throw at us! And I like how this commentary answers the question it poses: ‘How does the Holy Spirit seal believers? The Spirit Is Our Seal. By being present in the Spirit, God not only claims us for Himself, He also gives us claim on Him. The Spirit certifies His promise, His pledge to us. Indeed, the Spirit is God’s keeping of His promise.’
We can’t ask for more than that my fellow believers, since we know that our ever-faithful God keeps all of His promises. And the Holy Spirit is the workhorse of our Triune God. He does all the work that’s needed now, after Jesus came and did His thing. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter, our Guide, our Reminder, our Conscience, our Helpmeet, while working in the hearts of unbelievers to convict and convince them of their sin and of their need for Jesus.
Remember how Jesus characterized the Holy Spirit. ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter (Helper), that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him: for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you.’ (John 14:15-18) And Jesus kept that promise by coming to believers through the Holy Spirit, which began indwelling believers on the day of Pentecost after Jesus’ ascension.
So, the Lord’s plan is motion, He’s done all He can. We know all about it, we have all the promises, the only thing left is for us to accept God’s gift of salvation, by accepting His Son Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, so that when the final bells toll, we won’t be eternally separated from God, because that is the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul. Now, let’s go to God in prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking help to keep us on the straight and narrow path of life.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And if we’re wise, and truly desire divine aid, then we’d better start by changing our evil ways! Much LOVE!
…come the fullness of time…being on the outside…looking in…won’t be pleasant…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lender and not a borrower, all should come to repentance, as many as are led by the Spirit of God, be born of water and the spirit, before I formed thee in the belly of the, Bible, christianity, comfort each other in the Lord, encouragement, except a man be born again, exhortation, faith, fellowship, free from slavery to sin, from my mother's womb, glorified together, he cannot see the kingdom of God, heartfelt prayer, heirs of God, holy spirit, I am a child of God, I know who I am, I've been brn agai, Jesus Christ, joint-heirs with Christ, LOVE, mercy, my fear are drowned, No longer a Slave to Fear, no longer walk in fear but in faith, none should perish, not received the spirit of bondage to fear, not under the law, righteous living, sacrifices of praise, salvation, sanctified thee, sin shall not have dominion over you, slaves to righteous living, suffer with Christ, surround me with a song, Tasha Cobbs, the gift of God is eternal life, the head and not the tail, the sons of God, the wages of sin is death, truth, under grace, uplift our faith, walking in newness of life, we can handle whatever comes against us, wisdom, worship, you split the sea, your blood flows through my veins, your love has called my name
Romans 8:14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Another Sunday has dawned friends, meaning it’s time to gather once more in the Lord’s house to celebrate His day in sincere worship and heartfelt prayer, while enjoying each other’s company with exhortation and encouragement or comfort as the situation may call for. (smile) Yes, whenever we get together, we are expected to exhort, encourage and comfort each other in the Lord. And as we hear God’s word and sing His praises, His Holy Spirit works in us to renew our hope and uplift our faith, so that we can competently handle whatever comes against us in the upcoming week.
And todays song of praise ‘No Longer A Slave To Fear,’ was initially popularized by the group Bethel Music featuring Jonathan David & Melissa Helser, the lead single from their seventh live album, We Will Not Be Shaken, released in 2015. But we’ll be singing the recently popularized, scintillating, soulful, in your face version by Tasha Cobbs. So, let’s open our hearts and voices as we offer sweet sacrificial praise to our magnificent God!
Beginning with a couple of powerful declarations of the chorus: ‘(Chorus: I’m no longer a slave to fear, For I am a child of God (2) You unravel me, with a melody, You surround me with a song, Of deliverance, from my enemies, Till all my fears are gone. (Chorus: I’m no longer, a slave to fear, For I am a child of God (2) From my mother’s womb, You have chosen me, Your LOVE has called my name, I’ve been born again, Into your family, Your blood flows through my veins.
(Chorus: I’m no longer, a slave to fear, For I am, a child of God (2) Oh oh, oh oh oh. Oh oh, oh oh oh! You split the sea, So I could walk right through, My fears are drowned, In perfect LOVE, You rescued me, so I could stand and sing, I am a child of God …You split the sea, So I could walk right through it, My fears are drowned, In perfect LOVE, You rescued me, so I could stand and sing, I am a child of God, I am a child of God, I am a child of God….
I know who I am, I know who I am, I am a child of God! He calls me the head and not the tail, Above and not beneath, a lender and not a borrower. So I no longer walk in fear, but in faith. For I am a child of God. If you are a child of God, sing Hallelujah to His glorious name!’
Marvellous mih people, marvellous! Can you imagine the uproar that song of praise caused in heaven? By the second verse, all of heaven, including Jesus, had joined in to offer soulful, anthemic praise to the Father. And yuh better believe the Father was ecstatic, elated, overjoyed by the overwhelming praise. It’s been a long time since He’s heard such sincere, soulful, scintillating sacrifices of praise!
And it’s interesting to note that the song contains all sorts of scriptural references. And we’ll begin by ascertaining what exactly is meant by no longer being slaves to fear. This commentary tells it thus: ‘God moved you from imprisonment to freedom, from an old life in which sin was your master to a new life in which sin is no longer in a position to control you (Romans 6:14). Being in Christ puts you in a new position in relation to sin. Sin is still your enemy, but it is no longer your master.’
Yes friends, we are no longer slaves to sin but slaves to righteousness. And Bruh Paul emphasizes that in Chapter 6 of Romans, where he’s writing about walking in newness of life in Christ. But because of time and space, we’ll only quote this last verse from Chapter 5. ‘That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom. 5:21) And these two from Chapter 6. ‘For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace…For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom. 6:14, 23)
It’s advisable to read the whole chapter to get the full gist of the topic. (smile) But basically it means we can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or we can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once we were slaves of sin, but those who wholeheartedly obey Christ’s teaching are now free from slavery to sin and have become slaves to righteous living. Glory to God!
And as per children of God? Bruh Paul makes that abundantly clear in Romans 8, when he writes: ‘For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.’ (Rom. 8:14-17)
Now there’s nothing better than being a child of God my brethren, an heir with Christ to all that the Father has! Then these words of the song ‘From my mother’s womb, You have chosen me,’ ostensibly point to Jeremiah’s call from God. He writes: ‘Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly (womb) I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee (set you apart), and I ordained (appointed) thee a prophet unto the nations.’ (Jer. 1:4-5)
And, ‘You split the sea, So I could walk right through, My fears are drowned,’ obviously refers to the Lord’s parting of the Red Sea so the Israelites could cross over on dry land and escape the oncoming Egyptian army of Pharaoh. (Ex. 14) Then we sing: ‘He calls me the head and not the tail, Above and not beneath, a lender and not a borrower.’ That comes from Deut. 28-12-13), basically meaning that if we obey the Lord’s word, He will prosper us.
And lastly, these words: ‘Your LOVE has called my name, I’ve been born again, Into your family, Your blood flows through my veins,’ can be seen in Jesus’ explanation to Nicodemus, the Jewish teacher who came to Him at night to find out the truth. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God… Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God,’ (John 3:3, 5)
Oh friends, we are born again, that means we’re eligible for the kingdom of heaven! Glory Hallelujah! But unfortunately there are still many who have not been born again, and it is our job to get out there and do our best to see they become eligible for heaven. Much LOVE!
…the Father’s great desire is…that none should perish…but all should come to repentance… (2 Pet. 3:9)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool's wisdom, a genuine desire for the well being of another, Bible, christianity, closer to God, deepen my breath, drift away from God, every one that loveth is born of God, faith, fellowship, god, God sent His only begotten Son, great is thy faithfulness, greedy, hang all the law and the prophets, he that loveth not knoweth not God, herein is love, his compassions fail not, hold your head and bawl, hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord, howl like a hyena, I may know you all the more, if God so loved us, increase my awareness of you today, it is good that a man, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lazy, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let us love one another, LOVE, love is God's greatest attribute, LOVE is of God, love is the greatest emotion, Love thy neighbour as thyself, mercy, negative news, not that we loved God but that he loved us, on these two commandments, power hungry, quiet my soul, reciprocated love, relax my muscles, run to God, s wisdom, sacrifice, sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins, slow my thoughts, strife-filled, Thank you Jesus, that we might live through Jesus, the Lord is good unto them that wait for him, the Lord is my portion saith my soul, the love of god manifested toward us, the sinsful pleasures of Satan, therefore will I hope in him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God, to the soul that seeketh him, True LOVE, truth, we ought also to love one another, wisdom, with all thy heart soul and mind, you're the Best
1 John 4:7a. Beloved, let us LOVE one another: for LOVE is of God;
And what a perfect lazy-day Saturday this is turning out to be; wet and cloudy, though somewhat humid, an excellent chance to just laze around and do nothing but laze around. (smile) I was able to enjoy some of it by staying in bed a li’l longer, only because I went to bed at a fairly late hour of the morning, so the ole bones didn’t have a chance to get creaky and cranky.
What a life! But it’s a good life, despite the many problems that do crop up, because we have our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to help us deal with them. And all God’s people said a loud and grateful: ‘Thank You Jesus! You’re the BEST! We LOVE You and praise your Holy Name!’ And that’s exactly how it ought to be! Therefore, in conjunction with that statement, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, in a sincere and heartfelt manner.
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!’
Yes friends, that’s a prayer the Lord cannot refuse, simply because He LOVES it when we desire close communion with Him. It’s the reciprocated LOVE that He desires of us, of which we spoke yesterday. And it’s one of the major reasons He created us; to want to know Him as deeply as possible, and have His awesome presence constantly present in an overwhelming manner in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds. That’s why right now we’re feeling an increase of His godly presence moving in our receptive spirits. And thus, we ought to continue looking at scriptures that show the LOVE of Jesus, as well as LOVE for Him. (smile)
And I like this commentary that asks ‘What is true LOVE in Jesus?’ Then gives this reply: ‘True LOVE is a genuine desire for the well-being of another. It is holy, sacrificial, and other-oriented. A LOVE that we can only know through the One who is LOVE Himself. God commands His people to LOVE Him with all their heart, soul, and strength.’
So when the pretentious lawyer asked Jesus what was the great commandment, He obviously replied thus: ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:36-40)
Yuh see people, God’s plan is all about LOVE; LOVE for Him, for ourselves and each other! That’s all He asks of us. That’s because LOVE is the greatest emotion there is, and God’s greatest attribute is LOVE! As John so wisely and rightly declares in his first epistle. ‘Beloved, let us LOVE one another: for LOVE is of God; and every one that LOVETH is born of God, and knoweth God. He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE!’ (1 John 4:7-8) And you simply cannot get away from the indisputable truth of that statement: God is LOVE; and LOVE is of God!!!
Then John continues: ‘In this was manifested the LOVE of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him. Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that he LOVED us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so LOVED us, we ought also to LOVE one another.’ (1 John 4:9-11)
Now that’s perfect logic my brethren! God showed His amazing LOVE for us by sending His Son Jesus to die on the cross at Calvary to pay for our sins. You simply cannot get any deeper or greater LOVE than that! So why is it so difficult for us to reciprocate that LOVE to God, and to also show it to our fellow humans eh?
It should not be that difficult if we take into account the great sacrifice that both the Father and Jesus made on our behalf. But being the whole set of negative adjectives we’ve become; lazy, greedy, sinful, entitled, ungodly, strife-filled, power-hungry, etc. etc. it’s no wonder we find it difficult to give LOVE to God, ourselves, and other humans. The sinful pleasures of Satan have become more important than the everlasting goodness of God.
And then we wonder why our world is in such a terrible state. The answer is very simple: there’s no real LOVE in our hearts, so how can there be any in our world? And it’s interesting, but also heart-rending, that we all watch the great amount of negative news with which we are bombarded every day, and we decry it, but do we do anything about it, even in our little sphere of the world, of our family, of our neighbourhood?
No! Because that would take too much energy and sacrifice on our part, and disrupt our comfortable, cozy, amenity-filled lives. But friends, the first thing to know about LOVE is that it calls for sacrifice! You cannot truly show LOVE until and unless you’re willing to sacrifice something for someone, which includes, God, yourself and your neighbours.
And please don’t think that you’re LOVING yourself when you buy up on credit all the bright and fancy baubles and bangles that the world offers, but which you cannot really afford. No, because when the time comes to pay for them, then you’ll hold your head and bawl, howl like a hyena, especially if they come and repossess the stuff. You LOVE yourself by taking your time, doing and buying what you can afford.
And these words on the amazing LOVE of God by the prophet Jeremiah in his Lamentations, are most excellent words for us to go home to. Please read with me: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:22-26)
Please my fellow saints, let’s spend a few moments on this lazy-day Saturday pondering those words of awesome truth, so that they can bring us where we ought to be; closer to God! Much LOVE!
…it’s a fool’s wisdom…to drift away from God…rather than run to Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man of knowledge increaseth strength, a means of restoring faith in you, better examples of Christian living, carnality of the flesh, Christ died for us to have life more abundantly, compassion, dare to die, deeply grieves God, distress, faith, famine was in the land of Canaan, fast fading away, for thy sake, Friday chant, God commendeth his own love toward us, God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, hold a dearer place in our hearts, hope, I am persuaded, in all these things we are more than conquerors, in the last days, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus Christ, joy, LOVE, love of the first order, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, men shall be lovers of their own selves, mercy, my kindness shall not depart from thee, nakedness, nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nothing shall separate us from the love of God, omnipotent help, our hope resides in Jesus, peril, perilous times shall come, persecution, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, should not perish but have everlasting life, steadfast love, summer season, sword, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that neither death nor life nor angels, the covenant of my peace, the error of their ways, the foolish way of the ungodly world, the gospel truth, the Lord that hath mercy, the simmering unrest, tribulation, truth, wake up and and smell the coffee, we are killed all the day long, while we were yet sinners, who shall separate us from the Love of Christ, whosoever believeth in him, wisdom, wise guidance
John 3:16. For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
And just in case you don’t realize it friends, on this sunny Friday morning, we’ve just entered the second half of August 2024! And yes, it’s nice to shout ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ but at the same time the month, and thus our summer season is fading fast away! And you know what comes after August? (smile) Why is it though, that the winter season takes so long to finish, while the summer one just seems to rush by?
Because we enjoy the summer but not the winter. And whatever we enjoy, tends to move along more quickly than things we don’t enjoy. That’s just a simple fact of life. But it doesn’t have to affect us that much if all of our hope and joy and strength resides in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. No friends, with God’s LOVE living in and through us, we don’t have to worry about what seems to be quickly fading away.
So this Friday morning let’s look at a few scripture verses that encourage us in the LOVE of God and our Lord Jesus Christ. And there’s no better verse to begin with than this one that sets the stage for everything. The immortal and indisputable words of Jesus: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16)
Wow mih people! What an encouraging verse of scripture showing how great God’s LOVE is, was, and will always be for us, His most important creation. That’s why it hurts His heart, deeply grieves Him when we turn away to the selfish and foolish way of the ungodly world.
Now here’s this other scripture, one of my favourites, which shows just how much God desires us to have fellowship with Him. From the pen of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome: ‘For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his LOVE (demonstrated his own LOVE) toward us , in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:7-8)
That calls for another ‘Wow!’ my brethren! Imagine that nuh. Our Creator caring about us so much, that He sent His One Son to die for us while we were yet mired in our sinful ways, instead of calling on us to change our evil ways before offering any help. Now if that isn’t LOVE of the first order, then I don’t know what is!
And what about this moving and rather encouraging verse from the Old Testament, as spoken through the prophet Isaiah. ‘For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness (steadfast LOVE) shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy (compassion) on thee.’ (Is. 54:10)
Oh my fellow believers, I don’t know how much more we need from God to show His awesome LOVE for us nuh, because He gives it all in His promises and shows it in His marvellous and miraculous actions. And if we would only listen and walk in His holy will and ways, then we’d surely see it all and it would boost our hope, our spirits and our joy to high heaven!
But the carnality of the flesh and the world, seem to hold a dearer place in our hearts, as Bruh Paul said to Timothy: ‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves…lovers of pleasures more (rather) than lovers of God.’ (2 Tim. 3:1-2a, 4b) And that’s the gospel truth in these reckless and riotous days!
However, wise and sensible people will turn to God’s Word with His many wonderful promises and words of LOVE to raise their faith in these terrible times. And although there are many scriptures showing God’s unconditional, undying LOVE for us, we’ll end with these further words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome, words of truth that grip the believer’s heart so firmly that it’s useless to turn away.
Please read and inwardly digest with me, these awesome words of caring and compassion. ‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us. for I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:35-39)
And my fellow saints, if reading that scripture doesn’t refresh and renew your LOVE for our Triune God, then I don’t know what will! But thankfully, through God’s grace and mercy, we have the option of going to Him in prayer for help, so let’s do that right now, through our Friday Chant, seeking His divine aid in these treacherous and turbulent 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!’
And friends, if we truly desire divine aid, then we have to begin by setting better examples of Christian living than we’re currently doing! Much LOVE!
…God has already shown His LOVE…now He’s waiting for us to reciprocate…to show our LOVE…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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