The Immeasurable Value of Patience in a Believer’s Life!

23 Jul 2024 Leave a comment

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

James 1:3.       Knowing this, that the trying (testing) of your faith worketh (produces) patience.

And then it was Tuesday, another warm and sunshiny summer’s day! We’ve left Monday far behind in our blazing path to glory in Jesus’ wonderful name! That means looking forward to another God-filled day down here on His chaotic but still beautiful creation called Planet Earth. And to be able to do all of that requires the believers in Christ Jesus to behave in a certain manner with certain boundaries that ought not to be crossed. However, since we’re all human, and thus tend to be sinful, selfish and rebellious, we need heavenly help to do our duty and stay within our boundaries. 

And this prayer from the In Touch Devotional for July gives us a good sense of some of the things we need to concentrate on. So please pray with me: ‘God, I pray for patience today – the kind that sits with an anxious friend, waits for a spouse to come around, listens to a child’s concerns. Teach me to hold space for others – and myself. There’s always time to extend your grace and forgiveness. Let my stillness be a declaration. I believe in You and trust in Your care for the people and circumstances in my life. There is no rush when all things are in Your hands. In Jesus’ name, amen.’ 

Ah friends, that li’l prayer holds so many truths of which so many of us need to be aware of and action in our overly busy, modern lives. Things like having patience, which in today’s world is anathema to the human soul. Many of us claim we can’t find time to sit with a hurting friend, and we certainly don’t want to wait for a spouse to understand our point of view. No! We expect them to come around right away. And one of our big problems is paying serious attention to our children and their concerns. 

Too many parents in this modern technological and information age allow the television and social media to raise their children, and foolishly cater to their every whim and desire. Thus the children grow up to be selfish, with a mistaken sense of  entitlement, and no sense whatsoever of responsibility, with little, if any knowledge of God and no true LOVE for each other. No wonder our children have turned out so badly! I remember the days when it was said that it took a whole village to raise a child, but nowadays all it takes is a Television set and the social media platforms. 

All because we allow ourselves to fall into the false worldly trap of supposed busyness, then claim to have no time to look after the things and people we ought to be looking after. Oh my faithful believers, it’s all a façade of the world and the enemy. It’s only an empty storefront with nothing behind it, to keep us away from doing the things that God desires of us. If you ask the majority of us why we haven’t done so and so, the invariable answer would be, we’re too busy. But then, if you ask what we’ve been busy doing, the majority of us would be hard pressed to say exactly what we’ve been busy about. It’s just become a convenient cliche for avoiding stuff we don’t want to do. 

And what do the scriptures tell us about Patience eh? Plenty! But we’ll only have time and space to consider a few, starting with this one from the wisest man ever, Cousin Sol, writing as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes. ‘Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.’ (Eccl. 7:8) And then in Proverbs, Cousin Sol wisely informs us: ‘He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit (impulsive) exalteth folly.’ (Prov. 14:29) 

And what does all of that mean eh? Why is patience better than pride? Listen as this commentary explains. ‘Our pride, or ego, gives us many opportunities to be angry. According to this passage in Proverbs, “patience is better than pride.” What does that mean to us in everyday life? Simply that most of what makes us angry is foolishness and if we will just be patient most of these things will work themselves out.’ 

Ah friends, impatience is one of our biggest setbacks in this modern world. With all the quick technology we have nowadays, we expect everything to happen now for now, or even sometimes yesterday. Have you ever noticed that when  when you log on to your computer and it doesn’t come up almost immediately, how aggrieved and wronged you feel? (smile) I do. And I’m not a child of this technological age. I grew up when things took time to happen. So if that li’l matter can call up impatience in me, what’s it liable to do to those who were born to all this quick technology? 

Then there’s this perfect scripture on patience, where James writes: ‘My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (various trials); Knowing this, that the trying (testing) of your faith worketh (produces) patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire (complete), wanting (lacking) nothing.’ (James 1:2-4) And that’s the road to spiritual maturity, to having true patience, to persevere, to be longsuffering like the Lord. As 2 Peter says: ‘The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ (2 Pet. 3:9) 

Yes friends, just as the Lord restrains Himself and allows us time to come to forgiveness, we likewise ought to offer our fellow man time to change, to improve. But the whole problem simply lies in our getting away, or moving away further and further from God, rather than closer to Him as this busy and ungodly society demands. And there are many more scriptures on patience, but they would make the Bit way too long to consider them today. (smile) So, if God spares life tomorrow, then we’ll consider some more. 

Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) 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 Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…in God’s grace and mercy…there’s always room and time for patience…

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

The Importance of Christians believing that Nothing is Impossible with God!

22 Jul 2024 Leave a comment

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

Mark 9:23.       If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

Monday, oh Monday, we’re ready for you this week! We went to church yesterday, fellowshipped with other believers, sang the praises of God, gave Him much thanks and received His awesome blessings and grace to enable us to go out and do His work this new work week! Then we rested and privately meditated on God’s Word, and got up with the rising sun! 

Wow! That’s why you’re so shocked to see us up and about our Father’s business so early on a Monday morning! Yes, I know, because we’re usually complaining and dragging, tired from all the weekend’s activities. But not today…and hopefully on many other Mondays too! From here on in, we’re going to try and do it right…with Almighty God’s help of course! 

We know it’s not going to be easy because the world has so much stuff, so many carnal distractions to throw at us, to get us off course, but we are heaven bent on doing a better job in the days to come. We’re going to do our best to both talk our talk and walk our walk, all in Jesus’ strong and mighty name! 

Yes Monday, that’s our faithful promise! And you can laugh and carry on all you want, but just remember that he who laughs last, laughs best. And what does that mean? Basically, it means that ‘the person who has control of a situation in the end is most successful, even if other people had seemed originally to have an advantage.’ 

Oh Monday, as Jesus told the mothers of Israel as they followed Him to the cross, weeping. ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.’ (Luke 23:28) Yes Monday, don’t weep for us, because we’ll do just fine. Instead weep for yourself because we’ll be taking over things from now on. 

No more long faces and frustrated sighs on a Monday morning. We’ll even take the traffic jams in a godly manner; no more complaining about them, but handling them with a sense of peace and calm, even listening to some uplifting music or preaching while slowly crawling along the highways and byways. 

Yes, that’s what we’re all about in these upcoming days. So prepare yourself to meet much godly resistance. You won’t be lording it over us any longer. We’re taking charge of the whole week, right from the start on Monday, to end on Friday. For this is our time now! You’ve been usurped, kicked out, and we’re now the power behind the throne, the new rulers on the block. So take that Monday! 

And if you don’t like it…tough potatoes. There’s nothing you can do about it. We suggest you just stay quiet and dormant in your lair as the new kids on the block take over and run the new show… our way! And all God’s children said a loud and proud: ‘All praise to the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, who were since the beginning of time, and will be forever more! Amen!’ 

Ah friends, if we could only turn that make believe scenario into reality! And it’s not impossible, because with God, our heavenly Father, nothing is impossible. I didn’t say it nuh, but the angel Gabriel to Mary, Jesus’ mother when he came to tell her about finding favour with God and being the future mother of the Son of God. He confidently tells her: ‘For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ (Luke 1:37) Referring to her cousin Elisabeth’s earlier barrenness, but who was then pregnant with John the Baptist. 

And furthermore, Jesus expanded on that saying when he told the father of a demon possessed son: ‘If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.’ (Mark 9:23) That includes us my brethren. And why is nothing impossible to us through God? This commentary explains it simply and succinctly: 

‘He (God) gives us the strength to overcome obstacles, the courage to face our fears, and the wisdom to make wise decisions. When we believe that “nothing is impossible with God,” we are opening ourselves up to a world of possibilities. We are saying that we believe in God’s power and that we trust Him to work in our lives.’ 

And of course it’s easy to say, but rather difficult to do, unless we are totally ‘in for a penny and in for a pound.’ In other words, we are prepared to meet all the challenges involved and make all the sacrifices necessary. But that’s where most of us fall down, for we’ve become so addicted to the comfortable way of life that we now have no desire to meet challenges or make sacrifices. 

Consequently, our Christian faith is suffering, it’s on a downward spiral and the enemy is thus gaining a greater stronghold in the land. But that’s not the way the Lord desires it. No! He desires that we rule the roost, not the evil and ungodly enemy. And we’re going to have to come up real strong and courageous to turn things around. But we know we can do it, because nothing is impossible to us believers through the power of our God. We just have to get up the gumption to do it. (smile) 

And to help us do that, let’s go to the Father, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in our fight for supremacy. 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!’ 

But friends, that aid won’t come until we turn from our evil ways, humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek God’s face! Nuff said! Much LOVE!

…we need to stop crying and complaining…and truly start believing…that nothing’s truly impossible with God…

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

Mankind is NOTHING without Jesus!

21 Jul 2024 Leave a comment

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

John 15:5b.       for without me ye can do nothing.

Oh friends, for the umpteenth time past, and the umpteenth time to come – it’s Sunday! That means fellowshipping in the Lord’s sanctuary with other believers; sharing praise and thanks to our great and wonderful God, encouraging and exhorting each other to stand strong in the faith, regardless of our circumstances, and receiving the Lord’s blessings as we head out into the world for another week of work, which can ofttimes be frustrating and difficult. 

Now, today’s song of worship is one that truly shows how weak and ineffective we are without God’s strength and help. It’s a song written by Joyce and Colbert Croft and titled: ‘I can’t even walk without You holding my hand.’ And is that ever the gospel truth my brethren! Without God’s help, we’d be incapable of doing much of anything at all. But right now, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a real, sincere, soulful, tear-jerking rendition of the song. (smile) 

Singing: ‘I thought, that number one, would surely be me. I thought I could be what I wanted to be. I thought I could build on life’s sinking sand. But now I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. – I thought that I, could do a lot on my own, I thought, I could make it in this big world, all alone. I thought, thought of myself as a mighty, mighty, mighty big man, But Lord I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. – 

Oh Lord, I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand, For the mountain, is too high, and the valley, is too wide, It’s down on my knees, that’s where I learned how to stand, Because I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. Glory to God! And I think I’ll make Jesus my all and all. And if I’m in trouble, on that powerful name, I’ll call. And if I didn’t trust Him, I’d be less of a man ‘Cause Lord I can’t even walk without you holding my hand. 

Ohhhh Lord, I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand, For the mountain is too high, and the valley is too wide, It’s down on my knees, I learned how to stand, I learned how to pray, Because Lord, I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. Lord I’m lost without you. I don’t even know my way back home Lord unless you lead me. Yes, my Saviour, I can’t even walk without you holding my hand. Thank you for teaching me that through your Word…I can’t even walk without, without holding your hand…Yes Lord, I can’t even walk without you holding my hand…’ 

And anyone who thinks differently needs their mental faculties thoroughly checked, for those words are the indisputable truth! For we have all been through times when we were simply unable to help ourselves in our own strength and had to turn to God. All of us believe we can go it alone, be big, mighty men, until the world throws us for a loop. And then what? We are forced to turn to God. Because as the song so rightfully says: ‘the mountain is too high, and the valley is too wide, and it’s down on my knees where I learned how to stand.’ 

And that’s also the God awesome truth my people! It’s in the deepest and darkest hours of our lives when we were down our knees in prayer, that we learned how to stand strong in faith in Almighty God. It’s when we finally saw the light and decided to call on the powerful name of Jesus and would be rather foolish if we didn’t. Yes friends, without the God who made us and still guides and protects us, where would we be eh? 

Lost and floundering like a battered ship in a storm, which Jesus pointed out very clearly when He spoke these words of awesome truth. ‘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) I doubt any sensible and mentally intact person could contest those words. But Bruh Paul corroborates Jesus’ statement with his own words to the church at Corinth. ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor. 3:5) 

And to tell the truth, we don’t even need Bruh Paul’s corroboration nuh, for if Jesus could calm the howling winds and raging sea by simply saying, ‘Peace, be still,’ (Mark 4:39) then why would we not believe when He says we can’t do anything without Him eh? And furthermore, if He could raise Lazarus from the dead with a cry of ‘Lazarus, come forth,’ (John 11:43) why would we question anything He says? And if He can heal the lame, make the blind to see, cleanse the leper, as He proved while down here on earth, why would we doubt anything He says?

 Now, some would dare to say that the prophets and the apostles did the same things, and some did, but NONE, No One, could ever do His most noteworthy deed; that’s paying the price for our abominable sins with His sinless life on the cross of Calvary! For that alone we need to bow down and worship Him, show Him obeisance from now till next never, because it’s only through His heroic efforts and unjust ‘sufferation’ that we can talk about salvation and all the other good things His crucifixion did for us. 

Oh my people, there’s absolutely no doubt that Jesus is the answer! The answer to our every problem and our every need! And it hurts my heart to hear people bad talk Him, blaspheme His holy name and mock His perfect character. But that’s what comes from the Lord giving us free choice. Some of us just don’t listen and/or use the brains God gave us, so we end up making fools of ourselves by trying to do things by ourselves, or with other weak and selfish humans. 

And it’s only when we’re going under for the third and last time, that we wake up and cry out to God for help, when we could easily have avoided most of our negative circumstances by calling on our Creator much earlier, for He’s always there, ever willing and ready to help and guide us on our earthly journey. We only have to call out sincerely for His help, and He will provide it. And I do hope that any of us who are going through tough times right now, will wake up and cry out to God for help, because that’s the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!

…only in Jesus…are we anything at all…

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

Living the Christian Life is Impossible without the Aid of the Holy Spirit!

20 Jul 2024 Leave a comment

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

Galatians 5:16.        This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

So we’ve finally come to our lazy-day Saturday, but many of us cannot afford to laze around on this beautiful summer’s day, because there’s still lots of cleaning up to do and considerations to undertake to prevent this week’s tragedies from happening again. It’s a big task, both for the various levels of government as well the individual homeowners. And who knows if we’ll ever be able to stop God’s hand, but we must do something to reduce the risks. And as always, the first thing to do is pray. 

So let’s do just that nuh, as we offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, in all sincerity and truth. 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 our prayer has been heard and actioned, because it’s crying out for God’s presence, for a greater awareness of Him in our lives, and those kinds of prayers He answers right away, because it’s what He truly desires of us. So, although your life might be filled with serious concerns, please take some time to enjoy the peaceful and calming presence of God that’s flowing through you at this very moment. And it will not only calm your spirit, but also give you the energy or the resolve to handle your current concerns. 

That’s the awesome power of God working in us through His Holy Spirit, who dwells within us to lead, guide, comfort and teach us what the Father desires. As this commentary tells us about the significance of the Holy Spirit in the Bible? ‘The Holy Spirit unites the believer with Christ and places him in the body of Christ, the church. He also unites the believer with Christ in His death, enabling him to live victoriously over sin. The Holy Spirit controls the believer who yields to God and submits himself to God’s Word.’ 

Oh friends, there’s no better system than that in all the world! The only problem is that we have to learn to listen to the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit and respond positively to its guidance. And that’s not always easy to do, especially in these turbulent times, with all the noise and the many voices that are competing to get our attention. And the Bible tells us a lot about walking with the Holy Spirit, so let’s see if we can find a few scriptures that will help us in that matter. 

But first, listen to this other commentary that gives us an interesting insight into walking with the Holy Spirit. It says: ‘If you want to walk in the Holy Spirit, start with talking to the Holy Spirit. Throughout the day address Him, welcome Him, thank Him and worship Him. You should not feel guilty for not spending time with the Holy Spirit but you should feel thirsty. He wants relationships, not rules.’ 

And that’s the very basis of our Christian lives…we ought to feel hungry and thirsty for the Lord and His Word! Otherwise there won’t be any impetus for us to truly get involved. It’s just like when our bodies hunger for food, we run to fill them, because we cannot go on living without the nourishment and energy that food provides to our bodies. And it’s the same with our spiritual needs. We cannot function on any decent spiritual level without the impetus of hunger and thirst driving us forward to grow in spiritual maturity. 

And the first scripture we’ll look at is this one from Ezekiel, where the Lord long ago promised to cleanse His people. ‘A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statues, and ye shall keep my judgements, and do them.’ (Ezek. 36:26-27)  Yes friends, that God’s promise, which was fulfilled after Jesus came to earth and did His thing. After that, all believers were filled with the Holy Spirit. 

Then there’s this from John’s Gospel, where after Jesus tells the disciples it would be advantageous for them if He goes away, otherwise the Holy Spirit won’t come, He says: ‘I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them  now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself  (on his own authority); but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine (what is mine), and shall shew it (declare) it unto you.’ (John 16:12-14) 

So the Holy Spirit liaisons between Christ and His followers. And we all know that Jesus, before His ascension told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they were baptized with the power of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:8) And that momentous occasion occurred on the Day of Pentecost when ‘a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, filled all the house where they (the fledgling church) were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like a of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were filled with the Holy Ghost, and all began to speak with other  tongues (languages), as the Spirt gave them utterance.’ (Acts 2:2-4) 

And that day Peter preached his big sermon and some three thousand souls were saved. Thus began the growth of Christ’s new church. Then there are these solemn words of Bruh Paul to the Corinthians: ‘What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.’ (1 Cor. 6:19-20) Yes my brethren, as believers in Christ Jesus, we do not belong to ourselves, but to God, for Christ paid a price to redeem us back to God. 

And since the Holy Spirit of God dwells within each believer, then each believers body is a temple or church of God, and therefore we need to keep it holy. And to help us do that, Bruh Paul wrote these words to the Galatians. ‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.’ (Gal. 5:16-17) 

Oh my fellow believers, that’s much easier said than done, because the lusts or desires of our flesh are so numerous and so strong, that it takes a concerted effort to walk in the Spirit. But if we are serious about doing that, then we just have to buckle down, meditate on the Word, pray and ask the Holy Spirt for help! That’s the starting point for all of us! Much LOVE!

…one cannot live a truly Christian life…without the Holy Spirit’s guidance…

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

The Wisdom in Living a Simple, God-directed Life!

19 Jul 2024 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 3:5.       Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

And then it was Friday… but the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! were not as loud or as plentiful as they usually are because many people are still in disaster mode and don’t have the enthusiasm, energy or faith to raise their voices in praise. But raising out voices in praise is exactly what we ought to do in dire situations because acknowledging God raises our levels of energy, enthusiasm and faith, despite our negative circumstances. 

And to make matters worse, this morning there’s been a technological breakdown with a computing firm called Cloudstrike, which has paralyzed systems and events all over the world. It’s not a hacking or invasion of the system but a technological problem and hopefully by day’s end it will be corrected. But in the meantime many institutions, both large and small cannot carry on their business as usual. Consequently, a large portion of the population has also had their activities curtailed by the outage. 

It just shows the tremendous reliance we’ve placed on technology and the worldwide difficulties it causes when something goes awry. But that’s the way of our current world, Information Technology (IT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are now ruling the roost. And we’re now experiencing what can happen when we place all our eggs in one fragile basket, for though technology is wonderful when it works properly, but the smallest wrinkle can cause monstrous problems. 

We just have to learn to handle those times when technology lets us down. And the first thing we should always do when unexpected situations arise is go to God in prayer for wisdom and strength to handle them. He is our guide and protector and will NEVER lead us down the wrong path. And we have God’s faithful promise of that from way back when Moses said it to the Israelites: ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’ (Deut. 31:8) 

Yes friends that’s the Lord’s ever-faithful promise! And since He does not change, as this commentary tells us: ‘Malachi 3:6 says, “I am the Lord, I change not.” Hebrews 13:8 says Jesus is the same “yesterday, today, and forever.” When everything else shifts and changes, you and I are still standing on a solid, unchanging foundation.’ Wow! What assurance we have my brethren! 

And furthermore God doesn’t lie, as the Bible assures us: ‘God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?’ (Num. 23:19)  That means whatever He promises, or says He’ll do, it will be done! Matter fixed! And when it comes to seeking godly direction, these wise words from the wisest man who ever lived, Cousin Sol, should be our guiding light. 

‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy way acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine. My son, despise not the chastisement of the Lord; neither be weary of (detest) his correction: for whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov. 3:5-12) 

Oh friends, those are verses to live by! Why? Because they encompass all of what God expects from us! Trusting in Him, and not in ourselves; having a reverential fear of Him and not engaging in evil; honouring Him by being generous in our relationships, first to him, and then to our fellow man; and not despising His correction when we do wrong. If we follow those basic desires of God, then our paths will be straight, our bodies will be strong and healthy, our lives will be prosperous; overall, the Lord will cause His face to shine upon us. 

But yuh know what? Our intelligence and information levels have risen so much in the last century, that we no longer focus on the simple things in life, everything now needs to be more sophisticated and complex, otherwise it’s not worthwhile. But friends, the simple things have always been, and will always be the best way to go. And we’ve said that to point out the simple commands that Cousin Sol lays down for the perfect Chrisitan life, but we try to make it much more complicated than it ought to be. And hopefully, this time around, those simple directives will stick in our minds and we’ll put them into action and thus simplify out much too complicated lives. (smile) 

Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant to help with our earthly problems. 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 if we truly desire divine aid, then we’ve got to set a better example as believers in Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!

…Jesus lived a simple life for a reason…it was the easiest and best life to live…

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

It Takes Sincere Repentance to Get to Heaven

18 Jul 2024 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 4:17.        From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (near).

So it’s Thursday, a couple of days after the torrential rain we had in the Southern Ontario area. Clean up is still underway though, and some people are still without power, but I believe most, if not all of the earlier flooded roads are now open to traffic. Ah friends, one never knows what can happen at any given time, so one should try to be prepared for anything. And I know that’s not always possible, for who believed that we would be flooded out…and so quickly last Tuesday morning eh? I don’t think even the meteorologists thought we would have such a deluge. But let’s be thankful, for it could have been worse, as many others have recently experienced. 

And talking about preparations for possible disasters, we might not be able to prepare for the physical ones, but we can surely prepare for the spiritual ones…like the grim reaper suddenly showing up and calling your name. With all the natural disasters and man-made strife currently happening in our world, it’s time that we seriously do what John the Baptist preached to the people of Israel. ‘Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ (Matt. 3:2) 

Yes friends, the experts say that there are lots of signs pointing to the last days of the church age, and if that’s true, and you haven’t repented and accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour, then things will be real bad with you. When the Rapture happens, you won’t go home with Him to heaven, but remain here on earth to face the Great Tribulation. And believe me, if what the Bible says is true of that period, and I believe it is, then you’re in for one helluva of a rough time here on earth, more terrible than what we’ve ever seen. That’s why it’s so important to know that you wont’ be here for that ghastly period of time.

And John was not the only one to call for repentance. No. Jesus did too, when He began His ministry. The Bible tells us that once Jesus heard of John the Baptist’s imprisonment, and possibly after the attempt on His life in His hometown of Nazareth, He moved to Capernaum and there set up His ministry. And ‘From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of God is at hand (near).’ (Matt. 4:17) 

And what does repentance mean? The scholars explain: ‘Repent means a change of mind that results in a change of conduct. Repentance is not merely sorrow. It involves a complete change of attitude regarding God and sin and is often accompanied by a sense of sorrow and a corresponding change in conduct. Such repentance does not arise within man himself, but it is the result of God’s mercy in leading man to it. (cf. Acts 5:31; Rom. 2:4; 2 Tim. 2:25). Thus repentance involves the very process of conversion whereby men are born again  (of the Spirit). John’s and Jesus’ message was necessary in order to prepare people for the kingdom of heaven which was at hand (near).’ 

And it basically means the renouncing of one’s sins that one be united more closely to God and all His ways. As Bruh Paul writes: ‘Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?’ (Rom. 2:4) Yes my people, when we see the truth of God’s goodness, grace and mercy, it leads us to repentance, to rejecting the foolishness and folly of this evil world. We can’t help but repent and acknowledge Christ as Lord and Saviour. 

Now what does the kingdom of heaven or of God mean? First, why does Matthew say ‘kingdom of heaven,’ while Mark and Luke say ‘kingdom of God.?’ The scholars theorize that Matthew substituted the word ‘heaven’ for ‘God,’ because of his Jewish emphasis, for many Jews regarded it as blasphemous to refer to God by name. Mark and Luke had no such problems because they were writing predominantly to Greeks and Romans. And when Jesus talks about the kingdom of heaven (God) is at hand, He’s not talking of some future date, but of right then, for His presence on earth, His coming as the Messiah has introduced the kingdom of God to men as the prophets proclaimed, especially this scripture from Isaiah. 

‘Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm (make firm) the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart (deer), and the tongue of the dumb (mute) sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.’ (Is. 35:3-6) 

Ah mih bredrin, Isaiah there promised the salvation of the Lord and Jesus came to fulfil that promise. He paid the price for all of our sins and gave us a chance to begin anew with the Father, to return to a right relationship with Him, thus allowing us to enjoy heavenly benefits down here on earth. No, we don’t need to get to heaven to live the blessed life, it’s available to us as soon as we sincerely accept Christ as Lord and Saviour. As Jesus said: ‘I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) 

And when answering the Pharisees question about when will the kingdom of God come, Jesus says more clearly: ‘The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! Or, lo there! For behold the kingdom of God is within you (or in your midst). (Luke 17:20-21) No friends, the kingdom of God cannot be seen or placed in a particular spot, for it’s a spiritual movement. And as the scholars suggest: ‘If the Pharisees cared to look around , it was clear that with John the Baptist and Jesus the kingdom was in fact already at hand.’ 

They were too blind to see that, too full of their own importance to recognize the changes that were taking place right around them. But we know the truth, and have been bestowed with undeserved blessings, we call our Thursday Blessings to help it along. So let’s declare them now so that they can be activated in our lives. 

Altogether: ‘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 activated those blessings, we are now duty bound to go out and use them for the benefit of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!

…without true repentance…one will never enjoy the wonderful kingdom of God…

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

Real Victory Can Only be Gained through Strong Faith in God!

17 Jul 2024 Leave a comment

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

Romans 8:28.       And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.

Well, what a negatively memorable Tuesday July 16 2024 it was in Southern Ontario, especially the Greater Toronto Area. Yesterday we talked about rain in the area and made light of it, although it was really pouring down. Unfortunately though, we eventually had to take it very seriously because quite a lot of rain fell in a short time and with already saturated ground from previous showers, the area, especially the city of Toronto became a flooded mess, with cars floating in the streets, roads closed off, people without power, and all the negative stuff that occurs when something like that happens so unexpectedly. 

We’ve been reading about other places like Houston, Texas being recently flooded out, and thought we were lucky or blessed to avoid such disaster. But remember the Lord doesn’t play favourites, (smile) and we will all get our comeuppance eventually. Thankfully my neck of the woods wasn’t badly affected as some other areas, although some nearby houses had their basements flooded. And some of the roads are still closed off because the flood waters have not receded sufficiently to allow safe passage. 

And would you believe that by midafternoon the rain had stopped falling and we were greeted by bright sunshine for the rest of the day! Ah Lord eh! It just goes to show how life moves in such mysterious ways that our puny minds cannot understand. But with all the negativity, or because of all the negativity, it’s ever so necessary for us to keep our faith in Almighty God strong and in good working order. For it’s only our faith that will carry us through these times of unforeseen adversity. Remember too that our faith only grows in times of adversity, when we truly have to rely on it. 

For as Cousin Sol tells us in Proverbs: ‘If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength (faith) is small.’  (Prov. 24:10) And as the scholars explain: ‘Strength in the face of adversity is the true test of endurance.’ And God does test our endurance with times of adversity. But why does God allow difficult times? This commentary tells us that ‘God allows us to struggle and fail to bring humility and the realization we need Him in our lives all day, every day. Sometimes it is hard to see and understand why God allows us to struggle and experience hardship, but it is because of His LOVE for us and His desire to bring us closer to Him, He allows it.’ 

That’s why James advises in the opening verses of his epistle: ‘My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (various trials); Knowing this, that the trying (testing) of your faith worketh (produces) patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire (complete) wanting (lacking) nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (not doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double minded man is instable in all his ways.’ (James 1:2-8) 

Yes friends, according to the scholars: ‘These “negative” experiences are to be accepted with great joy, not for the sake of the trial itself but because of the positive work God can accomplish through the testing… However, it is not merely one’s presence in such trials but one’s victory over them that brings spiritual growth and maturity. Those Christians whom God can use the most are those whom God has bruised the most.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth! We see it in the Bible from Abraham right through Jacob, Joseph, David, Paul, Jesus and many of the Old Testament prophets. The ones who suffered the most were used the most by God. 

So, it’s not just going through the trials that makes us strong, but when we are victorious over them. That takes us back to the last verse of the scripture from James about doubleminded men being unstable. It’s very true. Double minded people cannot be trusted from one minute to the next. That’s why the Book of Hebrews tells us: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)’ (Heb. 10:23) And again the writer of Hebrews informs us: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6) 

That’s for sure! We cannot go to God with wishy-washy faith! And we’ll answer a couple of questions re adversity through two commentaries. The first question is, How do you trust God in adversity? The commentary says: ‘Because God LOVES you, you can show your trust in Him by talking about all your feelings and circumstances with Him — the good and bad — through prayer. Don’t let your emotions rule your life; bring them to God so He can help you address them. He is not disappointed or frustrated by your struggles, doubts or pain.’ 

That’s more gospel truth friends! In fact the Lord desires us to bring ALL of our problems to Him, big, small, medium, whatever, because He delights in helping with our problems; that’s what He’s all about; getting involved in EVERYTHING that concerns us!  And the next question is, How do Christians overcome adversity? Per this commentary: ‘If we want to have the faith to overcome adversity there is only one well to draw from, God. He knows the past, present and future. He knows our every step. For us to be where we need to be, get through what we need to get through and enjoy the blessings, we have to put our trust and faith in Him.’ 

Truer words were never spoken my people! God knows everything about us, and since He’s the fountain, the very source of life and LOVE, then He is the One we should go to for help in ALL of our circumstances. He is our Creator, Controller and Provider; that makes Him very able to handle all of our needs and problems. And we shall tie it all up in this most profound verse of faith. Bruh Paul’s famous words to the Romans. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) Now that’s the clinching scripture for real faith. If you can’t trust God to work it all out in the end, then your faith needs to be seriously upgraded. 

Now let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry 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 it’s been promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So let’s be wise and plan to gather at the very end nuh! Much LOVE!

…victory in this ungodly world…can only be achieved…through strong faith in God…

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

The Absolute Necessity for True LOVE in this Evil World!

16 Jul 2024 Leave a comment

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

John 13:34.        A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another.

Oh boy, it’s a rainy Tuesday morning in my neck of the woods! And like it means serious business too, because the thunder’s been rumbling in a very intimidating manner! But there’s no need to worry, because it all comes from our great God, who made the heavens and the earth and still owns and controls it! And if He chooses to grit His teeth and cause the earth to shake with rumbling thunder every once in a while to show His displeasure with our sinful, ungodly life style, then who’s to say Him nay eh? (smile) Nobody whatsoever, because He’s the Boss, and the Boss can do whatever He so desires! 

So it’s a two in one session; some heavenly blessings and some heavenly displeasure. Please, let’s be wise and pay some serious attention to the displeasure aspect, because we would not like to feel even one iota of His godly wrath, which can immediately destroy us, both body and soul. As Jesus warns the disciples and by extension, all other followers: ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt. 10:28) 

And what does that mean? Listen to this commentary. ‘Jesus’s command, Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul (v 28), informs His disciples of the extent of the danger that they will face for following Him. Earthly rulers and mobs will kill the bodily lives of Christ’s followers for the sake of extending or preserving their earthly power.’ So we don’t need to truly fear them, for they can only kill our bodies. But God Almighty can destroy us completely. 

Therefore we ought to have both a reverential fear or awe of Him, as well as a real fear of the power He possesses and can unleash at a moment’s notice if  His displeasure is stirred up. But we don’t need to fear God’s wrath if we live the godly and LOVING life that He expects of His followers. Remember that although His wrath is lethal, His LOVE is even more powerful, and once we’re living in LOVE with Him and each other, there’s nothing to fear. 

Jesus said it very simply but with the utmost confidence and sincerity when He answered the question posed by the facetious Pharisee lawyer: ‘Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, 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) 

Yes friends, in God’s kingdom, everything swings on the power of LOVE! Can you imagine a world that is just filled with LOVE? Unfortunately though, most of us cannot conjure such a divine situation because we have become hard, cynical and too accustomed to a world where the negative things like hate, anger, strife and the rest of them are rampant and overwhelming. 

And it’s ONLY LOVE, the LOVE of believers in Christ Jesus that will ever make a difference in this hateful and ungodly world. And Jesus harped on the necessity for LOVE amongst His believers. Listen to this directive. ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35) 

Oh my fellow believers, Jesus could not have been any clearer or more explicit. The attribute that’s supposed to set us apart from the heathen and let others know that we are disciples of Jesus Christ is LOVE for each other. But can we truthfully say that LOVE exists today amongst the supposed disciples of Christ in any serious and sincere amount? I doubt it. Not when there are so many divisions, dissensions, denominations, cliques, petty jealousies, infighting and outright evil doings in the body of Christ, in His church. 

That thread of true LOVE in Christ’s church is sadly missing. No wonder the heathen don’t consider us disciples, but rather hypocrites, since we don’t even show the most basic aspect of Christ’s nature, LOVE, to each other and to the world in general. It hurts the heart when you think of the awesome power, the great difference Christ’s church could make in this world if it came together as one, instead of being broken up into many weak and powerless pieces, acknowledging the wisdom of Satan’s scheme, to divide and conquer. 

And when we sing that famous hymn ‘The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord; she is his new creation by water and the Word,’ we’re making a mockery of it because so many people today are trying to lay their own foundation in the church of Christ, unlike what Bruh Paul says in his first letter to the Corinthians: ‘For other foundation can no man lay that that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor, 3:11) Oh my people, the only foundation that’s supposed to be in Christ’s church is Christ Himself! We need to build on that, not on anything else. Otherwise it would not be truly of Christ. 

But, unfortunately, our world had become just like Bruh Paul warned Timothy long ago . ‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous (money lovers), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.’ (2 Tim. 3:1-2) And he goes on to name a long list of other sinful and ungodly deeds that mankind would be guilty of. And there’s no doubt that all those things are very blatant and rampant in our world right now. 

And the only antidote for what’s ailing our world is true LOVE and LOVING actions amongst those who profess belief in Christ Jesus. It’s a simple but not an easy answer, but with God’s help we can turn things around if we seriously try. However, that’s where the problem lies, we don’t want to seriously try because it will take too much effort and sacrifice. But that’s another sermon for another day! 

Right now let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world 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 claim, it now behooves us 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!

…life is all about LOVE…LOVE for God…for ourselves…and for our fellow human beings…

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

The Importance of Giving God Thanks for His Awesome Goodness and Mercy!

15 Jul 2024 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 107:1.        Oh give thanks unto the Lord for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING-kindness) endureth for ever. 

Another Monday…another day of work, bordered by morning and evening traffic jams! Yes, unfortunately that’s the sad reality in many big cities nowadays; not enough roads to handle the large volume of vehicular traffic. And don’t talk about that concrete jungle called Toronto! Right now, it’s even worse than normal with the daytime repairing of two lanes of the Gardener Expressway which leads into the heart of the city. Then to make matters worse, almost every street is barricaded due to building construction or street repairs. 

Sometimes the confusion of construction and repairs in the summer months, makes you long for the relative peace of winter. (smile) But that’s how our world is set up; cram vehicles and people into the cities in the morning for work, then watch them try to rush out in the evening, without much success. And sadly the process contributes to the loss of a great number of man hours, severe frustration, physical and emotional strain. 

One would have thought that with the magnitude of wisdom supposedly entrenched in our society, a more efficient, less stressful system would be employed. However, that’s the way it currently is, and it won’t change for the foreseeable future, so let’s just say thank you we have a job to go to, despite all the frustration involved, for many of our fellow humans don’t have jobs and are facing much more severe hardship than us. 

That brings us to these most encouraging words from Psalm 107: ‘Oh give thanks unto the Lord for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING-kindness) endureth for ever.’ (Ps. 107:1) And that’s as it should be my fellow believers! For although we will encounter unforeseen negative circumstances in this rough and tumble life, our faith in Christ Jesus will enable us to face them from a position of strength rather than one of weakness. 

As Moses said to the Israelites: ‘And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken (heed) unto the commandments of the Lord thy God which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them (be careful to observe them).’ (Deut, 28:13) And what does that mean? Exactly what it says. If you obey the Lord’s commands you will never be inferior or the tail, but always superior or the head. 

And that leads us to this prayer based on Deuteronomy 28:3-14. ‘In the Name of Jesus, I declare…. I am blessed in the city and blessed in the country. I am the head and not the tail in my finances, my family, my health, my job and my ministry—not just sometimes, but all the time. Every day, in every way, I am the head and not the tail.’ Now that’s an interesting prayer we should offer up everyday. 

Then let us not forget these marvellously encouraging words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spareth not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?…Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:31-32, 37) 

Yes friends, if our great God, who willingly broke His own heart, gave up His most treasured relationship by crucifying His Son Jesus Christ for our benefit, why wouldn’t He give us lesser things than that eh? No reason whatsoever! 

And as this commentary further explains: ‘Nothing that enters our life is able or sufficient to separate us from God’s LOVE demonstrated at the cross. God’s LOVE allows the believer to be a conqueror in adversity. God walks with us through every adversity and hardship. We do not merely survive or squeak by. We do not just succeed.’ 

No my brethren, with God in our corner, we don’t just succeed, we overcome with flying colours.  As Jesus says: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And if we are His true disciples, then we too can overcome the world. 

Friends, it’s all a matter of faith, of belief. For as Jesus also says: ‘If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove (move); and nothing shall be impossible to you.’ (Matt. 17:20) Oh my people, Jesus was just highlighting that it doesn’t take much faith for God to work in a person, but the disciples needed to believe it, and so do we. 

Yes, we can know the Bible verbatim from cover to cover and don’t believe what it says, and then put it into action, then all our effort to learn it was a waste of time. The Bible is only useful when we believe it, then action it. Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking help with out many earthly problems. 

Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. 

So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And if we truly desire divine aid, then we need to turn from our evil ways and sincerely seeks God’s face. Much LOVE!

…head knowledge is of no use…unless it’s accompanied by heart action

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

The Awesome Value of Surrendering One’s Life to God!

14 Jul 2024 Leave a comment

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

Ezekiel 36:26a.       A new heart also I will give you, and a new spirit will I put within you:

So it’s another Sunday, another Sabbath Day in the long string that permeates our lives! And all for our good too, because it keeps us calm and on our toes, as on each Sunday, we fellowship in God’s sanctuary with other believers, encouraging and exhorting each other in our Christian faith. And for those who don’t thing that gathering together in fellowship is worthwhile, then they’d better think again and read the wise words of Hebrews. 

‘And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:24-25) Yes friends, it’s rather important that we gather together regularly to encourage, strengthen and stir up each other, by participating in communal worship and fellowship as the body of Christ. 

And as we do every Sunday, let’s open with a song of praise by the Australian performer Olivia Newton-John titled ‘Let Go and Let God,’ which comes from her Grace and Attitude Album. It was composed by Newton-John, American pianist- composer Kim Bullard and Canadian singer-songwriter Amy Sky. 

It’s a song about finding strength through surrender, something Olivia Newton-John did after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. Her cancer returned in 2017 and again in 2020, but she remained resolute, telling the Guardian: “I see it as my life’s journey. It gave me purpose and intention and taught me a lot about compassion.” Unfortunately though she passed away in 2022, at the age of 73. 

And now that we have some idea of the song’s origin and purpose, let’s offer it up in sweet sacrifices of praise, in a soulful, heartfelt attitude of surrender. Singing: ‘When you can’t find your direction, and your heart won’t guide you home – Let go -and let God. When your dreams are broken in the dust, and you’ve lost the will to trust – Let go – and let God. 

(Chorus: Let the signs remind you, we are passengers. Let the signs remind you to surrender, to surrender – Let go- and let God. (Background vocals – In your holding in, in your holding in, in your holding in, in your holding in.)  When your faith is a dying fire, and there’s no spark to feed the flame – Let go – and let God. When your courage fails you, and the well of hope runs dry – Let go – and let God. 

(Chorus: Let the signs remind you, we are passengers. Let the signs remind you to surrender, to surrender – Let go- and let God. (Background vocals – In your holding in, in your holding in, in your holding in, in your holding in.) Let the signs remind you -to surrender, to surrender, to Let go – and let God, let go- and let God’ 

Oh my people, there are no better or wiser five words we can ever use in this life, than ‘Let go -and let God!’ That s for certain sure, because when we do that, when we totally surrender to Almighty God, our Creator and Provider, then there’s no strain or pressure on us, because He takes it all and sees us through whatever problems we might encounter in this evil and ungodly world! 

And yuh better believe that there are numerous occasions for us to just let it all go and let God. Like the song says: When you’re directionless, and your heart can’t guide you home… When your dreams are broken in the dust, and you’ve lost the will to trust…there’s no better advice than to let go, to surrender, and let God do what only He can do: that’s restore our sense of direction and trust, renew a right heart in us, and give us back the dreams we’ve lost along the way. 

Like Bruh David says to the Lord in Psalm 51, where he’s pleading for forgiveness of his sin with Bathsheba: ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me.’ (Ps. 51:10) And that’s exactly what the Lord will do for us when we reach the breaking point and surrender our all to Him. And it’s not like He didn’t promise the nation of Israel to do just that long ago through the prophet Ezekiel. 

Hear these lifesaving words: ‘Then I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also I will give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements, and do them.’ (Ezek. 36:25-27) 

Oh friends, that’s exactly what God does when we turn our whole lives over to Him; He makes us right with Him through the sacrificial work of His Son Jesus Christ, cleansing us, giving us a new heart of LOVE, and putting His Holy Spirit to dwell within us, to lead, guide and comfort us. One can’t ask for more than that! And all we have to do is cry out to Him in all sincerity! 

So, ‘When your faith is a dying fire, and there’s no spark to feed the flame… When your courage fails you, and the well of hope runs dry,’ as we all experience from time to time, that’s the moment to let Go and let God! The time to surrender and let Him run the show. For remember, we’re only passengers down here; this is not our home, and there are signs all over reminding us of that salient fact. 

Oh my fellow believers, what will it take for us to truly give our all to Christ eh? He’s more than willing and able to take all that we have and make our way straight. Remember His Great Invitation: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ (Matt. 11:28) 

Now, there could not be a better invitation that that, especially in this evil and ungodly world in which we’re currently living, where so many of us are indeed labouring and carrying heavy burdens. So today, let’s stop trying to do it in our own strength nuh, because we simply cannot, but God can. Therefore, let’s be wise and… Let go – and let God! Much LOVE!

…life is filled with many ups and down…and the ONLY One who can truly pull us up…is Almighty God…

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

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