22 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, acts as a preservative, by what shall it be salted, Christians have lost our salty flavour, clean our lampshades, constantly sprinkling our salty flavour, darkness is the absence of light, divine aid, faith, faith is being besieged by evil, faithfully promised to hear our prayers, find life and light in Christ, good for nothing, grow in spiritual maturity, helping the lost and blind, holy spirit, humble ourselves and pray, humble servants, if the salt has lost it s flavour, in our dysfunctional world, it cannot happen overnight, it gives light to all in the house, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep the fires of Christ burning, keep your promise to prosper us, lackadaisical discipleship, light up the world's darkness, LOVE, make a positive difference, making a difference, mass confusion in our world, meet the needs of the world, melts coldness, men light a candle, mercy, not doing a commendable job for Jesus, our great God Jehovah, our lights constantly shining, our saltshakers, persistence and perseverance, put it under a bushel, room for improvement, salt adds flavouring, salt heals wounds, salvation, shining lights of Christianity, showers of heavenly blessings, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, sinned and seriously disobeyed your word, strife-filled times, the God who heals, the keys to unlocking the closed doors, the responsibilities of Christians, the smallest light can dispel the greatest darkness, the throne of grace, to be cast out, to hear and answer our prayers, trodden under foot of men, truth, turn from our evil ways, uncertain and ungodly times, where evil and darkness lurk, wisdom, Ye are the light of the world, ye are the salt of the earth
Matthew 5:13a, 14a. Ye are the salt of the earth: Ye are the light of the world.
Another Monday…another new work week friends, and everything should be nice and clean after the thunder, lightning, and showers of heavenly blessings we received during the night. And did we ever need the rain, for it’s something we haven’t seen for almost a couple of weeks, what with all the unaccustomed warm, sunshiny weather we’ve been having in this month of September 2025. But I do have the feeling that things will soon return to normal, and the customary cooler and wetter weather at this time of year, will shortly assert itself.
However, be that as it may, even in the cold, wet, cloudy weather, we are still required to keep the fires of Christ burning hot and bright, and make a proactive, positive and productive difference in these uncertain and ungodly times. And right now, when faith is being besieged by evil, and many of us are having a hard time to simply hold on, much less to grow in spiritual maturity, we do need a reminder of that most salient fact.
It’s like Christ said in the Sermon on the Mount. ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost its savour (flavour), wherewith (by what) shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ (Matt. 5:13) And sadly friends, in these disastrous and strife-filled times, it would certainly seem that Christ’s people have lost their salt, their salty flavour, since we’re not making much of a positive difference in the world today.
And I like how the scholars explain that verse. They say: ‘Again the phrase “ye are” indicates that only the genuinely born-again person is salt and can help meet the needs of the world. Salt adds flavouring, acts as a preservative, melts coldness, and heals wounds. Thus, it is a very appropriate description of the believer in his relationship to the world in which he lives.’
The question now is whether we can genuinely say that we are living up to those important responsibilities of helping our world, of helping the lost and blind find life and light in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? And if we are truthful, we would have to say that we are indeed NOT living up to our responsibilities, that’s why so many still don’t know about Christ, and many who do know about Him, refuse to accept Him.
And if being the salty, mouthwatering, wanting more flavour of the world wasn’t enough, then listen to what Jesus also says of His loyal followers. ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (a lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14-16)
Now that’s another aspect of our discipleship of Christ; letting our lights shine brightly so that others can see it and come to know, understand and worship our great God Jehovah! That makes it necessary for us to again ask the question, are we shining our lights sufficiently to make, not even a big difference, but simply a recognizable one, in our needy and dysfunctional world? And sadly, again, if we are truthful, we would have to say NO, we are not making a worthwhile difference in the world, otherwise it would not be currently overrun with evil and evildoers!
And what do the scholars say about those verses? ‘Ye are the light of the world describes the essential mission of the Christian to the world. He is the condition (salt) to meet the world’s needs, and he has a mission (light) to the world. His light is to clearly shine forth into the darkness of human depravity. He is to set his light upon a candlestick, not hide it under a bushel, that is, a basket. Darkness is the absence of light; and darkness alone cannot dispel the light, but the smallest light can dispel the greatest darkness.’
That means we don’t have to go overboard with either our salt or light, but simply have our saltshakers constantly sprinkling our salty flavour, and our lights also constantly shining to light up the world’s darkness. It cannot happen overnight, but persistence and perseverance are the keys to unlocking those closed doors behind which all kinds of evil and darkness lurk. So please, let’s try and do better nuh. We all know that we have much room for improvement, and right now we are not doing a commendable job as followers of Jesus.
And to help us get things turned around, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid for our lackadaisical discipleship! 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 our prayer shows us some important aspects that need improving before we can receive divine aid; like praying, humbling ourselves, sincerely seeking God’s face and turning from our evil ways. Those are only some of the things we need to do friends to recover our salty flavour, and clean our lampshades, so that bright light can emanate from them again! Much LOVE!
…Jesus’ followers…must take discipleship much more seriously…than they are currently doing…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid, a godless society, a great family, a positive outlook on life, a strong will, abundance, actions prove love, an expression of love, another day another dollar, arise and flourish, baptizing them in the name of the Father, be completely lost, Christians, complacent, curse, discarded on the dumping ground fo life, divine protection, even unto the end of the world, faith, favour, fear him which can destroy both soul and body, fear not them which kill the body, fight the good fight, glorify your Father which is in heaven, good for nothing, good friends, greed, hide your light under a bushel, highest level of innovation, his commandments are not grievous, holy spirit, I am with you always, if any man will come after me, if ye love me keep my commandments, in the name of the Holy Spirit, in the name of the Son, Jesus Christ, keep arrogance and judgement from my heart, lack of faithful witness for Christ, lazy, let him deny himself, Let your light so shine before men, lost our salty flavour, LOVE, mercy, negative things, negative word, nigh impossible, not able to kill the soul, not putting fort the necessary effort, nothing can separate us from the Love of God, overrun by negative things, positive ad productive changes, preach Christ Crucified, promotion, prosperity, salvation, see your good works, self-aggrandizement, self-control, spread our salty flavour, stand strong in Faith, supernatural wisdom, take up his cross daily and follow me, talent, teach all nations, teaching them to observe all things, that we keep his commandments, the BIBLE, the Great Commission, the salt of the earth, this is the love of God, through him that loved us, to be cast out, trodden under foot of men, truth, we are more than conquerors, we can do anything through Jesus, whatsoever I have commanded you, wisdom, with Jesus in our lives, Ye are the light of the world
John 14:15. If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.
Another day, another dollar! That’s what we’re working for, on this Thursday morning in early July. But in reality, after taxes, inflation, pension plan etc. etc. we might only end up with about thirty five cents out of that dollar, and it’s definitely not easy, nigh impossible, to live on that in these dreadful times. However, as children of God, who have been made to see another sunshiny summer’s day on God’s great earth, we have the ability to make something from nothing, for we can do any and everything through Christ Jesus who strengthens and enables us. (Phil. 4:13)
Give Him the glory my people! For He’s been such a blessing to us, that without Him, we’d be completely lost and discarded on the dumping ground of life. But with Jesus in our lives, we can arise and flourish, for we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us. (Rom. 8:37) And how wonderful it is to further know that NOTHING can separate us from the marvellous LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:38-39)
No wonder we stand strong in faith and fight the good fight that Jesus has called us to engage in on His behalf. We know it as the Great Commission, where He commands us to ‘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. 28:19-20)
Now that’s the job we ought to be doing down here on earth if we claim to believe in Jesus and all that he stands for. But unfortunately we’re not doing such a great job, judging by the overwhelming strife, anguish, poverty, hunger and sickness that exist in a world of plenty; a world that’s reached its highest level of innovation, knowledge, information and prosperity in its entire existence. But all these negative things exist because our world is also a generally godless society that is overrun by other negative things like greed, arrogance, entitlement and self-aggrandizement.
The truth of the matter though is that we supposed believers are not putting forth the energy and effort necessary to make positive and productive changes in our world. We’re either lazy and complacent, living in our comfortable little corner, not wanting to be disturbed or bothered to help anyone in need. Or, we are afraid of what man can do to us, if and when we preach and live Christ crucified. But please remember Jesus’ warning to that situation. ‘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)
That means we’re not to be afraid of man, because all he can kill is our bodies, but our fear should be of God who can destroy both our bodies and souls. But that doesn’t seem to bother us in the least since we’re going about our selfish business as usual, without a qualm regarding our lack of good and faithful witness for Jesus.
Like we’ve also forgotten, or simply disregarded His entreaty, that we’re the salt of the earth, and should be spreading that salty flavour of Christianity all over the planet. And why aren’t we doing that eh? Is it because we have apparently lost our salty flavour? If so, then as Jesus says, we are good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men. (Matt. 5:13) I would certainly hope that is not the case.
And what about Jesus’ other contention? ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.’ (Matt. 5:14) Yes friends, that’s what we’re supposed to be; bright lights shining forth like cities and lighthouses set on hills, to provide the light of Jesus for the numerous people who are still living in darkness today. But instead, we seem to be hiding our light under a bushel or a basket, so that it’s not getting to anyone else and lighting their way. But Jesus’ specific instruction was to: ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:16)
Ah mih people, how easily we disregard Jesus’ desires, but yet still insist on calling ourselves His ambassadors and disciples. Remember His saying on discipleship? ‘If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) Yes friends, that’s what a disciple of Christ looks like! And how many of us can truthfully claim to be doing that to the best of our ability eh? Not enough of us!
Let’s also remember the rather profound statement that Jesus made while comforting the disciples before His departure. ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) It’s as simple as that my fellow believers. If we LOVE Jesus, we will keep His commandments. And this commentary explains the verse thus: ‘It emphasizes that LOVING Jesus is demonstrated through obedience to his teachings and instructions. The verse highlights that keeping commandments is not a burden, but an expression of LOVE and a way to experience a deeper relationship with God.’
And John corroborates that when he says in his first epistle: ‘For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (burdensome).’ (1 John 5:3) No my brethren, God’s commandments are not burdensome, but we do have to come up a little higher than normal to keep them. And on that exhilarating note, (smile) let’s go home declaring (steupsss!!!) and thus activating what we call our Thursday Blessings, undeserved, but generously given to us by God to do His earthly work.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (yesss!!!) it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…you can’t say you LOVE someone…and not have actions to prove it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid, ambassadors for Christ, and again I say rejoice, be careful for nothing, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, cannot stop our drive to victory, christianity, Christians, deepen my breath, divide and conquer, doing what we want when we want, don't walk the walk, drop our petty differences, faith, fight the good fight for Jesus, filled with the peace of God, galvanize us into action, get serious about living for Christ, glorify your father in heaven, good for nothing, heading straight to hell, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, if the salt has lost it s flavour, in everything by prayer and supplication, in the back of our minds, in the name of Jesus, in the proverbial handbasket, in word and deed, increase my awareness of you today, intimacy with god, it gives light to all in the house, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lead miserable and lacking lives, Let your light so shine before men, let your moderation be known unto all men, let your requests be made known unto God, light blazing, Lord I want to be with you now, LOVE, make a substantial difference, mercy, neither do men light a candle, peace that passes all human understanding, put it under a bushel, put our faith to work in our daily lives, quiet my soul, Rejoice in the Lord always, relax my muscles, saltiness overflowing, salvation, see your good works, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ, slow my thoughts, start our day with prayer, talk the talk, tasteless like the world, thank you for this tenderness, the BIBLE, the current chaotic state of our world, the enemy, the forefront of our minds, the gutter of hell, the Lord is at hand, the murky abyss of hell, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the terrible consequences of inaction, to be cast out, trodden under foot of men, truth, wisdom, with all sincerity and truth, Ye are the light of the world, ye are the salt of the earth, you are here with me, you can't be contained, your love surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Matthew 5:13a & 16a. Ye are the salt of the earth: Let your light so shine before men,
And finally our lazy-day Saturday is on board! It’s somewhat cloudy and windy and not as warm as we might like, but it’s nonetheless our lazy-day Saturday, where we can do what we want, when we want, and how we want! (smile) Now isn’t that a joy, after having to do the wishes of others all the live long week? It certainly is! And as always, it’s best to start our day with prayer; that’s salutations, greetings and thanks to our wonderful God for allowing us to see another day on this great though confused and chaotic earth.
So let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with 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 without a doubt, if our prayer was truly heartfelt, our bodies and souls will soon be filled with the calm and peace of God, that passes all human understanding. Because there’s nothing that our God likes more than His people wanting greater intimacy with Him, for that’s one of the major reasons He created us. And that’s why, when talking about the God of Peace, Bruh Paul could write these marvellous words to the Philippians.
‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (graciousness, reasonableness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all human understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:4-7)
Oh friends, what wonderful advice! The trouble however, is that though we know the advice, too many of us keep it somewhere in the back of our minds, instead of in the forefront, and consequently not enough of us put it into practice. No wonder so many of us have somewhat miserable and lacking lives, when with simply following Bruh Paul’s advice we could be doing so much better.
That brings us to the realization that too many of us talk the talk but don’t actually walk it. We all talk about faith and all the things it can do, but how many of us truly put our faith to work in our daily lives eh? Certainly not enough of us, otherwise our world would not be in its current chaotic, ungodly state. That means we’re not doing as Jesus desires. Remember these poignant words of His? ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith (by what) shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ (Matt. 5:13)
Sadly my people, it seems like way too many of us have lost our salty flavour and now are tasteless just like the rest of the world, which could never be a good thing and work in Jesus’ favour. Remember, we are His ambassadors here on earth and are supposed to be telling others, both in word and deed about His wonderful kingdom, and causing them to want to join us. But unfortunately we’re not doing it well enough. And how can we be good representatives of Jesus when we don’t adhere to these words of His either eh?
‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp) and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14-16)
And right there my fellow believers is one of our biggest problems and why our world is in such an ungodly mess. God’s people are not shining their lights as brightly as they ought to! Too many of our lights have either been dimmed or simply gone out, for us to be able to make a substantial difference in our evil world that’s sadly heading straight to hell in the proverbial handbasket!
But my brethren it’s not too late for us to stop the slimy slide down to the gutter of hell. No! If we would only get serious about living for Christ, then drop all our petty Christian differences and get together as ONE, and boldly and confidently restore our salty flavour and turn up the level of our lights, so that the world can see what true Christianity is all about, then we can retake most of the world for Christ, and stop that slimy and sorry slide to hell fire and damnation.
But unfortunately it first depends on us being willing to individually stand up and fight against the evil around us, then, more importantly for us to get together and fight as ONE! For we cannot defeat the enemy in our present divided and distrustful state. That’s why the enemy has concentrated on keeping us apart, using the old but wise theory of divide and conquer. And once he keeps us divided, his evil plans will meet with much success, as they are now doing so very blatantly.
So it’s up to us to decide if we’re going to fight the good fight for Jesus, or just let our world slide down into the dark and murky abyss of hell. I’d suggest we all take a few moments today and consider the question and the sure, terrible consequences of our inaction, and let them galvanize us into powerful action, in the strong and mighty name of Jesus! Much LOVE!
…with saltiness overflowing…and light blazing…the enemy cannot stop our drive to victory…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid, abdicated our position, afraid of speaking up for Christ, become contented with the easy life, Bible, busy doing our own work, by the example we set, cause our passion to rise up, chaotic times, Christian shortcoming, christianity, Christians are not activating their saltiness, Christians are not shining, crying out for help, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, disastrous times, discontent, dissatisfaction, divine aid, divine help, faith, flavourless, Friday chant, glorify your Father which is in heaven, go to hell in a handbasket, good for nothing, have salt in yourselves, heralds the beginning of the weekend, holy spirit, if any man desire to be first, if the salt has lost it s flavour, if the salt have lost it saltiness, introduce a new flock of believers, it giveth light unto all that are in the house, Jesus Christ, Let your light so shine before men, lit a fire in some hearts and souls, living up to the expectations of Jesus, LOVE, major goal, make it through the week, mercy, neither do men light a candle, not good enough witnesses for Christ, not injecting enough salt into society, not making the kind of difference expected of us, omnipotent help, our basic problem, our earthly purpose, our sinful world, peace with one another, pride, problems are escalating, put it under a bushel, restoring faith in God, return backsliders to your fold, rise in the negative schemes of the evil one, salt is good, salvation, Satan's darkness, see your good works, self-centredness, shine in the world's darkness, show the suffering hordes, simmering unrest, stand strong and steadfast, TGIGF! Thank God it's Good Friday, the error of their ways, the fate that awaits our progeny, the generation that gifted the world to Satan, the God-sent day if Friday, the gospel of Jesus, the light of the world, the same shall be last, the servant of all, the throne of grace, the way to truth light and salvation, their bright freeing light, to be cast out, trodden under foot of men, truth, unexpected storms, unsalted, wake up and smell the coffee, wherewith will ye season it, wisdom, wise guidance, wouldn't look good on our resume, Ye are the light of the world, ye are the salt of the earth
Matthew 5:13a & 14 a. Ye are the salt of the earth … Ye are the light of the world.
And though Friday’s opened somewhat damp and cloudy, the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ still go up, because it heralds the beginning of our long-expected weekend. Yes, our major goal, from the time Monday rolls around, is to make it through the week, until that God-sent day of Friday. But truthfully, we ought to have a bigger and better perspective than that, like making a positive difference in our workplaces, our homes and wherever else we may go. In other words, living up to the high expectations of Jesus for His disciples.
Expectations like this one: ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ (Matt. 5:13) Oh my people, there’s no doubt that too many of us have lost our salt, no longer have that salty flavour we need to make a difference for Jesus!
Why? Who knows? Possibly because we don’t have time to do God’s work since we’re too busy doing our self-centred work. Or we are afraid of the possible consequences from speaking up for Christ? Or, we’ve simply become fat, lazy and contented, from the good earthly life we’re living. But whatever the reason(s), it’s obvious that we’re not making the kind of difference expected of us, we’re not injecting into our society enough of that most important substance, salt, or the gospel of Jesus, and the amazing LOVE that flows from it, otherwise our world would not be so angry, hateful, and strife-filled.
It’s truly sad to see so many supposed Christians behaving just like the non-believers. Oh, we might get righteous when we go to church on Sundays, but on Mondays we go right back to the same worldly, unchristian behaviour. Remember friends, we’re supposed to be in the world, to show the heathen how to live for Christ, not of the world; that’s to be living like them. And I like how the gospel of Mark reports Jesus’ comments on the subject. ‘Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltiness (its flavour), wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and peace one with another.’ (Mark 9:50)
And the scholars explain that ‘Salt from the Dead Sea contains impurities and becomes easily stale and unpleasant in taste. Salt in yourselves is the distinctive quality that marks the person devoted to God. The reference to peace ties in with verse 33, which precipitated this whole discourse.’ That’s the argument the disciples were having about who would be the greatest amongst them, while journeying through Galilee to Capernaum, which led Jesus to clarify the matter in His kingdom: ‘If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.’ (Mark 9:35)
Now, that should also be something we believers pay close attention to, for in this age, pride and self-centredness are rampant and no one wants to be a servant but to be served continually. And that flows very nicely into our next Christian shortcoming. Yes, being unsalted and flavourless is not the only one. (smile) No! We’ve also abdicated our position of being the light of the world as Jesus expects us to be. When He was here on earth, He was the light of the world, (John 8:12) but when He left, He transferred that designation to His followers, so that they could shine in the world’s darkness and show the suffering hordes the way to truth, light and salvation.
As He so clearly puts it: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14-16)
Yes my brethren, that’s what we ought to be doing; lighting our lamps for Jesus and proudly showing them to the whole world, so that they can be relieved of the restricting darkness that Satan desires to contain them in. It’s like Jesus said, a city that is built on a hill, cannot hide it’s light. Consequently, we ought to have our light shining brightly to all and sundry, as though it was situated on a hill, so that it can be seen far and wide. That’s our earthly purpose!
Oh my fellow saints, can’t we see how our world is suffering so terribly because of the sudden rise in the negative wiles and schemes of the evil one? And are we going to simply leave it to go to hell in the proverbial hand basket? I certainly hope not! Just think of the fate that awaits our progeny if we allow that to happen. And it certainly won’t look good on our resumé as being the generation that gifted it to Satan because of our lazy, fearful and ungodly behaviour. Nuff said! But I do hope that we’ve lit a fire in the hearts and souls of at least some of us, that will cause our passion to rise up and help us do better. (smile)
Now, if it’s divine help we need to improve, then let’s go to the throne of grace through our Friday Chant, seeking it, in these chaotic and disastrous 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!’
Ah friends, we all know our basic problem is that we’re not good enough witnesses for Christ, and until we improve in that area, divine aid will not be forthcoming! So, let’s get a move on nuh! Much LOVE!
…like the weather…the devil is turning our world dark and fearful…because Christians are not activating their saltiness…nor shining their bright freeing light into Satan’s darkness…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid, a little light uncovers much darkness, Christian light, come the judgement day, faith, glorify your Father which is in heaven, have seen a great light, holy spirit, hurry, I am the beloved of god, in god's eyes, it giveth light unto all that are in the house, Jesus at the helm of our lives, Jesus Christ, Jesus our Master Pilot, Let your light so shine before men, light a candle and put it under a bushel, LOVE, on a candle stick, rainy day Tuesday, share His love with my neighbour, the blind leading the blind, the hump day of Monday, the people that walked in darkness, the precipice of hell and eternal damnation, they may see your good works, they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, upon them hath the light shined, use our talents to the best of our ability, using our blessings wisely, we are put on earth to work, wisdom, worry, Ye are the light of the world
Matthew 5:15. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket) but on a candle stick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
And then it was a rainy day Tuesday, with even some snow promised in the forecast. But for most of us, when we’ve gotten over the problem day of Monday, we can handle things much more comfortably during the remainder of the week. It’s just that hump day of Monday that tends to trip us up. (smile) Anyway, it’s Tuesday, and we’re moving along well with our Master Pilot, Jesus at the helm of our lives, taking exceptional care of the difficult waters we sometimes traverse. And all of Christ’s church shouted a loud and grateful ‘Thank You Jesus for taking care of us! Don’t know what we’d do without You!’
And isn’t that the gospel truth? We have no idea how we’d manage without Jesus at the forefront of out lives. We’d be ever so lost and trapped in the darkness of this evil and ungodly world, that we’d be like the blind leading the blind, unfailingly headed toward the precipice of hell and eternal damnation. But thanks ever so much to the sacrificial death of Jesus, we have the marvellous option of walking in the light, His marvellous light, headed straight for the beautiful environs of heaven!
Wow! As the Good Library so faithfully prophesied in the Book of Isaiah: ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.’ (Is. 9:2) And wasn’t that a most grateful and wonderful day when the light of Jesus shined upon the earth, upon the sinful and ungodly children of men? It surely was! And likewise, what a glorious day it will be, when we encounter Father, Son and Holy Spirit at the pearly gates of that everlasting retreat called heaven! Can’t wait to experience it….although I’m not quite ready, since I have stuff to complete down here before I go there! (smile)
But seriously though friends, I believe that the darkness of our world right now is so overwhelming that the populace don’t know whether they’re coming or going. The terrible chaos that’s currently consuming our world, leading to so much hatred, war, anger and all the negative things that Satan perpetrates, is blinding many of us to the light of Christ. And we true believers are not doing enough to try and reduce the darkness by shining our light into the shadow of death that’s right now in control of our world.
And remember, that light doesn’t have to be a big, all-embracing light to blind the world, but if each one of us simply shone our li’l light into the darkness that’s right around us, just in our neighbourhood or workplace, you’d be surprised at the huge results that will accrue. Why? Because just a li’l light covers, or rather uncovers a whole lot of darkness. For argument sake, let’s say that one whatever of light can uncover at least ten times that amount of darkness. It’s like when you shine a small pencil torch into a darkened area, the small plume of light, brightens up much more than it’s size would suggest.
It’s as Jesus said: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket) but on a candle stick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.’ (Matt. 5:14-15) Yes mih bredrin. A small candle or lamp lights up much more darkness than its size would lead you to expect. Likewise, our small lights, if we allowed them to shine in the dark areas around us, we’d do much more good than we can ever imagine. Thus Jesus continued: ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:16)
That simply means we’ve got to get out there and be our true selves, act like true believers, so that the unbeliever will see the good things in our lives brought about by our strong and secure faith in Christ and come to Him, as they desire to have the strength and security that we posses. And no, it’s not always easy to shine like a bright and sparkling Christian light, but on average, we ought to do more shining than not. None of us are perfect, and we all have good and bad days, we just keep on hoping and praying that the good days totally outnumber the bad ones, so we can do Christ’s work with fervour and excellence.
And yuh know what friends, Christ doesn’t expect us all to be zealots and/or miracle workers nuh, but He does expect us to use the talents we’ve been granted to the best of our ability. It’s like the parable of the talents that Jesus told, found in Matthew 25, where this master was heading out into a far country, but before he went, called his servants and gave them his goods. To one servant he gave five talents, to another two, and to the last, one. Then he went away for a long time.
When he returned, he called the servants to account. The one who was given five talents had produced through his work, another five. The one given two, also produced two more. However, the servant given only one talent produced the same talent and no more, saying to his master. ‘Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed (scattered seed). And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.’ (Matt. 25:24-25)
Oh friends, the moral of the story can be found in these two commentaries that follow. ‘First and foremost, the Parable of the Talents teaches us that we are put on Earth to work. This is evident not only in this particular parable, but in several other Bible stories. God rewards those who put considerable effort into bettering their lives and the lives of those in their community.’ Yes friends, believe it or not, work is indeed a large part of our earthly journey. (smile)
And the next commentary tells us: ‘The parable of the talents is much more than a financial tale. In this story, we see the importance of using our blessings wisely and sharing with others. This doesn’t just refer to monetary possessions or physical belongings, but to the time and talents that God gives all of us.’ And that’s the indisputable truth my people. We’d better remember it, because come the judgement day, when the Lord questions us on what we’ve done with the talents, the gifts, He so generously bestowed on us, we won’t want to tell him we were afraid and just hid them. No sir! That will only get us into a heap of trouble.
So, please, let’s wake up right now and begin using the gifts God has given us nuh, for our benefit as well as for those of others around us. That’s the only wise way to live. And now, for those of us who are sincerely endeavouring to live that way, 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!’
It’s now our duty to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…this li’l light of mine…let it shine…let it shine…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
04 Apr 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid, All to Jesus I surrender, as the bright shining light, be like lighthouses, be made the righteousness of God in Him, but the will of the Father who sent me, faithful believers in Jesus, fighting to shed Jesus' awesome light, God hath made him to be sin for us, harmless and blameless, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, hurry, I am the beloved of god, I am the light of the world, I will ever love and trust you, in god's eyes, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, in your presence daily live, Jesus rises triumphantly from the grave, LOVE, not my will but thine, rejoice victoriously on Easter Sunday, share His love with my neighbours, that snineth more and more, the path of the just, to guarantee His promise of everlasting life, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, unto the perfect day, worry, Ye are the light of the world, ye shine as lights in the world
Matthew 5:14. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
It’s a wet and cloudy Holy Tuesday morning, but like all good Christians, the sun is valiantly fighting to shine its light on this dark and evil world. Oh friends, I do hope we can all be numbered amongst that group of good and faithful believers in Christ Jesus who are desperately fighting to shed His awesome light, through our witness and discipleship, over this ungodly, resentful and selfish society in which we currently live.
Remember, that was one of His most ardent desires in His Sermon on the Mount, where He laid out His world-changing philosophy. He said, in no uncertain terms: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.’ (Matt. 5:14) And that’s what His faithful followers ought to be like, a city set on a hill, whose bright light is shining all around, for all to see. In other words, we are to be like lighthouses, shining for miles and miles around, giving light to all the human ships that are navigating the dark and evil waters of this ungodly human existence.
That brings us to the words of Cousin Sol, who, as the wisest man ever, had a word on every topic. (smile). He wisely opined on the topic of light: ‘But the path of the just is as the (bright) shining light, that shineth more and more (ever brighter) unto the perfect day.’ (Prov. 4:18)
Oh my people, that’s exactly how our light for Jesus ought to shine in this dark and evil world; brighter and brighter, especially in this Holy Week when we are about to celebrate one of our lowest days in Good Friday, when Jesus is crucified on the cross at Calvary to pay for our sins, though we will rejoice victoriously on Easter Sunday, when he rises triumphantly from the grave to guarantee His promise of everlasting life to all who believe in Him!
Wow mih bredrin! How awesome is our Jesus! What a prize fighter He is! No one, or nothing can stop His ever-rolling course to glory and His magnificent kingdom of the ages that He’s so faithfully promised to all who faithfully believe in Him!
And why does Jesus want us to be lights in this dark world? Because if we are His followers, then we ought to follow His example, and He categorically stated during His time here on earth: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) And if you believe in Jesus, then you will follow Him and be a light in this darkness that we’re living in, like He was a light for us when He came to earth to show us the true glory of God!
And as Bruh Paul concurs when he writes to the church at Philippi, re shining as lights in the world: ‘That ye may be blameless and harmless (innocent), the sons (children) of God, without rebuke (fault), in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation (generation), among whom ye shine as lights in the world.’ (Phil. 2:15)
Yes my fellow believers, our witness for Christ ought to be shining and without fault. Now that doesn’t mean we won’t make mistakes, because we are frail and fragile humans, and that’s a normal part of our nature, but when we give out for Jesus, there’ll be substance, sincere action to our words, meaning that people will see the good fruit that we bear, through the Holy Spirit of Christ.
For as Jesus continued in His sermon on the Mount: ‘Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand), and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your heavenly Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:15-16)
Oh friends, please note Jesus’ desire there was for us to glorify our heavenly Father, not Him, because that’s all He was about here on earth; listening to the Father and doing the Father’s will. As He said: ‘I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgement is just (righteous), because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.’ (John 5:30)
Yes my people, we often forget that it was because of the Father’s desire to save His human creation that Jesus came to earth to suffer and be eventually crucified. That’s the high level of LOVE and obedience that He had towards the Father. And it could not be more ardently and stoically declared (awright!!!) than when Jesus was going through that tough time in the Garden of Gethsemane, the night before His crucifixion, when His soul was sorrowful and His heart heavy, and He unsuccessfully sought a reprieve from the Father, but obediently concluded: ‘nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.’ (Luke 22: 39 b)
Oh, how I wish that our level of LOVE and obedience could be that high towards Jesus, Our Lord and Saviour, who so selflessly, altruistically and generously gave His sinless life to save our sinful ones. Please, please my fellow saints, let’s never forget these heartbreaking, but also joyful words that Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Corinth. ‘For he (God) hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’ (2 Cor. 5:21)
And that was no easy burden to bear, but Jesus bore it stoically for our sakes, so let’s see if we can’t show Him some honour and glory for His selfless deeds on our behalf, by doing what He desires, being a bright and shining light in this dark world. Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to do that, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) 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!!!) let’s go out now and indeed share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with all we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
… All to Jesus, I surrender…All to Thee I freely give…I will ever LOVE and trust You…In Your presence daily live…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
07 Aug 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beacon in darkest times, a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid, a family whose hearts are blazing, a shining beacon in a dark world, blazing hearts, carry your candle, Christopher Rice, frustrated brother, glorify your Father which is in heaven, Go light your world, hold out your candle for all to see, inspirational to all believers, it giveth light unto all that are in the house, Jesus is the way the truth and the life, joyful Sunday, Kathy Troccoli, Let your light so shine before men, run to the darkness, sacrificial praise, seek out the helpless confused and torn, Sermon on the Mount, take your candle go light your world, that they may see your good works, the children of light, whosever believeth on me should not abide in darkness, Ye are the light of the world
Matthew 5:16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
And another joyful Sunday has come along; joyful because we can gather and worship our great God, give Him much thanks and praise for His many blessings and awesome encouragement of the past week, and receive more blessings and confidence to go out and face the upcoming week, bold and unafraid in His magnificent name! All praise and honour be unto the Most High God Jehovah, who’s mercy endures forever to the undeserving children of men. And all the people, said a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’
So, let’s get on with the show by singing this wonderful Christian song of discipleship written by Christopher Rice in 2004 and sung by Kathy Troccoli, titled ‘Go Light Your World.’ In a heartfelt, soulful, harmonious, mid-tempo version, let’s raise our voices to high heaven in sacrificial praise. ‘There is a candle in every soul Some brightly burning, some dark and cold There is a Spirit who brings a fire Ignites a candle and makes His home. (Chorus: So carry your candle, run to the darkness Seek out the helpless, confused and torn Hold out your candle for all to see it Take your candle, and go light your world Take your candle, and go light your world.)
Frustrated brother, see how he’s tried to Light his own candle some other way See now your sister, she’s been robbed and lied to Still holds a candle without a flame (Chorus:…Carry your candle…) ‘Cause we are a family whose hearts are blazing So let’s raise our candles and light up the sky Praying to our Father, in the name of Jesus Make us a beacon in darkest times. (Chorus: So carry your candle, run to the darkness Seek out the hopeless, deceived and poor Hold out your candle for all to see it Take your candle, and go light your world… Repeat… Take your candle, and go light your world…Take your candle, and go light your world.’
Oh my people, those words hold such valuable promise, and ought to be so inspirational to all believers, especially with the current troubled and ungodly state of our world. Remember one of Jesus avowed reasons for coming to earth was to bring light to a darkened world of sin and ungodliness. As He said so profoundly to the disbelieving Pharisees: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12)
Yes friends, living for and walking with Jesus is all about basking in the light of His sinless self and the glory of His resurrection. Before he came our world was filled with the darkness of sin and evil as dictated by Satan, but when Jesus came, He came to set us free from that darkness of sin and ungodliness. Listen up, as He once again emphasizes His role as a shining beacon in a dark world. ‘I am come a light into the world that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.’ (John 12:46)
And just before that He expounded thus to the people. ‘Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be (become) the children of light.’ (John 12:35-36)
It’s therefore obvious that light through belief in Jesus, was a major aspect of His ministry and teaching in opposition to the darkness and slavery to sin that Satan espoused. And we see it also in His ground-breaking, revolutionary statement to the disciples: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) In other words, Jesus is everything: the way, the truth, the life, the light – the whole reason for living!
But since Jesus knew that His sojourn on earth would be relatively short, hence His saying to the people earlier on, ‘walk while ye have the light with you,’ it behooved Him to make other arrangements for light, His light to stay here and overcome the darkness on the entire earth. And the arrangement He made was that His believers, His followers, would take His place and do the marvellous job of spreading His light in every nook and cranny of the earth. And He said it loud and clear in the Sermon on the Mount: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.’ (Matt. 5:14)
And that’s the gospel truth! If you build a city on a hill, it is impossible to hide its light from the surrounding area. That means He desires His followers to be like cities built on hills, like shining beacons, to all and sundry around them. And that’s why lighthouses in olden times were built on hills, because their light could be seen for much further distances from a hill. And Jesus continued: ‘Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.’ (Matt. 5:15)
Yes my people, light is not meant to be hidden, but shone around as much as possible. It doesn’t make sense then, that so many of us are hiding our candles, our lamps, under baskets and not allowing them to give light to all that are around us. But that’s exactly what the song is telling us: We are all lights of Jesus, and His Holy Spirit operates in all of us, so let’s get our candles burning brightly and go seek out the ‘hopeless, confused an torn… the frustrated brother, the abused sister, be a beacon’ in these dark and sinful times, for Jesus didn’t come to save the whole and the righteous, but the sick and the lost (Matt. 18:11)
And we’ll close with these heartfelt and most meaningful words of Jesus on the subject. ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:16) Yes friends, as faithful believers, let’s take our candles and go light the world as Jesus so desperately desires of us, and the world so badly needs.. Much LOVE!
…followers of Jesus…must have hearts that are blazing…so we can light up the sky…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
29 Mar 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid, a joy and pleasure to live for Jesus, according to the riches of his glory, be of good cheer, born to manifest the Glory of God, but the darkness comprehendeth it not, fear not, glorify your Father which is in heaven, God will provide all our needs, have seen a great light, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, I am the beloved of god, I am the light of the world, I can trust my friend Jesus, i have overcome the world, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, lest darkness come upon you, let not your heart be troubled, Let your light so shine before men, liberated from our fear, LOVE Revolution, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth, our presence automatically liberates others, Peace i leave with you, playing small doesn't serve the world, shall have the light of life, share His love with the world, something good is going to happen through me, something good is going to happen to me, the day-spring from on high, the light shineth in the darkness, the people that walked in darkness, they may see your good works, they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, this is the day the Lord has made, to guide our feet in the way of peace, Tuesday Mantra, upon them hath the light shined, walk while ye have the light, we can do all things though Christ who strengthens us, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Ye are the light of the world, you are a child of God
John 8:12. I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Oh friends, it’s a bright sunshiny morning in my neighbourhood! This Tuesday morning in early spring, there’s nary a dark cloud in the sky! It’s so bright that I had to put on my dark glasses as I went to put out the garbage just now, else it would have blinded me! (smile) And it doesn’t even feel as cold as it did yesterday afternoon when I went out to the mailbox!
Wow! That gives us the reassurance to confidently acclaim: ‘This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it! And don’t forget that something good is going to happen to us today, and something good is also going to happen through us today! That’s because we can do all things through Christ who strengthen us! And furthermore, our great and wonderful God will provide all of our needs according to His riches in glory through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
Mama Yo! That’s why it’s such a joy and a pleasure to live for Jesus. No one else provides the benefits and faithful promises that He does. That’s why He reassures in His word: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) And don’t forget this other magnificent upliftment for our souls: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 6:33)
And that’s the gospel truth, because our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has indeed overcome the world by dying and rising from the dead, thus defeating hell, death, Satan and the grave! Glory Hallelujah! What a wonderful warrior is our Jesus! That’s why one of His favourite terms and words of advice while here on earth was ‘Fear not!’ But we still fear, despite all His entreaties and reassurances.
And truthfully, we can’t ever stop fear from coming upon or against us, but we can certainly stop it from consuming us. This morning though, I want to share a poem on that malicious word ‘fear’ that I found stuck up on the bedroom wall of my young daughter. There’s no title attached to it, so we’ll just call it ‘FEAR!’ I am sure that I’ve shared it before, but in these fearful and turbulent times, it’s certainly worth hearing again.
So please read with me: ‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We are born to make manifest the Glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone, and as we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.’
Ah mih people, I couldn’t put it any better! And there’s a lot of truth in that poem, because many of us fear to open up ourselves not wanting to overshadow those around us. But that’s not supposed to be a problem, since when we shine our lights, we give others the encouragement to rise up and shine theirs too. Why do you think Jesus made such a fuss over us being shining lights in this evil world? Because it’s of the utmost importance. We cannot be afraid of this dark and evil world or what it threatens to do to us, because the light of Jesus is greater than any darkness that’s in the world.
Remember John’s contention: ‘And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not (could not overcome it).’ (John 1:5) Yes friends light always opens up darkness, and the light of Jesus is the most powerful light in the world. Please remember the promise the Lord made through Isaiah, as he talks about the birth of the Prince of Peace. ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.’ (Is. 9:2)
That light was Jesus. And that prophecy was considered fulfilled, as it’s recorded in Matt. 4:15-16, when Jesus began His ministry in Capernaum, along the sea coast of the afflicted regions of the northern tribal areas of Israel, like Zebulun and Naphtali which suffered greatly under the Assyrian invasion. Remember too, the prophecy of John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah at his birth, when he got back his speech. ‘Through the tender mercy of our God: whereby the day-spring (dawn, Messiah) from on high hath visited (will visit) us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.’ (Luke 1:78-79)
And how can we ever forget Jesus’ great pronouncement to the Pharisees; and consequently to us, and to all the world: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) And let’s not forget what Jesus said to the people when they questioned His words on His resurrection and ascension. (John 12:30-34) ‘Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children (become sons) of light.’ (John 12:35-36)
Now that’s what we ought to become when we accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour; the children, the sons of light, because Almighty God is the Father of light, and Jesus is His bright and shining star. But He can’t shine individually to everybody, that’s why He desires to use us, His supposed ambassadors, agents and followers. And that’s why He commanded us thus: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket) but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14-16)
Jesus says it there loud and clear my people! If we are his followers, then our lights should be blazing forth to a dark and evil world, lighting it up like a Christmas tree! But unfortunately we are not doing that. Our lights are barely pouring forth, flickering like that which comes from a dying battery or a lamp low on oil, or a candle that’s at its end. And that is certainly not acceptable, not if we consider ourselves true believers in Christ Jesus! And sadly, we all know we can do better, but for whatever reason we refuse to make the effort it requires.
Please friends, for a moment, let’s consider the ‘sufferation’ Jesus bore so that we could be set free and forgiven of our sins nuh, and in a moment of shame, let our resolve rise up to be better purveyors of His light in this dark world. That’s the only remedy that will suffice for our poor showing. Now, for those of us who are already trying to shine our light, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) 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 the world. Amen!’
Now let’s go out and walk that talk; 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!
…when our light shines forth…then peace, joy and LOVE…come to our world…
P.S. And yes, it’s long, but I think it’s very good; a good reawakening! (smile) Much LOVE!
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
07 Nov 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a candle in every soul, a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid, a family whose hearts are blazing, a Spirit who brings a fire, Christopher Rice, cloven tongues like fire, filled with the Holy Ghost, Go light your world, grace and peace be multiplied unto you, hold out your candle for all to see, ignites a candle and makes His home, in the name of Jesus, it's the Christian's duty, Kathy Troccoli, LOVE, make us a beacon in darkest times, praying to our Father, raise our candles and light up the sky, rejuvenate our souls and spirits with the Lord's Word, Sabbath Day, sacrificial praise, seek out the hopeless deceived and poor, take a candle, the church of Christ, throw off the blanket of tiredness, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to Jesus be all the glory, to shine bright for Jesus, Ye are the light of the world
Matthew 5:14. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
Oh my fellow saints in Christ, may grace and peace be multiplied unto you through (in) the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord this November Sunday morning, in this unprecedented year of 2021! Yes friends, it’s another Sabbath Day for us to keep holy, gathering, by whatever means possible, to worship, give thanks and praise to our heavenly Father for the wonderful things He’s done, is doing and has promised to do in our lives. And all of God’s children said a loud, proud and grateful: ‘Thank You Lord! Amen!’
It’s time to throw off the blanket of tiredness and frustration that’s come over us this past work week and rejuvenate our souls and spirits with the Lord’s Word so that we can have the energy and faith to go back out next week and continue living strong for Jesus. And the best way to begin, like we always do, is with a song of praise. Today’s song of praise is titled ‘Go Light Your World,’ written and performed by Christopher Rice in the early years of this century, but since then performed by numerous others.
The most popular version I believe is one done by Kathy Troccoli. But today we’ll do our own version; a soulful, up-tempo, harmonious, gut-wrenching, heart touching, encouraging, uplifting rendition. (smile) So, without further ado, let’s raise our beautiful voices in sacrificial praise to heaven. ‘There is a candle in every soul Some brightly burning, some dark and cold There is a Spirit who brings a fire Ignites a candle and makes His home. (Chorus: So carry your candle, run to the darkness Seek out the helpless, confused and torn Hold out your candle for all to see it Take your candle, and go light your world Take your candle, and go light your world.)
Frustrated brother, see how he’s tried to Light his own candle some other way See now your sister, she’s been robbed and lied to Still holds a candle without a flame (Chorus:…Carry your candle…) ‘Cause we are a family whose hearts are blazing So let’s raise our candles and light up the sky Praying to our Father, in the name of Jesus Make us a beacon in darkest times. (Chorus: So carry your candle, run to the darkness Seek out the hopeless, deceived and poor Hold out your candle for all to see it Take your candle, and go light your world… Repeat… Take your candle, and go light your world…Take your candle, and go light your world.’
Ah mih bredrin, that last line there says it all. It’s the call that Jesus gave to us when He declared: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.’ (Matt. 5:14) That’s what He wants us to be, what He expects of His followers: to be light in this darkened world, be shining brightly like a city that is set on a hill, whose light can be seen for miles around. It’s the Christian’s duty to shine bright for Jesus. Something we obviously are not doing to the best of our ability, otherwise our world would not be so covered in darkness and bright lights so difficult to find.
And Jesus continued His light metaphor by saying: ‘Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.’ (Matt. 5:15) And that’s the purpose of light, to shine in the darkness so that one can see what’s happening around you, and where you are going. So, it makes no sense whatsoever to have a light and hide it, because that would be defeating the very purpose of the light.
And we don’t only need to be a light shining in the darkness for others, but we also need a light to show us where to go. And our guiding light, as the psalmist so wisely tells us, is the Word of God. ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) So, once we know the Lord’s Word we’ll know how and where to walk. But Jesus wasn’t finished with us, for He went even further and said: ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:16)
And some of you might be wondering where you are supposed to get this light so that you can shine. Well, the song tells us very graphically. ‘There is a Spirit who brings fire Ignites a candle and makes His home.’ That’s the Holy Spirit of Christ my people, which came on Pentecost Day two thousand years ago, as the Good Book informs us: ‘And there appeared unto them (120 believers in a room) cloven (divided) tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Sprit gave them utterance.’ (Act 2:3-4)
That’s where the fire comes from to light us up friends; from the Holy Spirit of Christ, which comes to indwell each believer and set them on fire for the Saviour. But I guess the fire has dimmed considerably, or even gone out in some of us, because our lights are not shining as they should. That’s why there are so many frustrated brothers and abused sisters out there who are unsuccessfully trying to light candles on their own, which is an impossibility without the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.
And most importantly, let’s remember, as the song says, that we are a family, the church of Christ, whose hearts are supposed to be blazing with the fire of the Holy Spirit. However, with the sad state of darkness and evil in which our world is currently enveloped, we therefore desperately need to ‘raise our candles and light up the sky Praying to our Father, in the name of Jesus to Make us a beacon in these darkest of times.’
Oh my people, what more can I say to encourage us to live for Jesus eh? Just the heartfelt plea of our song. ‘So carry your candle, run to the darkness Seek out the hopeless, deceived and poor Hold out your candle for all to see it Take your candle, and go light your world…Hold out your candle for all to see Take your candle and go light your world.’
It’s what Jesus desires and expects of His loyal followers. So please, after all He’s done for us, none of which we can ever repay, let’s not disappoint Him nuh. Much LOVE!
…to Jesus…be all the glory…and all the praise…for He richly deserves them…
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06 Nov 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blast of sunshine, a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid, a pipe dream, a world on edge, ambassadors, anxiety, avoid serious setbacks, Banana Republic, be full of salt, be responsible, be trodden underfoot of men, be true salt and light, brings out the best in mankind, Christians, confusion, Covid-19, craziness, divisive partisan leadership, embrace your love and compassion, endurance, faithful believers, foolish antics, Friday chant, glorify your father in heaven, good examples of His gospel, good for nothing, gospel truth, handle the situation properly, hemming and hawing, Immortal words of Jesus, in a world of violence, in the name our Lord and Saviour, it giveth light unto all that are in the house, it's been rough, Jesus Christ, least amount of loss to life, legal wrangling, Let your light so shine before men, monkey see monkey do, neither do men light a candle, perseverance, prayers are in order, put it under a bushel, racial strife, ready to fall over the precipice, rest from the slave master work, restoring faith in you, salt has lost its flavour, show their mettle, sinful world, stay safe, stop our world going over the brink, sunshine, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the ordinary workingman, the pandemic still raging, they may see your good works, U.S. elections, unexpected storm, wake up and smell the coffee, warm temps, warm weather, weekends, well flavoured, widespread unrest, wise guidance, Ye are the light of the world, ye are the salt of the earth
Matthew 5:16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
And the election craziness and confusion continues in the good ole U.S. of A! What a surprise! (smile) On this spring-like Friday morning with glorious sunshine in my neighbourhood, it’s hard to pay much attention to the foolish antics that’s happening down there. The only sure thing is that there’s no sure thing, and won’t be for a while, what with all the hemming and hawing and legal wrangling and fake news and all the other stuff that’s recently made the U.S. look like one of those long-ago Banana Republics in South and Central America.
I wish them the best of luck, but it seems that with the pending results, we will have four more years of overwhelming, divisive partisan leadership down there, which doesn’t bode any good for anybody, neither the country itself nor the whole world looking on, who unfortunately suffer in some way according to how the U.S. goes. Prayers are in order, rather absolutely necessary, for all of us! End of spiel! (smile)
Now let’s hear what the ordinary workingman has to say today nuh. And as always, he crows: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! And it’s going to be a wonderful day, with sunshine and warm temps. Imagine that nuh, way down in November we been having temps in the high teens…Mama Yo! Today it might even rise to about twenty… Well that I can certainly handle! Ah don’t care what nobody says, but a blast of sunshine and warm weather brings out the best in mankind, at least in me! So let it shine bright and stay warm all the time nuh…Hn, hn hn!
Oh I know that is only a pipe dream up here in these northern climes, but who says a body can’t dream eh? And the pandemic still raging all over the world, but plenty more worried and concerned about what happening with the U.S elections, but not me nuh, because I know them people down there don’t care a darm about nobody else but themselves, so if they want to fight and kill each other over foolishness, I say let them go ahead yes! But unfortunately, we up here in Canada too tie up with the U.S yes, so whatever happens down there, we certain to feel some backlash up here, especially since we have plenty up here who like to play, monkey see monkey do, and behave like them down there. Steups!
Ah Lord eh, ah don’t know what the world coming to nuh, but it surely not as nice and warm and welcoming as it used to be. All a small man like me could do though is hope and pray and live one day at a time and give God thanks for Fridays and the li’l rest from the slave master work on the weekends yes!’
And isn’t that the gospel truth friends! The most a lot of us can do is hope and pray for better times and give God thanks for our situations. And yes, I know that’s difficult in a world that is on edge, that’s just waiting and ready to fall over the precipice, but we believers have been charged with the enormous task of not letting it go over the brink and plummet into war and all the negative things that will happen if we reach that unfortunate stage. And all I can do is quote these immortal words of Jesus concerning our behaviour and duty in this confused and divided world.
Please listen closely to our Leader, our Lord and Saviour. ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith (by what) shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand) ; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:13-16)
Yes my brethren, that’s what our leader expects of us; to shine bright like the morning sun and be full of salt, well flavoured in our lives, being good examples of His gospel, ambassadors of His kingdom, offering, help, encouragement and meeting the needs of our fellow man, wherever and however we can! Oh, I know it’s never been, and will never be an easy task, but with His awesome help, we can do it. So let’s spend a li’l time right now and go to Him for that help we need nuh. Let’s cry out to Him through our Friday Chant for endurance and perseverance and whatever else it will take for us to stop our world going over the brink.
All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. Yuh know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and the racial strife causing. We not accustomed to that kind of life Lord, and it really telling on us. And we know we can’t handle it on our own, that we desperately need your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the sure and wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, so that we can avoid any more serious setbacks.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to also bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. It’s also a good opportunity to introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion because of the way we, your faithful believers, handle the situation. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, as the faithful believers we claim to be, let’s go out and do our best nuh; handle the situation in the best way we can! Much LOVE!
…in a world of violence and widespread unrest…Christians must show their mettle…be true salt and light…
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