16 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great high priest, a Sunday afternoon stroll, access with confidence by the faith of him, all God has done for us, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, an high priest who can sympathize with our problems, assurance of being heard by God, be a good christian witness, cannot walk, come boldly to the throne of grace, come boldly unto the throne of grace, come to seek and to save, come unto me, confession of faith, Daniel Herbert, dare not talk, do much better with Jesus than without Him, ever was the same, faith, faith doesn't make it easy, faith makes it possible, feel and know, fellowship, find grace to help in time of need, find rest unto your souls, freedom of speech before God, gentle and humble, give thanks, guilt and sin, he makes alive, hears the sigh or groan, hold fast our profession, holy spirit, I am meek and lowly in heart, I will give you rest, I'm lame, in all points, in whom we have boldness, Jehovah is the sinner's friend, Jesus Christ, Jesus fills the throne, Jesus the Son of God, lay your load at Jesus feet, learn of me, LOVE, makes the blind to see, makes the dead to hear his voice, mercy, my burden light, my yoke is easy, passed into the heavens, plead what he has done, poor bankrupt souls, praise, preach good tidings unto the meek, proclaim liberty to the captives, receive forgiveness, relying upon Christ, renewed confidence, set the prisoner free, sincere and heartfelt version, sincere repentance, some soul may say, spiritual strength, stopped my mouth, sweet sacrifices of praise, take my yoke upon you, temptation can be a reality apart from sin, tempted as we are, that which is lost, the hell of sin within, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness, the Lord will take you in, the opening of the prison, the right of entering into god's presence, the selfless sacrifices of Jesus, the sinner lost He came to save, the Son of man, the Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, the unsearchable riches of Christ, this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears, those he kills, though lost and blind and lame, to be tempted by Satan, to gain God's ear, to heal the brokenhearted, to preach good tidings to the meek, to them that are bound, truth, we may obtain mercy, wisdom, with confident humility, worship, ye wretched sinners come, yet without sin
Hebrews 4:16. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
One more Sunday to add to our long list of them my fellow believers, which means another time to go to the Lord’s sanctuary to fellowship with other believers; that’s to sing, praise, worship and give thanks for all our good God has done for us, and has promised to do in the future. In return for our praise, worship, and thanksgiving, we receive forgiveness, renewed confidence, faith and spiritual strength, so that we can go back out into the workday world this week and be a good Christian witness for Christ.
And today for our song of worship, we have a beautiful Christian hymn whose words were penned way back in 18 something by Daniel Herbert (1751–1833) with music written by Clint Wells and Brian T. Murphy, in 2004. The song is most appropriately titled ‘Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace.’ So, since we’re invited to do that, let’s do it nuh, offering up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid-tempo, scintillating, sincere and heartfelt version.
Singing: ‘Come boldly to the throne of grace, Ye wretched sinners come, and lay your load at Jesus feet, And plead what He has done. How can I come? Some soul may say, I’m lame and cannot walk; My guilt and sin have stopped my mouth, I sigh, but dare not talk. Come boldly to the throne of grace, Though lost, and blind, and lame; Jehovah is the sinner’s friend, And ever was the same. He makes the dead to hear His voice; He makes the blind to see, The sinner lost, He came to save, And set the prisoner free.
Come boldly to the throne of grace, For Jesus fills the throne; and those He kills, He makes alive; He hears the sigh or groan; Poor bankrupt souls, Who feel and know, the hell of sin within; Come Boldly to the throne of grace; The Lord will take you in. Come Boldly to the throne of grace; The Lord will take you in…the Lord will take you in…Yes the Lord will take you in…take you in.’
And that’s for certain sure my faithful brethren! If we go boldly to the throne of grace our good God will surely take us in! And why is that a sure thing, you ask? Because the Lord’s Word itself tells us to do so. Listen to this most enlightening scripture from the author of Hebrews:
‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession (confession of faith). For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with our infirmities (weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:14-16)
What a delightful, encouraging and uplifting scripture my fellow believers! That’s why we can go to the throne of grace boldly, which means with confident humility, not arrogance! For our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, our new high priest, experienced temptation here on earth like we do, yet never sinned, therefore He can sympathize with what we go through, and thus encourages us to come to Him seeking mercy and grace.
One point the scholars make here is that ‘Temptation can be a reality apart from sin.’ In other words, though Jesus could not sin, He was well able to be tempted, as we see from when the Holy Spirit led Him directly after His baptism by John the Baptist, into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. (Matt. 4:1)
Then there’s this other scripture from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians, where in talking of the Unsearchable Riches of Christ, he says: ‘In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of (in) him.’ (Eph. 3:12) And the scholars explain that verse thus: ‘This verse affirms that Christians have boldness (freedom of speech before God) and access (the right of entering His presence) with confidence (assurance of being heard by God) by the faith of him (through relying upon Christ to gain God’s ear).’
Yes friends, all that we have comes through the selfless sacrifices of Jesus! Without Him, we’d have nothing! We certainly could not go to the throne of God with the assurance that we’d be heard. That’s why it’s so foolish not to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour. Just look at what the song says we can do because of him: Wretched sinners that we are; we can still come and lay our burdens at His feet. And why is that? As the song further says: ‘Though lost, and blind, and lame, Jehovah is the sinner’s friend. And ever was the same.’
And that’s the gospel truth my brethren. For even when we were yet sinners God would not turn us away if we came to Him in sincere repentance. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to this most wonderful invitation issued by Jesus to all and sundry. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30)
Oh my people, what a beautiful invitation to come to Jesus and receive all the good stuff He has lined up for those who believe in Him. And no, it won’t just be a Sunday afternoon stroll in the park, but you will certainly do much better with, than without Him. That’s a proven fact!
The song says, ‘The sinner lost, He came to save, And set the captive free.’ And that’s exactly what the scriptures tell us. Jesus Himself said this: ‘For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’ (Luke 19:10) Then the prophet Isaiah, said this about Him. ‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath appointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek (poor); he hath sent me to bind up (heal) the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.’ (Is. 61:1)
And remember that day in the synagogue when Jesus read those words from scroll, (Luke 4:18-19) what He said afterwards? ‘This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears (hearing).’ Luke 4:21) That just goes to show that all the words of the song are ever so true, and we’d be real foolish not to accept all that Jesus has to offer us. So please, let’s be wise and accept Him as Lord and Saviour…right now! Much LOVE!
…Faith doesn’t make it easy…but Faith surely makes it possible…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious opportunity for man, a great high priest, a great moment, a man lay down his life for his friends, a passionate and comforting call, accept Him as Lord and Saviour, anointed me to preach the gospel, at the feet of Christ, cannot be touched by our infirmities, cannot walk, Christ rose triumphantly from the dead, come boldly unto the throne of grace, come to know and love Him, come to save that which was lost, come unto me all ye that labour, Daniel Herbert, dare not talk, disaster-prone world, empathize with our weaknesses, eternal life, ever was the same, faith, faith doesn't make it easy, faith makes it possible, find grace, find rest for your souls, gentle and humble, give you rest, go to waste, greater love hath no man than this, guilt and sin, he hears the sigh or groan, he makes alive, hold fast our profession., holy spirit, I sigh, I'm lame, if you do whatsoever I command you, in all points, in the annals of man's history, in time of need, Jehovah is the sinner's friend, Jesus Christ, Jesus fills the throne, Jesus Son of God, Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, joy shall be in heaven, lay your load at Jesus feet, learn from me, lost blind and lame, LOVE, makes the blind to see, makes the dead to hear his voice, meek and lowly in heart, mercy, more than over ninety nine just persons, my burden light, my yoke ie easy, no practical experience of human life, obtain mercy, over one repentant sinner, passed into the heavens, plead what he has done, poor bankrupt souls, preach deliverance to the captives, preach the acceptable year of the Lord, recovery of sight to the blind, salvation, sanctified, selfless sacrifice, set apart for godly purposes, set the prisoner free, stopped my mouth, sweet sacrifices of praise, take my yoke upon you, tempted like as we are, that are bruised, the first Sunday after Easter, the Lord will take you in, the parables of the lost sheep coin and son, the prodigal son, the sinner lost He came to save, the Son of man, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, the weight of our sins, the weight of the whole world, this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears, those he kills, to all who feel the weight of their sin, to find mercy, to heal the brokenhearted, to help, to set them at liberty, truth, uncertain times, we owe Jesus much thanks, which need no repentance, whosoever comes, wisdom, without sin, ye are my friends, ye wretched sinners come
Hebrews 4:16. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
And it’s the first Sunday after that marvellous and miraculous Easter Sunday, where Christ rose triumphantly from the dead, and it was such a great moment in the annals of man’s history, such a glorious opportunity for mankind, that we’re still celebrating it. (smile) And we’ll be celebrating it for a long while yet! (smile)
Today though, we’ll sing a song that only Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection makes possible. The song is aptly titled “Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace” and was written by Daniel Herbert (1751 – 1833), a congregational minister who served at Sudbury in Suffolk. It is a passionate and comforting call to all who feel the weight of their sin to come and find mercy at the feet of Christ. And in these uncertain and difficult times, many of us are feeling not only the weight of our sins but also the weight of the whole confused and disaster-prone world in which we currently live.
So let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid-tempo version, being sincerely thankful for the throne of grace that we have such open access to. Singing: ‘Come boldly to the throne of grace, Ye wretched sinners come, and lay your load at Jesus feet, And plead what He has done. How can I come? Some soul may say, I’m lame and cannot walk; My guilt and sin have stopped my mouth, I sigh, but dare not talk. Come boldly to the throne of grace, Though lost, and blind, and lame; Jehovah is the sinner’s friend, And ever was the same.
He makes the dead to hear His voice; He makes the blind to see, The sinner lost, He came to save, And set the prisoner free. Come boldly to the throne of grace, For Jesus fills the throne; and those He kills, He makes alive; He hears the sigh or groan; Poor bankrupt souls, Who feel and know, the hell of sin within; Come Boldly to the throne of grace; The Lord will take you in. Come Boldly to the throne of grace; The Lord will take you in…the Lord will take you in…Yes the Lord will take you in…take you in’
And that’s the living truth my people! Regardless of your problems, your sins, your guilt or whatever, if you come sincerely to Jesus, He WILL TAKE YOU IN! No doubt about it! But you now have to come to Him, because He’s already done His work, dying and rising from the grave so that you can have the wonderful options of salvation and eternal life. It’s available to whosoever who comes and asks for it.
But getting back to our hymn for today, the basis for it is found right there in the Bible, in Hebrews 4, which states: ‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession (confession of faith). For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (weaknesses), but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:14-16)
Oh my faithful brethren, what a magnificent scripture! Firstly, it assures us that Christ our high priest is in heaven after completing His earthly work. And in so doing, He was tempted in all ways and manners like we are, but did not sin. Therefore He can empathize with our temptations and mistakes, unlike the other so-called gods who have no practical experience whatsoever of human life and problems. But our Jesus does! That’s why we can confidently go to the throne of grace seeking grace and mercy anytime we so desire.
And all God’s people said a loud and thankful, ‘Thank You Jesus!’ Yes friends, do we ever owe Jesus a bunch of thanks for all that He’s done for us. We can never offer up enough thanks to satisfy His selfless sacrifice, neither can we ever make up for it. He knows that, and thus all He really wants from us is to genuinely accept Him as Lord and Saviour and live the life that He desires of us; one that’s sanctified and set apart for His purpose only, encouraging others to come to know and LOVE Him like we do.
And there are some individual scriptures that parts of the song bring to mind, like: ‘Ye wretched sinners come, and lay your load at Jesus feet,’ That surely reminds of Jesus’ ‘Great Invitation’ where He so graciously and generously offers: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt.11:28-30)
Now there’s no greater invitation in this world, but unfortunately an amazing number of people have turned it down. Only to their own eventual demise. Then there’s the line that says: ‘Jehovah is the sinner’s friend, And ever was the same.’ Here’s what Jesus said to the disciples, and consequently to us. ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.’ (John 15:13-14)
And what about this line? ‘The sinner lost, He came to save, And set the prisoner free.’ Yes my fellow believers, that’s exactly what Jesus came to do, as He said that day when He lunched with the tax collector Zaccheus. ‘For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.’ (Luke 19:10) Then to amplify that statement, in Luke 15, Jesus tells the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son (Prodigal Son), where the owners of the sheep and the coin, or the father never gave up looking for what was lost. And He offers this sentiment: ‘I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just (upright) persons, which need no repentance.’ (Luke 15:7)
And there’s no better scripture on Jesus’ earthly role to close with than this one where He read from the scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue of His hometown of Nazareth. ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set them at liberty that are bruised (oppressed). To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.’(Luke 4:18-19)
And after he closed the scroll, with all eyes on him, He solemnly informed them: ‘This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears (hearing).’ (Luke 4:21) And so it was friends, Jesus fulfilled all that He came to do. The rest is now up to us. Please, let’s not disappoint Him, and make all His selfless sacrifice go to waste! Much LOVE!
… faith doesn’t make it easy…faith makes it possible…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a double minded man is unstable in all his ways, a future and a hope, a great high priest, a proud heart, according to his riches in glory, acknowledge God's sovereignty, an aura of peace, an high look, as little faith as a mustard seed, ask in faith, ask of God, Bible, calamity, call upon me, chaos, Christ's birth, christianity, Christmas week, come boldly unto the throne of grace, comfort, deepen my breath, double minded, driven with the wind, extricated from, faith, find grace to help, gives to all men liberally, go and pray to me, God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, God will meet all your needs, God will work everything out for our own good, He gives liberally and without reproach, he that wavers, heightened sense of peace, hold fast our profession, holy spirit, humility, I know the thoughts I think toward you, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I will hearken unto you, if any of you lack wisdom, in time of need, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, like a wave of the sea, Lord I want to be with you now, LOVE, man-made strife, mercy, natural disasters, New Year's celebrations, no respite, not doubting, nothing wavering, obtain mercy, on God's great earth, one of the most powerful forces, our godly responsibility, prayer, prayer can move mountains, praying for others, pride is an abomination to God, puts the icing on the cake, quiet my soul, relax, relax my muscles, salvation, sincere and heartfelt prayer, slow my thoughts, sympathize with our weaknesses, take a moment to remember, thank you for this tenderness, the amazing power of prayer, the joyful time, the plowing of the wicked is sin, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end, touched wit the feeling of our infirmities, truth, untenable situations, when ye search for me, wind down, wisdom, wishy-washy, with all your heart, without faith it is impossible to please God, without reproach, ye shall seek me and find me, you can't be contained, your love surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Jeremiah 29:13. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye search for me with all your heart.
So, at long last, through all the carryings ons of Christmas week, we’ve finally come to our lazy-day Saturday, where we can take a break, relax and catch our breath, wind down, until it’s time to wind back up for the New Year’s celebrations next week. Wow! What a crazy time the Christmas and New Year seasons are, with little or no respite from the joyful celebrations.
But please, let’s take a moment to remember that a great portion of our world is either surrounded by man-made strife and chaos, or they have recently been inflicted by natural disaster, so they are in no position to engage in the celebrations that we take for granted. It’s so sad, when so much of the earth’s population are not able to enjoy the joyful time that Christ’s birth brings.
And it’s unfortunate that most of us cannot do more than pray for them to be soon extricated from their untenable situations. But let’s not forget that prayer is one of the most powerful forces on God’s great earth, and therefore can move mountains if we truly believe, have even as little faith as a mustard seed. That means we cannot stop praying for those who are not as fortunate as us. It’s our godly responsibility.
Now, let’s 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 friends, it never ceases to amaze me how quickly after saying that prayer, something like a veil… or aura of peace comes down and settles in my soul. Not that I didn’t have peace before, but now it’s somewhat heightened, and my soul and spirit seem much lighter than before. And if your prayer was sincere, then I know that you also feel that heightened sense of peace and comfort.
Why? Because that’s the amazing power of sincere and heartfelt prayer! It just speaks to the great communication we can have with our wonderful God Jehovah, if we are obedient to His will and regularly seek His face. What did He say to the people of Israel through the prophet Jeremiah, when they were in captivity in Babylon?
After promising to return them to Jerusalem seventy years later, Jeremiah announced: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:11-13)
Oh my people, right there is one of the most provocative and thought provoking promises of the Bible! If we seek the Lord with all of our heart, we will certainly find Him! It could not be any simpler than that. So why are so many of us still wishy-washy, uncertain, vague, unsure in seeking God eh? That’s obviously not in our best interest, because God doesn’t like double- minded or doubtful people.
As James tells us in his epistle: ‘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 any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:5-8)
Yes my brethren, when we become the sons and daughters of God, we ought not to have too many doubts about Him, or our circumstances, for He’s promised to meet all of our needs to according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:19) And also that He will work everything out for our good eventually. (Rom. 8:28) That means acknowledging and believing His faithfulness in His promises.
What does Hebrews tell us on the subject of faith? ‘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) There again we have the premise of diligently seeking God. And I believe Hebrews also puts the icing on the cake of doubt, wisdom, believe and faith with these marvellous words, regarding our great High Priest, Jesus.
‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession (confession). For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (our weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in the time of need.’ (Heb. 4:14-16)
Oh my fellow saints, nothing can be better than that! We have an high priest, an advocate, one seeking our best interests before the throne of God, and the best part is that He understands and appreciates our weaknesses and frailties because He too was buffeted by sin while on earth, but He remained sinless. And there’s no one better to go to for help than one who’s already experienced your misfortune and thus can personally understand what you’re going through.
However, before we close, there’s one proviso to all of our conversation, that is, though we can go boldly or confidently to the throne of grace, we cannot go arrogantly or haughtily, for if there’s anything the Lord dislikes it’s pride. As Cousin Sol says so rightly in Proverbs, a proud look is an abomination to Him. (Prov. 6:16-17) And furthermore: ‘An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing (lamp) of the wicked, is sin.’ (Prov. 21:4)
So in all our doings with the Lord, we must ensure that our humility is in place, and we respect His sovereignty. Now that doesn’t mean we have to cower and be afraid. No, it just means that we must know our place. (smile) And we if we do, while seeking Him diligently and confidently, then our lives will be filled with the abundance that Christ died for us to have! Much LOVE!
…if you truly desire to have God in your life…then you need to…diligently search for Him…with all of your heart…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great high priest, a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again, all have sinned, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, Bible, challenges, christianity, cleanse us from all unrighteousness, cleanses us from all sin, come short of the glory of God, confess our sins, do not the truth, faith, fellowship with God, find grace to help in time of need, follow me, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, God is light, God of unlimited chances, God searches our hearts, he is faithful and just, holy spirit, hurry, I am the beloved of god, if any man will come after me, if we confess our sins, in god's eyes, Jesus can empathize with our suffering, Jesus Christ, Jesus is our only good option, let him deny himself, LOVE, magnanimous and magnificent God, mercy, no giving up in Jesus' economy, obedient to His word, rewards, sacrifices, salvation, selfish desires, share His love with my neighbours, sincere repentance, sinshine is a reflection of Christ, stumble into calamity, sympathize with our weaknesses, take up his cross daily and follow me, tempted like we are, tests, Thanks be to God, the blood of Jesus, The God of second chances, the propitiation for our sins, the throne of grace, the wicked shall fall into mischief, to forgive our sins, trials, trust my friend Jesuss, truth, Tuesday Mantra, walk in the light, was without sin, wisdom, worry
1 John 1:9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
And then it was Tuesday, sunshiny but a tad on the chilly side. But as we always say, we’ll take the sunshine any time because it’s a reflection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who is the Light of the world! And all God’s people said a loud and grateful: ‘All thanks be to God the Father who gave us His only Son Jesus to be the propitiation for our sins! Blessed be His holy name, forever and ever! Amen!’
Ah friends, what a privilege and pleasure it is to live for Jesus! There’s nothing else like it in this world; it can be tough and challenging, with sacrifices and all sorts of tests and trials, but behind it all, let’s remember that Jesus walked this earth as a man like us and experienced all that we experience, but yet was without sin, that means He understands what we’re going through down here on earth and can empathize with our earthly problems.
For as the Good Library informs us from the Book of Hebrews: ‘Seeing that we have a great high priest, that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:14-16)
Wow mih bredrin! What wonderful news, that we can go directly to the throne of grace for help from our Lord and Saviour…and not only directly, but also boldly or confidently, knowing that we will not be, no, never be turned away. Our requests may not be granted, but we’ll always have the opportunity to present them without fear of being turned away. Which other God is so magnanimous and generous eh? None whatsoever!
That’s why it’s such a joy to live and work for Jesus! He’s not a terrible task master either, although He likes His work done when and how He says, and when you are obedient to His word, His rewards can be enormous, can be very significant in the life of a believer. By the same token though, disobedience, laziness and lack of effort bring the risk of punishment. And that’s only fair; since we can’t expect to get good rewards when we toe the line, as well as when we’re out of order.
But again, the wonderful thing about Jesus is that He’s always forgiving, if we repent of our mistakes and try to be better in the future. And John details it for us in his first epistle, when he writes: ‘This then is the message which we have heard of him (Jesus), and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him (God), and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not (practice) the truth.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.’ (1 John 1:5-10)
Simple and straightforward my brethren. And it’s indeed a fact that we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God, (Rom. 3:23) so we cannot say that we have no sin, but the important thing is that if we confess to our sins, agree with God that we’ve wronged Him, then the Lord is most willing to forgive us…and more than once too. As this commentary so nicely puts it: ‘As a matter of fact, God is not only the God of second chances, but the God of third and fourth and unlimited chances for His children who confess their faults and weaknesses, and come to Him for help.’
Mama Mia! What can be better than that eh? Although it doesn’t give us license to sin and keep running back and forth through insincere repentance. Not at all! The forgiveness is for sincere repentance, although we might commit the same sin several times, in our hearts, where God looks for our true motives, we must be sincerely trying to escape it, and asking for God’s help to do so.
Oh friends, God doesn’t expect us to be perfect, but He expects us to work towards perfection, especially since He’s already given us all the tools necessary to do so, as well as the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. It’s like Cousin Sol says in Proverbs: ‘For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity).’ (Prov. 24:16) And that’s exactly what’s expected of a faithful believer in Jesus Christ. No matter how often you fall, you are expected to get back up, after a brief respite, for there’s no giving up in Jesus’ economy.
So there you have it, a brief overview of what it is like to work and live for Jesus… Oh, I forgot one important scripture that’s the foundation of it all; meaning what it takes to be a true disciple of Jesus. Jesus said it thus: ‘If any man will come (desires to come) after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23)
Now that might seem like a real tough target, and ofttimes it is, but generally speaking it’s not too difficult, especially with Jesus leading and guiding you through it all with His Holy Spirit. The important thing though is that you need to be prepared to sacrifice all your selfish desires to Christ, if and whenever He calls. But there again, He’s the kind of master who believes in helping His people, all the way, every day!
So let’s go home now declaring (yesss!!!) 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 said that, 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!
…living for Christ…is the ONLY good option…we have in this world…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great high priest, a song of life, access with confidence by the faith of him, Bible, by the blood of Jesus, Christ is faithful, come boldly to the throne of grace, draw near with a true heart, faith, faith doesn't make it easy, faith keeps us anchored to Jesus, faith makes it possible, find grace, freedom of speech before God, god, grace, hard heartedness, he is that faithful that promised, hold fast our profession, I am the way the truth and the life, in full assurance of faith, in whom we have boldness, Jehovah is the sinners freind, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus fills the throne, LOVE, makes the blind to see, mercy, obtain mercy, our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, set the prisoner free, the Lord will take you in, to help in time of need, truth, was in all points tempted like as we are, wisdom, ye wretched sinners come
Hebrews 4:16. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
And the sun was also a strong warrior yesterday friends, holding off the dark clouds and their precipitation until the early evening hours. Hopefully it will be able to do the same thing on this the Lord’s day, as we make our way to His sanctuary to sing, praise and worship Him, and in return get bountiful shares of His everlasting LOVE, grace and mercy! And all of God’s people said, ‘Praise the Lord for His goodness and mercy to we the underserving children of men!’
And today we’ll open with this marvellous song titled ‘Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace, with lyrics penned by Daniel Herbert in 1838 and music written by Clint Wells and Brian T. Murphy in 2004. It’s basically a song about life, a sinner’s life, who, through faith, can find relief at God’s throne of Grace. And as somebody so wisely said: ‘Faith doesn’t make it easy; faith make it possible.’ And that’s the indisputable truth, because without strong and courageous faith in Christ Jesus, getting to the throne of grace would be impossible, since it’s ONLY through Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, can one get close to Almighty God.
So, having ascertained that only through faith in Christ is it possible to approach the throne of grace, let’s sing a nice, soulful, heartfelt, mid-tempo version of the song, letting all and sundry know the amazing power of knowing Christ. Singing: ‘Come boldly to the throne of grace, Ye wretched sinners come, and lay your load at Jesus feet, And plead what He has done. How can I come? Some soul may say, I’m lame and cannot walk; My guilt and sin have stopped my mouth, I sigh, but dare not talk.
Come boldly to the throne of grace, Though lost, and blind, and lame; Jehovah is the sinner’s friend, And ever was the same. He makes the dead to hear His voice; He makes the blind to see, The sinner lost, He came to save, And set the prisoner free. Come boldly to the throne of grace, For Jesus fills the throne; and those He kills, He makes alive; He hears the sigh or groan; Poor bankrupt souls, Who feel and know, the hell of sin within; Come Boldly to the throne of grace; The Lord will take you in. Come Boldly to the throne of grace; The Lord will take you in…the Lord will take you in…Yes the Lord will take you in…take you in’
Oh friends, there is everlasting truth in those words! Once you come to the Lord in all sincerity, He will take you in. You can never get too low, lost, sinful or ungodly that He will refuse your sincere advances. That’s because His LOVE was so great for us, and it pained Him to see us going to hell in a handbasket, (smile) so He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to earth to be crucified and pay for our abominable sins. And from whence comes this amazing promise? Right from God’s unadulterated and ever-true Word, the Bible.
Listen to the author of Hebrews. ‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession (confession). For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (our weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.’ (Heb. 4:14-15) Oh my faithful brethren, that’s the beauty of living for Jesus; He knows exactly what we go through on this vile and ungodly earth, because He also experienced the same vile temptations and evil, but never succumbed to it because of His inherent godliness.
So when we go to Him with all our worries, pains and problems, He knows just how much we’re hurting, and has the remedy for our ailing souls and bodies. That’s why the author of Hebrews continues thus: ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:16) Now, those are what you call uplifting words, words that encourage and uplift both our souls and our faith, knowing that there’s a place we can safely go to find help in our times of need.
And one of the most important privileges we have by being followers of Christ is that we don’t have to go begging for help, but boldly, confidently but humbly. And Bruh Paul in his letter to the Ephesians, while talking about the unsearchable riches of Christ, tells us in no uncertain terms: ‘In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of (in) him.’ (Eph. 3:12) And the scholars explain that most important scripture thus: ‘This verse affirms that Christians have boldness (freedom of speech before God) and access (the right of entering His presence) with confidence (assurance of being heard by God) by the faith of him (through relying on Christ to gain God’s ear).’
Furthermore, the author of Hebrews in telling us about the house of Christ, writes: ‘For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after (afterward); But Christ as a son over his house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.’ (Heb. 3:4-6) Now another translation of that last verse puts it a little plainer. ‘But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are His house, if we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope of which we boast.’
Oh my brethren, that serves as a serious warning to not doubt God’s promise. And if you read the rest of that section (vs. 7-15) you’ll find that the writer of Hebrews uses the disbelief and hard heartedness of Israel as examples of doubt, and not listening to God’s warnings, even under the godly leadership of Moses and Joshua. Then there’s this last scripture from the Book of Hebrews warning us to hold fast our faith.
‘Having therefore, brethren, boldness (confidence) to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus (the room in the temple separated by a veil or curtain, where only the high priest could go once a year to make atonement for the people’s sins), By a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering (for he is faithful that promised.’ (Heb. 10:19-23)
There’s nothing left to say friends, except, let’s take it all to heart and be totally encouraged and uplifted by all the wonderful scriptures we’ve heard this Sunday morning, and go home and put them into action in this upcoming week! Much LOVE!
…faith is the anchor that keeps us anchored to Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
21 Feb 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a coard about pain, a great high priest, be conformed to the image of Christ, christianity, come boldly before the throne of grace, common to man, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fiery ordeals, Fiery Trials, find grace, God is teaching me, God will make a way of escape, hands on the plough, hip pain, holy spirit, if any man suffer as a Christian, Jesus Christ, lessons regarding growth, let him glorify God on this matter, let him not be ashamed, LOVE, mercy, my willingness, my yieldedness, no temptation has overtaken you, not turning back, obtain mercy, One Year Book of Bible promises, partakers of christ's sufferings, praying fo an open heart, rejice, Ruth Harms Calkin, sore throat, spring has sprung, strong faith in action, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the pain of loneliness, to a glorious future with Jesus, to escape testing, Wednesday Wail, with the temptation
1 Peter 4:16. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf (matter).
Oh friends, if I didn’t know better I would swear that spring has sprung! That’s because a short while ago I opened my side door to put out my waste and was greeted by a blast of relatively warm sunshine! Wow! According to my computer it’s already 5 degrees on the plus side, and it’s going up to 8, when normally at this time of year, it’s on the minus side of the centigrade scale. But I’m not complaining about the weather, rather I’m complaining about my right hip that’s suddenly for the last two days making my life a so and so nightmare. Almost every movement of my right leg sends a shooting pain through my hip. Can’t even sleep comfortably on that side. Chuh!
Then to make matters worse, this morning I woke up with a sore throat. Brother! I had planned on going to church today and doing some other chores, but my sore throat and tender hip nixed that idea right in the bud. Ah Lord eh! You’d think that my physical problems would be with my right eye, on which I had surgery last week, but that’s been fairly wonderful, no real problems with it. But my foolish hip, which bugs me off and on decided to act up at a level it’s never done before. However, I won’t allow those minor aches and pains (smile) to quell my desire for God.
That’s why I searched our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin until I found this most appropriate writing, titled ‘Fiery Trials.’ So please read with me: ‘God is teaching me incredible lessons regarding growth. I see with undeniable evidence that growth means pruning, and pruning means pain. I confess, I’m actually a coward about pain. I certainly never pray for it. I don’t anticipate or look for it. I do only one thing. I ask God to steady me, since the Bible so clearly states that trials are a part of our lifewalk with Him.
In all honesty, I would prefer to escape the testing. I don’t like the pain of emotional trauma, which can be so overwhelming and baffling. I don’t like the deep cutting pain that goes on and on without relief. The pain of loneliness frightens me, the pain of losing someone dear to me grieves me. Nevertheless, I am praying for an open heart. I can’t begin to contemplate what fiery ordeals God may choose for my testing and growth, but I do long for my yieldedness to prove my willingness to be conformed to the image of His dear Son.’
Wow! How true all of that is! None of us like pain, but it’s all a part of life, especially in the Christian walk when the Lord decides to test our faith. And we’d rather escape the test than go through it. In fact, many of us cringe in fear when we learn that pruning, which equals pain, is an important aspect of our Christian life. And no, it doesn’t seem fair to test us, least of all when we do not expect it. And that’s when we usually get the testing, when we least expect it and under unusual circumstances that most times we cannot handle on our own.
But that’s the very purpose of the testing; to ofttimes bring us to our knees and show us that we cannot do life successfully without Almighty God in our corner. And all we can really ask for is the strength and power to bear whatever pain it takes to conform to the image of Christ, which is God’s eventual state for us. And the great part of it all is that God either gives us the strength to handle the test, or helps us escape it through one of His many means and miracles.
The Bible promises, in Bruh Paul’s words: ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13) Yes friends, though our God might allow us to undergo temptation, which is as old a the world itself, He will not leave us alone to handle it, but will lend a helping hand in one form or the other. The problem is that we must be big and faithful enough of Spirit, Hope and Trust to understand this.
As Hebrews so kindly informs and reassures us. ‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession (confession of faith). For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (our weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in the time of need.’ (Heb. 4:14-16)
What a marvellous scripture my brethren! It tells us that Jesus was tempted with sin like all of us, but never sinned. That means He can sympathize with our frailties, our shortcomings, and we can trust Him to help us. But it all takes a measure of faith. Thus the Bible verse for our writing today, which comes from the first epistle of Peter. ‘Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch (to the extent that) ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
If ye be reproached (insulted) for the name of Christ, happy (blessed) are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of (blasphemed), but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody (meddler) in other men’s matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf (matter).’ (1 Pet. 4:12-16)
Oh my fellow believers, that is indeed some hard scriptures to put into action, but by the grace of God we can certainly do it! It’s all a part of the testing of our faith, that when we suffer for Christ, that eventually we will rejoice with and in Him. That’s the glorious hope of our Christian future. The point is that we never give up, keep hoping and trusting in our great God, who LOVES us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins! Now that ought to mean a whole lot more to us than it does. So please, in these evil and ungodly times, let’s stand up strong and faithful in the promises of the God of our forefathers. That’s the ONLY way to conquer the enemy and make a significant difference in our world.
Now, let’s declare (steups!!!) our Wednesday Wail, telling the whole world of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one 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 Christ, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So, let’s plan to meet there at the vey end nuh! Much LOVE!
…true Christianity…is strong faith in action…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
04 Feb 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a God of truth, a great high priest, anointed me tp preach good tidings, calms the troubled breast, drives away our fears, faith, heals our wounds, How Sweet the Name of Jesus sounds, I am the way the truth and the life, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the answer to everything, Lord of Lords, LOVE, may the music of your name, my shield and hiding place, no man cometh unto the Father but by me, refresh my soul in death, salvation, soothes our sorrows, the day of vengeance, the King of Kings, the Lord is my rock and my fortress, the name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous runneth into it and are safe, the Sabbath, truth, your name is like perfume poured out
Proverbs 18:10. The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and are safe.
Sunday blessings my fellow believers in Christ Jesus! It’s the day the Lord God Jehovah rested from creating the universe. We call it the Sabbath, wherein we also rest from conventional toil and instead gather in the Lord’s sanctuary to offer up praise and worship with thanksgiving and receive spiritual strength and confidence in return. And as always, we open with a song of praise. Today’s hymn is an old and very popular one titled, ‘How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds.’ It was written in the 18th century by John Newton (1725-1807). He of the famous background of slave trading, then abolition and ministry. And also the writer of many hymns, including that other famous one called ‘Amazing Grace.’
However, today, the limelight shines on ‘How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds.’ So let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, mid-tempo version, sincerely meaning every word we sing. Singing: ‘How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer’s ear! It soothes our sorrows, heals our wounds, and drives away our fear. It makes the wounded spirit whole and calms the troubled breast; ’tis manna to the hungry soul, and to the weary, rest. Dear name! the rock on which I build,
My shield and hiding place, My never-failing treasury, filled, With boundless stores of grace. O Jesus, shepherd, guardian, friend, my Prophet, Priest, and King, my Lord, my Life, my Way, my End, accept the praise I bring. How weak the effort of my heart, how cold my warmest thought; but when I see you as you are, I’ll praise you as I ought. Till then I would your LOVE proclaim with every fleeting breath; and may the music of your name refresh my soul in death.’
Wonderful friends, wonderful! And believe me, the name of Jesus does sound mighty good in a true believer’s ear. And what does that really mean? One commentary says: ‘“How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds” describes the power of the name by likening faith in Jesus to listening to music.” And the last line of the song exemplifies it. ‘Till then I would your LOVE proclaim with every fleeting breath; and may the music of your name refresh my soul in death.’
Now, according to the hymnary.org website ‘This hymn was based on Song of Solomon 1:3, “Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured out.” (NIV). Following a long tradition of reading the Church as the Bride and Christ as the Bridegroom in Song of Solomon, John Newton elaborated on the theme of the bride adoring her bridegroom’s name.’ And Christ is certainly referred to as the bridegroom of the church in several scriptures. But let’s see what scriptures we can find to relate to some of the sentiments Newton wrote in the song.
For the first verse, I guess we can quote Psalm 147, which says: ‘The Lord doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds (sorrows). (Ps. 147:2-3) And then we have these great verses of scripture that Jesus read in the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth (Luke 4:18-19) but which originally come from Isaiah 61. ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek (poor); he hath sent me to bind up (heal) the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn.’ (Is. 61:1-2)
What a powerful scripture, but Jesus in reading to His home towners stopped after ‘the acceptable year of the Lord.’ And the scholars ponder if that was done because ‘the day of vengeance of our God’ relates not to Jesus’ first, but second coming. They feel though that what Jesus read sufficiently made His point, per the promise-laden context of Isaiah 61.
And when we start talking about the Lord being our rock and shield and hiding place, we can’t think of a better scripture than those words of Bruh David from Psalm 18. ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength (rock), in whom I will trust; my buckler (small shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold).’ (Ps. 18:1-2) Meanwhile, Moses said it thus in his song: ‘He (God) is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgement: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.’ (Deut. 32:4)
Now, Moses, like Bruh David was speaking from personal experience. And it’s great too when we can talk about the things of God from personal experience, but it doesn’t come cheaply, and in this world of amenities and entitlement, not many of us are willing to make sacrifices to get that experience. But as Cousin Sol says in Proverbs: ‘The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and are safe.’ (Prov. 18:10)
And per the Lord being our shepherd, Bruh David takes care of that very nicely in Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) And Jesus also refers to Himself thus: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) Then as regards Jesus being our High Priest, listen to Hebrews. ‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession (confession). For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (our weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.’ (Heb. 4:14-5)
And per being King and Lord, Jesus declared it after His resurrection, when He said to the disciples: ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth.’ (Matt. 28:18) Then in 1 Timothy, when Bruh Paul tells Timothy about fighting the good fight, he says of Jesus: ‘Which in his times he shall shew (manifest), who is the blessed Potentate, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.’ (1 Tim. 6:15)
Then Revelation settles the matter with these prophetic words. ‘These (the beast with ten horns, representing ten kings) shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is the Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.’ (Rev. 17:14) Meanwhile, later on in Revelation it speaks of Jesu thus: ‘And he hath on his vesture (robe) and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.’ (Rev. 19:16) I guess that settles that question. (smile)
And we’ll end with one more scripture, per Jesus being the Life, the Way and the End. He said it Himself: ‘I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) And friends, on this first Sunday in February of 2024, I’m strongly exhorting us, to take Jesus’ words very seriously…that is, if we expect to see heaven’s pearly gates and commune in person with the Father through eternity. Much LOVE!
… looking for answers…look to Jesus…for He is the answer…to EVERYTHING…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
15 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great high priest, a harbinger, according to His abundant mercy, an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, blessed us with all spiritual blessings, come boldly unto the throne of grace, endure to the end, find grace to help in time of need, from God our Father, grace to you and peace, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, hold fast our profession, I'm not loking back, I'm so glad to be alive, in heavenly places, it bringeth forth fruit, lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, living for Christ brings heavenly blessings, living for Satan brings helllish curses, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven, passed into the heavens, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the enemies of the cross of Christ, the gospel produces godly character and noble conduct, the hope laid up for you in heaven, to a glorious future with Christ, vain deceit, we may obtain mercy, Wednesday Wail, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, where your treasure is there will be your heart also, word of truth of he gospel
Matthew 6:21. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Well friends, we’ve come full circle around again to another Wednesday, the middle of our work week. Some of us look forward to Wednesday as a sort of harbinger of Friday, that magic day when labour ceases for most of us. Yes, just two more days to go. But Wednesday, in and of itself is a very good day. It has all the new mercies and compassions that the other days have, and it also gives us another chance to get closer and more intimate with our Creator and to make a much needed difference in our crazy, turbulent world.. So please stop looking at Wednesday, just in terms of Friday. (smile)
And to show how special Wednesday can be, this morning we’ll open with the words of Bruh Paul to the church at Ephesus, a greeting that’s unlike any other greeting. So listen up, pay attention. My fellow saints, all over the world where this missive is read or heard, ‘Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be (worthy of praise is) the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.’ (Eph. 1:2-3)
Yes friends, Bruh Paul has deemed the Lord as being worthy of much praise because of the spiritual blessings He has put aside for us in heaven, through His Son, Jesus Christ. And what are those spiritual blessings that are in our names in heaven. Here are a few of them, as noted by the scholars.
The first one is the Christian’s citizenship, which is listed in Bruh Paul’s letter to the Philippians, when he advises them to imitate him and not others who ‘are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is their shame, who mind (set their minds) on earthly things. For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven; from whence we also look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself.’ (Phil. 3:18b-21)
So, if we follow Christ, sincerely, the first thing we’re assured of is citizenship in heaven with Him. The scholars also note that our High Priest is in heaven. ‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (weaknesses), but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:14-16)
Wow! What a wonderful high priest we have in heaven my brethren! One who can identify with all of our faults and frailties. It certainly does help to be able to go to Him and know that He will understand whatever we’re going through. Then there’s our hope. As Bruh Paul puts it in his missive to the Colossians.
‘We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the LOVE which ye have to all the saints, for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:’ (Col. 1:3-6)
And I like some of the scholars’ explanations of those verses. As per vs. 4, they say: Evidence of a person’s faith is Christ Jesus is his LOVE…to all the saints.’ And we cannot deny the truth in that statement. Then as per vs. 5, they explain that ‘Hope is salvation, as it refers to the object for which one hopes. While Word of truth of the gospel could be rendered as “the message of the gospel which is true.” This is meant to contradict the Colossian heresy: unlike its false teaching, or “vain deceit” (2:8), the gospel is true indeed.
And then in vs. 6, they explain that ‘The universal spread and effectiveness of the gospel verify the assertion in verse 5 that it is the truth. The Colossian heresy is merely local; while the gospel has come to the Colossians, it has gone beyond them in all the world. And it bringeth forth fruit; that is, when embraced by faith, the gospel produces godly character and noble conduct in its converts.’ Let’s hope that’s true of us my people.
Then we have our ‘inheritance’ which Peter talks of thus: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.’ (1 Pet. 1:3-5)
Ah mih people, salvation begins a new stage of life for us, and we have that certain hope because it’s guaranteed by the death and resurrection of Christ. and our inheritance is imperishable, cannot rust, be tainted by moth, stolen or ravaged by the passing of time. And it’s securely preserved and guarded in heaven for us by our heavenly Father. Wow! Now why would I choose to bow down and worship any other god eh? No way Jose!
And lastly, we have our treasure stored up in heaven as spoken of by Jesus. ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:10-21) And I do hope we’ve taken Jesus seriously and laid up our treasures in heaven rather than down here on earth, for it’s all safe and secure up there.
So you see friends, some of the spiritual blessings we have laid up for un in heaven by the Father through Christ, and which are ‘being progressively dispersed to us on earth in accord with our need and Christian growth.’ We couldn’t have a better life than that friends. That’s why it’s wise to hook up with Jesus and stay hooked up! Now for those of us who have done that, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus!
Altogether now: ‘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 one last bit of encouragement. If we endure to the very end with Christ, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…if living for Christ brings heavenly blessings…why live for Satan which brings hellish curses…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
24 Sep 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great high priest, a means of evolving, achieving a certain aim, all over bar the shouting, aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, bodies atrophy, but did not sin, comfortable with your life, despising the shame, die from lack of activity, endured the cross, enjoying the journey, forward motions, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, make up your own mind, never too old to set another goal, reality, rough and tumble times, stress the number one killer, the author and finisher of our faith, the confusing maze we term life, the joy that was set before Him, the keys of hell death and the grave, the wise money is on Jesus, to dream a new dream, toward a better self, tune into Jesus, was tempted like we are, who can sympathize with our weaknesses, with the Lord's help
Hebrews 12:2a. Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith;
And is it ever a lazy day Saturday my friends! I actually went to bed early and got up early, obviously by my standards, (smile) did a few things, then went back to enjoy some lazy time in my bed. Now isn’t that the way to spend a Saturday morning? It surely is! But as always, reality eventually sticks its unwelcome head in and makes you realize that time’s a passing and there are things to be done, like the Bit.
So, here I am finally, at minutes to ten, on this sunshiny but rather chilly Saturday morning, looking at the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, considering what to write about them. But I’m not worried, because I know, with the Lord’s help, I’ll eventually write something worthwhile. (smile).
And I guess we’ll begin with the shortest and simplest quote: ‘You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.’ And that’s the gospel truth my people! In the first place, while there’s God’s breath of life flowing through your body, you should never stop doing, stop learning or growing, because when you stop, then your life technically stops too, for being inactive causes spiritual death, and ofttimes even physical death too. Just look at those people who retire and simply become sedentary after a half century of being busy. Their bodies soon atrophy and they die from lack of activity.
And thankfully, regardless of your age or mobility, in this modern world of so many conveniences and amenities, there’s always something constructive you can find to do, something that can keep you physically and spiritually active. So there’s absolutely no need to ever stop dreaming or goal setting. You just have to be realistic and find a dream or set a goal that you are still capable of reaching.
And I believe that leads us nicely into this next quote. ‘For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end.’ Now that statement is also full of truth. It’s not always about an end or a goal, but more often about the learning and the growing, of improving oneself, the joy of being on the journey. You know when you set out on some trip, physical or mental, by whatever means, you never think so much of the end point, your destination, but more of enjoying the time in between, the time it takes to get there.
And that’s what life is all about, a journey, a journey preferably with Christ Jesus as your Instructor and Guide. For He personally knows all the ups and downs of life, the good and exciting places to visit, as well as the bad ones, because He’s been through it all already. As the Good Book so rightly advises: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Heb. 12:2)
Yes friends, Christ Jesus has already blazed the trail and finished the course so that we can have fairly smooth sailing with Him as our Leader and Guide. He knows all the ins and outs of the journey of life, having researched and experienced them to the max. And as the Good Book further explains: ‘Seeing that we have a great high priest, that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession (confession of faith). For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (our weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.’ (Heb.4:14:15)
What a marvellous Lord and Saviour we have my faithful brethren! He knows our weaknesses and can understand what we go through from day to day, because He also experienced the rough and tough times of human life down here on earth. The only difference is that He did not sin. That doesn’t mean He didn’t feel temptation, for He surely did, as you can read in the Good Book, where the Holy Spirit led Him into the wilderness after His baptism so that the devil could tempt him, and He could walk out of there, the victor in that early battle of their ongoing deadly war. (Matt. 4:1-17)
So, whatever our eternal destination, we know that the journey through this earthly life will be tough, but if we’re walking with Jesus, we also know that even in those rough and tumble times, He’ll take us on an interesting journey, because that’s His promise. ‘I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10b)
And that segues rather nicely into our next quote. ‘People tell you the world looks a certain way. Parents tell you how to think. Schools tell you how to think. TV. Religion. And then at a certain point, if you’re lucky, you realize you can make up your own mind. Nobody sets the rules but you. You can design your own life.’
Oh my people, the hullabaloo in our world today is so great that the noise level is maddening! There are so many voices in our heads nowadays, telling us what is good from bad, how to live, how to think, what to eat and wear, etc. etc. that if you’re not careful, it can drive you crazy. That’s why the stress level today is so high and such a big money maker, as well as the current number one killer of the brethren. All of a sudden, our world has gone mad with mountains of advice and supposed truth, most of which however are totally fraudulent.
And when, by hard experience you discover the fraud, and realize that you can do your own thing, you still need good guidance and advice to navigate the treacherous waters of life on your own. But thankfully, there’s still one place you can find some peace, truth and wise advice. That’s in Jesus Christ; as a believer and follower of His. He is the ONLY One who can successfully lead us through this myriad of highways and byways, of dark alleys and narrow lanes, the confusing maze, we term life, and then bring us to that amazing and wonderful destination called heaven!
So, the wise word is to tune out all the voices that are continually fighting to be heard, and it’s not that easy to do, but when you tune into Jesus, He helps you to do just that, and then leads you on an amazing journey, filled with ups and downs, but He never leaves you to face them alone. That’s why this last quote is oh so important. ‘At the end of the day, whether or not those people are comfortable with how you’re living your life doesn’t matter. What matters is whether you’re comfortable with it.’
Now that’s true to a certain extent. We must be comfortable with the lives we’re living, or otherwise what’s the purpose of living it. But then too, in the context that there are basically only two options of living this life, for Jesus, or for Satan, then we need to make a choice as to which one to be comfortable in. And as we all know, the wise money is on Jesus, for He’s already defeated Satan in the battle for overall supremacy, by taking away the keys of hell, death and the grave, Satan’s territory, through His own death and resurrection. So why live for Satan then eh, when Jesus is the victor, when it’s all over bar the shouting! Much LOVE!
…life is certainly turbulent and tumultuous…but with Jesus as our knowledgeable pilot…we can navigate it all with peace, joy and LOVE…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
07 Jan 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a broken realtionship, a great high priest, a man of sorrows, according to his riches in glory, according to thy word, all these things will be added unto you, be for my comfort, blessed with a strong will, calamities, Christ is sufficient, come boldly to the throne of grace, curse, deep-cutting pain, divine protection, faith, favour, find grace, for whom the Lord loveth, generously share our blessings, he chasteneth, heartache and anguish, I can do all things, I can handle anything that comes against me, I know O Lord, Jesus can empathize with our suffering, Jesus the Son of God, Jesus' awesome mercy grace and strength, loving kindness, my God shall supply all my needs, negative word, obtain mercy, One Year Book of Bible promises, passed into the heavens, physical pain, promotion, Ruth Harms Calkin, seek first the kingdom of God, self-control, spiritual growth, success, suffered the wrath of God, supernatural wisdom, tempted as we are, the feeling of our infirmities, the Pain of Growth, thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me, through Christ who strengthens me, Thursday Blessings, thy judgements are right, thy merciful kindness, to have Jesus on our side, to help in time of need, uncomfortable circumstances, unfailing love, was in all points, what a blessing, with Christ's help, yet without sin
Psalm 119:75. I know, O Lord, that thy judgements are right (righteous), and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.
Brother! I thought that 2020 went fast, but like this new year planning on going even faster! Is already Thursday the 7th, and the year just started. (smile) Just wish our calamities were going away as quickly. But what to do eh? We brought most of them on ourselves, and we’re not behaving in a manner that will encourage them to leave as quickly as they came.
What a blessing to have Jesus on our side! The Good Book plainly and truthfully states it: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ (Phil. 4:13) That means, with His help, His awesome grace, mercy and strength, we can handle anything that comes against us, even if it is of our making. And furthermore, we’re also told: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19)
Yes mih bredrin, if Christ will strengthen me and cause the Lord to provide all my needs, who or what else do I need eh? NOTHING, or NOBODY! For Christ is sufficient in and of Himself! That’s why He instructed us to ‘seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:34)
Oh friends, when we put Jesus Christ first and foremost in our lives, He will provide all that we need to live an abundant life. And that doesn’t necessarily mean rich in personal possessions, but certainly rich in spiritual things, maturity in spirituality, a good example of Christian living. So I don’t understand how so many of us refuse to follow Jesus, or only give Him lip-service and are not truly faithful to and in sync with Him.
I’m guessing that’s partly because living for Jesus is not easy. As His ambassadors, His earthly representatives, He expects a lot of us. He expects us to grow tremendously and shine brightly on His behalf, and that is ofttimes a difficult row to hoe. But as the ole people would say, ‘no pain, no gain.’ And that’s certainly highlighted in this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s appropriately titled ‘The Pain of Growth.’
So please pray with me. ‘O God Growth is a painful process. I frankly confess I am a coward about pain. I don’t like it, Lord I never pray for it Or get excited over it. In fact, I often resist it: The pain of emotional trauma So overwhelming So baffling and crushing. The deep-cutting pain Of a broken relationship. Physical pain that goes on and on Until my entire body screams. The pain of cruel cutting words. The pain of loneliness, rejection Or financial ruin. The pain of being misunderstood.
Lord, the very thought of pain Frightens and unnerves me. Yet it is true – Again and again it is true: My greatest spiritual growth Has come through pain. Through heartache and anguish. And very often in my suffering when I sadly thought You were doing absolutely nothing At that very moment You were doing more within me Than I ever dreamed or hoped.’
And that calls for a big ‘AMEN!’ my brethren. For it’s definitely through pain and somewhat uncomfortable circumstances that the Lord grows and matures us in His economy. And there’s nothing in that list of painful things above that Jesus never suffered on our behalf during His earthly sojourn. That’s why He can empathize with our suffering now.
That’s why the author of Hebrews could confidently proclaim: ‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession (confession of faith). For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched (empathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (our weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:14-16)
Yes my fellow saints in Christ, our Lord and Saviour, our venerable Leader felt every pain and suffering that we’ve ever felt…and more than any of us have ever felt to boot! And in Isaiah 53, Christ suffering is laid out, so much so that He’s known as ‘a man of sorrows.’ (Is. 53:3) And I like how the website www.gotquestions.org explains it. ‘Jesus is called “a man of sorrows” because of how much suffering He had to endure. He suffered first by leaving the glories of heaven and entering the human race as a man. Then He suffered all the things that humanity suffers, and then finally He suffered the wrath of God as the sin-bearer.’
So when He asks us to undergo a spot of suffering on His behalf, we ought to just shut our blooming mouths and do it without the hemming and hawing we’re so famous for. What would have happened if He hemmed and hawed about going to the cross for us eh? When Jesus asks us to jump, the correct answer is simply, ‘How high Lord?’
And before we run out of time and space, let’s look at the Bible Promise that was used for the poem above. It comes from the great psalm 119: ‘I know, O Lord, that thy judgements are right (righteous), and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me. Let I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.’ (Ps. 119:75-76)
Yes people, the psalmist realized that God in His righteousness and justice would not afflict Him without a good reason. And furthermore, His LOVING-kindness, His unfailing LOVE, would comfort him during his trails, just like He promised.
So please, if we want to be known as true and serious followers of Jesus, let’s cut out the foolishness nuh, and grow up, stop being selfish, petty and afraid and stand up to anything that comes against, because He’s faithfully promised to bring us safely and stronger through our trials and tribulation. And if you can’t believe His promise, what’s the point in being His follower eh?
So for those of us who are willing to undergo the troubles of the world without too much complaining, let’s go home now sincerely declaring (oh yeahhh!) our Thursday Blessings, those magnificent blessings the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. Wow!
Altogether now: ‘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 everyday! Amen!’
And please remember, those blessings are not to be selfishly hoarded, but generously shared, just like the Lord generously shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…for whom the Lord LOVETH…He chasteneth… (Heb. 12:6)
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