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
01 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a level of peace, a man lay down his life for his friends, an honour to be so intimately known, April Fool's day, April showers, believers, believers in Christ, But God commendeth his love toward us, christianity, Christians, come to know and love him like we do, despite what and whom we are, duty bound, faith, fly out the window, following Satan and his evil practices, for His awesome goodness and mercy, God cannot deny Himself, God knows all my mistakes, God loves us, God sent not his son into the world, God sent not His Son to condemn the world, God so loved the world, greater love hath no man than this, grow through challenges, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, hellhole, hellhole we're digging for ourselves, holy spirit, hurry, if ye do what I command you, in all these things we are more than conquerors, in god's eyes, in god's world it's all about love, in Jesus name, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, Jesus' crucifixion, listened to my doubts and questions, LOVE, love is the guiding principle of god's kingdom, love rules the roost, makes you want to cringe and laugh at the same time, May flowers, mercy, my bone-deep longings, my heart harbours deceit, negative evils, Nicodemus, nothing shall separate us from the love of God, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, prayer rings so true, prayers have no timeline, radiant with good intentions, received my genuine praise, salvation, see the coming seasons in my life, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, should not perish, sincerity of heart, surpasses all the understanding of men, Thank the Lord, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the amazing foundation of Christ's gospel, the awesome truth, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the In touch Devotional, the weight of my regrets, this is my commandment, thrive in peace, through him the world might be saved, to condemn the world, to walk beside you in this life, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, undeserving and disobedient, undying hope and faith, we don't deserve God's love, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, who shall separate us from the Love of Christ, wisdom, worry, ye are my friends, ye love one another as I have loved you, you truly are love
Romans 5:8. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
And the month of April has opened bright and sunshiny, though a tad on the chilly side. And though the computer is forecasting some 6 cm of snow for tomorrow, we do hope that as the month rolls on, it will bring some warm April showers that will eventually translate into beautiful May flowers. Yes friends, that’s the amazing thing about believers in Christ Jesus; we always have undying hope and faith. Consequently, we also believe that all the craziness and ungodliness that’s happening in our world is only a figment of our imagination, an April Fool’s joke, and in due course our Lord and Saviour will fix it all, to the benefit of Himself and His followers.
And all God’s people said a loud, proud and grateful: ‘Thank the Lord for His awesome goodness and mercy to us undeserving and disobedient but highly LOVED creation!’ And that’s the awesome truth my people! We don’t deserve God’s LOVE nor goodness, but nonetheless He pours them out on us, because that’s the kind of God He is, and He cannot deny His character. Oh, how I wish that our character was even half as good and strong, for what a wonderful world we’d then have.
Anyway, to help us improve our godly character, here’s this interesting prayer from the March issue of the In Touch Devotional. And though some of us protest to hearing March prayers in April, (smile) please know that prayers have no timeline nor special place, they can be said anywhere and at any time, all they need is sincerity of heart. So please pray with me.
‘God, You know about all my mistakes, even those I haven’t made yet. You’ve seen me grow through challenges and thrive in peace. You know my heart both harbours deceit and is radiant with good intentions. You know my bone-deep longings and the weight of my regrets. You’ve listened to my doubts and questions and received my genuine praise. You see the coming seasons in my life and You’re ready, even if I am not. It’s an honour to be so intimately known and to walk beside you in this life. You truly are LOVE, and I’m thankful. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Oh my fellow believers, that’s one of those prayers that ring so true that it makes you want to both cringe and laugh at the same time! Obviously, our omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present Creator knows all about us, even before we do both the wrongs and good deeds. But He still LOVES us! And that’s the amazing foundation of Christ’s gospel; the good news that Almighty God, our Creator and Chastener LOVES us despite what and whom we are! And I don’t know why that’s so difficult for some of us to believe, since it’s so openly and obviously stated in His Word.
Listen to Jesus tell it like it is to Nicodemus, one of the Pharisee leaders, as he comes under cover of night to find out what is what. Jesus says, in no uncertain terms: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that through him the world might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
Now my brethren, it could not be stated any plainer than that! God LOVED His human creation so much that He sent His Son to save them from the hellhole that they were digging for themselves by following Satan and his evil practices. And that fact is seen and proven with even more force by Jesus’ crucifixion on our behalf! How then can we ever doubt God’s LOVE for us? Oh, we might not want to accept it, but there’s definitely no doubt that He LOVES us with a great and undying LOVE!
And that just brings to mind one of my favourite verses from the Bible, where Bruh Paul writes to the church at Rome: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Now which other god has ever done anything like that eh? None! They all want you to turn from your ways toward them first. But Jehovah God is so sure and certain of Himself that He gave us a way out even when we did not deserve it.
And Jesus reiterated His and the Father’s LOVE for us, when He told the disciples: ‘This is my commandment, that ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you. Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do what I command you.’ (John 15:12-14)
Yes my fellow believers LOVE is the guiding principle of God’s kingdom, and that’s why the enemy is fighting so hard to keep us from LOVING God, ourselves and each other. For he knows that when LOVE rules the roost, all his negative evils will fly out the window, and he will be even further reduced than He is already by Christ’s victory on the cross and His amazing resurrection.
Bruh Paul also emphasizes the importance of Christ’s LOVE in his epistle to the Romans, when he writes: ‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ?’ (Rom. 8:35a) Then he goes on to make a long list of negative things. Then says: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8: 37-39)
And that’s what we need to believe friends, especially in these turbulent and chaotic times; that NOTHING whatsoever can, or will ever be able to separate us from the LOVE of God that resides in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And when we sincerely believe that, and do the things it calls for, then we will be able to face this crazy world with a level of peace and calm that passes all the understanding of men.
Now, let’s go home declaring (chuhhh man!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
That means, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…in God’s world…it’s all about LOVE…that’s why He created us…and that’s why He’s also saved us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Apr 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a friend beyond compare, a man lay down his life for his friends, alone, Bible, bitter, cast thy burden upon the Lord, cast your every care upon him, casting all your care upon him, Christ is our best friend, christianity, come unto me all ye that labour, comfort, discouraged, disillusioned, exalt you in due time, faith, family struggles, fellowship, forsaken, God's faithfulness, God's sufficiency, greater love hath no man than this, he careth for you, he shall sustain thee, He will pardon you today, help us through the fog, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, I will give you rest, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John Willard Peterson, loss of freedoms, LOVE, my burden is light, my yoke ie easy, no one understands like Jesus, our souls and spirits rejuvenated, sacrificial praise, salvation, solace, song of praise, the days are dark and grim, the Father of mercies, the God of All Comfort, the gospel truth, the great invitation, the Lord's Day, the presence of the Lord, the throne of mercy, truth, wisdom, you falter on the way
1 Peter 5:7. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Wake up people, it’s the Lord’s day! Time to make our way to His sanctuary, to gather in fellowship, offering thanks and praise, while having our souls and spirits rejuvenated by His awesome LOVE, grace and mercy! And today’s song of praise and worship is an interesting one, written in the later years of the twentieth century by Kansas born Christian musician, Army Air Force Pilot, Moody Bible Institute Attendee, John Willard Peterson (1921-2006) The hymn is titled ‘No One understands like Jesus,’ which is the gospel truth, and it’s one in which we all can find comfort and solace from our worldly problems, just like the author found them when he wrote the song.
The story goes that Peterson was employed by a gospel ministry when a supervisory position came open, and he was led to believe that he would receive the promotion, but instead someone from outside was brought in to fill the position. Obviously he was disillusioned and discouraged but tried not to get bitter. Then one night he happened to meet the said man, who, though he seemed to be a pleasant person, that night made several hurting and caustic remarks to Peterson.
And according to Peterson: ‘Later that evening, after returning home, I was sitting in our living room thinking about the events of the past days and about the bitter experiences of that evening. I began to feel very alone and forsaken. Suddenly, I sensed the presence of the Lord in an unusual way and my mind was diverted from my difficulties to His faithfulness and sufficiency. Soon the thought occurred to me that He fully understood and sympathized with my situation–in fact, no one could ever completely understand, or care as did He.’ And that’s how this immortal, most appropriate song for hurting hearts was born.
So let’s sing it now, raise our voices in sweet, sacrificial praise, in a soulful gospel fashion, echoing all the sincerity and truth it contains. Singing: ‘No one understands like Jesus. He’s a friend beyond compare; Meet Him at the throne of mercy; He is waiting for you there. (Chorus: No one understands like Jesus When the days are dark and grim; No one is so near, so dear as Jesus– Cast your ev’ry care on Him!) No one understands like Jesus; Ev’ry woe He sees and feels; Tenderly He whispers comfort, And the broken heart He heals. (Chorus)
No one understands like Jesus When the foes of life assail; You should never be discouraged; Jesus cares and will not fail! (Chorus) No one understands like Jesus When you falter on the way; Tho’ you fail Him, sadly fail Him, He will pardon you today. (Chorus: No one understands like Jesus When the days are dark and grim; No one is so near, so dear as Jesus– Cast your ev’ry care on Him! No one understands like Jesus When the days are dark and grim; No one is so near, so dear as Jesus– Cast your ev’ry care on Him! Cast your every care on Him, Cause no one understands like Jesus.’
And as we said before, that’s the gospel truth! No human being can ever reach the level of understanding that our Lord and Saviour has for us! And I like how this commentary shows the appropriateness of the song in all of our lives. It says: ‘All of us go through periods when we feel all alone, and nobody seems to care. The problems seem so heavy, and we wish that we just had somebody who could help us through the fog that we face. The difficult times that we are now living in have brought new, heavy tensions. Unemployment, bills, mortgages, illnesses, family struggles, fears, terrorism, loss of freedoms, uncertainty – heavy burdens to bear. Unfortunately, during the past year three acquaintances of mine have committed suicide to escape their troubles. A hymn by John Peterson has often been a comfort to me when I have faced these seemingly “impossible” pressures.’
And no doubt it has also been a comfort to many more of us, especially in the trying and troubled times that we’ve recently been through, and are still going through. So what’s the scriptural basis for the song? Peterson says that as the song came to him he began to write the comforting words from Psalm 55: The Plea of the Fearful, where Bruh David solemnly advises us to ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be shaken.’ (Ps. 55:22) Now that’s another surefire promise that the Lord will always keep!
Then Peterson, turned to Peter, who had witnessed the perfidy of Judas, and also his own denial of Jesus three times, but then went outside and wept bitterly (John 18:15-27) He echoes the words of Bruh David. ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 6-7) And nobody knew this better than Peter, because Christ eventually forgave him for his denials.
Christ is also our best friend as the opening verse of the hymn intimates. Remember Christ’s words to the disciples: ‘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. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.’ (John 15:13-15) And there you have the greatest bond between friends, the sharing of knowledge, then Jesus went out and laid down His life for us all! You could not get a better friend than that!
And I believe there’s no better scripture to end with today than Jesus’ Great Invitation, where He invites all and sundry to come to Him, regardless of our trials and troubles. Thus, He says: ‘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) Yes my fellow saints, let’s remember those most inviting words and take advantage of them, because we will certainly not find that kind of faithful and true invitation anywhere else. Much LOVE!
…Blessed be God…even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…the Father of mercies…and the God of ALL Comfort… (2 Cor. 1:3)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
18 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man lay down his life for his friends, a merciful forgiving gracious God, climate change, eternal life, eternal separation from God, faith, go astray, God commendeth his love for us, God so loved the world, Good Friday, greater love hath no man than this, he gave his only begotten son, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life, hellfire and damnation, humble ourselves, Jesus Christ, lose hope, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, nothing shall separate us from the love of God, on easy street, rain and wet snow, salvation, sincerely seek your face, something good is going to happen through me, something good is going to happen to me, strong faith in Christ, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the cross, the road to heaven, the world through him might be saved, this is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, wisdom
Romans 5:8. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Then it was Monday, and who knows what kind of day it will turn out to be, weather wise or personal circumstances wise. But let’s hope that the weather is somewhat like yesterday afternoon, with the bright sunshine just pouring forth, after a touch of rain and some wet snow in the morning. Yes, the sunshine won the weather battle yesterday, in this contrary month of March 2024, where thanks to climate change, you don’t know from one moment to the next whether it’s going to be hot or cold, dry or wet. (smile)
And, as per personal circumstances, regardless of what happens, we’ve all made the pronouncement: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it! (Ps. 118:24) And along with that positive statement, we’ve also declared (yesss!!!): ‘Something good is going to happen to me today. Something good is going to happen through me today!’ Wow! And with Jesus behind the wicket, or behind the baseball mound, guiding our trajectory, NOTHING can cause us to go astray or lose hope and faith in our wonderful Lord and Saviour!
Give Him much sincere praise and thanks my faithful believers, for He certainly deserves it, after all that He’s done on our behalf, especially the ‘sufferation’ of the cross on Good Friday, and the awesome resurrection three days later on Easter Sunday, momentous calendar occasions of our faith that are just two weeks away! And are those two splendiferous occasions, along with Christ’s immaculate conception and virgin birth at Christmas, ever important! That’s for certain sure, for without them we’d have no Christian faith, nothing on which to base all our hopes and dreams of salvation and eternal life. We’d be automatically doomed for hellfire and damnation.
But because of God’s great LOVE for His amazing creation, He sent His only Son, to die on our behalf and thus pay our sin debt in full. What a great LOVE the Father must have had for us, and still has, to give up His One Son, for a bunch of ungrateful sinners. And I just adore this scripture from Bruh Paul to the Roman church, which soundly endorses that amazing LOVE! He writes: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Mama oh Mama! What a scripture! It just exposes the big heart of our majestic and sovereign God Jehovah! And that’s not all. Listen to how Bruh Paul further describes the amazing strength of that LOVE in his missive to the Romans. ‘For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nr depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus.’ (Rom. 8:38-39)
Now, that certainly deserves another, ‘Mama oh Mama!’ (smile) Yes friends, for Bruh Paul is saying that NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING, can ever separate us from the AWESOME LOVE of our heavenly Father! And if you don’t believe Bruh Paul, then listen to the sacrificial Son, Jesus Christ, as He explains it. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17) More amazing scripture proving God’s great LOVE friends!
And later on, Jesus bookended those statements with this one. ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ (John 15:30) And that’s exactly what He went out and did on Good Friday; lay down His sinless life for us! Yes my brethren, the Lord desired to save His creation from hellfire and damnation, so He gave up His most valuable possession, His Son to do it! But please note there is one very important proviso in the whole thing: To be saved, one needs to believe in the Son! And that’s about the only requirement the Lord set out in His heart-breaking sacrifice for us to be saved: we must believe in His Son!
The gift of salvation itself is totally free; we need to do nothing else but BELIEVE! And Jesus highlights that ever so clearly in the next verse. ‘He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’ (John 3:18) Oh my people, it could not be any easier or clearer than that! All we need to do is sincerely believe in Jesus, and we’re on easy street – well not quite easy street, because belief brings a lot of testing, but we are indeed heaven bound. However, if we hear about Him and don’t believe, then it’s cleaners for us, eternal separation from God with Satan in the depths of hell.
And that fact is something that Jesus kept repeating at every instance. Listen to a few of them nuh. In talking about His submissiveness to the Father, He says: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (judgement); but is passed from death into life.’ (John 5:24) Then after saying that He was the bread of life, (John 6:35) Jesus made this other statement re belief. ‘For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me… And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.’ (John 6:38, 40)
And when the Jews murmured about Him claiming to be the bread of life, Jesus told them again, in no uncertain terms. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.’ (John 6:47) Oh my fellow saints, how many times does Jesus have to stress the overriding need for belief in Him, before we actually do it eh? But it’s all up to individual choice, the free will that the Lord gave each of us. All I can do is try to pound it into our hard hearts and stubborn minds! End of sermon! (smile)
Now let’s go to the Father in prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, asking for His divine help to fix our many earthly problems. As one voice: ‘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 it will stand us in very good stead, if we remember these important words of our prayer: ‘if we turn from our evil ways.’ For then, and only then will divine help be forthcoming! Much LOVE!
…belief is all it takes to get on the road to heaven…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
27 Aug 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a banner year for peace and love, a man lay down his life for his friends, Anna B Warner, God so loved the world, greater love hath no man, greater love hath no man than this, he gave his only begotten son, he who died heaven's gate to open wide, Jesus Loves Me, taking children on his knee, The Bible tells me so, thou hast bled and died for me
John 15:13. Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Another Sunday of joyful fellowship, thanks and praise in the Lord’s sanctuary my brethren! What a time that usually is! Meeting and greeting each other and sharing our week’s experiences while being refreshed and renewed by the Lord’s Word! What could be more wonderful than that eh? Nothing really! However, to get the real benefit from it, to truly enjoy the amazing camaraderie that occurs when believers get together, we have to show up regularly, not just once in a while, or only on special occasions. For fellowship and worship have to be shared on a regular basis to be truly worthwhile.
Anyway, enough badgering (smile) let’s get on with the fellowship by singing today’s song, a favourite from our childhood days, but made famous again a few years ago by Whitney Houston, one simply but powerfully titled ‘Jesus LOVES Me!’ And there’s no doubt about that my fellow believers. Jesus does LOVE us, otherwise He wouldn’t have left heaven to come to earth to die for a bunch of sinful, ingrates, like we are.
It’s said that the song “Jesus LOVES Me” is one of the most popular Christian hymns around the world, especially among children. The hymn was first written by Anna B. Warner (1824-1915), the American author and hymnist, in the 1850s as a poem. Anna’s sister Susan apparently requested a poem for a dying child and Anna wrote the wonderful words of Jesus LOVES Me to bring comfort and peace. The poem appeared in a novel ‘Say and Seal’ in 1859and the music was composed by William Bradbury in 1862.
And I like the commentary on the song by the website GodTube.org. which says: ‘The Bible tells us that God LOVES each and every one of us, despite our sins and faults. Be comforted by the simple lyrics of ‘Jesus LOVES Me’ and remember that our Creator is Almighty and ALL-LOVING. He is with us each step of the day and will never leave our side. We may be weak, but He is our strength.’ And that’s the gospel truth my people! So, enough talk, let’s get to offering up sacrificial praises in a rich, harmonious, sincere, scintillating, uplifting version of the song.
Singing: ‘Jesus LOVES me! This I know, For the Bible tells me so; Little ones to Him belong; They are weak, but He is strong. (Refrain: Yes, Jesus LOVES me! Yes, Jesus LOVES me! Yes, Jesus LOVES me! The Bible tells me so.) Jesus LOVES me! This I know, As He LOVED so long ago, Taking children on His knee, Saying, “Let them come to Me.” (Ref) – Jesus LOVES me still today, Walking with me on my way, Wanting as a friend to give Light and LOVE to all who live. (Ref)
Jesus LOVES me! He who died Heaven’s gate to open wide; He will wash away my sin, Let His little child come in. (Ref.) – Jesus LOVES me! He will stay Close beside me all the way; Thou hast bled and died for me, I will henceforth live for Thee. (Ref) Yes, Jesus LOVES me! Yes, Jesus LOVES me! Yes, Jesus LOVES me! For the Bible tells me so.’
Oh, that was ever so beautiful friends, heaven was moved, it warmed the cockles of Jesus’ heart and brought a shy smile to His face! And there is absolutely no doubt that Jesus LOVES us, for as we said earlier, why would He even contemplate coming down to earth as a man and sacrificing His sinless soul on the cross at Calvary for us, if He didn’t care mightily for us eh? And I’m not going to get into any big production to try to show how much Jesus LOVES us nuh, because if you need tons of scripture to prove that Jesus LOVES you, then your faith is weak and/or insincere, for that’s the first thing a Christian needs to truly believe.
So, we’re just going to look at a few simple scriptures that show Christ’s LOVE to its full magnitude. And the first is obviously the greatest passage in the Bible about God’s LOVE. Jesus said it thus: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) Now that is the scripture that encapsulates everything else; that gives the basic reason for Jesus coming to earth, the Father’s great LOVE for His most valuable creation. Likewise Jesus, for He has the same heart as the Father, because He and the Father are one!
Then there’s this other powerful scripture which Bruh Paul writes to the church at Rome. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated His own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Can you imagine that friends? While we were yet sinners the Lord sent His Son to die for us. He didn’t even wait to see if we would turn around from our evil and sinful ways, but got right unto the matter through His exceptional heart of LOVE. Wow! And in light of that, why don’t we LOVE Him and give our all for Him the way He desires eh? Who knows?
Now here’s this other magnificent scripture that Bruh Paul penned to the church at Rome, which describes Christ’s LOVE for us. He says very plainly and clearly: ‘For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:38-39) Mama Mia! What positive and reassuring scripture! In other words, NOTHING AT ALL can separate us from the LOVE of God which dwells in Christ Jesus!
And if you still don’t believe, then check out these verses from Bruh Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians, where he talks about praying to the Father for them. ‘That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in LOVE, May be able to comprehend (understand) with all saints, what is the breadth (width), and length, and depth, and height; And to know the LOVE of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.’ (Eph. 3:16-19)
Yes friends, the LOVE of Christ surpasses all of man’s knowledge and understanding, that’s why it’s so difficult for some of us to believe it. Now let’s close with some appropriate words on the subject from Jesus Himself. First off, He states: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) And that’s exactly what a shepherd that’s worth his salt does; give His life to protect his sheep! And that’s exactly what Christ did for us!
Then He tells the disciples: ‘This is my commandment, That ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you. 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 15:12-14) And that my fellow saints is it in a nutshell: There’s no greater LOVE than a man giving his life for his friend. And that’s what Jesus did for us. So please, let’s wake up and appreciate Christ’s great LOVE for us nuh. There’s nothing in all this wide world to compare to it! Much LOVE!
…The Lord created us out of LOVE…and Christ died to prove that LOVE…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
07 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man lay down his life for his friends, beloved of God, but have everlasting life, but of power love and a sound mind, child's play, contrary one to the other, fear hath torment, feel awed or intimidated, fight mano a mano, God has not given us a spirit of fear, God so loved the world, greater love hath no man than this, he gave his only begotten son, he that feareth is not made perfect in love, hurry, in God's eyes, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, love is the antidote to fear, my peace I give unto you, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth, Peace i leave with you, perfect love casteth out fear, share His love with my neighbours, tcarnal nature, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the antidote to fear, the dustbin of history, the flesh and the Spirit are natural enemies, the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, there is no fear in love, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, walk in the Spirit, watch and pray, worry, ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh
Galatians 5:16. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
And now that we’ve skillfully handled intimidating Monday, kicked it into the dustbin of history, (smile) it’s time to turn our attention to easy-going Tuesday, that’s opened up bright and sunshiny though somewhat chilly and windy. And isn’t it surprising that after we’ve been through Monday, all the other days of the week seem like child’s play.
That’s apparently because it’s the first day of work after a break, and the first of anything usually brings a li’l doubt, trepidation and fear. But since the Lord has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind, (2 Tim. 1:7) we don’t have to feel awed or intimidated by anything that comes against us, even for the very first time!
And if we remember these words of assurance from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, life won’t seem as fearful and intimidating. He says it very calmy and reassuringly: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as he world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27)
Yes friends, the enemy is always trying to induce or introduce fear into our daily doings, but with Jesus as our solid foundation, the rock on which we’ve built our lives, we have a most potent antidote to the enemy’s wiles and evil schemes. And what’s that antidote you ask? Listen as John describes it in his first epistle. ‘There is no fear in LOVE; but perfect LOVE casteth out fear: because fear hath (involves) torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in LOVE.’ (1 John 4:18)
Oh my people, the great antidote to fear is LOVE; the LOVE of God, which caused Him to send His Son Jesus Christ to die for us on that old rugged cross so that we could be saved from our sins. That LOVE for us was so powerful that our Creator could not resist the call to save us. And Jesus states it so clearly and plainly in this scripture that we all know so well. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
Now that’s the measure of God’s LOVE for us His disobedient and lawless children! The Lord must certainly have had a heart bursting, overflowing with compassion for us to do such a revolutionary and unexpected thing. And Jesus confirms the powerful effect that LOVE has, with these immortal words to the disciples. ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ (John 15:13) Then He went out and laid down His sinless life for those He considered His friends.
But please note how you get into that category of friendship with Christ. He said: ‘Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you to do.’ (John 15:14) So you see, to be a true friend of and to Jesus necessitates doing whatsoever He commands us to do. And that’s not always easy, convenient or even makes a lot of sense. But His command is His command, and He won’t command us to do something and then not give us the grace or the anointing to do it. So, even if the command seems farfetched, and out of this world, His divine help will enable us to do it.
Now that’s where our faith comes in: believing in Him enough to do whatever seems hard, or unreasonable, be willing to make the sacrifice that it entails to be a true disciple of His. And that’s where so many of us fall down. As the old saying goes, our spirit is willing, but our flesh is weak. Jesus Himself stated it to the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion, when they couldn’t stay awake and watch with Him. ‘What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ (Matt. 26:40-41)
And indeed, so often we sincerely desire to do stuff, but just can’t dredge up the energy, the fleshly energy to do it. We need to do like Jesus says though, ‘watch and pray that we enter not into temptation,’ because it’s at our weakest, most tired moments that the tempter comes a calling, and when we are most vulnerable to his advances. That’s why in his epistle to the church at Rome, Bruh Paul could write: ‘For that which I do I allow not (don’t understand): for what I would (want to do),that do I not; but what I hate, that I do.’ (Rom. 7:15)
Yes my brethren, we all suffer from the temptations of the flesh, our basic carnal nature, and oftentimes find ourselves doing the stuff we don’t want to do, while not doing the right stuff we desire to do. And that controversy between our flesh and our godly spirit will always be there while we’re alive on this earth, and thus we need to fight it mano a mano, each and every day.
And that’s why Bruh Paul advised us re the works of the flesh in his letter to the Galatians. ‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things ye would. But if ye be led of the spirit, ye are not under the law (carnal mind).’ (Gal. 5:16-18)
Ah my fellow believers, it’s a constant struggle to fight off the desires of the flesh, some of which Bruh Paul listed in Gal. 5:19-21, then goes on to list the fruit of the Spirit in verses 22-23. I’d strongly suggest we take some time today to refresh our minds on those two subjects, since they play a very big part in our lives, and manifest if we are truly living for Jesus.
Now, for those of us who are doing our best in that direction, let’s go home 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!’
Now let’s go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with those we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like do! Much LOVE!
…the flesh and the Spirit are natural enemies…but with God’s help…our spirit can certainly win…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
12 Mar 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brother is born for adversity, a friend has your best interest at heart, a friend loveth at all times, a friend sticketh closer than a brother, a glimpse of God's omnipotence, a man lay down his life for his friends, a man of many friends comes to ruin, aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, demands your silence, denies your right to grow, eccentric ways, free will, friendship between David and Jonathan, greater love hath no man than this, if ye do whatever I command you, it's not light we need but fire, it's not the gentle shower but thunder, LOVE, man needs a wake up call, mano a mano, no man is your friend who, our friend Anselm, the apocalyptic message, the first time was water, the next time it's fire, the strong never learn, the thing worse than rebellion causes rebellion, we need the storm whirlwind and earthquake, ye are my friends
John 15:13. Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Now it seems like the ole fella is taking advantage of the lazy quality of a Saturday morning by getting later and lazier. (smile) But that’s to be expected of a gentleman getting on in age, isn’t it? Or is that just an excuse to be lazy and rise late, especially when you’re not abed until the wee hours of the morning? (smile) Personally, I think it’s a combination of both, but then they say that a leopard can’t change its spots, so I guess I can’t change my peculiar and eccentric ways…not that I want to.
Anyway, having made my apologies, (smile) let’s turn to our Saturday ritual, looking with a scriptural eye, at the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And the first one tells us that ‘No person is your friend who demands your silence, or denies your right to grow.’ Now that’s obviously true, because by definition, a friend is one who has your best interest at heart, and if those in your acquaintance don’t want you to speak up or grow, then they certainly are not your friends.
And the Good Book tells us quite a lot about friends and friendships. Cousin Sol spoke about it several times in Proverbs. ‘A friend LOVETH at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.’ (Prov. 17:17) Then in chapter 18, he asserts: ‘A man that hath many friends must show himself friendly (will come to ruin): and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.’ (Prov. 18:24) And per the scholars’ explanation: ‘A man of many friends comes to ruin. In other words, a man must not spread himself too thin among many superficial friendships. Far better is it to have (a few) genuine friends who become like family and LOVE at all times. (17:17).’
Yes my people, by the very definition, the deep and responsible relationship expected from a friend, in a friendship, one cannot truly have a lot of them. And this last wise word from Cousin Sol is a magnificent one on friends and friendships, where he says: ‘Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.’ (Prov. 27:17) Of which the scholars say ‘As the proper tool shapes and sharpens iron for its desired use, so a man sharpens his friend morally and intellectually by their personal friendship.’
And that’s the gospel truth! If your supposed friend isn’t improving your mind and morals then he is no true friend. For as the next quote tells us: ‘A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.’ More gospel truth mih bredrin! A true friend will only block you if he sees you are falling, and then steps in to help you back up.
And the definitive statement on true friendship comes from none other than Jesus, where He tells the disciples: ‘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. Henceforth, I call you not servants… but I have called you friends…’ (John 15:13 15) And then He went out and laid down His sinless life for His friends! Oh what a friend we have in Jesus!
But when we talk about great friendships between two humans there’s none like that between Bruh David and Jonathan, King Saul’s son, found in 1 Samuel 20. By lineage, Jonathan was supposed to be the king of Israel after his father Saul. And though he knew that the prophet Samuel had anointed Bruh David for that job, yet he entered into a covenant of friendship with David.
Instead of being jealous and miserable like his father, he encouraged Bruh David, even letting him know of his father’s cruel, evil and unfair intentions towards him. And then later on when both Saul and Jonathan were dead and Bruh David was king, he sought out and looked after Jonathan’s crippled son, Mephibosheth. (2 Sam. 9) That’s how true friendship operates!
Oh brother, I didn’t mean to spend so much time on the friendship situation nuh, but it just seemed to warrant the time since real friends and true friendships are so few and far between in our current selfish and greedy society. Anyway, the next quote is also an interesting one. ‘The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion.’
And I’m chuckling here because our friend Anselm provides the answer to that in the very next quote: ‘Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.’
Now that’s exactly why we have rebellions; because the conditions of life breed nothing but rebellious attitudes. When people are so dissatisfied and feel that their problems are not being seriously considered, then the last option in their portfolio is simply to rebel. It’s like when you corner a wild animal and it sees no way of escape, it comes right after you, mano a mano.
It’s been the history of rebellions right down through the ages; the weak have been taken advantage of by the strong, and when they can’t take it no more, they rise up in rebellion. But the strong never learn, they keep on revelling in their power, no wonder it’s been a continuous cycle. And that’s why this last quote might just be true: ‘It is not light that we need, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.’
Who knows friends, we might just need the apocalyptic message very badly right now; the real revelation of things to come, and very possibly real soon Why? Because mankind being the arrogant and egotistic animal he is, who feels his free will, encased in his supposed power and wisdom makes him godlike, meaning he can do whatever he wants, badly needs a wake up call. And only the roiling, churning and upturning power of the universe, a glimpse of God’s awesome omnipotence can possibly achieve that much desired and oh so necessary objective! Much LOVE!
…it was the water the first time…but the next time…it will be the unquenchable fire…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
13 Nov 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brother is born for adversity, a companion of fools shall be destroyed, a friend is one, a friend loveth at all times, a friend sticketh closer than a brother, a man lay down his life for his friends, admires the flowers in your garden, aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, be a rainbow in someone's cloud, be in God's will, be of good courage, crapaud smoke yuh pipe, faith is the substance of things hoped for, frendship, Friend Anselm, get a snare to thy soul, God's eternal design between man and man, greater love hath no man than this, have life abundantly, he shall strengthen thine heart, he that walketh with wise men shall be wise, I had fainted, imagine it's already there, in the land of the living, iron sharpeneth iron, it is not good for man to be alone, laze on the couch, LOVE, make no friendship with an angry man, so a man sharpeneth the countenace of his friend, the evidence of things not seen, thou learn his ways, to bring anything into your life, to see the good ness of the Lord, two are better than one, unless I had believed, wait on the Lord, we want everything now for now, who overlooks your broken fence
John 15:13. Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
So, finally it’s Saturday, and no more work for two, whole, big days! Glory be! But we can’t laze on the couch too much either because there’s housework to be done; stuff that we did not get done during the workweek. So, as they say, there’s just no rest for the wicked! But that’s okay, we can handle anything we have to with the amazing help of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who enables us to do all things. And it’s that enablement I’m counting on right now, (smile) as I try to make some sense of the quotes we got this past week from our friend Anselm, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
Now, the first quote says; ‘To bring anything into your life, imagine that it’s already there.’ And we know that’s one of the tenets of our Christian faith: you have to believe or imagine it before you see it. That’s what the Good Book tells us in that famous verse on faith, in Hebrews. ‘Now faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.’ (Heb. 11:1) Yes friends, faith has us waiting with eager expectations for stuff that we’ve imagined or prayed for. The only problem here is that it ought to be in God’s will, or His plan for our lives. And if it is, then we know we will receive it, in His timing, that’s why we can wait eagerly for it.
The timing scene can ofttimes be a problem though, because waiting is not in our current playbook, we want everything now for now, and the Lord seems to wait until the very last moment. But He’s never late, although we might feel so. That’s the good things about it. That’s why we need to take these two verses from Psalm 27 to heart, where Bruh David adamantly declares: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:13-14)
Oh my people, if we can plant those two verses in our hearts, then we have won most of the battle! Believe that God will be good to us down here on earth, since Christ said that He came so we could have life and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10) And since you believe that, then you simply wait expectantly for the goodness of the Lord to show. It’s like when you’ve ordered something online that you greatly desire, and you know it’s going to come, but you’re just not sure when, but you still eagerly wait for it. The same way we must eagerly wait for God’s goodness, because it will come eventually.
Wow! Like I got carried away there. But getting carried away with the Lord’s business is quite okay! (smile) That brings us to the next quote, which is almost the same as the first. ‘Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.’ Yes, we do need to follow our dreams as much as possible, that is if they coincide with God’s plan for us, for if they don’t our dreams will certainly get sidetracked.
And I can give personal testimony to that since I never in my wildest dreams thought about writing scriptural stuff. Writing was one of my dreams yes, but not on the Lord’s Word. But He obviously had other ideas. So, here I am living my dream of writing, but not what I had intended to write, (smile) because it did not fall completely in line with God’s plans for my writing life. But nevertheless, I’m happy and contented, and still do some of the other writing on the side, so I can’t complain.
And the next quote tells us: ‘A friend is one who overlooks your broken fence and admires the flowers in your garden.’ And is that ever the gospel truth! True friends are few and far between, and if you ever are blessed enough to get even one true one, then shout ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ and hold on to them for dear life! There are so many scriptures on the subject of real, good and true friends, that we need to consider some of them. And most of them obviously come from the wisest man ever, that’s Cousin Sol.
Oh, before we go further, one other thing we need to admit and realize here that the flip side of most of these scriptures are also true; that is, we should not only be looking for a true friend, but also be working on being a true friend ourselves. Now listen to Cousin Sol from Proverbs. He writes: ‘A friend LOVETH at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.’ (Prov. 17:17) That means ‘a true friend has unquenchable LOVE that is not diminished by adversity.’ And hear this one: ‘A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.’ (Prov. 18:24)
Now what does that all mean? The scholars tell us: ‘18:24. A man that hath friends must show himself friendly may also be translated, “A man of many friends comes to ruin.” In other words, a man must not spread himself too thin among many superficial relationships. Far better is it to have genuine friends who become like family and LOVE at all times (17:17).’ Truer words were never spoken.
Then there’s this most timely warning: ‘Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways and get a snare to thy soul.’ (Prov. 22:24-25) Ah mih people, that simply means, ‘Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared.’ And that’s the living truth, since the traits of those we associate with can easily be transferred to us.
And this one proves what we just said. ‘He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.’ (Prov. 13:20) And the scholars explain that thus. ‘Wisdom as well as folly can be transferred by association.’ And if you haven’t found out that bit of wisdom already, please don’t try to prove it, unless it’s to walk with the wise. (smile) Oh friends, there’s good reason why Cousin Sol is described as the wisest man ever, although he didn’t live it out in his own life. But that’s the same with all of us; we give good advice but never take the same advice for ourselves.
Now hear this magnificent word on friendship. ‘Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.’ (Prov. 27:17) And the scholars explain. ‘27:17. As the proper tool shapes and sharpens iron for its desired use, so a man sharpens his friend morally and intellectually by their personal relationship.’
And listen to this last one from Cousin Sol, written as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes. ‘Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow (companion): but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, for he hath not another to help him up.’ (Eccl. 4:9-10) More awesome truth friends! If you don’t have anyone beside you and you fall, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe. No wonder, the Lord, after He made Adam, said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him (a helper comparable to him).’ (Gen. 2:18) And that’s how Eve came about.
But the greatest word ever on true friendship obviously comes from the greatest One who ever lived; our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Hear him declare to the disciples, and consequently to us: ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ (John 15:13) Then He called them friends, and laid down His life for them, for all of those who would believe in Him. That’s what true friendship is all about my fellow saints!
And the last quote simply says: ‘Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.’ And we do that by befriending someone in some form or fashion, lifting them up, being a light in their darkness, the way the Lord put a rainbow in the sky to assure Noah that He would not destroy the world by water again, (Gen. 9:8-17) and the way Jesus died to bring light to our darkened souls. Much LOVE!
…friendship…God’s eternal design between man and man…and between man and God…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
11 Nov 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a child of God, a free world, a man lay down his life for his friends, a sacrifice to God, aroma, as I have loved you, bowels of compassion, break faith, Christ-like behaviour, Christian, commandment, eternal life, fellowship, felt dawn, free-all, freedom, Friday chant, fun, generous help, glorious kingdom, God's love in Christ, godlier perspective, greater love hath no man, heart, hold it high, honour, In Flanders Fields, John McCrae, leggo beast, licentiousness, lives, loss of lives, LOVE one another, loved, melancholy day, modicum of circumspection, motor, offering, passed the torch, peacemaker, precious possession, relaxation, Remembrance Day, rest, salvation, saw sunset glow, sweet-smelling savour, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, thank God, the LOVE of God, the poppies blow, the torch, time to fly, touch the sky, true meaning of love, truth, ungodliness, warmonger, week of work, weekends, were loved, World Wars
John 15:13. Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Well friends, it’s Friday, and many of us are singing our Friday jig: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! At last it’s our time to do as we please. No more massa looking over we shoulder to see what we doing. It’s our time to fly, as high as we want to; to touch the sky even. Thank God for Fridays and the weekend!’
But as always, that jig is a little too expansive with room for things that ought not to be indulged in. And we have our Friday Chant that offers a much better, healthier and godlier perspective.
So let’s chant it now nuh. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes my Christian brethren, that’s a much better way to use the weekend. Behaving like leggo beast, with all sorts of licentiousness and ungodliness isn’t appropriate behaviour for a child of God, a follower of Jesus Christ. So as Jeeves would say, let’s moderate our behaviour with a modicum of circumspection nuh. (smile)
Now this Friday is a special and somewhat melancholy one in man’s memory, as we celebrate Remembrance Day, in honour of all those brave people who died in the Great Wars, especially the First World War. We remember those who gave their most precious possession, their lives, so that we could have a basic freedom in our lives.
Now unlike what some think, freedom isn’t just granted, more times than not it has to be fought for. And those brave men and women did just that for us. So it’s essential that we remember them and give many thanks for their Christ-like behaviour, as least one day in every year.
And in their honour, I’d like to share the world’s most famous War Memorial Poem, ‘In Flanders Fields,’ written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae on the morning of May 3 1915, at the battlefront during the second battle of Ypres, Belgium.
Please read with me: ‘In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place: and in the sky The larks still bravely singing fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the dead: Short days ago, We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, LOVED and were LOVED: and now we lie In Flanders fields!
Take up our quarrel with the foe To you, from failing hands, we throw The torch: be yours to hold it high If ye break faith with us who die, We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.’
Oh my people, the many wasted lives created by that war eh! Young people died by the thousands. We claimed there’d never be another war like that, yet some thirty years later we’re fighting another World War, and several smaller ones after that.
Steups! Mankind just seems to like war yes; innately he is a warmonger, rather than a peacemaker.
And on this Remembrance Day of 2016, I believe that our Bit serves as a most appropriate reminder of all those deaths. Listen to Jesus, as He talks to His disciples about LOVE and friendship. ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’
And that’s indisputable, irrefutable, gospel truth! Yes my precious people of God, those soldiers laid down their lives for us, so that we could have the opportunities we now have and to continue their efforts to have a free world. They have passed the torch to us.
It’s just like Jesus laid down His life so that we could have salvation and eternal life and show others the way to Him.
However, though we seem to appreciate to some extent the loss of lives back in the war, we don’t seem to particularly like or adopt Jesus’ words before our Bit. ‘This is my commandment, That ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you.’ (John 15:12)
Now, if friends give up their lives for us, because they LOVED us, in keeping with Jesus’ commandment, we ought to LOVE and cherish those who remain. But unfortunately, in these times of worldwide anger and strife, the true meaning of the word LOVE is still eluding us.
We tend to talk it a lot, but seldom do the acts required of it. How can we call ourselves true Christians then eh my brethren, when we are not following the commandment of Jesus?
Now hear how John puts it in his first epistle. ‘Hereby perceive we the LOVE of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good (goods), and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion (heart) from him, how dwelleth the LOVE of God in him?’ (1 John 3:16-17)
That’s a very good question, friends! And the scholars offer this explanation of those verses. ‘3:16-17. The standard for our LOVE is God’s LOVE in Christ, who died for us. LOVE that observes need, and does not act to minister to it, is NO LOVE at all. Bowels of compassion in modern English would be “heart,” proceeding from our inward core of awareness and action.’
Ah mih people, sadly that does not happen in our poverty-stricken and sickly world as much as it ought to. That means we are falling down as Christians. Anyway, let’s close with the words of Bruh Paul while explaining to the Ephesians, the ways of a believer.
‘Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in LOVE, as Christ also hath LOVED us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour (aroma).’ (Eph.5:1-2)
I couldn’t have said it any better, so please friends, let’s see if we can’t ramp up, improve the incidence of true LOVE in our lives and our societies nuh. It’s the ONLY thing that will stop our world from the current free-fall that it’s currently in. Much LOVE!
…true LOVE is the motor that should drive our lives…
20 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man lay down his life for his friends, a new perspective on life, all things are become new, ambassadors of Christ, be renewed in the spirit of your mind, be ye angry and sin not, become more like Jesus, butterfly, caterpillar, celebration, Christ walked His talk, compassionate, deceitful lusts, disobedient, encouragement, every tongue declare that Christ is Lord indeed, except a man be born again, forgiving, freedom of choice, friends, godly character, grab the bull by the horns, greater love hath no man, he cannot see the kingdom of God, he is a new creature, if any man be in Christ, Jesus Christ, King of Kings, let not the sun go down on your wrath, Lord of Lords, loving, madness, merciful, old things are passed away, Pharisees, praise, put away lying, rebellious nature, refusing to believe, renounce our sins, reviling, righteousness., saviour jesus christ, seeking the things of God, sinful, speak every man truth, stupidity, Sunday, thanksgiving, the be all and end all, the ungodly things of the world, to whom every knee must bow, truth, ungodly traits, upliftment, we are members one of another, worship, you are my friends if you obey my commands
2 Corinthians 5:17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.
Well Friends, that wonderful day called Sunday has rolled around once more. And we all know what that means; joyful praise and worship, thanksgiving and celebration, encouragement and upliftment in God’s sanctuary, for all those who believe in His glorious Son Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, to whom every knee must bow and every tongue declare that He is the Sovereign Lord indeed!
Oh Glory to God my people, for such a wonderful champion! There’s none else as mighty, as LOVING, as forgiving, merciful and compassionate as Him!
Those who refuse to believe in Jesus Christ need to have their heads, hearts and souls thoroughly examined for stupidity and/or madness because He is the be all and end all to every human being. There’s nothing we can ever want that won’t be found in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
Unfortunately though, the Father gave human beings the freedom of choice; the freedom to believe or not to believe in His Son, and with our naturally sinful, disobedient, prideful and rebellious nature, a whole host of humans are foolishly reviling and refusing to believe and put their trust in Him.
Thank God we are not amongst that ignorant lot my brethren! We believe…and will keep on believing until the very end, because He walked His talk: ‘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)
Then He went out and showed His great LOVE for us by sacrificing His holy and sinless life on the cross at Calvary, so that we could have salvation and eternal life. Now to prove that we are indeed His friends, we need to do what He’s commanded, otherwise we’re no friends of His. As simple as that.
Now here’s an interesting quote from our friend Anselm, who aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. It says: ‘How does one become a butterfly? You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.’
When I read that a few days ago, it brought a chuckle to my soul and I knew that at some time I’d have to share it. But it does make a whole lot of sense. To become a butterfly you must stop being a caterpillar, and if you want to fly so badly, the only way to do that is to stop being a caterpillar.
And the good thing about that statement my people, is that it applies to almost everything in our lives. If we want to be one thing, we need to stop being something else. We simply cannot be two things at once. And becoming something else is very seldom easy as the lowly caterpillar and many of us can attest to.
And it’s very applicable to our becoming believers in Christ, as our Bit informs us. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.’
That’s indisputable truth my people! To be a true believer in Christ, we must stop crawling through the ungodly things of this world, shed that old caterpillar skin and soar like a brand newborn butterfly into things of heaven!
Please note what Jesus told Nicodemus when he inquired about salvation. ‘Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again (from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:3)
So like the caterpillar that goes through a metamorphosis, a significant change to become a butterfly, so too we humans have to go through a significant change to become a true believer in Christ.
Now it’s not an easy task, especially with all the evil and ungodly bombardments we experience in this world. But with God’s help it can be accomplished, and believe me friends, it’s very worthwhile and rewarding. When we are born again, we develop an entirely new perspective about life, about living for Christ.
Listen to how Bruh Paul talked about the new life in Christ to the Ephesians. ‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.’ (Eph.4:22-24)
Yes my brethren, as new born believers in Christ we need to renounce our old worldly ways and sins, constantly being changed to become more like Christ every day, seeking the things that are God, and seeing the world from His viewpoint. All of that helps us to develop a new and godly character, so that we can walk in righteousness and truth.
As Bruh Paul continues to the Ephesian’s. ‘Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil.’ (Eph.4:25-27)
Yes Friends, those are just a few of the things that we need to cut out from our old behaviour, and replace them with their opposite and godly behaviour. And there are many more characteristics of daily living that Bruh Paul advises us to change, which I won’t go through in detail, but you can read for yourself in Ephesians 4:28-32.
So my brethren, now that we are new creatures, new creations in Christ, let’s act and look the part nuh. We can’t afford to be exhibiting the same ungodly traits and characteristics we showed before we were born again, otherwise we’d be considered hypocritical, like the Pharisees of old, and give Christ a bad name and a less than stellar reputation.
And we surely don’t want to do that, so let’s grab the bull by the horns, get ourselves together, so that we can be good ambassadors for Christ. That’s everlasting wisdom! Much LOVE!
…to truly live for Christ…means throwing out the old ways of the world…and bringing in the new ways of heaven…
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