13 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a friend who sticks closer than a brother, a life filled with much solace and grief, accept it with good grace, all because we do not carry, all our sins and griefs to bear, all our sorrows share, an Irish immigrant to Canada, and lo I am with you always, ask anything according to his will, be discouraged, be thankful unto God, bless His name, call unto me and I will answer thee, can we find a friend so faithful, come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, cumbered with a load of care, despising the shame, do your friends despise forsake you, eccentricities, endured the cross, enter into his gates with thanksgiving, everything to God in prayer, faith, fiancee died in drowning accident, find rest unto your souls, find solace there, for the joy that was set before him, gather in God's sanctuary in joyful fellowship, God's mercy is everlasting, greater love hath no man than this, he heareth us, his truth endureth to all generations, holy spirit, humble and gentle, I am meek and lowly in heart, I will give you rest, if we know that he hear us, if ye do what I command you, in his arms he'll take and shield you, in whom I will trust, into his courts with praise, is there trouble anywhere, Jesus Christ, Jesus is all we ever need, Jesus is always available through prayer, Jesus is the best friend one could ever have, Jesus knows our every weakness, Jesus selflessly sacrificed His life, Jesus' invitation covers everything, Joseph M Scriven, learn from me, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, mercy, my buckler and the horn of my salvation, my deliverer my God my strength, my high tower, my shield, my yoke is easy and my burden light, new fiancee died after a short illness, O taste and see that the Lord is good, oh what peace we often forfeit, on the cross of Calvary, plans again thwarted, precious Saviour, salvation, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, shew thee great and mighty things, singing out its awesome truth, still our refuge, suffered from depression, suffered mistrust with neighbours, sweet sacrifices of praise, take it to the Lord in prayer, take my yoke upon you, that a man lay down his life for his friends, the author and finisher of our faith, the Great Invitation of Jesus, the horn of my salvation, the Lord is my rock and my fortress, the Plymouth Brethren, this is the confidence that we have in Him, to pay for our sins, trials and temptations, trials and tribulations, truth, turbulent times, we know that we have the petition we desired of him, we should never be discouraged, weak and heavy laden, what a friend we have in Jesus, what a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer, what needless pain we bear, whatsoever we ask, wisdom, ye are my friends
Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 September 2026 John 15:13.
John 15:13. Greater LOVE hath no man that this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
The Sundays just keep rolling around my people, but that’s the way the Lord designed it, so we must accept it with good grace, and keep gathering in His sanctuary with other believers in joyful fellowship, so we can give Him the praise and thanksgiving He so richly deserves. How did the psalmist put it? ‘Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:4-5)
And those are certainly good enough reasons for us to gather in worship every Sunday, on His day. And we’ll open today’s worship with a hymn that’s chocked full of much truth and is rather appropriate for these turbulent times. It’s titled ‘What A Friend We Have in Jesus.’ It was written in 1855 near Port Hope Ontario, by Joseph M. Scriven (1819-1886), an Irish immigrant to Canada.
According to the Hymnary.org website, it seems that Scriven’s life was filled with many trials and tribulations; for instance, he wanted to have an army career, but poor health nixed that ambition. Then on the eve of their wedding in 1844 his fiancée died in a drowning accident. After that he moved to Ontario as a teacher. However, his life plans were again thwarted when his new fiancée died after a short illness. Apparently, his life took a downward plunge from there, with him not working regularly, living in other people’s homes and experiencing mistrust with neighbours because of his eccentricities.
He was also a member of the Plymouth Brethren, and tried to live according to the Sermon on the Mount as literally as possible, giving and sharing all he had and often doing menial tasks for the poor and physically disabled. Because Scriven suffered from depression, no one knew if his death by drowning in Rice Lake was suicide or an accident. And since his life was apparently filled with much solace and grief, it’s no wonder he was able to write such a powerful, consoling hymn.
Now, having had some background on the hymn’s author, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, heartfelt, mid-tempo version of the song, singing out its awesome truth to all who hear it. Singing: ‘ What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer! – Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer! – Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge– take it to the Lord in prayer! Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In his arms he’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there. What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!… What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!’
Oh friends, that is the most wonderful and extraordinary privilege we have in this life! Wow! Those who don’t know Jesus really don’t know what a thrill and blessing they are missing! He’s the best friend a man can ever have! Why? Just listen to the truths of the song: Firstly, he bears all our sins and griefs. And that’s a fact, for He selflessly sacrificed His sinless life on the cross of Calvary to pay for our abominable sins.
And as to hearing our prayers, just listen to these scriptures. The Lord said to Jeremiah: ‘Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty (inaccessible) things, which thou knowest not.’ (Jer. 33:3) That means our God wants us to call Him and share whatever is happening in our lives. And John goes on to confirm it with these most encouraging words from his first epistle. ‘And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired (asked) of him.’ (1 John 5:14-15)
In other words, the Lord won’t refuse a request that’s in His will, but He might tell you not yet. (smile) And if you’re looking for a shield from the world’s problems, Bruh David says it loud and clear in Psalm 18: ‘The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold),’ (Ps. 18:2)
And as per discouragement, I like how Hebrews tells us about, ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and 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. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (become discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:2-3)
Yes my people, when we see what Jesus put up with on our behalf, how can we ever become discouraged eh? Especially when He’s invited us through His Great Invitation to bring all our burdens to Him. Hear His call: ‘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 (gentle and humble) in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. ‘ What more can we ask for eh friends? Nothing really, for Jesus has given us an invitation that covers everything.
Oh my people, we can never get a better friend that Jesus. Cousin Sol refers to Him as a friend who sticks closer than a brother.’ (Prov. 18:24b) Meanwhile Jesus Himself told the disciples, and consequently us: ‘Greater LOVE hath no man that this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do what I command you.’ (John 15:13-14) And He indeed laid down His life for us. Then, finally, in the Great Commission He ended by sincerely promising: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b)
That’s how great Jesus is: a friend, a brother, a Saviour, a Lord… Whatever post you have to fill, He’s the One to fill it! Let’s remember that as we go forward today! Much LOVE!
..Jesus…is all we need…both in this life and the next…and He’s always available…through prayer…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lamb without blemish or spot, a pardon receives, a rejoicing spirit of gratitude, according to the riches of his grace, aimless conduct, alive and remain, all the gods of the nations are idols, an atonement for sin, as others which have no hope, as silver and gold, believe that Jesus died and rose again, bless His name, bruised for our iniquities, by the word of the Lord, by tradition from your fathers, caught up together with them in the clouds, christianity, come to the Father through Jesus the Son, comfort one another with these words, concerning them which are asleep, declare his glory among the heathen, descend from heaven with a shout, faith, Fanny Crosby, fellowship, foreordained before the the foundation of the world, from day to day, gave him glory, give him the glory, God so loved the world, God's love for humanity, great our rejoicing, great things he hath done, great things he hath taught us, greater will be our wonder, greatly to be praised, he gave his only begotten son, he gave us his son, he hath borne our griefs, higher, his wonders among all the people, holy spirit, honour and majesty are before him, I would not have you to be ignorant, in the spirit of gratitude, in whom we have redemption through his blood, Jesus Christ, joyful fellowship, let the earth hear his voice, let the people rejoice, LOVE, manifest in these last times for you, mercy, more great things to come, O sing unto the Lord a new song, opened the life-gate, our transport, perfect redemption, Praise the Lord, proclaim the good news of His salvation, purer, raised him up from the dead, remain unto the coming of the Lord, salvation, shall not precede them which are asleep, show forth his salvation, sincere worship, sing unto the Lord with all the earth, so loved he the world, so shall we ever be with the Lord, strength and beauty are in his sanctuary, sweet sacrifices of praise, that moment from Jesus, the BIBLE, the chastisement of our peace was upon him, the dead in Christ shall rise first, the finished work of Jesus, the forgiveness of sins, the giving of thanks and praise, the Lord himselff, the Lord is great, the Lord made the heavens, the Lord's Day, the precious blood of Christ, the promise of God, the purchase of blood, the rapture of the church, the sacrificial gift of Jesus, the trump of God, the vilest offender, the voice of the archangel, them which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him, through Jesus the son, to be feared above all gods, to every believer, To God be the glory, to meet the Lord in the air, truth, we which are alive, when Jesus we see, who by him do believe in God, who truly believes, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, William Howard Doane, wisdom, with his stripes we are healed, wounded for our transgressions, ye sorrow not, ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, yielded his life, your faith and hope might be in god
Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 September 2026 John 3:16.
John 3:16. For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
And after Saturday comes Sunday, the Lord’s Day, when He rested from His creation of the universe, and when we, His faithful followers gather to celebrate His awesome LOVE and goodness through the giving of thanks and praise in joyful fellowship and sincere worship. And we’ll get the proceedings underway with a beautiful hymn dedicated to Almighty God, titled ‘To God be the Glory.’ It’s a hymn with lyrics by that wonderful, prolific though blind hymnist Fanny Crosby and music by William Howard Doane, apparently written around 1872 but first published in 1875.
The story goes that after it got included in Billy Graham’s crusades beginning in the 1950’s, it became famous worldwide, and is still being sung all around the world. According to the website Godtube: ‘To God Be the Glory’ celebrates the greatness of God and calls upon an appreciation for the wondrous things ‘He hath done.’ It is a glorious hymn to be sang rejoicefully in the spirit of gratitude.’ And I totally agree. So, with that in mind, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, scintillating mid-to-up-tempo version, (smile) sincerely expressing that rejoicing spirit of gratitude.
Singing: ‘To God be the glory, great things He hath done, so LOVED He the world that He gave us His Son, who yielded His life an atonement for sin, and opened the life-gate that all may go in. (Refrain: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice! O come to the Father through Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory, great things He hath done.) O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood, to every believer the promise of God; the vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
(Refrain) Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done, and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son; but purer, and higher, and greater will be our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see. (Refrain: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice! O come to the Father through Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory, great things He hath done.)’
Oh friends, that was wonderful! And did we ever show forth that spirit of gratitude! As so we should, when God has done so much for us, especially the sacrificial gift of Jesus and all it encompasses. And we certainly acknowledge it when we sing that first verse praising God’s LOVE for humanity, and the enormous lengths He went to, to secure our salvation. As Jesus so nicely puts it to the Jewish leader Nicodemus. ‘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)
And Jesus did sacrifice His sinless life to atone for our sins. And it was by no means easy. Isaiah possibly best describes the terrible time Jesus had long before Jesus’ human incarnation. He writes: ‘Surely he hath borne our griefs (sickness), and wounded (pierced through) for our transgressions, he was bruised (crushed) for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes (blows that cut into his body) we are healed.’ (Is. 53-4-5) And that is exactly what Jesus suffered on our behalf my people. That’s how He ‘opened the gate that all may go in.’
Then the chorus also makes a most worthwhile statement by encouraging us to praise the Lord all over the earth, with grateful rejoicing for all the great things He’s done, and coming to Him through the finished work of His Son. It’s like Psalm 96 – The Greatness of God – tells us: ‘O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord with all the earth. Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation (proclaim the good news of his salvation) from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all the people.
For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.’ (Ps. 96: 1-6) And every word in that scripture passage is the gospel truth my brethren! That’s why the Lord God Jehovah deserves our undying, everlasting, praise and LOVE!
Then we have the second verse that speaks of redemption and the purchase of blood, where even the vilest offender could be pardoned if he believes. Bruh Paul spells it out for us in Ephesains, when he says: ‘In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.’ (Eph. 1:7)
And Peter expounds on that some more. ‘Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible (perishable) things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation (aimless conduct) received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest (revealed) in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.’ (1 Pet. 1:18-21)
Yes friends, that’s what God did for us poor sinners through His wonderful Son, Jesus Christ! And yuh better believe that’s not the end of all the great things the Lord has in store for us. No way. There are more great things to come: ‘purer, and higher, and greater will be our wonder, our rapture, when Jesus we see.’ Oh yes, great will be our wonder when Jesus returns to rapture His church! Here’s how Bruh Paul describes it to the Thessalonians. ‘But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (are dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep (dead) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump (trumpet) of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever (always) be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.’ (1 Thess. 4:13-18)
And on this first Sunday in September, that is about the best comfort and encouragement we can have my fellow believers. So please spend some time pondering it. Much LOVE!
…Jehovah God is great…and greatly to be praised…there’s absolutely no doubt it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
31 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: allow your aura of love, and again I say rejoice, be careful for nothing, be thankful for small mercies, be thankful unto God, bless His name, bombarded by the enemy's evil schemes, christianity, come before his presence with singing, cometh down from the Father of lights, constantly buffeted, didn't do us any favours, disobedience, enter into his gates with thanksgiving, even in th darkest times, every gift originates from God, every good and perfect gift is from above, faith, fill us with steadfast faith, furthering your glorious kingdom, get off course from God's will, give thanks, give thanks in whaever we do, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him, go out to meet the enemy in battle, God is our Creator and Provider, god's mercies reset every day, great is thy faithfulness, his compassions fail not, his mercy is everlasting, his promise to be near us when we call, his truth endureth to all generations, humble servants, in all wisdom, in every thing give thanks, in everything by prayer and supplication with thanskgiving, into his courts with praise, it is he that made us not we ourselves, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus Christ, jobs, jobs that serve a useful purpose, keeping lives and families together, know ye that the Lord he is God, let the peace of God rule in your hearts, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, let your moderation be known unto all men, let your requests be made known unto God, look for fresh quiet graces at the start of every morning, LOVE, make a joyful noise unto the Lord, make worthwhile inroads into the enemy's ranks, mercy, our bounden duty to serve him with gladness, pray without ceasing, rebelliousness, rejoice evermore, Rejoice in the Lord always, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality and enthusiasm, sally forth with confidence, salvation, serve the Lord with gladness, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ, shout joyfully unto the Lord, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord, sure conquerors, teaching and admonishing one another, thankful for just being alive, thankfulness - the number one attitude of every believer, the best of the summer months, the BIBLE, the last day of August, the Lord is at hand, The Lord is good, the peace of God which passes all understanding, the right attitude, the sheep of his pasture, the throne of grace, therefore I have hope, they are new every morning, this is the day the Lord has made, this is the will of God in Christ concerning you, this recall to mind, to begin a new week of work, to lead and guide all your servants, truth, undeserving children of men, we are his people, we can praise God for his love, we know we're invincible, we surrender our all to you, we will rejoice and be glad in it, we're not afraid, wearing your powerful protective spiritual armour, whatsoever ye do in word or deed, wisdom, with whom there is no variableness, wrought in our weary souls
Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 August 2026 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
1 Thessalonians 5:18. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
And then it was Monday one more time… but unfortunately, this last day of August did not do us any favours by being damp and cloudy. However we must give it thanks for being possibly the best of the three summer months; with no heat warnings and smoke from forest fires, but a constant, bearable summer temperature with plenty sunlight. And as the ole people would say, be thankful for small mercies, for who knows what kind of weather we’ll be having next. So goodbye August. Hope you come around quickly again! (smile)
And since we’re on the topic of being thankful, why don’t we check out a few of the many scriptures, especially in Psalms, that admonish/and or encourage us to be thankful to Almighty God. And possibly the best way to begin is with these words of wisdom from Bruh Paul to the Thessalonians: ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:16-18) Yes friends, those are the three basic duties of the Christian believer; pray, rejoice and give thanks. And if we do those in the right spirit, with the right attitude, then we can never get far off course from God’s will.
And regarding God’s mercies, we have this very poignant reminder from Jeremiah’s Lamentations. As he remembers his afflictions and how they humbled him, he says: ‘This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:21-23) Now right there are some things we should continually be giving thanks for; God’s mercies, compassions and faithfulness, for without them we’d have already been consumed a long time ago by His wrath for our rebelliousness and disobedience. Or as this overview says: ‘God’s mercies reset every day. They remind us to look for fresh, quiet graces at the start of each morning.’
Then there’s this ole faithful: ‘This is the day the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24) Yes my brethren, we need to be oh so thankful for just being alive today. And these marvellous words of Psalm 100 – Serve with Gladness – puts it all into the proper perspective. ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (100:1-5)
And there is no doubting those words, for God is indeed our Creator and Provider, and thus it’s our bounden duty to serve him with gladness and offer up much praise and thanksgiving for His wonderful goodness to us undeserving children of men. Meanwhile Bruh Paul advises the Philippians thus: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (gentleness, graciousness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:4-7)
There again we have those three things; rejoicing, praying and thanksgiving; the basis of our Christian life. And James reminds us that: ‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness (variation), neither shadow of turning.’ (James 1:17) Meaning, everything good—no matter how small or simple—originates from God, and we ought to be thankful for whatever He gifts us with.
Then there are these awesome words from Bruh Paul to the Colossians. ‘And let the peace of God rule in your hearts. to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’ (Col. 3:15-17) There again, we’re called to give thanks in whatever we do.
And I want to end with these interesting and wise words from one commentary. ‘When the peace of Christ rules in our hearts, thankfulness overflows. Even in the darkest of times, we can praise God for his LOVE, his sovereignty, and his promise to be near us when we call (Psalm 145:18). Thank you, Lord, for your peace that transcends understanding and your LOVE that endures forever. Amen!’ And for help to get it right, let’s go the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise and thank You this Monday morning for our jobs; jobs we sometimes don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose; keeping lives and families together. We also thank You Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm You’ve wrought in our weary souls over the weekend. It’s that rejuvenation of spirit which now allows us to sally forth with confidence into the evil and ungodly world, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s evil schemes.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing Your powerful, protective spiritual armour! We surrender our all to You, and humbly ask that You allow Your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit to lead and guide all Your servants, as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, thereby furthering Your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now let’s go out and do as we promised; further God’s kingdom here on earth! Much LOVE!
…thankfulness…should be the number one attitude of every believer…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 Jul 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a humble and grateful attitude, a stressful time, a very present help in trouble, an abundantly available in time of trouble help, approach life and God with a heart full of thankfulness, be thankful unto him, bless His name, blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul, born from the depths of such unimaginable sorrow, Christ has regarded my helpless estate, devout Christian, enter into his gates with thanksgiving, faith, faith shall be like sight, find words of God to reassure us, for thy coming we wait, God has the power to overcome even the darkest times, God is a refuge for us, God is our comfort and calm, God is our refuge and strength, God will see us through any storm, haste the day, he is my defence, He only is my rock and my salvation, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endureth to all generations, holy spirit, Horatio Spafford, I bear it no more, I shall not be moved, in death as in life, In God is my salvation and my glory, into his courts with praise, it is well, it is well with my soul, Jesus Christ, joyful celebration, let this blest assurance control, LOVE, mercy, much like Job, my expectation is from him, my refuge is in God, my sin, my soul, nailed to the cross, not in part but in whole, only in god can we ever find true refuge and solace, Philip Bliss, placed his trust in god both in prosperity and calamity, pour out your heart before him, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord O my soul, S.S Ville de Havre, salvation, scarlet fever, Selah, shall we not receive evil, shall we receive good at the hand of God, shed his own blood for my soul, silently wait thou only upon God, sorrows like sea billows roll, strong faith does not spare us from adversity, sweet sacrifices of praise, taught me to say, terrible upheaval, the bliss of this glorious thought, the clouds be rolled back as a scroll, the gospel truth, the Great Chicago Fire, The Lord is good, the Lord shall descend, the mountains shake with the swelling thereof, the only way to keep things together, the pinnacle of success, the rock of my strength, the sky not the grave is our goal, the trump shall resound, the waters thereof roar and be troubled, therefore will not we fear, though Satan should buffet, though the earth be removed, though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, tragedy, tragic loss, tragic times, trials should come, trump of the angel, trust in him at all times, truth, turmoil, turn to the scriptures, voice of the Lord, whatever my lot, when peace like a river attendeth my way, when tragedy strikes turn to God, whisper thy peace to my soul, wisdom
Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 July 2026 Psalm 46:1.
Psalm 46:1. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble.
And after our lazy-day Saturday, where we do little or nothing, comes the Lord’s Day, Sunday, when we go to church, or as the psalmist says: ‘Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:4-5) Yes, my fellow believers, that’s how we ought to enter the Lord’s sanctuary today, and every day we visit it.
As this overview puts it. ‘The scripture invites believers into God’ presence. It beautifully pairs a humble, grateful attitude with joyful celebration, serving as a reminder to approach life—and God—with a heart full of thankfulness.’ So please let that always be our attitude when we go to church, for that’s what the Lord expects of us. And today’s song of worship is a well-known and marvellous song, but one with a heartbreaking story. It’s titled, ‘It is well with my Soul.’
The story goes that Horatio Spafford (1828-1888) a Presbyterian layman, successful lawyer and real estate investor in Chicago, had four beautiful daughters and one son. One commentary describes him thus: ‘Much like Job, he placed his trust in God during his life’s prosperity, but also during its calamities.’ And just like Job, at his pinnacle of success, living a blessed life, he encountered numerous calamities. As the commentary says: ‘But faith, no matter how great does not spare us from adversity.’
To begin with, his four-year-old son died from scarlet fever. Then, when the Great Chicago Fire happened in 1871, Spafford lost most of his real estate fortune. Obviously, it was a very stressful time for Spafford and his family. Then in 1873, with his wife still overcome by grief, He decided to send her and their four daughters to England for a holiday aboard the S. S. Ville de Havre., intending to join them later after straightening out some business affairs.
While crossing the Atlantic Ocean on November 22, 1873, the ship became involved in a terrible collision and apparently sank within 12 minutes. Spafford’s four daughters and some 200 hundred other people died in that tragedy. It is said that when his wife Anna reached Cardiff, Wales, she sent her husband a telegram that began: “Saved alone. What shall I do?” After receiving the telegram Spafford immediately set sail for England, and during the voyage, the captain, who was aware that Spafford had lost his four daughters in the collision, requested Spafford to join him.
The captain pointed out the location where the collision occurred. A devout Christian, Spafford thought about his four daughters, and he was comforted by the hope he had. He rushed to his room, and penned the words to a poem, which was the beginning of this timeless hymn. A few years later, famous hymn composer, Philip Bliss (1838-1876) was apparently so moved by Spafford’s prose, that he composed a peaceful tune to accompany the words. The song was published by Bliss and Sankey, in 1876.
So now that we know the story behind the song, let’s finally offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise, in a soulful, heartfelt, mid-tempo rendition. Singing: ‘When peace like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say It is well, it is well, with my soul (Chorus: It is well (it is well) With my soul (with my soul) It is well, it is well with my soul.)
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ has regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul. (Chorus) My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, o my soul (Chorus) For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live: If Jordan above me shall roll, No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul. (Chorus)
But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait, The sky, not the grave, is our goal; Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord! Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul! (Chorus) And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll; The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, Even so, it is well with my soul. It is well (it is well) With my soul (with my soul) It is well, it is well with my soul.’
Now that was certainly beautiful and heartfelt, so much so, that all heaven sang along with us. And to be a believer with such awesome faith is certainly not easy, because that kind of tragic loss reaches right down into one’s soul, just desiring to eat away at it. But like Job, Spafford must have reasoned: ‘What? shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive (accept) evil (calamity)?’ (Job 2:9a)
Yes, that would be the right thing to say, but very few of us under those circumstances would probably not be able to even think those words much less speak them. Neither the words, ‘It is well with my soul,’ for most of our souls would be in terrible upheaval and turmoil. And at such tragic times the only way to keep things somewhat together is by turning to the scriptures and finding words of God to reassure us.
Words like these from the Sons of Korah in Psalm 46: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available) help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst (heart) of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.’ (Ps. 46:1-3)
And then we have words like these from Bruh David in Psalm 62, that we only recently spoke about. He writes: ‘My soul, (silently) wait thou only upon God; for my expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved (shaken). In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps. 62: 5-8) Yes friends when tragedy strikes, God should be our strength and refuge, our comfort and calm, for no else can do it like Him.
And this commentary provides us with a very good ending. ‘It’s incredible to think such encouraging and uplifting words were born from the depths of such unimaginable sorrow. It’s an example of truly inspiring faith and trust in the Lord. And it goes to show the power our God has to overcome even the darkest times of our earthly life. We pray this brought you inspiration. Be sure to share this story with others who could use a reminder that our God will see us through any storm!’ And that’s the gospel truth! So please remember it! Much LOVE!
in tragic times…only in Jehovah God…can we ever find true refuge and solace…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a foretaste of glory divine, a preview of the the eternal fellowship, alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, all is at rest, angels descending, ask God for knowledge, be thankful unto him, became her eyes, bless His name, blessed assurance, born of his spirit, bought with a price, bring from above, burst on my sight, caught up together with them in the clouds, Christ the faithful witness, co-heirs with Christ, comfort one another with these words, descend from heaven with a shout, divine protection, echoes of mercy, enter into his gates with thanksgiving, ever be with Lord, faith, Fanny Crosby, Fanny's grandmother Eunice, fellowship, fight the good fight for Jesus, for dying for our sins, get back into the rat race, glorify God in your body and spirit, God works in mysterious ways, God's amazing grace, heir of salvation, helped develop her descriptive abilities, him that loved us, holy spirit, in my Saviour am happy and blest, in times of tumultuous trials, inherit eternal life, into his courts with praise, Jesus Christ, joy, LOVE, mercy, no rhyme or reason, perfect delight, perfect rest, perfect submission, Phoebe Palmer Knapp, praising my saviour all the day long, purchase of God, ruler over kings of the earth, salvation, sing praises to God's name, support from ministering spirits, teaching her to pray, Thank you Jesus, thankful for all God's blessings, the dead in Christ shall rise first, the driving force behind Fanny's accomplishments, the first begotten of the dead, the Lord's Day, the rapture of Christ's church, the sacrificial blood of Christ, the trump of God, the voice of the archangel, this is my song, this is my story, troublesome temptations, truth, unwavering hope, visions of rapture, washed in his blood, washed us from our sins in his own blood, we belong to god, whispers of love, wisdom, ye are not your own, your body is the temple of the holy Ghost
1 Thessalonians 4:18. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
And after our lazy-day Saturday comes Sunday, the Lord’s Day, this fifth Sunday of Lent and the first of spring 2026. Now that means, despite the rainy and cloudy situation, it’s time for all able-bodied believers to gather in the Lord’s sanctuary to worship and fellowship with joy and thanksgiving. How does Psalm 100 put it? ‘Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.’ (Ps. 100: 4)
Yes, that’s how it ought to be in the Lord’s sanctuary all over the world today; entering God’s presence with joy, acknowledging His awesome character, while offering lots of praise and thanksgiving and fellowshipping, that will strengthen us and enable us to get back into the rat race tomorrow and fight the good fight in Jesus’ holy name. And today’s song of worship is a hymn we all know and LOVE, TITLED ‘Blessed Assurance.’ It was written in 1873 by that marvellous, blind hymn writer Fanny Crosby, with music by Phoebe Knapp.
And this commentary extols the song thus: ‘Each and every day we sing praises to His name. We are thankful for all of the blessings that He bestows upon us. The lyrics of the classic hymn ‘Blessed Assurance’ is the perfect way to worship. And when you hear the story behind the hymn, you will be even more in awe of His amazing grace. Thank you, Jesus, for dying for our sins!’ Oh, are we indeed thankful for that divine sacrifice!
And the story goes that Fanny, born in New York in 1820, had an eye infection as a baby, which through poor treatment left her blind at a young age. Then, to make matters worse her father died not long thereafter, that meant her mother Mercy had to go out to work, and left Fanny to be raised by her grandmother, Eunice. And it appears that her grandmother was the driving force behind Fanny’s accomplishments. She became her eyes, which helped develop her descriptive abilities, also reading and carefully explaining the Bible to her, while teaching her to pray and ask God for knowledge.
Fanny entered the New York School for the Blind at twelve as a pupil, then became a teacher there for 23 years. In between, she married musician, Alexander van Alstine, a fellow student at the Institute, and one evening while her composer friend, Phoebe Palmer Knapp was visiting, she played a tune on the piano, then asked Fanny what it sounded like. Fanny responded, “Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine!’ Then they went on to write the song together.’ Ah friends, that’s how many great songs have been born, with no rhyme or reason in or for the circumstances. It just signifies how our great God does work in mysterious, unexpected ways.
And having heard the story behind the song, let’s offer it up with sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, mid-tempo, sincere and heartfelt version. Singing: ‘Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood (Chorus: This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long; This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long.) Perfect submission, perfect delight, Visions of rapture now burst on my sight; Angels, descending, bring from above Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
(Chorus…) Perfect submission, all is at rest, I in my Savior am happy and blest, Watching and waiting, looking above, Filled with His goodness, lost in His love. (Chorus: This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long; This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long…. Praising my Savior all the day long)’
And the assurance we have in Jesus is more than just blessed, it’s also amazing and marvellous. And per ‘a foretaste of glory divine,’ one commentary explains it thus. ‘This remarkable stanza reflects a lovely reality in Scripture that gives believers unwavering hope in times of tumultuous trials and troublesome temptations: we fellowship with Jesus Christ now, but this is only a preview of the eternal fellowship that is yet to come.’ And it most certainly ought to be, if we are heirs of salvation.
Listen as the author of Hebrews, speaking of the angels, says: ‘Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.’ (Heb. 1:14) Yes my brethren, ‘we believers in Jesus Christ are destined to inherit eternal life, divine protection, and kingdom benefits, and thus are considered co-heirs with Christ, sharing in his ultimate glory and receiving support from ministering spirits (angels).’ Now it could not get any better than that!
And per ‘purchase of God,’ Bruh Paul puts it very plainly in his first letter to the Corinthians. ‘What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.’ (1 Cor. 6:19-20) Yes my people, we have indeed been purchased by the sacrificial blood of Christ, and are also indwelt by the Holy Spirit, which means we now belong to God, our body is His temple.
And there are several scriptures that talk about being washed in the blood of Jesus, but we only have time and space for this one from Revelation. ‘And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten (born) of the dead, and the prince of (ruler over) the kings of the earth. Unto him that LOVED us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.’ (Rev. 1:5)Wow! What a tremendous accomplishment on our God’s behalf, and a most stupendous, though undeserved, development for our sinful souls
And in light of such a wonderful situation, we are thus enveloped in ‘perfect submission…perfect delight and perfect rest,’ expectantly looking forward to ‘visions of rapture,’ which will any day burst into sight. As Bruh Paul puts it to the Thessalonians: ‘For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep (dead).
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump (trumpet) of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever (always) be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.’ (1 Thess. 4:15-18)
Yes my faithful brethren, that is exactly what we need to do, today and every day; that’s comfort each other in the wonderful news of the eventual Rapture of Christ’s church! There’s nothing better to look forward to than that marvellous, faithfully promised occasion. Much LOVE!
…in Christ Jesus…we have a Lord, a Saviour, a King, an Advocate, High Priest and Friend…we therefore need no one else…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fully refuelled spirit, a safe retreat, after he had patiently endured he received the promise, after the shower is gone, an anchor of the soul, an high priest for ever, an unbending anchor, Anne Murray, at the foot of the cross, be thankful unto him, bless His name, blessing I will bless thee, both sure and steadfast, breathing a lesson unheard, brighten the glimmering star, Canadian Songbird, come to my sad eary heart, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, deepening darkness, despising the shame, endured the cross, enter into his gates with thanksgiving, entering God's presence, faith, filled to overflowing, for the joy that was set before him, God cannot lie, God will not allow His word to fail, God's covenant with Abraham, God's unchanging word, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endures to all generations, holy spirit, hope as an anchor so steadfast, hope for the sunshine tomorrow, hope with a gentle persuasion, how welcome thy voice, in its sorrow rejoice, in the dusk of the twilight, into his courts with praise, Jesus Christ, Jim Reeves, joyful worship, lay hold upon the hope set before us, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, making my heart, mercy, obtained the promise, our anchor is in heaven, praise, rends the dark veil of the soul, renewed faith, robbing the grave of its goal, sacrificial praise, salvation, Septimus Winner, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, soft as the voice of an angel, Statler Brothers, thanksgiving, the author and finisher of our faith, the basics of Christianity, the cities of refuge, the forerunner, the heirs of promise, the immutability of his counsel, The Lord is good, the Lord's Day, the Lord's sanctuary, the reliable anchor we have in Jesus, the wisest place to lay our burdens, thou blest hope of glory, truth, wait till the darkness is over, wait till the tempest is done, watch for the breaking of day, when the dark midnight is over, when the night is upon us, whispering hope, whispers her comforting word, why should the heart sink away, wisdom, with a heart full of gratitude, within the veil, worship
Hebrews 12:2a. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith;
And after Saturday comes Sunday, which means we’re heading for the Lord’s sanctuary on the Lord’s Day, to offer up praise, worship and thanksgiving, while receiving strength, confidence, renewed faith and a fully refuelled spirit; one that’s filled to overflowing! And all we’re doing there is what Psalm 100 highly recommends: ‘Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:4)
Wow! What a wise and wonderful scripture passage! Now, this commentary explains that ‘This verse encourages entering God’s presence with a heart filled with gratitude and joyful worship. It highlights the importance of expressing thankfulness and praise as a way to approach God.’ And are we ever taking it to heart this Sunday morning. So, let’s prepare our vocal chords to sing forth an old but wonderful hymn titled ‘Whispering Hope,’ written by Philadelphian Septimus Winner (1827-1902), a well-known poet, composer and violinist.
Many of you old timers will remember hearing the sultry male voice of Jim Reeves singing on your parents’ radio, while some of the young ones will remember the female version done by our Canadian Songbird, Anne Murray, but today we’ll sing a more up-tempo and scintillating version done by the Statler Brothers. And let’s not forget the sweet, wonderful responses in the chorus. Oh, how could we ever forget that eh, for it makes the song even sweeter! (smile)
Therefore, with heartfelt sincerity, let’s raise our voices filled with sacrificial praise to heaven. Singing: ‘Soft as the voice of an angel, Breathing a lesson unheard, Hope with a gentle persuasion Whispers her comforting word: Wait till the darkness is over, Wait till the tempest is done, Hope for the sunshine tomorrow, After the shower is gone. (Refrain: Whispering hope, whispering hope, oh, how welcome thy voice, oh how welcome thy voice, Making my heart, making my heart, in its sorrow rejoice.)
If, in the dusk of the twilight, Dim be the region afar, Will not the deepening darkness Brighten the glimmering star? Then when the night is upon us, Why should the heart sink away? When the dark midnight is over, Watch for the breaking of day. [Refrain] Hope, as an anchor so steadfast, Rends the dark veil for the soul, Whither the Master has entered, Robbing the grave of its goal;
Come then, oh, come, glad fruition, Come to my sad weary heart; Come, O Thou blest hope of glory, Never, oh, never depart.(Refrain: Whispering hope, whispering hope, oh, how welcome thy voice, oh how welcome thy voice, Making my heart, making my heart, in its sorrow rejoice…making my heart, making my heart, in its sorrow rejoice…’
That was certainly wonderful my fellow believers, and you didn’t let me down with the responses in the chorus. (smile) And as always, heaven was overjoyed and joined us to regale our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ in worshipful song. And what’s the song about, you ask? It’s basically about hope and faith and the reliable anchor that we have in Jesus. The Author of Hebrews puts it this way, when talking about the promise of God.
‘For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise…. Wherein God willing more abundantly (determining) to shew the heirs of promise the immutability (unchangeableness) of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath.
That by two immutable (unchangeable) things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil (in the Presence behind the veil). Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made (having become) an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.’ (Heb. 6:13-15; 17-20)
And what does all of the mean? The scholars explain it thus: ‘God’s covenant with Abraham, which involves salvation (Gal. 3:15-25), is secure, being based upon two immutable things, that is elements that cannot change. First, God’s promise is based on His own unchanging Word. He cannot lie, nor will He allow His Word to fail (Matt. 5:18; John 10:35; 17:17). Further, His Word was confirmed by an oath. And since He can swear by none greater, He swears by Himself. He rests His Word on His holy character.
Then, starting at the end of verse 18, the author uses three pictures to demonstrate the security of being in Christ. First, it is described as a safe retreat for the believer, as were the six cities of refuge in the Old Testament to those allowed their protection (Num. 35:6-32). Second, our hope is sure and steadfast as is a well-placed, unbending anchor. Our anchor is not located in the deepest sea but in the highest heaven.
The third figure is that of a forerunner. Though the figure changes, the location does not. Our forerunner is likewise positioned in the sanctuary of heaven. As our forerunner is far different from the Old Testament priests. In the sanctuary they could intercede for the people, but they could not lead the people in themselves. As our forerunner, Jesus has opened the way before us, that eventually (and certainly) we might enter in with Him.’
Oh friends, I know that is a lot of meat and potatoes, but as Bruh Paul said to the Corinthians, we’ve been in the Word for so long, it’s time we stop drinking milk, just dealing with the basics of Christianity, and start eating heavy, solid food or diving deeper into the Word. It’s time we grew up, matured spiritually. (smile) And we’ll close with these wise words from Hebrews which corroborate all we’ve said.
‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and 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. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (be discouraged) in your minds (souls). (Heb. 12:2-3)
Yes my faithful brethren, it’s to Jesus whom we ought to look for everything, each and every day! Much LOVE!
…at the foot of the cross…that’s the wisest place to lay all our burdens…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a voice of thanksgiving, all scripture is given by inspiration of God, artificial intelligence, be thankful unto him, Bible, bless His name, catch our second wind, come before his presence with singing, deceptions, endure right to the end, enter into his gates with thanksgiving, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, glad to be alive, god, God made us and not we ourselves, halfway home, hands on the plough, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endureth to all generations, I am the way the truth and the life, instruction in righteousness, into his courts with praise, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lies, LOVE, no man cometh to the Father, not thinking ahead, not turning back, profitable for doctrine reproof correction, psalms, sanctify them through thy truth, Satan, serve the Lord with gladness, social media, stand our bounce, stick to the truth, thank God, the breath of life, the Lord he is God, The Lord is good, the man of God may be perfect, the sheep of his pasture, the word of the Lord, thoroughly furnished unto all good works, thy word is truth, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, we are his people, Wednesday Wail, wisdom
Psalm 100:2. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
So it’s our mid-week work day, Wednesday, where we usually catch our second wind, but after all that partying this past long weekend, it will take more than a couple of days for us to catch our breath. We might need a whole week off to do that properly. (smile) But unless you take a week’s vacation, I’m afraid that won’t happen, so we’ve got to get it together under these tough circumstances. We should have thought about the tiredness and lack of sleep before we partied so heartily, and now we just have to stand our bounce. That’s what comes from not thinking ahead. (smile)
Anyway, the Good Library just opened unto the Book of Psalms, and the first thing that came to my eyes was Psalm 100, a psalm talking about hearty service to the Lord, serving Him with gladness, with a voice of thanksgiving and praise. And that’s just what we need right now, so let’s read it with a sense of joy and gladness.
‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100: 1-5)
Yes friends, that’s a very interesting psalm, and is reminiscent of Psalm 145, where Bruh David talks about ‘God’s Unsearchable Greatness.’ But the scholars do have an interesting explanation for this psalm. They say: ‘The word praise in the superscription is actually the word thanksgiving or, more specifically, thank-offering. It was one psalm that accompanied a “thank-offering” (Lev. 7:12) that one presented when God had especially answered a prayer or given a great deliverance. The psalm contains a command to serve (vs. 1-3) and a command to praise (vs. 4-5).
Each section is in turn divided into three calls and three causes. There are three calls to serve, make a joyful noise (vs. 1), serve the Lord (vs. 2), and come before (vs. 2); and three causes for serving, the Lord is God, he hath made us, we are his people (vs. 3). Likewise, there are three calls to praise, enter his gates, be thankful, bless his name (vs. 4), followed by three causes for praise, the Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endureth (vs.5).’
So you see my brethren, what we might previously have thought of as a short simple psalm, one to just read and pass over, is truly filled with great scriptural advice, with commands to both serve and praise the Lord. That’s why we cannot simply pass over anything found in the Lord’s word, for everything in there was placed there with a reason, and serves a particular purpose. We ignore stuff from the Bible at our own expense.
And what I like about this psalm is its simple truths, simply put: praise the Lord and serve Him. And when we look at it in the real light of day, those are the only two things we’re truly required to do; praise the Lord and serve him. So, though the Bible is chocked full of all sorts of stuff, the true basics of it is mainly serving God and giving Him thanks for His goodness and mercy towards us underserving children of men. And sometimes we just need to break things down to their basic nature to really get at what they’re trying to tell us.
Now that’s especially true in this modern information age, where so much information is available, and where social media, Artificial Intelligence and Satan are noising about so much stuff, filled with lies and deceptions. That’s why we need to stick to the truth. And what helps us to define and see the truth? The word of the Lord. For as Jesus said when praying for the disciples: ‘They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them (set them apart) through thy truth: thy word is truth.’ (John 17:16-17)
And what does that mean? This excerpt from an article on the subject on the gotquestions.org website explains it thus: ‘In Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer, (John 17) Jesus prays to His Father, saying, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth”. In this verse, Jesus communicates two important facts: God’s Word is truth—God’s Word equals truth—and it’s by that truth that God sanctifies us, or sets us apart for holy service to Himself.’
Therefore, if we want to know truth, then we have to look to God’s Word, for as Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy: ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’ (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
Yes my people, in these very deceptive, fraudulent, and days of outright lying, there are only two places we can look to for the truth; that’s God’s Word and to His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, who made it very clear when He proclaimed: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6)
So let’s see what we’ve learned today nuh, or merely refreshed our memories on. (smile) Our basic purpose is to serve and praise the Lord, and His Word is truth, as put forth by His Son Jesus who ought to know. But most important of all is that we can only get to the Father through the Son. Let’s never forget that, even as we go home today declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus!
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And having said all of that, here’s another truth: if we endure right to very end with Jesus, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, in all wisdom and truth, let’s plan to meet right at the very end nuh! Much LOVE!
…the Lord created mankind to communicate with Him…through, praise, service and thanksgiving…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
31 Mar 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be thankful unto God, bless His name, bounden duty, challenge our beliefs, Christians fight against Christians, come before his presence with singing, curse, divine promotion, enter into his gates with thanksgiving, evil doing, filled with mother-lode scriptures, forgive us our debts, give us this day our daily bread, he is divided against himself, his mercy endureth for ever, his truth endureth to all generations, id Satan cast out Satan, into his courts with praise, joy in living for Christ, lean not on your own understanding, living for Christ, LOVE, make a joyful noise unto the Lord, negative vibes, negative word, overflowing grace and mercy, resentment, self-control. self-discipline, serve the Lord with gladness, strife, success, the Christian life in a nutshell, The Lord is good, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord's prayer, the sheep of his pasture, the wellspring of God's word, thine id the power the kingdom and the glory, Thursday Blessings, Togetherness, unconditional love of God, unity
Psalm 100:1. Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth).
One more day people, one more day! Yes, through God’s overflowing grace and mercy, we’ve been granted one more day to enjoy the fruits of His great earth, in addition to His unconditional and everlasting LOVE! What a marvellous Deity we worship; One who has such care and compassion for us. That’s why scriptures like Psalm 100 – A call to praise the Lord – should continually be in our hearts and mouths. So please declare it with me this bright, sunshiny spring Thursday morning, the last day of March in this contrary year of 2022.
Let’s ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves, we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:1-5)
Oh my fellow saints that is the indisputable truth, and if we could just keep those sentiments in our minds and spirits and live by them, what beautiful, God-filled lives we would share! You know, a lot of us believe we must know the Bible backwards and forwards to live righteously, but that’s a big fallacy. In reality, we only need to know a few strong scriptures that embody the word of God, that speak of praise and worship, of forgiveness, of wisdom, of LOVE, and live by them.
Scriptures like this Psalm 100, like the Lord’s Prayer: ‘Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (the evil one): For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.’ (Matt. 6:9-13) That’s the Christian life in a nutshell my brethren!
Likewise, are those verses Prov. 3:5-10; all about trusting in God and not ourselves and sharing our first fruits with Him. The same thing goes for Psalm 23, that magnificent treatise of Bruh David’s on God’s goodness, that we affectionately refer to as ‘The Lord is my shepherd.’ And there are several other scriptures that fall into that category, which we don’t have the time nor space to get into.
But each of us should personally search the Good Book and find scriptures that apply to our own situations and hold on to them tightly to serve us in time of need. And believe me, we will each have times when we desperately need strong scriptures to lean on and hold on to. So, yes, we do need to have a good grounding in the Good Book so that we can fight the many challenges that come against us, but for basic living, we only need a few verses that encompass the basics of Christian living.
When we have the sentiments and guidance of scriptures like mentioned above, written deep and indelibly in our souls, hearts, spirits and minds, then we don’t have to fight to live the Christian life, it just comes naturally from that wellspring of God’s word buried in us. But until we have solid scriptures living within us, scriptures that automatically rise up to boost our faith, living for Christ will always be an inconvenient struggle.
Now, regardless of the great faith we feel we possess, there will always be times when doubt will rear its awkward head and seriously challenge our beliefs, but generally speaking, when we are filled with mother-lode scriptures we will have comparatively smooth sailing. (smile) Remember too, that the higher we go in God’s kingdom, the greater our faith needs to become, because temptations become bigger and more plentiful as the cream rises to the top. For Satan doesn’t bother those who don’t do good and important work for Christ.
Why would he eh? That’s because if you’re not working for Christ, then you are obviously working for him. (smile) It reminds us of how the Pharisees said of Jesus casting out demons: ‘This fellow doth not cast out devils (demons), but by Beelzebub, the prince (ruler) of the devils (demons)… Then Jesus replied: ‘And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?’ (Matt. 12:24, 26)
That brings us to the question of the day; if Christians fight against Christians, like we are constantly doing, how then will the kingdom of Christ stand, and even more importantly move forward and grow? It won’t be able to do either, because standing strong and moving forth depends on unity and togetherness.
And sadly, I don’t think we can genuinely say that these days Christians are united and working together for the good of Christ’s kingdom, since there is so much infighting, resentment, strife and evil-doing currently existing in the body of Christ. And it’s only when we give up those negative vibes and start living as Jesus truly desires of us, in unity and harmony, despite our many differences and disagreements, that the kingdom of God will draw unbelievers to its fold and move forward in true righteousness!
And it’s not like we don’t have the tools and the wherewithal to do Christ’s work properly, because we do, it’s just that we are not putting our noses to the grindstone. We’re talking about tools we call our Thursday Blessings that the Lord has generously bestowed on us to do his earthly work. Now, those tools aren’t operational until we declare them, so let’s do that right now nuh.
Altogether: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection!
I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And now that we’ve declared those blessings and thus made them operational, it’s our bounden duty to go out and share them with others just as generously as Christ shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…there’s such joy in living for Christ…when we’ve mastered the basic principles…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
13 Feb 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abnormal hour, adrenaline, almighty god, aura of love, be thankful unto him, bless His name, blessings, call upon the name of the Lord, choirmaster, come before his presence with singing, confidence, conquerors, early morning foray, enter into his gates with thanksgiving, enthusiasm, evil, exaltation, faith, friends, glorious kingdom, glory, glory hallelujah, God's greatness, he made us, heartfelt thanks, holy spirit, honour god, humble servants, I am thy servant, I'm getting better, I've come a long way, into his courts with praise, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, Joyce Meyer, lead and guide, lies, loosed my bonds, LOVE, make a joyful noise, medical problems, no sweet Tobago, pay my vows, praise, puny lives, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, resigned myself, rest, salvation, secret, seek God, servant, serve the Lord with gladness, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, taunts, thanks, the living truth, the Lord he is God, the mindset, the sacrifice of thanksgiving, the sheep of his pasture, the son of thy handmaid, truth, undesrving, ungodly world, useful purpose, we are his people, wiles, wisdom, with a right heart
Psalm 100:4. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
Oh, friends, I’m getting better! Yes I’m getting better! Yeh mih breddren that’s the living truth! The ole fella is getting better; the only problem is that I’m still a long way from being better. (smile)
But as sister Joyce, (Joyce Meyer) likes to say, I haven’t arrived as yet, but I’ve surely come a long way from where I was. Glory Hallelujah!
Sorry for the lateness of the Bit, but I had another early morning foray into the big city for more doctor’s visits and tests.
Chuh! I had to be up at an abnormal hour to get in the city for seven a.m on a Monday morning. But the good news is that everything seems to be progressing as it should – just a little too slowly for my liking though.
Now for the bad news – I can’t travel anywhere until my heart problems are resolved. Ah Lord eh! That means no sweet Tobago for this winter season!
Steups! But from the time all these medical problems began, I’d resigned myself to that possibility, so it comes as no great surprise, though it is somewhat disappointing.
Anyway, enough about me, it’s time to sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with all the chutzpah we can manage.
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Now that wasn’t bad at all my people, Jesus, our choirmaster was smiling, but I guess that’s because we’ve been up and about for quite some time now. (smile) The important thing though is that at whatever time we sing it, it raises our faith level, gets the adrenaline pumping for Jesus! And that’s what we’re all about!
Consequently, these verses of Psalm 100, which come before our Bit, are therefore very much in line with our general purpose of exalting our most wonderful God!
Listen to the psalmist as he delightedly gushes: ‘Make joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves, we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.’ (Ps.100:1-3)
Wow friends! What a stirring acknowledgement of our God’s greatness and the central part we play in His entire operation! Hence our Bit: ‘Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.’
Yes my fellow believers, that is exactly how we ought to come into the presence of our magnificent and magnanimous God; with much praise and thanks and glory and exaltation – for He is most worthy to be praised!
Just think about all that He’s done for us down through the ages nuh, undeserving though we are, and is still doing, though we are still undeserving! And in our finite, comparatively puny lives, how else can we truly honour Him eh, but with exceedingly abundant thanks and praise?
Now hear the psalmist from Psalm 116 – Praise for deliverance from death – as he exudes his heartfelt thanks and praise. ‘O Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thy handmaid (maid servant): thou hast loosed my bonds.
I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people. In the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah!).(Ps.116:16-19)
Oh friends, oh friends, those are the very words and emotions we ought also to exude! Note how the psalmist says twice, that he is the Lord’s servant? Can we sincerely say that even once and mean it? I certainly hope so for all our sakes.
In conclusion, I want to implore us to work towards acquiring the mindset of the psalmist, for there, and only therein lies the true wisdom of Almighty God and the true secret of finding Him. Much LOVE!
…seek me with a right heart…and you shall find me…says the Lord our God…
12 Feb 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: All Creatures of our God and King, all things their Creator bless, Alleluia, be thankful unto him, bless His name, blessings, breath of life, burning sun, burnt offerings, cast your care, Christ our Lord, clouds that sail in heaven along, day of the lord, enter into his gates with thanksgiving, exaltation, face the music, faith, find a voice, fire so masterful and bright, flowers and fruits, flowing water, forgiving others, gather in the sanctuary, givest man both warmth and light, glory, golden beam, grace, guidance, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endureth to all generations, in humbleness, in Jesus' name, in praise rejoice, into his courts with praise, lift up your voice, lights of evening, LOVE Revolution, make music for thy Lord to hear, mano a mano, men of tender heart, mercy, Mother Earth, my mouth have spoken, pain and sorrow bear, praise God, praise him, rejoice, rising moon, rushing wind, sacrifices of praise, sad state of affairs, Selah, silver moon, softer gleam, Son, step up to the plate, strength, Sunday, that art so strong, the child of God, the fat of rams, the Father, the great works of God, The Lord is good, the spirit, the way hath trod, Three in one, through fire and water, truth, victorious, vows, walk of faith, worship Him
Psalm 100:4. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
Well friends, another Day of the Lord, Sunday, is upon us, which means it’s time to gather in the sanctuary, even though the snow is falling, (smile) and rejoice and give thanks and praise for the past week, and ask for blessings and guidance and strength for the one to come.
So let’s offer up some sacrifices of praise with our lips to our heavenly Father nuh, let Him know that we truly appreciate his wonderful grace and mercy bestowed anew, each and every day. Let’s raise our voices high by singing this favourite hymn, ‘All Creatures of our God and King.’
In perfect harmony now: ‘All creatures of our God and King Lift up your voice and with us sing, Alleluia! Alleluia! Thou burning sun with golden beam, Thou silver moon with softer gleam! (Refrain)
(O praise Him! O praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!) Thou rushing wind that art so strong Ye clouds that sail in Heaven along, O praise Him! Alleluia! Thou rising moon, in praise rejoice, Ye lights of evening, find a voice! (Refrain:)
Thou flowing water, pure and clear, Make music for thy Lord to hear, O praise Him! Alleluia! Thou fire so masterful and bright, That givest man both warmth and light. (Refrain)
Dear mother earth, who day by day Unfoldest blessings on our way, O praise Him! Alleluia! The flowers and fruits that in thee grow, Let them His glory also show. (Refrain)
And all ye men of tender heart, Forgiving others, take your part, O sing ye! Alleluia! Ye who long pain and sorrow bear, Praise God and on Him cast your care! (Refrain)
And thou most kind and gentle Death, Waiting to hush our latest breath, O praise Him! Alleluia! Thou leadest home the child of God, And Christ our Lord the way hath trod. (Refrain)
Let all things their Creator bless, And worship Him in humbleness, O praise Him! Alleluia! Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son, And praise the Spirit, Three in One! (Refrain) O praise Him! O praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!’
Oh my fellow believers that was wonderful! And that’s exactly what ought to go on on ALL the earth, ALL the time – God’s creations giving Him thanks and praise for His everlasting goodness and mercy!
And that segues very smoothly into our Bit for today. ‘Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.’
And why should we do that eh? ‘For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps.110:5)
Ah mih people, we couldn’t want a better reason than that to give our omnipotent, omniscient, omni-present, magnanimous and magnificent God praise and thanks!
Unfortunately though, most of the world today has either forgotten, never known, or don’t want to know His heavenly Majesty, their Creator, Provider, and the One who causes them to open their eyes each morning and breathe His breath of life. What a sad state of affairs!
But we believers will stand up and face the music, give Him His due deserts of exaltation and glory! We will fight the enemy, mano-a mano, and we will be victorious, in Jesus’ Name!
How can we not be victorious if Jesus is fighting with us eh? For as the Good Book assures us: ‘What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?’ (Rom.8:31)
And the overwhelming answer to that my people is ‘NOBODY!’ For NOBODY can stand against our triumphant God!
Now listen to the psalmist from Psalm 66, as he declares the great works of our mighty God, and corroborates our Bit. ‘Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy (an abundant) place.
I will go into thy house, with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows (promised deeds), Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble. I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams: I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.’ (Ps.66:12-16)
Yes friends, those verses should be familiar as we read them recently when talking about keeping promises. Today though we look at them in the light of giving God thanks and praise for His succour in times of trouble. That’s the beauty of His Word: the same stuff can be used for different aspects of life!
Now let’s take a moment, as the psalmist suggested, and ponder all that we’ve said today, and see how it reflects in our personal lives, and vow, yes vow, to improve them, for it’s only in that way can we ever truly improve our walk of faith. Much LOVE!
…believers must step up to the plate…if Jesus’ LOVE Revolution is to be victorious…
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