The Amazing Consequences of Faith and Fear in a Believer’s Life! Part 1.

16 Dec 2025 Leave a comment

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

Luke 1:46-47.         And Mary said, My soul doth magnify (exalt) the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

And then it was nine… Yes friends, nine more days to Christmas Day from this cold and somewhat cloudy Tuesday. Hope you are getting all your stuff done, while keeping uppermost in your minds that the amazing incarnate birth of Jesus Christ is the reason for this glorious season, and make it known to all with whom you come into contact. Today, I want to continue with the story of Mary, Jesus’ Mother, after she courageously and faithfully accepted the offer from God to bear His Son, despite knowing the serious consequences such an undertaking would cause in her young life. 

Now, after Mary had agreed to bear Jesus, the Bible tells us: ‘And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted (greeted) Elisabeth. And it came to pass that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation (greeting) of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spoke out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. 

An whence is this to me (why is it) that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon the voice of thy salutation (greeting) sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. and blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance (fulfillment) of those things which were told her from the Lord.’ (Luke 1:39-45) 

Ah mih people, our God does move in mysterious and interesting ways. Here, through the Holy Ghost, He allows Elisabeth to understand that Mary would be the mother of the Messiah, the long awaited Saviour of Israel. And I like how He adds the little part of John the Baptist jumping for joy in His mother’s womb when she hears Mary’s voice. 

Oh friends, there’s no better playwright than our God! He knows when to add all the little nuances, subtleties, and variations with different shades of tone, light etc., to grab our attention. And the Lord wrote one of His best works on that day, for after Mary heard Elisabeth’s  moving and godly greeting, she broke out in joyful song, what we know today as the Magnificat, which the scholars tell us is based on the first word of the Latin translation (the Vulgate.) 

The Bible continues: ‘And Mary said, My soul doth magnify (exalt) the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate (lowly state) of his handmaiden (maidservant): for, behold, from henceforth all nations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. 

He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats (thrones), and exalted them of low degrees (the lowly). He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen (helped) his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed forever.’ (Luke 1:46-55) 

Wow mih bredrin! Mary must really have known her scripture for she has interwoven stuff from all different places in the Old Testament. And her soliloquy sounds like that of Hannah, the prophet Samuel’s mother when she thanked the Lord for breaking her barrenness and giving her a son, (1 Sam. 2:1-11) whom, as she had promised (1 Sam. 1:11) she gave back to Him to do His work with Eli, the priest. (1 Sam. 1:24-28) 

And if you don’t think that Mary possessed great faith as a young girl, then compare her scenario to this one with Zacharias, the priest, who eventually became John the Baptist’s father. The Bible tells the story thus: ‘There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia (one of the divisions of Jewish priests): and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken (advanced) in years. 

And it came to pass that while he (Zacharias) executed the priests office (did his priestly duties) before God in the order of his course (division), According to the custom of priest’s office, his lot (he was chosen by lot) to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without (outside) at the time of the incense. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 

But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness: and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink: and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias (Elijah), to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’ (Luke 1:5-17) 

Oh friends, right there we see the difference between Mary and Zacharias; she was troubled by Gabriel’s greeting, but apparently not afraid, while Zacharias was both troubled and afraid. And we’ll see what happens to Zacharias because of his fear tomorrow, when we continue with the story, obviously if God spares life. (smile) Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

And having said that we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…fear is the devil’s handiwork…while faith is God’s…

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

Some of the Dramatic Scripture involved in Christ’s Birth!

10 Dec 2024 Leave a comment

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

Luke 1:46-47.       And Mary said, My soul doth magnify (exalt) the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

This Tuesday morning, a couple of weeks before Christmas doesn’t give one the enthusiasm to be up and about the Father’s business, because it’s wet, cloudy and chilly, with no signs whatsoever of the sun hovering in the background. There’s even an advisory warning about fog. But despite the inclement weather, we still need to get out there and work for Jesus. Remember, to be true disciples, we need to pick up our crosses every day and bear them the way that He did His. 

And in this Christmas Season, there’s nothing better to put a smile on our faces and a li’l pep in our steps than remembering all the drama, the machinations and nuances the Lord placed in the amazing story of Christ’s miraculous birth. So, let’s continue from where we left off yesterday, where the angel spoke to Mary about the birth of Jesus, and then Joseph was advised to marry her despite the very serious circumstances.  

Now, what does Mary do after she gracefully informs the angel Gabriel: ‘Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.’ (Luke 1:38) Well the Bible tells us: ‘And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted (greeted) Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation (greeting) of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: 

And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence (why) is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation (greeting) sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. and blessed is she that (who) believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.’ (Luke 1:39-45) 

Oh friends, isn’t our God a great dramatist? Of course! Who else would have thrown in a li’l tidbit to Mary about her cousin Elizabeth’s pregnancy, knowing that it would drive Mary to seek out the hitherto barren woman? And who else would have filled Elisabeth with the knowledge of what was happening with Mary but the Holy Ghost who made His sudden appearance when Mary greeted her. What I like most about that story though is how John the Baptist leaped with joy in his mother’s womb when he heard Mary’s call. He knew that the mother of his cousin Jesus, the one he was coming to light the way for was nearby. 

Oh my people, only our good God could make such miraculous things a reality. And who knows, if Mary had already been impregnated by the Holy Ghost, the two children might have had their own womb-based conversations. (smile) For remember, with God, nothing is impossible! Now, how is that for a story to put a smile on your face this inclement Tuesday morning eh! And since it’s all about Jesus, it must be out of the ordinary, dramatic and not always understandable by mere humans. 

It’s like the Lord said through the prophet Isaiah. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) That’s telling us friends! Most of what God does is way beyond our finite understanding, and if were able to understand it all, then we wouldn’t have any need for a God. 

And after Elisabeth’s blessing and encouragement, comes one of the most beautiful passages of scripture, one we call ‘The Magnificat.’ Joyful words mouthed by Mary that shows her deep conviction. Please read those beautiful words of divine understanding with me. ‘And Mary said, My soul doth magnify (exalt) the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low esteem (lowly state) of his handmaiden (maidservant): for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. 

And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats (thrones), and exalted them of low degree (lowly). He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen (helped) his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.’ (Luke 2:46-55) 

Now, how many teenagers today could rattle off such scriptural stuff eh? Not many, if any. And though back then the children were brought up learning and memorizing scripture from early days, we can still see the power of the Holy Ghost working in Mary as she emptied her soul before the Lord. I wonder though, if she understood right then, how hard it would be for her as her esteemed Son went through a most difficult life. 

I guess that’s why having given birth to Jesus in the stable and the shepherds came and saw him and noised about all that they had heard from the heavenly host, the Bible tells us: ‘But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.’ (Luke 2:19) And that’s not the only time it says so. Obviously Mary was a thoughtful woman. She had to be after undergoing such extraordinary godly favour. 

But on the other side of the coin, the reality of the situation, that she could do nothing about, seeing the ‘sufferation’ her fist born son had to endure, must have broken her heart several times during her lifetime. But sometimes that’s the price we have to pay while doing God’s work, the sacrifices we make, as we daily take up our crosses and follow Him. 

The Bible then concludes that aspect of Mary’s story by saying, ‘And Mary abode with her (Elisabeth) about three months, and returned to her own house.’ (Luke 1:56) Can you imagine the conversations between those two blessed women, or those between Jesus and John the Baptist in their wombs? (smile) Remember, anything’s possible with our God! 

And, having put a smile on our faces, and lifted our spirits some, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all the 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!’ 

Now friends, we are 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!

…without the birth of Jesus…there’d be no Christmas…or eventual salvation…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 December 2016 Luke 1:42.

22 Dec 2016 Leave a comment

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

Luke 1:42.   And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

Oh friends, oh friends, the ole fella has two good… no not two good, but two of the most wonderful and exciting bits of news to share! 

First of all I was told that our bubba Scotty was back at church last Sunday…Glory to God! And he was looking good too…Give the Lord even more glory! 

He still is not a hundred percent, but He is much better than he was. So let’s keep on praying that the wonderful healer, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, will soon restore him to full health. Isn’t our God great? He surely is! 

And the second excellent piece of news is that I finally saw Christianity in true action. Wow! 

The story goes like this: A few days ago, a plumber, a tall white guy, possibly in his forties, came to check out a couple of slow running sinks and a blocked toilet in my house. He fixed the sinks without a problem, but could not unblock the toilet. Finally he called a different department and got them to send someone else the following day. 

This guy had to take down the toilet, and after much travail, (smile) finally removed the object that was blocking it. However, to the duchess and I, he did a somewhat shoddy job of putting the toilet back together. So she called and they sent the first plumber back yesterday. 

On viewing what we thought was shoddy workmanship, he declared that the fella had actually done his job, but not as well as he could have. And you could see that in good Christian fashion, he was reluctant to discredit the other plumber. 

Now, from his first visit, we had established that he was a Christian, also a trumpet player, and we had spoken some about our faith, but not to a great extent. And much to our surprise, he then began to work on improving the job. 

Now he didn’t have to do it, and even though he was still on call and getting paid, a lot of others would have just left it and walked away. His manner was also pleasant and friendly and you could feel the Christian feeling exuding from him. 

It was actually LOVE in action, not just talk. And I was really moved by his attitude. I saw the proverbial salt and light in his genuine, happy to serve, down to earth behaviour. And it sort of renewed my confidence in our faith. 

Ah mih people, I don’t know if I described it properly, but a genuine caring for his job, and the way he did it enthusiastically, worked wonders on the duchess and I. Oh how good it would be to see more of that kind of attitude amongst our Christian brethren! 

Anyway, here’s our Bit for today, don’t know if we have space for all I want to say now. (smile) ‘And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.’ 

Now that was Elisabeth, John the Baptist’s mother talking as Mary, her relative, Christ’s mother came to visit her. 

The Good Book describes the scene thus: ‘And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah; and entered into the house of Zechariah, and saluted (greeted) Elisabeth. 

And it came to pass, that when Elisabeth heard the salutation (greeting) of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.’ (Luke 1:39-41) 

That’s when she declared our Bit. And isn’t it amusing, amazing, and mysterious, just like our God, to engineer such a meeting. Mary greets Elisabeth, and John the Baptist jumps for joy in his mother’s womb. He is having his first encounter with the mother of His Lord, whom he will be born to proclaim. 

And Elisabeth continues after our Bit. ‘And whence (why) is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.’ (Luke 1:43-44) 

Yeh mih people, the Holy Ghost obviously filled in Elisabeth with the enormous task that would befall Mary, and she ends with these powerful and most significant words. ‘And blessed is she that (who) believed: for there shall be a performance (fulfillment) of those things which were told her from the Lord.’ (Luke 1:45) 

Elisabeth could only have known those things through the power of the Holy Ghost. What a way our wonderful God, the greatest scriptwriter of all time, tied together the cousins who would bear two of the most important and influential people ever to walk this earth! 

How could we not adore, praise and give Him all the glory He deserves eh! 

Now let’s go home on a further positive and upbeat note by declaring our Thursday Blessings. Remember, a blessing is not a blessing until it’s been proclaimed over someone. 

All together now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! 

I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! 

I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’ 

Yes mih people, blessings and more blessings! Now let’s go out and bless others and be salt and light in the world as Jesus expects us to be. Much LOVE!

…behold…how good and pleasant it is…for brethren to dwell together in unity… (Ps.133:1)

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 December 2015 Luke 2:33

27 Dec 2015 Leave a comment

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

Luke 2:33.   And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him.

Oh my people, this Sunday morning, the first after Christmas Day is the perfect opportunity for us to sing and ponder this song, sung by several artists. It’s titled ‘Mary Did You Know?’ 

Please sing along with me: ‘Mary did you know that your baby boy Will one day walk on water? Mary did you know that your baby boy Will save our sons and daughters? Did you know that your baby boy Has come to make you new? This child that you’ve delivered Will soon deliver you? Mary, did you know that your baby boy Will give sight to a blind man? 

Mary, did you know that your baby boy Will calm a storm with his hand? Did you know that your baby boy Has walked where angels trod? And when you kiss your little baby You’ve kissed the face of God. 

Oh, Mary did you know   Ooh…  The blind will see, the deaf will hear, The dead will live again The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, The praises of the lamb? Mary did you know that your baby boy Is Lord of all creation? Mary did you know that your baby boy Will one day rule the nations? Did you know that your Baby Boy Is Heaven’s perfect Lamb? This sleeping child you’re holding Is the great I am?’ 

Oh Friends, I don’t know how many of those things Mary knew, but I am sure she knew that her baby boy was very special, especially from the manner in which He was conceived! Then there were so many signs and wonders along the way, how could she not know that He would indeed be a mover and a shaker. 

As our Bit so pointedly puts it:  ‘And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him. 

Now let’s look at some of the signs and wonders. First off is the manner in which she was apprised of the situation by the sudden appearance of the angel telling her that she had found favour with God and would conceive and bring forth a son to be called JESUS, who would be great and called the Son of the Highest (Most High) and the Lord God shall give him the throne of his father David. And the angel went on to explain how it would all come to pass. (Luke 1:27-38) 

Now if that didn’t give her some indication that something important was going to happen, then I don’t know what would have. And by the way, Mary was no simpleton, so her unhesitating agreement, ‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to thy word,’ was more a matter of faith, rather than a lack of understanding. 

After that Mary went to visit her cousin Elisabeth, who previously considered barren, was then some six months pregnant with John the Baptist. And when she entered Elisabeth’s house and greeted her, John jumped for joy in his mother’s womb. (smile) 

‘And Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: and spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me (why is it) that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance (fulfillment) of those things which were told her from the Lord.’ (Luke 1:41-45) 

Then Mary declared the awesome words we now call the Magnificat. ‘My soul doth magnify (exalt) the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate (lowly state) of his handmaiden (maid servant): for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.’ (Luke 1:46-48) You can read the rest of it for yourselves my people. It runs up to verse 56. 

And according to the scholars: ‘1:46-56. This passage is called “the Magnificat,” based on the first word of the Latin translation (the Vulgate). It is rich in Old Testament imagery: Jesus’ coming was in fulfillment of Old Testament promises.’  

So even if Mary wasn’t too sure of the situation, once she heard Elisabeth’s pronouncement and spoke the immortal words of the Magnificat, then spending three months with Elisabeth, she must have been aware that an event of great importance was going to take place in her life. 

I am sure too that Mary was quite relieved when most likely, she very anxiously told Joseph about her situation, because the consequences of adultery or fornication were great in those days, even leading to the stoning of the woman. 

But the Good Book tells us: ‘Then Joseph, her husband, being a just (upright) man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily (secretly). 

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.’ (Matt.1:19-21)  

Now all of that was done to fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy re the virgin birth of a child called Immanuel, God with us. (Is.7:14, 9:6) 

‘Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife. And knew her not (kept her a virgin) till she brought forth her first-born: and he called his name JESUS.’ (Matt.1:24-25) 

And the scholars explain: ‘1:19-20. Because Joseph was a just man, he decided to put her away (divorce her) privately (“privily”). The Jewish betrothal had to be legally broken. Joseph’s merciful attitude gives an insight into his true nature as a man.’ 

Yes friends, it wasn’t an easy row for either Mary or Joseph to hoe with the Saviour of man placed in their laps, but hoe it they did, with strength, wisdom, faith and obviously the Lord’s help. May we go forward on our own row today doing the same thing, of course with Jesus’ help. 

And we’ll continue Mary’s story tomorrow, God willing. Till then may we rest in the peace, comfort, joy and LOVE of our heavenly Father. Much LOVE!

…it’s Sunday…and still the Christmas season…so please let’s fill the churches with people…giving thanks and praise to God…as we ought to…