15 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a disgrace to ther families, a level headed girl, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a pregnant unmarried teenager, a virgin espoused, all sinned and disobeyed your word, allowed her faith to rise above the serious consequences, an unwise move, be it unto me according to thy word, bear the Son of God, behold the handmaid of the Lord, blessed art thou among women, bring forth a son, call his name Jesus, cast in her mind, conceive in thy womb, considered the greeting, decline God's outrageous offer, dismissed Gabriel's story as a joke, faith, fear not Mary, for with God nothing shall be impossible, Galilee, get your priorities straight, go out on a limb for christ, he shall be great, hold her head and bawl, holy spirit, how shall this be, humble ourselves, I am a virgin, impregnated through no human agency, in her old age, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep your promise to prosper us, LOVE, Mary lived up to the Lord's expectations, Mary showed great faith, mass confusion in our world, mercy, mind-blowing information, Nazareth, of his kingdom there shall be no end, of the house of David, our faith ought to rise to the challenge, overshadow thee, please ease the pain, pray, precocious female, pregnancy without marriage, promised to hear and answer our prayers, reign over the house of Jacob for ever, rising each time we fall, salvation, seeing I know not a man, sent from God, shameful, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, sinless but totally human, strong faith in Christ, that holy thing born of thee, the angel departed from her, the angel Gabriel, the God who heals, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, the incarnate birth of Christ, the Lord God shall give unto him, the Lord is with thee, the manner of salutation, the many suffering from negative situations, the power of the Highest, the power to solve our problems, the problem is in our hands, the reason for the season, the Son of God, the Son of the Highest, the throne of grace, the throne of his father David, the virgin's name was Mary, there is no giving up in Jesus' kingdom, this evil world, thou art highly favoured, thou hast found favour with God, thrown her for a loop, thy cousin Elisabeth hat also conceived a son, to a man called Joseph, to alleviate our problems, to lay it on the line for His cause, troubled at his saying, truth, turn from our evil ways, under the prevailing circumstances, when the LZord calls to action, who was called barren, wisdom, wise guidance, Yahweh is salvation
Luke 1:38. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Only ten more days before the Big One friends, so you had better get your priorities straight and then accomplish them as quickly as possible, before time runs out on you. But please, don’t forget that the current most important priority is remembering that the incarnate birth of Christ is the reason for all the celebrations. That’s what we must keep uppermost in our minds as we go about our business this Christmas season.
And there are many interesting stories about Christ’s birth, but my favourite is the one that began it all. We’re talking about the visit of the angel Gabriel to Jesus’ mother Mary, informing her of what was about to happen. The Bible tells us: ‘And in the sixth month (of John the Baptist’s mother, Elisabeth’s pregnancy – Luke 1:5-25) the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city called Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused (betrothed) to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail (rejoice), thou art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind (considered) what manner of salutation (greeting) this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
And behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS (Yahweh is salvation). He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest (Most High): and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.’ (Luke 1:26-33)
Now, just imagine you are a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old Jewish girl, in some backwater town of Galilee called Nazareth, recently engaged to be married, and this angel suddenly appears and confounds you with all that unexpected, mind-blowing information. What would your reaction be? But the Lord chose wisely, for Mary was a levelheaded girl and didn’t faint or hold her head and bawl in fear.
The Bible continues: ‘Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man (I am a virgin)? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest (Most High) shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (one) which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin (relative) Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ (Luke 1:34-37)
And if Mary was astonished and confused before, the information about how she would be impregnated, through no human agency, and that she would bear the Son of God, sinless but totally human, and that her relative, Elisabeth who was previously considered barren was now with child, must certainly have thrown her for a loop.
Even the most precocious female back then, or now, would probably have gotten angry, tried to argue, or just sent Gabriel away, dismissed his tale as a joke, because all that he had said was so outlandish and out of this world. And furthermore, if Mary was to get pregnant without being married…what a bam bam that would cause in little Nazareth.
But you know what, as we said before, the Lord in His infinite wisdom knew whom He was choosing to bear His Son. He didn’t pick just anybody, but someone who would not freak out and decline His outrageous offer. And Mary lived up to the Lord’s expectations, for the Bible relates: ‘And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.’ (Luke 1:38)
Now some people might look on her response as being rather stupid or foolhardy, and to a certain extent they would be right, for just consider all the problems a pregnant, unmarried teenage girl would face in a small Jewish town. Even today, in some places, pregnancy without marriage is still looked upon as wrong and shameful and can lead to serious consequences, so can you imagine how it would be construed two thousand years ago.
But the truth of the matter is that Mary showed great faith, accepting such a problematic role at such a young age. And I guess the knowledge that Elisabeth, her cousin, who had been barren for so many years, but was now six months pregnant in her old age, might have had some small effect on her decision. The point though, is that she did not back down from what under the prevailing circumstances seemed like an unwise move, but allowed her faith to rise up above the serious consequences a positive decision would undoubtedly bring.
And that’s the kind of faith the Lord is looking for in these evil and ungodly times. He’s looking for people who are not afraid to lay it all on the line for His cause. Unfortunately though, the numbers who are willing to go out on a limb for Christ are rather small, when compared with the overall total of supposed believers. But we’re not giving up, for in Jesus’ kingdom there is no giving up, just rising each time we fall, and continuing in His awesome journey.
And since we’ve been instructed to come boldly, but humbly to the throne of grace for help in times of need, let’s do that right now, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Friends, the problem is now in our hands. Our prayer says that God has promised to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways, so what are waiting for eh…if we truly desire divine aid? Much LOVE!
…when the Lord calls us to action…our faith ought to rise to the challenge…like Mary’s did…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a positive scenario, a son is given, a spiritual dynamic, a virgin shall be with child, activates the transformative impact, be it unto me according to thy word, behold the handmaid of the Lord, being a just man, bring forth a son, call his name Jesus, conceive in thy womb, consternation, Counsellor, declaring the end from the beginning, disobeyed your word, divine aid, Everlasting Father, faith, fear not, for with God nothing shall be impossible, forgiveness, found favour with God, God's creative power, holy spirit, how shall this be, humble ourselves, humble servants, I am God, I know not a man, I will do all my pleasure, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the reason for the season, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, my counsel shall stand, not willing to make her a public example, of the increase of his government, omnipotent god, overshadow thee, praise Your Holy Name, pray, predicament, prophecy, put her away secretly, remember the former things of old, salvation, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, strong faith in Christ, the Birth of Christ, The Christmas season, the God who heals, the government shall be upon his shoulder, the highest appreciation, the Holy Ghost, the mighty God, the negative scenario, the power of speaking God's truth, the Prince of Peace, the protective umbrella of jesus, the Son of God, the word of the gospel, the zeal of the Lord of hosts, there shall be no end, thou that art highly favoured, to alleviate our problems, trusts in god's faithfulness, truth, turn from our evil ways, unto us a child is born, wisdom, wise guidance, Wonderful
Luke 1:37. For with God nothing shall be impossible.
Now, it’s definitely not a good morning on which to begin our work week; a cold, wet, cloudy Monday, with a promise of snow later on in the day. But dem’s the breaks. That’s the kind of climate we live in at this time of year. But we can break that negative scenario with a positive one; that of Jesus’ birth, as we celebrate it in this Christmas season. What a joy and privilege it was, when His awesome birth brought a season of peace and goodwill to all men. And we all know how Jesus’s birth was foretold by the angel.
Yes, what a most remarkable story, where the angel Gabriel appears to Jesus’ mother, Mary, when she was just an engaged teenager, and greets her thus: ‘Hail (rejoice) thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.’ (Luke 1:28) Obviously Mary was puzzled by this unexpected enthusiastic greeting. But the angel says unto her, ‘Fear not Mary, for thou hast found favour with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.’ (Luke 1:30-31)
And then he tells her about all the great things Jesus would do. (Luke 1:32-33) But Mary doesn’t seem to pay much attention to that, for her next question is, ‘How shall this be, seeing I know not a man (I am a virgin)? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest (the Most High) shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (One) which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.’ (Luke 1:34-35)
Can you imagine Mary’s consternation at the predicament the birth of a child while still unmarried would put her in. But then the angel explains that her cousin Elisabeth, hitherto barren, was now six months pregnant, ‘For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ (Luke 1:37) But the best part of this whole story is Mary’s final answer to Gabriel. ‘And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. and the angel departed from her.’ (Luke 1:38)
Wow! Can you imagine that teenaged girl simply accepting the angel’s message without any trepidation or apparent thought for what would certainly be an untenable situation in that rigid Jewish society. However, as Gabriel had said earlier on, nothing is impossible with God, and He fixed the situation. When her betrothed Joseph discovered she was with child and they weren’t yet married, the Bible says: ‘being a just (upright) man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily (secretly).
But while he thought on these things, behold, an 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 (begotten) in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS (Saviour): for he shall save his people from their sins.’ (Matt. 1:19-21)
Oh friends, don’t you just LOVE how our God orchestrates things that seem impossible to us. Instead of having Jospeh put away Mary, He has him marry her just like nothing was wrong. The Bible then shares with us the important prophecy of this occasion foretold long ago. ‘Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet (Isaiah), saying, Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted (translated) is, God with us.’ (Matt. 1:22-23)
That reminds us of the prophetic power of our God, or as Bruh Paul says: ‘who quickeneth (gives life to) the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.’ (Rom. 4:17c) It’s like He said through the prophet Isaiah: ‘Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else ; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times, the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:’ (Is. 46:9-10)
Oh, my people, there is certainly none other like our omnipotent God, who went about fulfilling prophecy from the very beginning of time right up to now, with many other prophecies yet to be fulfilled as the world spins. Now, here’s an interesting commentary on the subject. It asks, ‘What does it mean to call things that are not as though they were?’ Then answers: ‘By embracing the power of speaking God’s truth over others, believers participate in a spiritual dynamic that acknowledges God’s creative power, trusts in His faithfulness, and activates the transformative impact of the word of the gospel over others.’
Yes friends, we can also be a part of God’s prophetic world if we acknowledge His truths and His power. And one of the most powerful and important prophesies to mankind is that spoken by Isaiah, concerning the birth of Jesus, who was to bring salvation and forgiveness to the people!
‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is. 9:6-7)
And this Christmas season we’re about to celebrate is only the fulfilling of the first part of the prophecy, so let’s wake up and make sure we’re living under the protective umbrella of Jesus, before the last part of that prophecy unfolds. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to improve our world and our particular circumstances.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Now, let’s remember that no divine aid will be forthcoming unless and until we humble ourselves before the Lord, seek His face and turn from our evil ways! Much LOVE!
…Jesus is the reason…for the Christmas season…let’s remind the world of that…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Mar 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ., above every name, an army's rising up, as many as received Him, break every chain, bring forth a son, call his name Jesus, day of rest, fellowship, freely given, from the bodage of sin, gave he the power, Gentile, get on the good foot, given among men, given him a name, God highly exalted him, gospel song, heaven's gates swing wide, held spellbound, I am the way the truth and the life, Jesus Culture Lyrics, Jew, Lent, no man comes to the Father but by me, none other name under heaven', our Jesus, our redemption, power in the name of Jesus, Sabbath, salvation, save his people, saviour, set us free, such a price, sufficient sacrifice, Sunday, Tasha Cobbs, the Mighty Conqueror, through the name of Jesus, to become sons of God, we must be saved, Will Reagan, wonder-working power
Philippians 2:9. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.
Sunday, O Sunday! Wherefore art thou O Sunday! Thou art the Sabbath: the day of rest, the day of fellowship, praise and thanksgiving, of souls being refuelled with LOVE, confidence and assurance in the promises of the One True God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! What a blessed day you are Sunday, O Sunday! (smile)
And since we’ve said all that friends, we’ve got to make it come true by going to the Lord’s sanctuary to renew our vows of faith and trust and receive His blessing so that we can keep that faith and trust alive and well for at least another week, before returning to His sanctuary for refuelling. Ah friends, it sure is a steady cycle, but we need it, if we are to keep our faith in Jehovah God strong.
But enough talk! Right now I want to sing! And today’s song is a thrilling anthem to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! We sung it before on the Bit, but it just rose up in me this week, calling out to be sung once again! (smile) It’s a gospel song written by one Will Reagan, and I listened to two powerful, moving versions on You Tube; one by Tasha Cobbs and another by Jesus Culture Lyrics. It’s titled ‘There is Power in the Name of Jesus,’ or ‘Break Every Chain.’
I’ve taken the liberty to add a couple of extra lines from each version, as well as a li’l touch of my own. I’m sure the original songwriter will also be overjoyed to hear our version this morning. So without further ado, let’s tell the unbelieving world the way it is, as we raise our voices in sweet harmonious gospel song.
‘O There is power in the name of Jesus There is power in the name of Jesus There is power in the name of Jesus To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain (Repeat) There’s an army rising up There’s an army rising up There’s an army rising up To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain.
All sufficient sacrifice, freely given, such a price. On our redemption Heaven’s gates swing wide, That’s why we believe that There is power in the name of Jesus There is power in the name of Jesus There is power in the name of Jesus To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain. We believe that there is power, power, wonder-working power in the name of Jesus.
And that’s why There’s an army rising up There’s an army rising up There’s an army rising up To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain! Oh He’s our Jesus, Jesus – the Mighty Conqueror! That’s why we hear the chains falling, the chains are falling!
Shout it out! I hear the chains falling I hear the chains falling! I feel the freedom, freedom from the bondage of sin! Yes! He has set us free, because there is power in the name of Jesus, power in the name of Jesus, power to break every chain, break every chain, break every chain…’
Mama Mia! What wonderful singing my faithful brethren! All Heaven was held spellbound by it! A big, proud grin split the Father’s face, as He nodded in approval, raised His closed right fist and said a hearty ‘Yeah!’ Meanwhile, Jesus sat quietly nearby and smiled His shy, boyish smile at the enormous amount of praise we were lavishing on Him. But that shouldn’t surprise us, because He’s always shied away from taking any praise for Himself, diverting it all to the Father.
And that’s exactly why the Father, in exceedingly great appreciation for His selfless sacrifice and obedience here on earth did what He did: ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Eph.2:9-11)
Oh friends, how could that kind of exaltation not add tremendous power to the name of Jesus eh…to be able to break chains, set us free from the bondage of sin and save our lost souls! And today all I want to do is look at a couple of scriptures which also lift up the name of Jesus. But before we do that listen to this story about me and that song.
Early one Sunday morning last year, I was on my way home from having an MRI of some part of my body, don’t remember which one, I’ve had so many done over the last few years, but the Tasha Cobbs version was playing on the Gospel Music Machine Radio Show broadcasting from the University of Toronto Radio Station. There was little traffic on the three-lane road, but I got in the right lane, who knows why, but me and Tasha were singing up a storm as we went along.
All of a sudden I heard a loud bang and the car veered off to the left! And was I ever surprised at those unexpected actions. On checking, I discovered that the right lane I was driving in, ended at the traffic light I’d just gone through, and I’d rammed the right wheel of the car against the curb, as there were now only two lanes. Thankfully there was no damage to the car or myself. But that just goes to show the power of Jesus’ name; it can get you so carried away, that you lose your mental perspective! (smile)
Now let’s check out some scriptures like I promised. Hear the angel of the Lord to Joseph on the birth of Jesus. ‘And she (Mary) shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus (Saviour): for he shall save his people from their sins.’ (Matt.1:21) And John says: ‘But as many as received him (Jesus), to them gave he power (the right) to become the sons (children) of God, even to them that believe on his name.’ (John 1:12)
Yes friends, yuh see the kind of power in Jesus’ name! Believe on it and you become the child of God! Wow! Why then are so many people refusing to believe in Him eh? And we’ll give the last word to Peter when he appeared before the high priest. Filled with the Holy Ghost, he proudly proclaimed: ‘Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.’ (Acts 4:12) That says it all my people!
As the scholars explain: ‘4:12. The name of Jesus Christ is the centre of contention (vs.7, 10, 12) and ever will be. Salvation for Jew and Gentile alike is exclusively through the name of Jesus Christ (cf. John 14:6).’ And that’s all there is to the argument! So let’s be wise and get on the good foot with Jesus nuh! (smile) It’s the only option that makes any sense! Much LOVE!
…I am the Way…the Truth…and the Life…no man comes to the Father…but by ME… (John 14:6)
P.S. Yes, it li’l bit long and late, but fellowshipping after church kept me back, and shortening it would have lost the special flavour. And if yuh can’t spend a li’l extra time on Jesus’ Word on a Sabbath Sunday…in Lent to boot, then why bother to spend any at all eh? (smile ) Much LOVE!
05 Jun 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenaline, aura of love, belief in Jesus, brimstone, by the sweat of thy brow, call his name Jesus, complaining, confess, confidence, conquerors, dilly-dallying, enthusiasm, evil, fire, friends, God sent not His Son, grief, holy spirit, humble servants, invincible, Jerusalem, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the Son of God, jobs, joy, labour, lies, LOVE, loving kindness, magnanimous god, manner of spirit, material possessions, meet the enemy, mission, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, on the outside looking in, pain, paying homage, prince of this world, reap the sweat of labour, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, salvation, Samaria, save our sinful souls, sick, soft spot, sorrow, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, taunts, the world through him might be saved, thou shalt eat bread, time to toil, tired, to condemn the world, trust, ungodly world, wealth, weary souls, wiles, wisdom, worth it
John 3:17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Arise oh friends and greet the new day! It’s Monday, which means it’s time to toil, to go out and labour, so that we can eventually reap the sweat of that labour. What does the Good Book say? Something like by the sweat of thy brow thou shall eat bread.
Well then, if we want to eat bread, let’s get a move on. Enough of the dilly-dallying and complaining about we sick and/ or tired. We weren’t too sick or tired to join in the partying though. So come on, let’s be up and at ‘em! And to help us do that, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with great gusto and heartfelt belief.
In harmony now: ‘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!’
Good singing friends, good singing! Our harmony wasn’t perfect, but our choirmaster, Jesus, knew that our heart was in it and He was pleased. Now let’s keep that adrenaline flowing as we get out into the evil, disaster filled world to help the needy and less fortunate, and try to right whatever wrongs we can in Jesus’ name.
That’s our mission. Jesus states it quite plainly in our Bit. ‘ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’
Yes friends, if it was Jesus’ mission, then it’s also ours, seeing that we are His followers, His disciples, and ought to do what He does, or commands us to do. And you know my brethren that we never deserved that LOVING-kindness, but our God has such a soft spot in His heart for us that He just couldn’t help Himself, He just had to save us, regardless of how much pain and sorrow it caused Him. And it did cause Him much grief, but He knew that the result would be absolutely worth it.
Give Him much thanks and praise my fellow believers for providing us with an option to save our sinful souls. And if you don’t believe me, or Jesus, then listen to some corroborative scripture. Hear what the angel said to Joseph, re his betrothed Mary. ‘And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his Names JESUS (Saviour): for he shall save his people from their sins. (Matt.1:21)
And the scholars explain. ‘1:21. Call his name JESUS: The name of the child Jesus (Heb. Yehoshua) means “Jehovah Saves.” This points to the very purpose of Christ’s coming into the world – to save sinners. Placed early in the New Testament, this statement becomes the foundational concept of the gospel. Jesus, by His very name and nature is the Saviour.’
And if you still doubt, then listen to Jesus after a village in Samaria refused to accept Him, because they knew he was going to Jerusalem, and James and John wanted to call down fire and brimstone on the village. ‘But he turned and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.’ (Luke 9:55-56)
Ah friends, I keep reminding us about the wonderful, the magnificent and magnanimous God we serve, but a lot of us don’t pay attention, we’re too busy paying homage to the evil prince of this world, seeking his frivolous and fraudulent material possessions and earthly wealth. But please, please believe me, there will come a time when the material wealth and possessions will be of absolutely no use to you, and the only saving option for you will be Jesus.
And if you don’t sincerely have Him in your heart, then you’ll be left forlornly, on the outside looking in. And I can guarantee that that will not be a very nice place to be. So let’s close with these warning words from John.
‘And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.’ (1 John 4:14-15)
Yes friends, trust in Jesus Christ is the only wise and sensible option in this life. Wisdom dictates that you accept Him before it’s too late. Much LOVE!
…what separates hell from heaven…belief in Jesus…
21 Dec 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a virgin, and bring forth a son, anxious, backwater town, betrothed, blessed art thou among women, bring forth a son, call his name Jesus, calm response, celebrations, Christ's mother, Christmas Season, conceive, consternation, courage, day of Christ's birth, Elisabeth, engagement, espousal, exalt, faith, fear not, found favour with God, full marks, Galilee, glory hallelujah, go overboard, good health, grateful, hail, highly favoured, his father David, House of David, I am a virgin, I am halfway home, I know no man, I'm not turning back, Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, Joseph, joyful spirit, looking straight ahead, LOVE, manner of greeting, Mary, my hands are on the plough, Nazareth, old age, our Lord and Saviour, outlandish approach, Praise the Lord, purity, recognition, reign, rejoice, role players, saga, salutation, star of the show, strict Jewish community, that holy thing, the angel Gabriel, the breath of life, the glorious future with Jesus, the Holy Ghost, the house of jacob, the Lord is with thee, the power of the Highest., the Son of God, the Son of the Highest, the throne, thou shalt conceive, throw a tantrum, to know Jesus, troubled, under heavy manners, Wednesday Wail, womb, Zechariah
Luke 1:31. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
Well, a good Wednesday morning, four days before Christmas, my fellow believers in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! (smile)
Let’s hope that this message reaches you all in good health and joyful spirit as we plan the celebrations for this Christmas season, where we remember and give thanks for the birth of Christ.
And all God’s people declared a loud, proud and grateful, ‘Praise the Lord!’
Yes friends, that day of Christ’s birth will soon be upon us, and we all know that Jesus is the star of the show, but today I want to talk about one of the lesser, but still very important role players in the story, Christ’s mother, Mary.
Now over the last few years, after getting more familiar with her part, I’ve come to believe that she doesn’t get the recognition she truly deserves. Remember it all begins with her.
‘And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused (betrothed, engaged) to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.’ (Luke 1:26-27)
Yuh see friends, right there Mary’s importance in the proceedings is established. An angel of God, come to earth to talk to this young, engaged Jewish girl in a backwater town of Nazareth.
Before we go further though, let’s check out a couple of the scholars’ explanations. ‘1:26. This was the sixth month of Elisabeth’s pregnancy.’ Elisabeth was Mary’s cousin, at first barren, but then pregnant with John the Baptist.
‘1:27. Espousal (similar to our engagement period) was, under Jewish law, as binding as marriage. It lasted about a year, during which time the woman’s purity was maintained.’ So we see right there, Mary was already under heavy manners, because of her betrothal.
‘And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail (Rejoice), thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind (considered) what manner of salutation (greeting) this should be.’ (Luke 1:28-29)
Ah friends, can you imagine being a teenaged girl, engaged to be married in a strict Jewish community, sitting quietly in your parents house and this angel comes up to you and begins to exalt you. Obviously you’d be somewhat anxious and wonder what it was all about.
‘And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.’ (Luke 1:30-31)
Ah Lord eh! Can you imagine Mary’s consternation? She’s already been betrothed, and the rules are so strict, now this angel is coming to tell her that she will get pregnant and bring forth a son, who’s name shall be Jesus!
To make matters worse, she’s little more than a girl with no life experience in a tightly controlled Jewish society. Personally, I would not have wanted to be in her situation. But give Mary full marks for courage. She doesn’t go overboard, jump and holler, or any negative actions. She just listens quietly as the angel Gabriel continues:
‘He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest (Most High): and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.’ (Luke 1:32-33)
Yes mih breddren, even in these enlightened times, such an outlandish approach would be a cause of consternation and anxiety in any experienced female. So can you imagine poor Mary’s thoughts?
She was engaged, and wasn’t supposed to have sex before marriage, but to have a child one must know a man first (at least in those days). So what was this angel trying to do to her life eh? But apparently she didn’t make a fuss, throw a tantrum over Gabriel words, but simply continued with her own question
‘Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know no man, (I am a virgin)? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest (Most High) shall over-shadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (one) which shall be born of thee shall be called the son of God.
And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ (Luke 1:34-37)
Mamacita! What a situation to put a young girl in! But you know what endears Mary to me? Her calm response in the face of all that the situation would entail for her.
‘And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.’ (Luke 1:38)
And the scholars tell us to consider and contrast Mary’s response with that of Zechariah (v.18) who didn’t believe when he was told that his barren wife would bear a son, and was made dumb until the birth of John the Baptist.
Yeh friends, Mary’s faith seems to have been well developed at a pretty young age. And we all know what she eventually went through, so please don’t dismiss her as just another bit player in the saga of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Now let’s go home, suitably challenged, (smile) declaring our Wednesday Wail with sincere passion and truth. In unison now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday!
Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back.
I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Oh friends, it’s so wonderful to be associated with Jesus Christ, that words can’t describe it! Much LOVE!
…to know, know, know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…
24 Dec 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to your faith, be it according to thy word, behold the handmaid of the Lord, blessed art thou among women, born that man no more may die, bring forth a son, call his name Jesus, Christ is born in Bethlehem, christmas eve, every knee shall bow, every tongue confess, evil minions, faith, faith in action, fear not Mary, found favour with God, glory hallelujah, glory to the newborn king, God and sinners reconciled, God with us, Hark the herald angels sing, hope, Jesus, join the triumph of the skies, joy, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, LOVE, Mary, Nazareth, of his kingdom there shall be no end, offspring of a virgin, our Emmanuel, peace on earth, second birth, the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the everlasting Lord, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, the incarnate deity, the Lord is with thee, the Messiah, the mother of Jesus, the name above all names, the One True God, the Prince of Peace, the Son of God, the son of righteousness, the Son of the Highest, the throne of his father David, thou art highly favoured, wisdom, with angelic host proclaim, with god nothing shall be impossible
Luke 1:38. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord: be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, it’s Christmas Eve; just one more day to that wonderful occasion, the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Glory to God! So in celebration let’s begin with some soulful singing of this famous carol, ‘Hark! The Herald angels sing.’
With all the gusto and enthusiasm we can muster now. ‘Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King. Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled. Joyful all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies, With angelic host proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem. Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King.
Christ by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord. Late in time behold He’ll come. Offspring of a Virgin’s womb. Veiled in flesh the Godhead see. Hail the incarnate deity,.Pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel. Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King.
Hail, the heaven born Prince of Peace, Hail, the Son of Righteousness. Light and life to all He brings, Risen with healing in His wings. Mild He lays His glory by, Born that man no more may die, Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth. Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King.’
Yes my brethren, our Jesus, our Lord and Saviour is all those things: our Emmanuel, God with us; the Prince of Peace, the Son of Righteousness; Light and Life to all; Our Redeemer, so that we won’t face or fear death anymore; the One who causes us to be spiritually born again, plus several more like King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
Oh what a blessed privilege it is to serve such a mighty, but gracious and merciful King!
And all God’s children triumphantly shouted: ‘Blessed is His Name, Jesus! The Name above all names! To whom every knee shall bow and declare that He is Lord indeed, all to the glory of God!’
Mama Mia! The most superlative blessing ever bestowed on man; the birth and subsequent death and rising up again of Jesus Christ! Glory Hallelujah!
That brings us hope…and joy…and faith for all eternity! No other supposed God can offer those things, ONLY the ONE, TRUE and LIVING GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
So why do we not appreciate them as we should eh? Why are we allowing the evil minions of Lucifer to deprive us, to take away our Christian heritage?
Just sit for a moment and imagine what this Christmas season means to us all nuh; a bright and bold and confident future, filled with the faith of all God’s promises.
So please let’s stop giving in so easily to the evil nature of our society, and instead stand up strong for our beliefs nuh, because that’s why Jesus sacrificed His sinless life; so that we won’t be kicked around like footballs anymore.
And if we don’t stand up strong, we’ll just be making a mockery of His selfless sacrifice and show that our faith is mere thought and talk, but severely lacking in action.
And talking about faith, faith in action, our Bit describes, to my mind, the greatest faith, beside that of Jesus shown in the bible; that of His mother, Mary. ‘And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord: be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.’
Oh my people, just imagine yourselves a most likely uneducated teenaged girl in the backwater town of Nazareth, in the backwater province of Galilee, just betrothed, engaged to be married, and suddenly one day, out of the blue an angel, a supernatural being, suddenly appears and says to you. ‘Hail (rejoice), thou art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.’ (Luke 1:28)
Obviously, like Mary, we would have been surprised, taken aback by such an unusual exalted greeting. ‘And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.’(Luke 1:30-31)
Most of us would have stopped the angel right there. ‘Whoa, brother whoa! What yuh talking about eh? How am I going to bear a child when I’ve just been engaged, and won’t know my husband for a while yet?’
But Mary kept silent and allowed the angel to continue. ‘He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest (Most High): And the Lord shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.’ (Luke 1:32-33)
Only then did Mary question the angel. ‘How shall this be seeing I know not a man (am a virgin)? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest (Most High) shall over-shadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (one) which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.’ (Luke 1:34-35)
Even today Friends, knowing what we know, most of us would certainly be afraid and shaking in our figurative boots. First of all, just talking to an angel would have frightened us. Then the seemingly impossible things he said would just make our fear worst, or we might just burst out laughing figuring that he must be joking.
But Mary, who most likely had some biblical knowledge about the Messiah, did none of these things. And after that, the angel also told her that her cousin Elisabeth, previously considered barren, was pregnant (with John the Baptist), ‘For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ (Luke 1:37)
Then having heard it all, Mary calmly made her decision and spoke the immortal words of our Bit. ‘Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord: be it unto me according to thy word.’
And the whole history of the world was changed by her calm acceptance of the angel’s words. Oh my fellow believers, would we be able to calmly accept those words from a spiritual being so easily. I very much doubt it. But Mary did! And that’s what I consider faith in true action!
Oh, how I wish that we could be so faithful in this evil day and age! Oh I know too friends that that kind of faith is not easy to come by, but please, beginning right now, on this Christmas Eve day, let’s work on improving ours nuh, growing daily in the trust and promises of our great and wonderful God. For that is indeed the wisdom of heaven. Much LOVE!
…according to your faith…be it unto you…(Matt.9:29)
P.S. More late night, or rather early morning celebrations friends, simply lead to late Bits. (smile) Much LOVE!
18 Feb 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: accepting Jesus, aggressive, almighty god, angel of the Lord, appeased the evils, awesome truth, bad beginnings, baptizing, bring forth a son, call his name Jesus, cramp, drama, early morning horrors, earthly actions, elixir of sleep, eternal life, eternal separation, eternity, evil one, fool's wisdom, foolish spirit, foundational concept of the gospel, free and easy salvation, free gift, from their sins, full bladder, glory hallelujah, God's will, God's Word, good endings, gospel of Matthew, gospel truth, grace of God, heart-warming, heaven, hogwash, holy spirit, ignorance, indisputable, Jehovah Saves, Jesus Christ, Jesus' purpose for coming to earth, John the Baptist, Joseph, lead and guide, Lord and Saviour, lost, Loving Father, Lucifer, mention of Jesus' name, miserable, New Testament, penny section, refuse to accept, refuse to be saved, rejecting Jesus, repenting of sins, rest, River Jordan, salvation, save, save his people, saving grace, saviour, scriptures, settle in our souls, sinful condition, sinful destination, sleep, Son, spoil our day, take away the sin of the world, that which is lost, the Lamb of God, to save sinners, to seek and to save, to work with God, tossed and turned, unwise moves, war-like, wisdom, wisdom of the ages, wise and good Spirit
Luke 19:10. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Oh Friends, I greet you all this snowy morning with the piece of wisdom that ignorance is a helluva thing yes! (smile) And that’s no lie, it’s the gospel truth!
Now hear the reasons for my assertion. Sometime after two o’clock this morning, I was summarily awakened by a cramp in my left thigh. Thankfully, it wasn’t as bad as some I have, but as I swung my legs off the bed to attend to the cramp, I also realized that my bladder was full. So I got up and hobbled to the bathroom.
Don’t laugh, because that was a good hobble, some day’s I can’t even hobble, I’m more like the hunchback of Notre Dame. Unfortunately though, by the time I had appeased the evils in my body, I found that the sleep had left my eyes.
Now this is where the ignorance comes in. In spite of being wide awake, I insisted that it was too early for me to get up, so I went back to bed, where I tossed and turned, devoid of the elixir of sleep, foolishly telling myself that though I couldn’t sleep, I was getting valuable rest.
Steups! What hogwash! And the sad part is that when I did get up, it was much later than I had planned. Chuh! And that’s why the Bit is somewhat late.
Ah Friends, the evil one will do those sorts of things to us, or rather will lead us to make those sort of unwise moves, so he can spoil our day. But with the grace of God, I’m choosing to believe the cliché that bad beginnings make for good endings. Glory Hallelujah!
Glory Hallelujah indeed! If I had listened to the wise and good Spirit instead of the foolish, evil one, I wouldn’t have put myself through those early morning horrors.
But thankfully our wonderful and LOVING Father in heaven saw how lost and miserable we were in our sinful condition and sent His beautiful Son, Jesus Christ to save us, both from ourselves and the ole crook Lucifer.
As Jesus so assuredly says in our Bit: ‘For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’
And yuh better believe my people, that there are many of us, in fact, way too many of us who are still lost, and worse yet, refuse to be saved, even though Jesus went out of His way and provided free and easy salvation, through simply repenting of our sins and accepting Him as our Lord and Saviour.
Hn! But I’m not here to preach… Chuh! It’s amazing how that word preach likes to flow from my pen, although I insist that I’m not a preacher. (smile) Anyway, I’m not here to talk or teach about that this morning. Yeh, I’m more of a talker and teacher than preacher. Shut up my children! No noise from the penny section! (smile)
What we’ll continue doing today, in this last message on the topic of Christ coming to save us, is look at scriptures which proclaim and/or attest to that fact.
Oh my brethren, I need to retract one thing in that statement. This doesn’t seem to be the last message on Jesus’ purpose for coming to earth! Why? Because I was just checking to ensure that I had exhausted my supply of scriptures on the subject, when the Holy Spirit led me to a whole bunch more.
Yuh see Friends, when you’re sincerely trying to work with the Lord, He does lead and guide you to His Will and to His Word. Sorry for those of you who like to move on to a new Bit every day. But sometimes we need to hear certain things in the Word, again and again, for them to truly settle in our souls.
And we’ll begin our scriptures today with a most important verse from the gospel of Matthew, where the angel of the Lord appears to Joseph and tells him about the serious piece of drama that was about to be enacted in His life, and consequently the world.
‘And she shall bring forth a son, (referring to Mary, his betrothed) and thou shalt call his name JESUS (Saviour): for he shall save his people from their sins.’ (Matt.1:21)
Oh my fellow believers, nothing could be clearer and more explicit than that! Jesus was coming to earth as a SAVIOUR!
And the scholars explain that verse thus: ‘1:21, 22. Call his name JESUS: The name of the child Jesus (Heb. Yehoshua) means “Jehovah Saves.” This points to the very purpose of Christ’s coming into the world – to save sinners.
Placed early in the New Testament, this statement becomes the foundational concept of the gospel. Jesus, by His very name and nature, is the Saviour.’
Yes Friends, even Jesus’ name conveys the message of saving and salvation! So why are so many humans still so reluctant to receive and accept His saving grace eh? Even to the point of getting aggressive and war-like when they hear His name mentioned! Who knows? I guess we all have our various reasons for rejecting Christ’s free gift of salvation and eternal life.
But Friends, I’m here to tell us that whatever reason you choose for rejecting Jesus, it’s a fool’s wisdom, for ONLY Jesus, the Son of God, begotten before every and anything else in this world, can save us from our sinful destination of eternal separation from Almighty God! And that’s definitely not going to be a nice place to spend eternity!
And we’ll close with this magnificent scripture from the John the Baptist, where he was baptizing the repentant at the river Jordan. ‘The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’ (John 1:29)
That my people, is the indisputable, most awesome and heart-warming truth! Please accept it as such, and gear all your earthly actions towards it, for in it lies the wisdom of all the ages. Much LOVE!
…just sit and contemplate for a moment…where you’ll end up if you reject Jesus…certainly no place like heaven…
SCRIP-BITS 