14 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new heart also will I give you, a new spirit will I put within you, Amy Sky, as ye see the day approaching, Bible, can't find your direction, cause you to walk in my statutes, christianity, clean from all your filthiness, come unto me all ye that labour, communal worship, compassion, consider one another, create in me a clean heart, exhorting one another, faith, fellowship, finding strength through surrender, god, heavy laden, I will give you rest, idols, in your holding in, Jesus, Jesus Christ, keep my judgements, kept on our toes, let go and let God, let the signs remind you, lost the will to trust, LOVE, no spark to feed the flame, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, Olivia Newton John, pressure, renew a right spirit within me, Sabbath Day, sprinkle clean water upon you, strain, surrender, the great invitation, the well of hope runs dry, to stir up unto love and good works, we are passengers, wisdom, your courage fails you, your dreams are broken in the dust, your faith is a dying fire, your heart won't guide you home
Ezekiel 36:26a. A new heart also I will give you, and a new spirit will I put within you:
So it’s another Sunday, another Sabbath Day in the long string that permeates our lives! And all for our good too, because it keeps us calm and on our toes, as on each Sunday, we fellowship in God’s sanctuary with other believers, encouraging and exhorting each other in our Christian faith. And for those who don’t thing that gathering together in fellowship is worthwhile, then they’d better think again and read the wise words of Hebrews.
‘And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:24-25) Yes friends, it’s rather important that we gather together regularly to encourage, strengthen and stir up each other, by participating in communal worship and fellowship as the body of Christ.
And as we do every Sunday, let’s open with a song of praise by the Australian performer Olivia Newton-John titled ‘Let Go and Let God,’ which comes from her Grace and Attitude Album. It was composed by Newton-John, American pianist- composer Kim Bullard and Canadian singer-songwriter Amy Sky.
It’s a song about finding strength through surrender, something Olivia Newton-John did after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. Her cancer returned in 2017 and again in 2020, but she remained resolute, telling the Guardian: “I see it as my life’s journey. It gave me purpose and intention and taught me a lot about compassion.” Unfortunately though she passed away in 2022, at the age of 73.
And now that we have some idea of the song’s origin and purpose, let’s offer it up in sweet sacrifices of praise, in a soulful, heartfelt attitude of surrender. Singing: ‘When you can’t find your direction, and your heart won’t guide you home – Let go -and let God. When your dreams are broken in the dust, and you’ve lost the will to trust – Let go – and let God.
(Chorus: Let the signs remind you, we are passengers. Let the signs remind you to surrender, to surrender – Let go- and let God. (Background vocals – In your holding in, in your holding in, in your holding in, in your holding in.) When your faith is a dying fire, and there’s no spark to feed the flame – Let go – and let God. When your courage fails you, and the well of hope runs dry – Let go – and let God.
(Chorus: Let the signs remind you, we are passengers. Let the signs remind you to surrender, to surrender – Let go- and let God. (Background vocals – In your holding in, in your holding in, in your holding in, in your holding in.) Let the signs remind you -to surrender, to surrender, to Let go – and let God, let go- and let God’
Oh my people, there are no better or wiser five words we can ever use in this life, than ‘Let go -and let God!’ That s for certain sure, because when we do that, when we totally surrender to Almighty God, our Creator and Provider, then there’s no strain or pressure on us, because He takes it all and sees us through whatever problems we might encounter in this evil and ungodly world!
And yuh better believe that there are numerous occasions for us to just let it all go and let God. Like the song says: When you’re directionless, and your heart can’t guide you home… When your dreams are broken in the dust, and you’ve lost the will to trust…there’s no better advice than to let go, to surrender, and let God do what only He can do: that’s restore our sense of direction and trust, renew a right heart in us, and give us back the dreams we’ve lost along the way.
Like Bruh David says to the Lord in Psalm 51, where he’s pleading for forgiveness of his sin with Bathsheba: ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me.’ (Ps. 51:10) And that’s exactly what the Lord will do for us when we reach the breaking point and surrender our all to Him. And it’s not like He didn’t promise the nation of Israel to do just that long ago through the prophet Ezekiel.
Hear these lifesaving words: ‘Then I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also I will give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements, and do them.’ (Ezek. 36:25-27)
Oh friends, that’s exactly what God does when we turn our whole lives over to Him; He makes us right with Him through the sacrificial work of His Son Jesus Christ, cleansing us, giving us a new heart of LOVE, and putting His Holy Spirit to dwell within us, to lead, guide and comfort us. One can’t ask for more than that! And all we have to do is cry out to Him in all sincerity!
So, ‘When your faith is a dying fire, and there’s no spark to feed the flame… When your courage fails you, and the well of hope runs dry,’ as we all experience from time to time, that’s the moment to let Go and let God! The time to surrender and let Him run the show. For remember, we’re only passengers down here; this is not our home, and there are signs all over reminding us of that salient fact.
Oh my fellow believers, what will it take for us to truly give our all to Christ eh? He’s more than willing and able to take all that we have and make our way straight. Remember His Great Invitation: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ (Matt. 11:28)
Now, there could not be a better invitation that that, especially in this evil and ungodly world in which we’re currently living, where so many of us are indeed labouring and carrying heavy burdens. So today, let’s stop trying to do it in our own strength nuh, because we simply cannot, but God can. Therefore, let’s be wise and… Let go – and let God! Much LOVE!
…life is filled with many ups and down…and the ONLY One who can truly pull us up…is Almighty God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a modicum of circumspection, a new flock of believers, anxiety, be responsible, Bible, Christian faith, christianity, confusion, crying out for your help, divine aid, embrace your love and compassion, faith, foremost avenue of strife, Friday chant, god, God repented of the evil He promised, God saw their works, God will have all men to be saved. to come unto the knowledge of truth, God's offer of salvation, hatred because of colour creed and race, hatred of all non-Jews, he was angry, I knew that thou art a gracious God, it displeased Jonah exceedingly, it is better for me to die than to live, Jesus Christ, Jewish natiaonalism, Jonah, Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd, LOVE, love is the answer, merciful, mercy, Nineveh, of great kindness, one God, one mediator between God and men: Jesus Christ, one who relents from doing harm, repentest thess of the evil, return backsliders, selfishness, simmering unrest, slow to anger, stay safe, take my life from me, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the error of their ways, the example we faithful believers set, the man Christ Jesus, the message of repentance, to deliver him from his grief, trusting faith, turned from their evil way, unexpected storms, wake up and smell the coffee, whitewashed sepulchres, wisdom, wise guidance
Jonah 4:1. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
So that long awaited day, Friday, has finally arrived…and rather quickly too! (smile) That means a loud shout of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ was heard all around God ‘s great earth. But let’s remember that all important warning for the weekend’s activities… a modicum of circumspection. And since we’re overjoyed to be alive today, to enjoy all the new and wonderful things God has in store for us, let’s keep our promise to continue looking at Jonah’s story.
Yesterday, we saw where he finally listened to God’s demand the second time and went to Nineveh and preached the message of repentance. And surprisingly the people repented. So what happened after that eh? The Bible tells us: ‘And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil (relented from the disaster), that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.’ (Jon. 3:10) As always, God kept His promise; the people, repented from their evil ways, and He did not destroy them.
So everybody should have been happy. Surprisingly though, the Bible informs us: ‘But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying (what I said), when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before (previously) unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness (LOVING- kindness), and repentest thee of the evil (one who relents from doing harm). Therefore now, O Lord, take I beseech thee, my life from me: for it is better for me to die than to live. Then said the Lord, Doest thou well (is it right ) to be angry?’ (Jon. 4:1-4)
Ah Lord eh! One would have thought that a prophet of the Lord would be glad to see so many heathen come to repentance, but the Assyrian repentance in Nineveh obviously didn’t thrill Jonah. And why is that eh? The scholars give us this simple, but oh so foolish reason. ‘Jonah still maintains a false Jewish nationalism and hatred of all non-Jews, especially Assyrians.’ That’s why he did not obey God’s command the first time.
And please don’t laugh or despise Jonah, for that very same thing is still quite rampant in this supposed modern era of our supposedly enlightened civilization. Hatred because of colour, creed and race is still the foremost avenue of strife in this angry and strife-filled world. There are a lot of people exactly like Jonah, who don’t want to see anyone from a different race, country etc. saved by God’s grace and mercy, which only means that they are not true believers in Christ, but mere hypocrites outwardly parading as Christians. Or as Jesus called the Pharisees, whitewashed sepulchres or tombs. (Matt. 23:27)
For true believers, like God, wants everyone to come to salvation. As Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy: ‘For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;’ (1 Tim. 2:3-5)
Yes friends, God desire is for all of His creation to be saved. And I like how this commentary explains it: ‘God’s offer of salvation goes out to all people, Jesus died for all people, and God LOVES the whole world and desires the salvation of all people; nevertheless, only some will choose to respond to God’s saving grace and be saved.’ And that’s the truth, as we very well know, not everyone will choose to hold Jesus as Lord and Saviour, but that doesn’t mean the Lord doesn’t want them to.
Anyway, getting back to Jonah. The Bible says after his conversation with the Lord: ‘So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth (shelter), and sat under it in the shadow (shade), till he might see what would become of the city. And the Lord God prepared a gourd (a plant of unknown identity), and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow (shade) over his head, to deliver him from his grief (misery). So Jonah was exceeding glad (rejoiced with great joy) of the gourd (tree covering).’ (Jon. 4:5-6)
Yes Jonah was glad when the Lord protected him with the tree, but was angry when He saved the Assyrians. Oh how selfish and hypocritical we are! Anyhow, we’ll stop there for today because the Bit will get too long if we continue to the end of Jonah’s ministry. So don’t say I never try to keep it short. (smile) Instead, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid in these troubled times.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And I’ll have us know that we won’t get a whiff of divine aid until we start being much better examples of Christian faith in this ungodly world! Much LOVE!
… selfishness does not become true believers in Christ…LOVE is the answer…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Bible, by reason of mine affliction, call upon thy God, cast out of thy sight, christianity, do what God asks the first time, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, feared the Lord exceedingly, flee from the presence of the Lord, flooding, god, God's concern for the heathen, halfway home, hand on the plough, he heard me, heavenly blessing, I cried, I will look again toward thy holy temple, Jesus Christ, Jonah, Joppa, lay not upon us innocent blood, LOVE, lying vanities, never fail to pray, Nineveh, not looking back, offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, omni-presence, omniscience, out of the belly of hell, pay that I have vowed, pray for the best, preach repentance, regardless of the circumstances, Tarshish, thank God, the breath of life, the consequences of disobedience, the moral of the story, the waters compassed me about...even to the soul, the weeds were wrapped about my head, their wickedness is come up before me, thou heardest my voice, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, with the voice of thanksgiving, worthless idols
Jonah 2:2a. I cried by reason of (because of) mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard (answered) me;
Well, it’s a rainy, cloudy, cool Wednesday morning in my neighbourhood. And we are glad for the rain, for none of God’s heavenly blessing has fallen on us for a while. Let’s hope and pray though, that we don’t get it all at once to cause flooding and other damages, as some areas have recently been experiencing it. Anyway, it’s all in God’s mighty hands, and all we can do is have faith and pray for the best.
And today we’ll talk about Jonah. We all know the story: The Lord instructed him thus: ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry (cry out) against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.’ (Jon. 1:2) Yes friends, the Lord sent Jonah to preach repentance to the great but evil Assyrian city of Nineveh. Why? Because the Assyrians were becoming a world power, but their wickedness was also becoming exceedingly great, and as the scholars declare (steups!!!) the Lord has always had concern for the heathen, who are without hope apart from Him.
And that’s oh so true. For if the Lord doesn’t activate repentance in a heathen nation, or person, how else will they find the true and right path eh? So the Lord shows His concern for Nineveh, and sends Jonah to do something about it. But Jonah doesn’t’ want them to be repentant, so he goes in the other direction, takes a ship at Joppa and flees to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
Oh how foolish that was! In the first place, we cannot ever flee from the presence of the Lord because of His omnipresence, meaning He’s everywhere at the same time, or always around us. And because of His omniscience, He sees and knows all that we do. So trying to flee from God is simply impossible…and Jonah as a prophet should have known that.
But as the Lord would have it, the ship Jonah was fleeing on, encountered a terrible storm, and like Jesus in the storm on the Sea of Galilee, Jonah was down in the hold of the ship sleeping, while everybody else was praying to their god, and were lightening the ship by throwing stuff overboard. And like the disciples, the ship’s captain came down into the hold and said to Jonah: ‘What meanest thou, O sleeper? Arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us (your God will consider us), that we perish not.’ (Jon. 1:6)
After that they cast lots to see who had brought the evil on them…and the lot fell on Jonah. Obviously the men got on his case, wanting to find out why he had done such a thing to them. And after he explained the situation to them, they asked what they should do to solve it. Jonah said to them: ‘Take (pick) me up, and cast (hurl) me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto (for) you: for I know that for my sake (because of me) this great tempest is upon you.’ (Jon. 1:12) But the men didn’t do as Jonah said, and still tried hard to row the boat to shore, but without any success.
Eventually ‘they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us (do not charge us with) innocent blood: for thou O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee. So they took up (picked up) Jonah, and cast him forth (hurled him) into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.’ (Jon. 1:14-16)
Yuh see friends, how our great God moves in mysterious ways! Even in trying to teach Jonah a lesson, He also showed the heathen on the ship His awesome power and brought them into His fold. And we know that Jonah did not perish in the tempestuous sea, for that would not have dovetailed with the Lord’s plans. Instead, the Bible says that the Lord had prepared a big fish to swallow up Jonah, where he spent three days and nights in the fish’s belly. Now can you imagine that? Jonah swirling around in the guts of a big fish with all the stinking stuff in there.
But yuh know what? Even in that unfortunate and disgusting situation, Jonah was wise enough to pray to the Lord. He says; ‘I cried by reason of (because of) mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard (answered) me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst (heart) of the seas; and the floods compassed me about (surrounded me): all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. The waters compassed me about (surrounded me) even to the soul: the depth (deep) closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms (foundations or bases) of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me (closed behind me) for ever: yet thou hast brought my life from corruption (the pit),
O Lord my God. when my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in (went up) unto thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities (worthless idols) forsake their own mercy (LOVING-kindness). But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord. and the Lord spake to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. ‘ (Jon. 2:2-10)
And the moral of the story is? We have at least two lessons to be learned from Jonah’s predicament. The first is obviously don’t try to run from the Lord. It’s so much easier to do what He asks us to do the first time. Look at the terrible situation Jonah found himself in simply because of disobedience. And the second lesson is that in whatever foul or fearful state we might find ourselves, our best bet for relief is still prayer. No matter how disobedient we are, and subsequently fall into dire circumstances, the Lord’s ears are always open to our prayers. And tomorrow, if God spares life, we’ll continue looking at Jonah’s most interesting story.
Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. Altogether: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure with Jesus to the very end, then it’s been promised that the future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So let’s be wise and plan to meet at the very end nuh! Much LOVE!
…do what the Lord asks the first time…for the consequences of disobedience can be gut-wrenching…neither will the Lord change His mind…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new commandment I give unto you, as I have loved you, Bible, bounden duty, by this shall all men know, by this shall men know that ye are my disciples, christianity, Christians, compassion, divisions and dissensions within Christ's church, every good and every perfect gift is from above, faith, fanfare, first fruits, forgiving, god, God is the source of all light, God never changes, God's mercies and compassions are new every day, God's wrath, human kindness, hurry, hypocrites, if any man will come after me, in god's eyes, in the world but not of the world, Jesus, Jesus Christ, let him deny himself, lock stock and barrel, long-suffering, LOVE, mercy, no variableness, of the world, petty jealousies, shadow of turning, share His love with my neighbours, slow to anger, take up his cross daily and follow me, talk the talk, the beloved of God, the Father of lights, the way the truth and the life, there's no darkness in God, this is the day the Lord has made, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Manrta, walk the walk, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wisdom, worry, ye love one another
James 1:17a. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights,
O.K! Tuesday is here in all its summer glory; sunshiny and warm, and we’ve forgotten Monday, forgotten all the frustrations and concerns it might have caused us, because Tuesday is a new day! And what do we say when a new day dawns? ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps. 118:24) Yes friends, that’s exactly why the Lord gave us a new day, so that we could enjoy it with all of His mercies and compassions that are brand new every day! (Lam. 3:22-23)
Wow! What an awesome God we serve my brethren! Good and faithful is He from the beginning right down to the very end. As James so rightly says in his epistle: ‘Do not err (be deceived) my brethren. 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. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.’ (James 1:16-18)
What reassuring scriptures my faithful believers. But what does it all mean? These two commentaries spread some light on the situation. The first one says: ‘So, if “there is no shadow of turning,” that means there is no darkness in Him. He is light and He doesn’t change. As we move in and out of the light and the earth moves, our shadow shifts. Not true for God. He is the source of light – there is no shadow because there is no movement (turning) in Him.’
And the second tells us: ‘James is encouraging believers in Christ to tell themselves the truth: God gave you every single good thing in your life. He is the source of all the good you have and all the good you crave. Who God is does not change when our circumstances change.’ And that’s the gospel truth my people! Our God never changes, from day one to the end of time, He has been, He is, and will be the same; merciful, forgiving, LOVING, compassionate, long-suffering, slow to anger, etc. etc. God.
But don’t forget that though He is longsuffering and slow to anger, He will not put up with our foolish, ungodly ways for ever, and we certainly don’t want to feel His wrath. Remember how the Israelites felt it when they refused to live the way He desired and chose to worship man-made idols instead. And remember too how He destroyed the world by flood when the world was so sinful and ungodly. So, although He’s good and LOVING and all those other marvellous things, His wrath can be very destructive.
Now that means we should be careful of how we live, but it’s exactly what we’re not doing, for the world is more sinful and ungodly than its ever been! And sadly, many of us supposed believers are helping it along by being OF it, rather than simply living IN it as Jesus desires. So who knows where our world is headed? We’re sure of only one thing, that it’s going through a rather tragic and disastrous time with all sorts of man made strife and natural disasters like we’ve never seen before.
Some say it’s a sign of the end times, while others say no. But whatever it is, we can only work on the premise that Jesus is the answer…the way the truth and the life, and no man gets to see the Father’s face unless we go through Jesus. (John 14:6) That means sincerely living for Jesus is the wisest decision and best action we can ever take. Being good agents, ambassadors and disciples for His kingdom. And let’s remember what that means in Jesus own words. ‘If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23)
That says it all friends! To follow Jesus we have to be much more like Him than we currently are! We have to stop allowing the world to control us as much as it’s doing, and live sacrificially for Him, like He did for us, while LOVING each other, the way He LOVED us. Remember these poignant words of His. ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35)
Now, can we truly say that the members of Christ’s church, truly LOVE one another? Definitely not! With the amount of divisions, dissensions, the serious infighting and petty jealousies that cause much strife in the body of Christ, truly LOVING each other is far from being a reality! And that’s why the heathen don’t see us as true disciples of Christ, and don’t show us any respect. In fact many of them laugh at us and call us hypocrites, because we’re so good at talking the talk, but terrible at walking the walk.
And until we change our hypocritical, two-faced ways like the Pharisees of old, we will never climb to the standard that Jesus desires of us, and one that will make others believe us and want what we claim to have. So, if we are truly desiring to live for Jesus, then we know what we all have to do; stop being as hypocritical as we currently are, reduce the divisions, dissensions and infighting in the church, and start sincerely LOVING each other! And that only means being good to each other, treating each other with courtesy and respect, helping each other in times of need. In other words, basic human kindness. And if we can’t show basic human kindness to those around us, then we have no claim to be called Christians. End of Sermon!
Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to live for Jesus, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one 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 made that declaration (yesss!) it’s now our bounden duty 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!
…true believers ought to live like Jesus did…without much fanfare…but with much kindness and compassion…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a corruptible crown, a crown of righteousness, an incorruptible crown, and every man that striveth for mastery, be a castaway, Bible, but one receives the prize, christianity, competes for the prize, endure afflictions, endure hardship, faith, fight the good fight of faith, fought a good fight, god, good soldiers, good soldiers are not born, grace and mercy, holy spirit, humble ourselves and pray, I discipline my body, is temperate in all things, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kept the faith, life is hard, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, one that beateth the air, pick up your cross daily, put on the armour of god, repercussions, run not as uncertainly, sacrifices, self-control, seriously disobeyed your word, sincerely seek your face, stale like day old bread, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the God who heals, the helmet of salvation, the medium of prayer, the righteous judge, the shield of faith, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the spiritual armour of God, the sword of the Spirit, the throne of grace, the time of my departure is at hand, the two edged sword, the Word ofGod, they which run in a race run all, tough times, unto all them that love his appearing, when I have preached to others, wisdom, wise guidance
1 Corinthians 9:25a. And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control).
Awright friends, it’s Monday…and there’s no birthday celebrations today. No. This is the start of a full work week, so please, let’s be up and about Christ’s business as we ought to, as good soldiers in His powerful army. And I guess there’s’ no better day to talk about fighting the good fight than on a Monday, when we’re supposed to be at our freshest and best, but so many of us seem uninterested and stale like day-old bread.
That’s why Bruh Paul exhorted Timothy with these words of valour: ‘Fight the good fight of faith…Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship) as a good soldier of Christ… But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the works of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure (death) is at hand.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge shall give at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that LOVE his appearing.’ (1 Tim. 6:12a, 2 Tim. 2:3, 4:5-8)
Oh my people, that’s the kind of buzz we need to make in this world. A stand for Jesus so strong that few can refute it. So that we can receive that crown of righteousness from the Lord when our time on earth is up. And no it’s not an easy stand to make, but we have all the tools to do it, beginning with the powerful Holy Spirit that indwells each of us.
Then there’s the proctection of the spiritual armour of God that Bruh Paul talks of in Ephesians: The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, or the Word of God, that mighty two edged sword, all banded together with the equally powerful medium of prayer. (Eph. 6:14-18)
Yes friends, with all of that firepower available to us, we cannot be defeated if we put it to good use. But it doesn’t happen automatically, we have to first put on the armour, then go out and fight the good fight. But before we fight that good fight, like all good soldiers, we also have to train, to practice, so that we can become efficient and effective on the battlefield. And that’s why Bruh Paul sets out this tough but sensible and oh so necessary training regime in his first letter to the church at Corinth.
‘Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control). Now they do it to obtain a corruptible (perishable) crown: but we an incorruptible (imperishable). I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air (throws wild and unconnected blows): But I keep under (discipline) my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (be disqualified).’ (1 Cor. 9:24-27)
Now that, my fellow believers is how we ought to be training to be good disciples and tough soldiers of Christ! Unfortunately though, too many of us supposed believers are not interested in taking up that training regime because they claim it’s too hard. But however you live life, it’s hard, and the only way to fight life is by being tougher than it, and you can only get tougher by long hours of practice and training.
Too many of us are too enamoured with the wonderful amenities and entitlements the world has to offer and thus refuse to take up their armour, go into training and fight, but they still expect to receive an imperishable crown of righteousness come the day of judgement. Unfortunately though, I’m afraid those lackadaisical, apathetic soldiers will be sorely disappointed when those crowns of righteousness are handed out.
If you refuse to pick up your cross daily and follow Christ as a good disciple, then Christ will leave you behind when he comes into His kingdom. It’s as simple as that my fellow saints. There’s no easy or simple way to cut it. Working for Jesus implies sacrifices and tough times, which we all have the wherewithal to handle, but we’re just too bloody lazy and only desire to live the easy life.
But let’s remember that anything that’s comes too easily, will later on have serious repercussions. Life was just not meant to be easy. Whatever you want, you have to work for it. So if you truly desire that imperishable crown of righteousness, then you’d better get up off your fat, lazy fanny and work for it! Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help us with our earthly problems.
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!’
And the best way to encourage divine aid is by humbling ourselves, praying and sincerely seeking God’s face. Much LOVE!
…good soldiers are not born…but are developed…through discipline and serious training…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to the will of God, and my words abide in you, be careful for nothing, Bible, christianity, consume it upon your lusts, don't give up, don't say you're done, Ds Flame, every trial mountain and sea, faith, feel battered, feeling like and outcast, fellowship, God answers prayer, God is the answer, goodness, groanings, he sees every tear drop, he sees every weakness, He that searcheth the hearts, He wipes them for me, holy spirit, I get down on my knees, I say Saviour help me please, if ye abide in me, if you're ever feeling down, in everything by prayer and supplication, in the midst of all your heartache, in the morning, it shall be unto you, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus to pray departed into a solitary place, knows th mind of the Spirit, LOVE, not knowing what to pray, O thou that hearest prayer, one thing is for certain, prayer, problems overflow, refresh our souls, release the frustrations, remember in the hard times, rising up a great deal before day, shall keep your hearts and minds, sweet sacrifices of praise, the biggest privilege in the Christian faith, the error of our ways, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the Spirit maketh intercession for us, truth, unto thee shall all flesh come, wisdom, ye ask amiss, ye ask and receive not, ye shall ask what ye will, you have nowhere to go, you may be broken, your battles are already won, your strength will surely come
Psalm 65:2. O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.
One more Sunday; one more time to attend the Lord’s sanctuary on His day, and in association with other believers, to offer up sincere thanks and praise for His goodness and mercy towards us. And why do we do it? Because the Lord commands it, so that we can have joint fellowship, to release the frustrations and pressures of the past week and refresh our souls and spirits for the upcoming one.
So, let’s get right to today’s song of worship, one from the female Gospel Artist known as Da Flame and very truthfully titled, ‘God Answers Prayer.’ And we’re going to offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a rich, soulful, heartfelt, mid tempo version. Singing: ‘If you’re ever feeling down and like you have no where to go. If you’re feeling like an outcast as your problems overflow, just remember there is someone, and all it takes is for you to know, is that God is the answer, and God answers prayer.
(Chorus: He sees every weakness, every trial, every mountain and sea, and He sees every tear drop, and He wipes them for me. I get down on my knees, and I say Saviour help me please. Because one thing is for certain, is my God answers prayer.) You may be broken and feel battered, but your strength will surely come, in the midst of all your heartache. Your battles are already won. Just remember in the hard times, don’t give up, don’t say you’re done, because God is the answer, and God answers prayer.
(Chorus: He sees every weakness, every trial, every mountain and sea, and He sees every tear drop, and He wipes them for me. I get down on my knees, and I say Saviour help me please. Because one thing is for certain, is my God answers prayer. Oh, He sees every weakness, every trial, every mountain and sea, and He sees every tear drop, and He wipes them for me. So, let’s get down on our knees, and say, Saviour, help us please. Because one thing is for certain… our God answers prayer.’
And of that very thing we can be one hundred percent sure my people: God does answer prayer…although there are some whys and wherefores and addendums attached. (smile) But before we get into the nitty gritty of the prayer situation, let’s get a definition of prayer.
Prayer is our biggest privilege in the Christian faith. It’s basically talking to God, but in the greater scheme of things it is so much more. One commentary tells us that ‘Prayer is the complete submission of my heart, mind, body and soul to Him. We are told that sometimes we don’t even know what or how to pray so the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groans and utterances.’
And we find the scripture to corroborate that in Bruh Paul’s letter to the Romans. ‘Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities (weaknesses): for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.’ (Rom. 8:26-27)
Yes friends, when our inner being is in so much turmoil that we don’t how or what to pray, the Holy Spirit steps in and interprets those innermost groanings. ‘And the Father who knows all hearts, knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.’
Now that statement ‘according to God’s will’ is a most important one, because if what we pray for, even through ignorance, is not in His plan for us, or in His general will, then most likely we won’t get it. As James says in his epistle: ‘Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts (pleasures).’ (James 4:3)
And that’s no lie, for many of us take the scriptures for granted which say, ask and ye shall receive, (Matt. 7:7) so we ask for all the lustful stuff that goes against God’s will, and when we don’t get them, we wonder why, and complain that God is not real or truthful.
But then, sometimes God gives us stuff that we ask for that is not in His will, to show us the error of our ways. Instead, we should be taking account of this scripture from Jesus: ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto (for) you.’ (John 15:7) So the best way to know God’s will is to read His Word and talk to Him, through the medium of prayer.
Now here are two interesting scriptures on prayer. This first one we all know from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Philippians: ‘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. 4:6-7) That’s the awesome power of prayer my fellow believers!
Then there’s this verse from Psalm 65 – Praise to the Lord, where Bruh David says in no uncertain terms: ‘O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.’ (Ps. 65:2) And that’s the gospel truth friends, for all of us, even the staunchest unbelievers, when we suddenly find ourselves between a rock and a hard place, the first words to come out of our mouths are ‘O God!’
And there’s so much that can be said about prayer, but the greatest reason for us to turn to prayer is because of the example that Jesus set. Although He was the Son of God, and deity in His own right, He never made any serious decisions without consulting His heavenly Father. There are numerous places in the Bible where we see Jesus going off by Himself to pray. But my favourite scripture on Jesus’ prayer life is this one from the gospel of Mark. ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35)
Oh my fellow saints, prayer was such an important part of Christ’s life that before the day even dawned He was up and about communing with His father in a quiet place. So if Jesus needed prayer continually, what about us eh? Now that’s an example we all should try to follow, so that our lives will have more heavenly guidance. Much LOVE!
…prayer…being able to go to God without fear…any time…anywhere…with anything…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a spate of ungodliness, absolutely nothing, abundance, are destroyed, as those who will not see, Bible, blind leaders of the blind, both shall fall into the ditch, cause them to err, christianity, civil war, courage, curse, Declaration of Independence, ego problems of leaders, faith, fight the good fight of faith, fight tooth and nail, flee these things, follow after righteousness, god, going to hell in a hand basket, Happy Independence Day U.S.A, honour me with their lips, if the blind leade the blind, internal conflict, Jesus, Jesus Christ, LOVE, negative word, none so blind, O man of God, Pharisees, prosper, self-control, slavery, succeed, talent, the leaders of this people, the messenger of the Lord of hosts, the preists lips should keep knowledge, their heart is far from me, they draw nigh unto me with their mouth, they that are led of them, Thursday Blessings, truth, War!, what is war good for?, wisdom
Isaiah 9:16. For the leaders of this people cause them to err, and they that are led of them are destroyed.
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY U.S. OF A!
Yes friends, today the U.S. A celebrates it’s 248 year of independence from Great Britain after the challenging war to gain their freedom ended with the Declaration of Independence on July 4th 1776. So they are not so old either, (smile) less than a hundred years older than us up here in Canada. However, their history has been a tumultuous one from the very beginning. The fight for freedom from Britain, then their own Civil War between the Northern and Southern States in 1861over slavery; with the economics of slavery and political control of that system being more central to the conflict than the basic morality of it.
And sadly, right now the U.S is facing a significant amount of serious internal conflict, while also having deeply committed connections to several other external conflicted areas. Let’s hope and pray that they can solve their many problems without the threat of violence rearing it’s ugly head, for remember as the U.S goes, so does a lot of the world!
That reminds me of the these words of wisdom in that old song by the Temptations: ‘War! What is it good for? Absolutely NOTHING!’ And that’s the gospel truth my people, but yet mankind insists on regularly fighting wars, wars that don’t really prove anything, wars that only kill and destroy, leaving the combatants worse off than they were before. I guess it’s an ego problem; generally the ego of the countries leaders.
That brings up a couple of sayings: one from Jonathan Swift, the English/Irish author (1667-1745) who said ‘There are none so blind as those who will not see.’ Yes, understanding cannot be forced on someone who chooses to remain ignorant. And the other quote is from Jesus , where He says of the Pharisees: ‘Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.’ (Matt. 15:14)
And I like how this commentary explains it. ‘Jesus uses the ridiculous one-sentence mini-parable of a blind person leading another blind person in order to show that following the lead of the Pharisees is equally ill-advised. His point could not be made any more vividly: your highly respected religious leaders, the Pharisees, are not reliable guides at all.’
This all stems from earlier on when Jesus referred thus to the Pharisees. ‘Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias (Isaiah) prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh (near) unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.’ (Matt. 15:7-9) Back then, the Pharisees and various other religious leaders pushed more traditions of men on the people, rather than the dictates of God, using it to advance their powerful place in the society.
And sadly, in these modern times the same thing is happening, many preachers or churches are using the traditions of men to keep the people in quiet submission, rather than teaching them the true word of God. It’s reminiscent of Isaiah’s words re Israel: ‘For the leaders of this people cause them to err, and they that are led of them are destroyed.’ (Is. 9:16) Unfortunately that’s happening quite a lot today, not only in religious circles, but also in political ones. No wonder the enormous amount of strife and upheaval that’s currently endangering our world.
Malachi’s words on the punishment of the priests, who were speaking untruths and thus breaking the covenant of an everlasting priesthood made to Levi and his descendants, also ring true in these ungodly and hypocritical times. He writes: ‘For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts. Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial (shown partiality) in the law.’ (Mal. 2:7-9)
Ah mih people, a spate of ungodliness and deceitfulness is spreading across our world like we’ve never seen before, and it’s up to us, the true believers in Christ Jesus to rein it in, or preferably, put a stop to it. But it won’t happen unless we give up the pretty baubles and bangles that the world constantly dangles before our lustful eyes, then come together as one true body and fight tooth and nail to regain the lost territory and gain new ones for Christ.
It’s as Bruh Paul says to Timothy: ‘But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art so called, and hast professed (confessed) a good profession (confession) before many witnesses.’ (1 Tim. 6:11-12) Yes my fellow believers, our world will never turn around, or even have a hope of doing so, unless and until we get up and fight the good fight of faith. It’s all up to us, unless we want the world to go the way it’s currently going; that’s to hell in a handbasket.
And for those of us seriously interested in making some good and godly changes, the Lord has generously provided us with underserved blessings to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare them now, so they can be activated in our lives. 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!’
Now it’s our duty to go out and use those blessings on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us. Much LOVE!
…thou therefore endure hardness (hardship)…as a good soldier of Christ… (2 Tim. 2:3)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a false witness, a lying tongue, a proud look, abhor that which is evil, abominations unto the Lord, against them that do evil, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, avenge not yourselves, be not overcome of evil, Bible, Christian, christianity, depart from evil, do good, enjoying the pleasures of the world, every imagination was evil continually, evil, evil in the church, faith, falling down on the job, feet that are swift in running to mischief, glorify your father in heaven, God saw that the wickedness of man was great, hands that shed innocent blood, he that sows discord amongst brethren, hurry, I am the beloved of god, I am with you always, in god's eyes, indulging in the works of the devil, Jesus, Jesus Christ, keep thy tongue from evil, let love be without dissimulation, let your light so shine, light of the world, living up to Christ's description, LOVE, love one another as I have loved you, my joy might remain in you, negative influences of Satan, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, nuclear conflagration, overcome evil with good, refrain from evil, salt of the earth, see your good works, seek peace and pursue it, share His love with my neighbour, solve our problems, teach all nations, the face of the Lord, the fool is hotheaded, the Great Commission, the wise fear the Lord and shun evil, thy lips from speaking guile, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, vengeance is mine saith the Lord, violence only breeds more violence, wisdom, without resorting to violence, worry, yet feels secure, your joy might be full
Psalm 34:14. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
So my people, all the Canada Day partying is over now, and on this bright and sunshiny summer Tuesday, it’s time for us to get back to work, to seriously try and solve our many problems without resorting to violence, because in the end, violence never proves anything, it only breeds more violence. That’s why the Bible, the Law of God, tells us so much about refraining from evil. And just in case you don’t believe me, let’s look at some of those verses that repudiate evil, that warns the believer about accepting or indulging in the works of the devil.
First up are these explicit warnings from Bruh Paul to the Roman church. ‘Let LOVE be without dissimulation (hypocrisy). Abhor that which is evil; cleave (cling) to that which is good… Recompense to (repay) no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men (have regard for good things)…. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord… Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12: 1, 17, 19, 21)
Yes friends, all of that on the repudiation of evil in just one chapter. But unfortunately those warnings don’t seem to have any effect on today’s modern world, since it’s filled with evil right up to the gills, with evil currently being the predominant force on the planet, while good runs a distant second. But that should not be so my faithful brethren, as our mandate from our Lord and Saviour is to fill the earth with goodness, joy, and LOVE! Remember these words He spoke to the disciples, and consequently to us?
‘These things I have spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you…These things I command you, that ye LOVE one another.’ (John 15:12-13, 17) Yuh see friends, we should be all about LOVE and joy while we zealously pursue Christ’s command in the Great Commission. ‘Go ye therefore and teach (make disciples) of all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things what soever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:19-20)
Now that’s supposed to be our job, but obviously, for whatever reason(s), we are falling down on it, otherwise the word would not be so filled with the evil and negative influences of Satan. What don’t we understand about the necessity for spreading God’s Word and staying away from evil eh? Now hear this further warning from Bruh David in Ps. 34.
‘What man is he that desireth life, and LOVETH many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile (deceit). Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off (destroy) the remembrance of them from the earth.’ (Ps. 34:12-16)
Oh my brethren, even if we’re the most simple minded of people, those words are very easy for us to understand. Stay away from evil because the Lord doesn’t like it and He will eventually destroy all that’s evil on His planet! But no, many of us seem to rejoice in and regale the works of evil. So much so that even in Christ’s own church, evil is very rampant. The divisions, the dissensions, the selfish cliques and petty differences keep us apart, so that evil can easily infiltrate the church and drive us even further away from God and each other.
And if the father, Bruh David was wise, the Son, Cousin Sol, was even wiser. (smile) Listen, as he tells us about the abominations, that’s the evil things that the Lord hates. ‘These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him. A proud look (haughty eyes), a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations (devises wicked plans), feet that be swift in running to mischief (evil), A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.’ (Prov. 6:16-19)
And sadly, all those things that Cousin Sol listed as abominations unto our God are front and centre in today’s world. And the rampant rise and spread of evil in our world is largely due to Christ supposed believers sitting much too idly on their fat fannies, enjoying the pleasures of the world, instead of doing the job they were commissioned to do. Our world would never be in such a dire state of chaos and disaster, if we were living up to Christ’s description of us: ‘Ye are the salt of the earth… Ye are the light of the world… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:13, 14, 16)
Yes friends, unfortunately our salt has lost its flavour, and our lights have become darkened, lost their lustre. And I believe we need a timely reminder of what happened way back when, when the world was in a state very much like ours. The Bible tells us: ‘And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart (his intents or thoughts) was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord (He was sorry, regretted ) that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart (His heart was deeply troubled).
And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me (I am sorry, regret) that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.’ (Gen 6:5-8) And we’re infinitely lucky that Noah found favour with God back then, or there would be no life on earth now, allowing us to make the same dreadful mistakes, and even worse ones, with all of our modern knowledge and technology.
Oh friends, if the Lord found the world wicked and evil enough to destroy it back then, what do you believe He’s thinking about ours now eh? For our world is a million times more evil and wicked than Noah’s. And let’s remember, that the Lord never promised to not destroy the world again, just not by water. So, if we continue with our evil ways, anything is possible. However, from the way the worldly strife is heating up, and the talk of using nuclear weapons to settle our differences, the Lord won’t have to raise a finger, for we will do the deed ourselves.
Nonetheless, for those who are trying our best to serve the Lord, let’s go home now declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know of whom we belong to, lock, stock and barrel. As one 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 now need to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the wise fear the LORD…and shun evil…but a fool is hotheaded…and yet feels secure. (Prov. 14:6)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Jun 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Annie sherwood hawks, as the hart panteth after the water brooks, bankruptcy of any inherent righteousness, be not far from me, Bible, bless me now my Saviour, christianity, come quickly and abide, come unto me all ye that labour, early will I seek thee, faith, fellowship, filled with the sense of nearness, god, God rested on the seventh day, hallowed it, holy spirit, how one could live without christ, I need thee every hour, I need thee oh I need thee, I will give you rest, in a dry and thirsty land, in joy or pain, in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, Jesus, Jesus Christ, life is vain, LOVE, make haste to help me, make me thine indeed, mercy, my flesh longeth for thee, my hour of sweet serenity and peace, my soul thirsteth for god, my tears have been my meat, no tender voice like thine, oh God my strength, our inconsolable loneliness, our utter poverty without Christ, out of fellowship with God, remember the sabbath to keep it holy, rest from our toil, Robert Lowry, six day shalt thou labour, so panteth my soul after thee O God, stay thou nearby, sweet sacrifices of praise, teach me thy will, temptations lose their power, the colossal truth, the comforting power, the great invitation, the hollow emptiness, the impotence of our own strength, the living God, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, the need for Jesus is undeniable, the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God, the shadow fell over my way, the world's godless gain, thou blessed Son, touched the great throbbing heart of humanity, trouble is near, truth, uplifting words, When shall I come and appear before God, when thou art nigh, where is thy God, wisdom
Psalm 42:1. As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
And then it was Sunday, the day on which we rest from our toil and labour, and instead go to the Lord’s sanctuary to praise and worship Him in the company of other believers. Now that was His idea not ours, as He said to the children of Israel when He gave them the law. ‘Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work… For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it (made it holy). (Ex. 20: 9-11)
That’s why we’re in the Lord’s house on a Sunday to offer thanks and praise and receive His awesome blessings for the upcoming week. And as always, we begin the day’s proceedings with a song of praise, which today is one we all know and LOVE, one that’s ever so timely. It’s titled, ‘I Need Thee Every Hour.’ Now that’s the gospel truth friends! We need Jesus Christ…and badly too…every hour of every single day. The lyrics of the song were written in 1872 by American poet and gospel hymnist Annie Sherwood Hawks with her Pastor Robert Lowry adding the music.
Mrs. Hawks described the song and its origins thus: ‘One day as a young wife and mother of 37 years of age, I was busy with my regular household tasks. Suddenly, I became so filled with the sense of nearness to the Master that, wondering how one could live without Him, either in joy or pain, these words, I Need Thee Every Hour, were ushered into my mind, the thought at once taking full possession of me…
I did not understand at first why this hymn had touched the great throbbing heart of humanity. It was not until long after, when the shadow fell over my way, the shadow of a great loss, that I understood something of the comforting power in the words which I had been permitted to give out to others in my hour of sweet serenity and peace.’
Yuh see that my bredrin; the song was technically a prophetic gift from God, rather than one born of Mrs. Hawks own personal experience, and it was only long after, when she finally encountered a great loss, that she fully realized the worth and the magnitude of the hymn. So, knowing all of that, let’s finally raise our voices to heaven in sweet sacrifices of praise, in a mid-tempo, sincere, and heart-felt soulful version of the song.
Singing: ‘I need thee every hour, Most gracious Lord, No tender voice like thine, Can peace afford. (Chorus: I need thee oh I need thee, Every hour I need thee, Oh bless me now my Saviour, I come to thee.) I need thee every hour, Stay thou near by, Temptations lose their power, When thou art nigh (Chorus) I need thee every hour, In joy or pain, Come quickly and abide, or life is vain. (Chorus)
I need thee every hour; teach me thy will, and thy rich promises in me fulfill. (Chorus) I need thee every hour, Most holy one, Oh make me thine indeed Thou blessed Son. (Chorus: I need thee oh I need thee, Every hour I need thee, Oh bless me now my Saviour, I come to thee. I need thee, Oh I need thee, Oh bless me now my Saviour, I come to thee…I come to thee…’
Oh my people, are those ever true and uplifting words! And they echo the heartfelt cries of several psalms. For instance these words of Bruh David from Psalm 22 – A Plea for God’s Presence. When he finds himself alone and in trouble, he cries out: ‘I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help…But be thou not far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.’ (Ps. 22:10-11, 19)
And we all know this heartfelt cry from the Sons of Korah in Psalm 42 – My Soul Thirsts for the Lord. They declare: ‘As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my meat (food) day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?’ (Ps. 42:1-3)
Then what about these faithful words of Bruh David from Psalm 63 – A Thirsting Soul, when he was in the wilderness running for his life from King Saul. He cries out: ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.’ (Ps. 63:1) And that’s how badly all of us need God in these angry and strife-filled days, where truth and justice don’t seem to amount to anything, while all the negative actions of Satan and his evil cronies rule the roost.
Now, here’s an excerpt from article on the hymn by Jon Bloom from the desiringGod.org website. He writes: ‘One of the sweetest refrains in English Christian hymnody is this: “I need Thee, O I need Thee; Every hour I need Thee; O bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee.” Thank God for Annie S. Hawks who wrote these lyrics and her pastor, Robert Lowry, who composed the music. The lyrics could hardly be simpler, and yet they capture one of our heart’s most profound longings and can be prayed in the sweetest, most sorrowful, or most mundane moments in life.
The prosody (the patterns of rhythm and sound) of the music, the way the melody and meter aligns with the wording, could hardly be more perfect. But it is not the skill of the hymn’s construction that makes it so powerful. It is the colossal truth it so beautifully expresses. O I Need Thee!
Yes, We need God. It is not until we feel in the depths of our souls our utter poverty without Christ, our bankruptcy of any inherent righteousness, the impotence of our own strength and self-sufficient planning, our inconsolable loneliness when we are out of fellowship with God, the pathetic pretentiousness of our pathological pride, the hollow emptiness of all the godless gain of the world, our utter helplessness in the face of personal, institutional, cosmic, and molecular evil, that we know just how much we need God.’
Ah my fellow believers, unfortunately it’s not until we are wallowing deep in the mire of sin and Satan, with the slime up to our necks, that we truly realize how much we need Almighty God. And we are certainly blessed to know that if we sincerely cry out Him even at that late stage, He will indeed help us. Because that’s the kind of gracious, merciful, forgiving and LOVING God we serve.
But please, let’s be wise nuh, and don’t wait until we’re drowning to cry out to Him for help. Instead, let’s take the proverbial bull by the horns and go to Him right now, regardless of what state we’re in, for He’s ready and waiting to welcome us. Don’t you hear Him calling: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ (Matt. 11:28) So in wisdom, let’s accept that Great Invitation right now, and thus turn our lives and our world around, because there’s none greater than it! Much LOVE!
…the need for Jesus is undeniable…because that’s how we were created…to need Him…and ONLY Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Jun 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a modicum of circumspection, a new flock of believers, anger, be like god, be not forgetful to entertain strangers, Bible, Canada Day celebration, christianity, disobedinece, dwelling in harmony, faith, for brethren to dwell together in unity, for the perishable things of the world, forbidden fruit, Friday chant, hatred resentment, how good and how pleasant it is, Jesus, Jesus Christ, knowing good from evil, let brotherly love continue, LOVE, LOVE our enemies, lustful desires, man's folly, negative sentiments, prayer, return backsliders to your fold, serving Almighty God, show them the error of their ways, simmering unrest, smell the coffee, some have entertained angels unawares, stand strong and steadfast, strife, strife in Christ's church, strife is the work of the devil, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the children of God, the example we faithful believers set, the imperishable things of heaven, truth, unexpected storms, unity is the work of God, wisdom
Psalm 133:1. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.
And at last it was Friday… so the joyful shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ obviously were heard all around the world, but not as much as in this fair and flourishing land of Canada, where today heralds the beginning of our long, Canada Day weekend. Yes friends, on Monday we celebrate our national day, the anniversary of Canadian Confederation, the final coming together of all the disparate sections of this great land on July 1, 1867. So you can just picture the height and intensity of the celebrations this upcoming weekend.
However my fellow believers, please, let’s enjoy the time, but let’s not go overboard as we are sometimes won’t to do. And with the summer season and it’s many activities now in full swing, we definitely need the gentle reminder of these words as we get off work today… a modicum of circumspection. (smile) Yes, it’s time to celebrate and enjoy the benefits of our good country, but it’s also necessary to keep God first place, as we do so. End of Sermon.
And today we’re just going to have a refresher look at the very important sentiments of Bruh David’s words in Psalm 133; the dwelling in unity, or harmony, something that unfortunately no longer exists in this turbulent and ungodly world. The psalm opens by telling us in no uncertain terms: ‘Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.’ (Ps. 133:1)
Now that’s such a simple and very important truth; one with which we’d all concur, if asked. But in the actual doing of it, we just seem to lose the very essence of the sentiment and instead live in strife with each other. And we just have to look around our world today and see that STRIFE, rather than LOVE is what’s making it go round! How sad!
But that’s one of the great failings of mankind; we often know to do the right thing, yet end up doing the wrong thing. It’s like we know we should be serving Almighty God with our whole hearts, souls, bodies and minds, but instead we embrace Beelzebub and his lustful desires for the perishable things of this world, reducing the things of heaven to a distant second place. How foolish! But we know it, and still do it! No wonder James tells us: ‘Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.’ (James 4:17)
Sadly though, man’s folly and disobedience has been his downfall from the beginning of time. Our forefathers, Adam and Eve, were told in no uncertain terms not to eat of the fruit of the tree of Knowledge, for they would surely die. But they allowed the wily devil to introduce doubt into their minds by deceptively saying, that all the stuff about dying wasn’t true. God just knew that if they ate of the forbidden fruit, their eyes would be opened, and they would be like God, knowing good and evil. (Gen. 3:1-8)
And unfortunately, it’s still the same way today; the devil is still beguiling us into ungodly acts, which are only causing strife and torment all over God’s great earth. But if our world is to survive, we’ve got to stop the constant strife and concentrate instead on harmony. It’s like when there was strife between Abraham and his nephew Lot’s people. Abraham wisely came to Lot and said to him: ‘Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.’ (Gen. 13:8) And they settled the matter peacefully.
But today, so many actual brothers and sisters, fellow country men and women, as well as different nations, can’t seem to settle the strife that exists between them. The same goes for Christ’s church, where strife is ever so rampant! Some of us are even allowing the devil to eagerly exacerbate it! But that should not be so my brethren. As the author of Hebrews so wisely reminds us: ‘Let brotherly LOVE continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.’ (Heb. 13:1-2)
And that’s the gospel truth! None of us know with whom we’ll come into contact on any given day. That’s why it’s so important to treat people with LOVE and kindness. Remember one of Jesus’ directives is for us to LOVE our enemies. (Matt. 5:44) Unfortunately though, nowadays, with all the anger, hatred, resentment and the many other negative sentiments overflowing our world, we don’t even seem to LOVE our friends and families, much less our enemies. Oh my fellow saints, all I can do is to try and encourage us to turn back to the imperishable things of God, and leave the perishable things of the world and Satan alone, for they do not show who we really are: the children of God.
Now let’s go to the throne of grace through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid, to help with our many earthly problems. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And if we truly want and expect to see divine aid, it would do us well to remember these words of our prayer: ‘by the example, we, your faithful believers set.’ Much LOVE!
…strife is the work of the devil…unity is the work of God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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