01 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a level of peace, a man lay down his life for his friends, an honour to be so intimately known, April Fool's day, April showers, believers, believers in Christ, But God commendeth his love toward us, christianity, Christians, come to know and love him like we do, despite what and whom we are, duty bound, faith, fly out the window, following Satan and his evil practices, for His awesome goodness and mercy, God cannot deny Himself, God knows all my mistakes, God loves us, God sent not his son into the world, God sent not His Son to condemn the world, God so loved the world, greater love hath no man than this, grow through challenges, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, hellhole, hellhole we're digging for ourselves, holy spirit, hurry, if ye do what I command you, in all these things we are more than conquerors, in god's eyes, in god's world it's all about love, in Jesus name, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, Jesus' crucifixion, listened to my doubts and questions, LOVE, love is the guiding principle of god's kingdom, love rules the roost, makes you want to cringe and laugh at the same time, May flowers, mercy, my bone-deep longings, my heart harbours deceit, negative evils, Nicodemus, nothing shall separate us from the love of God, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, prayer rings so true, prayers have no timeline, radiant with good intentions, received my genuine praise, salvation, see the coming seasons in my life, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, should not perish, sincerity of heart, surpasses all the understanding of men, Thank the Lord, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the amazing foundation of Christ's gospel, the awesome truth, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the In touch Devotional, the weight of my regrets, this is my commandment, thrive in peace, through him the world might be saved, to condemn the world, to walk beside you in this life, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, undeserving and disobedient, undying hope and faith, we don't deserve God's love, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, who shall separate us from the Love of Christ, wisdom, worry, ye are my friends, ye love one another as I have loved you, you truly are love
Romans 5:8. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
And the month of April has opened bright and sunshiny, though a tad on the chilly side. And though the computer is forecasting some 6 cm of snow for tomorrow, we do hope that as the month rolls on, it will bring some warm April showers that will eventually translate into beautiful May flowers. Yes friends, that’s the amazing thing about believers in Christ Jesus; we always have undying hope and faith. Consequently, we also believe that all the craziness and ungodliness that’s happening in our world is only a figment of our imagination, an April Fool’s joke, and in due course our Lord and Saviour will fix it all, to the benefit of Himself and His followers.
And all God’s people said a loud, proud and grateful: ‘Thank the Lord for His awesome goodness and mercy to us undeserving and disobedient but highly LOVED creation!’ And that’s the awesome truth my people! We don’t deserve God’s LOVE nor goodness, but nonetheless He pours them out on us, because that’s the kind of God He is, and He cannot deny His character. Oh, how I wish that our character was even half as good and strong, for what a wonderful world we’d then have.
Anyway, to help us improve our godly character, here’s this interesting prayer from the March issue of the In Touch Devotional. And though some of us protest to hearing March prayers in April, (smile) please know that prayers have no timeline nor special place, they can be said anywhere and at any time, all they need is sincerity of heart. So please pray with me.
‘God, You know about all my mistakes, even those I haven’t made yet. You’ve seen me grow through challenges and thrive in peace. You know my heart both harbours deceit and is radiant with good intentions. You know my bone-deep longings and the weight of my regrets. You’ve listened to my doubts and questions and received my genuine praise. You see the coming seasons in my life and You’re ready, even if I am not. It’s an honour to be so intimately known and to walk beside you in this life. You truly are LOVE, and I’m thankful. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Oh my fellow believers, that’s one of those prayers that ring so true that it makes you want to both cringe and laugh at the same time! Obviously, our omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present Creator knows all about us, even before we do both the wrongs and good deeds. But He still LOVES us! And that’s the amazing foundation of Christ’s gospel; the good news that Almighty God, our Creator and Chastener LOVES us despite what and whom we are! And I don’t know why that’s so difficult for some of us to believe, since it’s so openly and obviously stated in His Word.
Listen to Jesus tell it like it is to Nicodemus, one of the Pharisee leaders, as he comes under cover of night to find out what is what. Jesus says, in no uncertain terms: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that through him the world might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
Now my brethren, it could not be stated any plainer than that! God LOVED His human creation so much that He sent His Son to save them from the hellhole that they were digging for themselves by following Satan and his evil practices. And that fact is seen and proven with even more force by Jesus’ crucifixion on our behalf! How then can we ever doubt God’s LOVE for us? Oh, we might not want to accept it, but there’s definitely no doubt that He LOVES us with a great and undying LOVE!
And that just brings to mind one of my favourite verses from the Bible, where Bruh Paul writes to the church at Rome: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Now which other god has ever done anything like that eh? None! They all want you to turn from your ways toward them first. But Jehovah God is so sure and certain of Himself that He gave us a way out even when we did not deserve it.
And Jesus reiterated His and the Father’s LOVE for us, when He told the disciples: ‘This is my commandment, that ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you. Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do what I command you.’ (John 15:12-14)
Yes my fellow believers LOVE is the guiding principle of God’s kingdom, and that’s why the enemy is fighting so hard to keep us from LOVING God, ourselves and each other. For he knows that when LOVE rules the roost, all his negative evils will fly out the window, and he will be even further reduced than He is already by Christ’s victory on the cross and His amazing resurrection.
Bruh Paul also emphasizes the importance of Christ’s LOVE in his epistle to the Romans, when he writes: ‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ?’ (Rom. 8:35a) Then he goes on to make a long list of negative things. Then says: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8: 37-39)
And that’s what we need to believe friends, especially in these turbulent and chaotic times; that NOTHING whatsoever can, or will ever be able to separate us from the LOVE of God that resides in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And when we sincerely believe that, and do the things it calls for, then we will be able to face this crazy world with a level of peace and calm that passes all the understanding of men.
Now, let’s go home declaring (chuhhh man!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
That means, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…in God’s world…it’s all about LOVE…that’s why He created us…and that’s why He’s also saved us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
31 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a dry and cloudy day, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a woman of sorrowful spirit, all ye that labour, barren for many years, christianity, Christians, come unto me, covenant relationships, dance to God's music, day and night, divine help, faith, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, faithfulness, feel lost and helpless, find rest unto your souls, for the help of his countenance, gentle and humble, go out like a lion, God is a refuge for us, God is the the wisest being in the universe, good riddance to you, Hannah, he is my defence, He only is my rock and my salvation, heavy laden, help in troubled times, holy spirit, hope thou in God, humble ourselves, humble servants, I am meek and lowly in heart, I shall not be moved, I shall yet praise him, I will give you rest, In God is my salvation and my glory, it takes two to tango, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep Jesus first and foremost, LOVE, mercy, my burden light, my expectation is only from him, my hope is only in God, my refuge is in God, my soul, my soul thirsts for God, my tears have been my meat, my yoke is easy, negative situations, obedience, Our Father, pour out your heart before him, poured out my soul before the Lord, praise Your Holy Name, pray, prosper us, raise up your faith, salvation, seek your face, Selah, severe ice storms, sincere repentance in our hearts, sincerity, sinned and disobeyed your Word, spiritually or physically dark, sunshine peeping through the clouds, take my yoke upon you, thank you for life and strong faith in Christ, the BIBLE, the everlasting truth, the God who heals, the great invitation, the last day of March, the mass confusion in our world, the most appropriate person to ask for help, the power to solve our many problems, the prophet Samuel's mother, the rock of my strength, the throne of grace, the wisest move, to shine a little light in our lives, truth, turn from our evil ways, turn to Almighty God for help, turn to God for guidance, ungodly times, wait thou only upon God, went with them to the house of God, where is thy God, who art in heaven, Why art thou cast down o my soul, why art thou disquieted within me, wisdom, with the voice of joy and praise, ye people
Psalm 62:8. Trust in him (the Lord) at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.
And this last day of March, which began as a wet and miserable, dangerous Monday, has by midday, thankfully become a somewhat dry and cloudy day with a bit of sunshine peeping through the clouds. It’s been a tough weekend, what with the constant rain in most of the city and severe ice-storms on the outskirts, that left many people without heat and light for several days. And it’s definitely not a pleasant scenario when you have no heat or light, your food is spoiling, and when you look out, or venture to go out, all around you are trees, buildings and roads covered with dangerous ice.
Some people even complained about tree branches, laden by the weight of the ice falling on their houses and being incapable of doing anything about it. And the ice storms are infinitely more dangerous and problematic since you can’t clean them up as easily as the snow storms. So, it seems the month of March intends to go out like a lion, just as it came in. Well good riddance to you! (smile)
Ah friends, in such situations the wisest move is to raise up your faith and turn to Almighty God for help, with prayerful words like these from Psalm 62. ‘My soul, (silently) wait thou only upon God; for my expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved (shaken). In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.’ (Ps. 62:5-7)
Yes my people, when our world is dark, either physically or spiritually, or both, and we’re not sure what to do, our faith must be strong enough to automatically turn us to God for guidance and to shine a li’l light in our lives. And these words of Bruh David in the next verse of Psalm 62, exemplify exactly what we mean. He solemnly declares: ‘Trust in him (the Lord) at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps. 62:8)
And that’s certainly the everlasting truth! For God is our Creator, He’s wiser and more powerful than us. Actually, He’s the wisest and most powerful being in the entire universe, therefore in times of trouble, He’s the most appropriate person to turn to for help. And there are a couple of perfect examples of troubled people doing just that.
The first one is Hannah, the prophet Samuel’s mother. She had been barren for many years and thus looked down upon as unworthy of being a wife, but one day she got her act together went into the temple and cried out to the Lord for a child. The priest Eli saw her mumbling and thought she was drunk. ‘And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.’ (1 Sam. 1:15)
Meanwhile in Psalm 42 -My Soul Thirsts for the Lord – Bruh David is having his problems, is hungering for God, and thus poignantly writes: ‘My tears have been my meat (food) day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday (a pilgrim feast). Why art thou cast (bowed) down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).’ (Ps. 42:3-5)
Yes my brethren, both Hannah and Bruh David poured out their souls to the Lord in their time of need, and He came through for them. Hannah got the son she desired, Samuel, and Bruh David eventually found the peace of mind he was seeking. So it’s very good advice to turn to Almighty God for help in troubled times. Furthermore, throughout His Word, the Bible, He’s promised on numerous occasions to help us when we feel lost and helpless, but we need to make the initial approach.
And what greater promise of help is there than Jesus’ Great Invitation? None whatsoever! He states with heartfelt sincerity: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Now, who else could make such an outstanding promise and also have the awesome power to keep it eh? Only our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! That’s why it’s of the utmost importance to keep Him first and foremost in our lives.
So, since we’re all in a spot of trouble, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these crazy and ungodly times. 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 friends, let’s remember that it takes two to tango, so therefore, if we need divine help, then we’ve got to do our part and dance…dance to God’s music of obedience, faithfulness, sincerity, etc. etc. Much LOVE!
…covenant relationships cannot be successful…if only one partner is keeping there part of the covenant…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good omen, a more rewarding prayer, bask in the light of Jesus, be filled with their own devices, be quiet from fear of evil, Bible, call upon him while he is near, call upon me, call upon meI will not answer, christianity, Christians, deepen my breath, disdained all my counsel., distress and anguish come upon you, double-minded attitude, eat the fruit of their own way, faith, fighting a valiant battle, fools hate knowledge, God will abundantly pardon, he will have mercy upon him, holy spirit, how long ye simple ones, I have called and ye refused, I love them that love me, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, I will hearken unto you, I will not answer, I will pour out my spirit unto you, in all sincerity and truth, in the opening of the gates, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, laugh at your calamity, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let him return unto the Lord, let the wicked forsake his way, LOVE, make known my words unto you, mercy, mock when your fear comes, naivety, no man regarded, pray unto me, pros and cons, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, run to the rock for rescue, salvation, seek me and find me, seek me diligently, seek ye the Lord while he may be found, seeking sincere intimacy with God, seriously contemplate the consequences of each decision, she raises her voice in the streets, slow my thoughts, stretched out my hand, thank you for this tenderness, the complacency of fools, the foes of darkness, the morally dull, the scorners delight in scorning, the turning away of the simple, the unrighteous man his thoughts, those who seek me early will find me, truth, turn you at my reproof, undivided attention, waywardness, when terror comes as desolation, whoso hearkens to me shall dwell safely, will ye love simplicity, wisdom, wisdom calls aloud in the streets, wisdom crieth without, ye shall search for me with all your heart, you are here with me, you can't be contained, your destruction comes as a whirlwind, your love surrounds and fills me
Proverbs 8:117. I LOVE them that LOVE me; and those that seek me early (diligently) shall find me.
And it’s another lazy-day Saturday friends, but a windy, chilly and cloudy one, until a short while ago, around mid-day, when the sun, fighting a valiant battle, finally overcame the clouds and shone forth in all its bright and manly presence. (smile) Now that’s a good omen for us believers in Christ Jesus, reassuring us that if we stand strong and fight the foes of darkness, we too can overcome and bask in the glorious light of Jesus!
And with that reassurance under our belt, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with all sincerity and truth. As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And there isn’t a more rewarding prayer than one seeking sincere intimacy with our heavenly Father, for that’s one of His heart’s greatest desires. It warms the cockles of His heart when we come sincerely seeking Him. That’s why there are several scriptures in God’s Word that specifically speak about seeking Him. Let’s check out a few of them nuh, like this one from Isaiah, where He writes: ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Is. 55:6-7)
Right there my people, we see the wisdom of seeking God; He’ll pardon and have mercy on all who seek Him. But there’s one important proviso, as stated in this scripture from Jeremiah that we all know, where he declares: ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me when ye shall search for me with your whole heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13) Yes friends, there is a necessity to seeking God sincerely, or with all of your soul, body, mind and heart if you want to find Him.
Meanwhile Cousin Sol who has something to say on every subject, (smile) says it thus in Proverbs: ‘I LOVE them that LOVE me; and those that seek me early (diligently) shall find me.’ (Prov. 8:17) There again, more sincere and whole hearted seeking of God is necessary to find Him. We just can’t go with any wishy-washy, double-minded attitude and find Him. No! It must be with all of our being! And Cousin Sol further intimates that we must seek God as though we’re seeking for silver or gold, for hidden treasure; that’s with total undivided attention, putting all we have into it. (Prov. 2:4)
So, now that we have heard all about the benefits of sincerely seeking the Lord, let’s look at what happens if we don’t seek Him. And Cousin Sol puts it right out there when he talks in the beginning of Proverbs about ‘Wisdom Cries in the Streets.’ The scholars explain that He personifies her as a prophetess calling out in public places to everyone to come to her and learn.
He writes: ‘Wisdom crieth without (calls aloud in the street); she uttereth (raises) her voice in the streets (plazas). She crieth in the chief place of concourse (concourses), in the opening of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, How long, ye simple (naïve) ones, will ye LOVE simplicity (naivety)? And the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?’ (Prov. 1:20-22) Now those are very good questions my brethren, questions that many of us need to seriously consider today, since our world is currently so full of exactly what Cousin Sol’s talking about; naivety or lack of knowledge, the scorning of scoffers, hatred of wisdom by fools or the morally dull.
But then we have this graceful invitation that was also turned down. ‘Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought (disdained) all my counsel, and would (have) none of my reproof:’ (Prov. 1:23-25) Yes friends, that’s exactly what too many of us have done; rejected God and His awesome help, and what our foolish and mentally disturbed world is adamantly continuing to do.
But hear what’s in the works for such of us nuh! ‘I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear (terror) cometh; When your fear (terror) cometh as desolation (a storm), and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.’ (Prov. 1:26-27) Now is that what we truly desire? I doubt it. And the story is not yet finished.
Listen up: ‘Then they shall call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early (diligently), but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear (reverence) of the Lord: They would (have) none of my counsel: they despised all of my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away (waywardness) of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity (complacency) of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet (be secure or at ease) from fear of evil.’ (Prov. 1:28-33)
There you have it my fellow believers, the pros and cons for seeking God diligently and with our whole being, and also being foolish and rejecting Him. Now, it’s up to each of us to choose the path we shall tread, but first, please let’s very seriously contemplate the consequences of each decision! Much LOVE!
…the time to sincerely seek God is…NOW…for as the old song says…if you wait too late…when you run to the Rock for rescue…there’ll be no rock…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: A Better Way, a chosen generation, a means of restoring faith in you, a peculiar people, a royal priesthood, a source of spiritual illumination, a thousand times, an holy nation, an interesting proposition, as a father has compassion on his children, ask you to do it all, asked for help, be responsible, by the example your faithful believers set, called us out of the darkness, can't fix them on our own, cast our sins as far as the east is from the west, christianity, Christians, climate change, created us in his own image, crying out for your help, dear Lord, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, discontent, dissatisfaction, divine aid, dwell in the land of the shadow of death, embrace your love and compassion, faith, Friday chant, get a handle on the situation, God created man with his own hands, God understands our constitution, God's a great father, God's own special people, have seen a great light, he knows our frame, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, help us navigate whatever comes against us, holy spirit, I am the light of the world, I look up into your gentle face, in a partnership with God, in moments of fierce temptation, into his marvellous light, introduce a new flock of believers, involved in the solution of our problem, Jesus Christ, knows how we were formed, learned a better way, like a father pitieth his children, LOVE, mercy, not good enough witnesses for Christ, omnipotent help, One Year Book of Bible promises, ought to be behaving, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, problems are escalating, return backsliders to your fold, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, shall have the light of life, shew forth the praises of God, shuning our responsibility, simmering unrest, slough off our part, smell it sweet and strong, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him, stand strong and steadfast, stay in the darkness of the world, stay safe, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the anxiety and confusion, the ball is in our court, the BIBLE, the error of their ways, the light of Christ, the Lord has compassion on, the Lord's Holy Character, the people that walked in darkness, the sinful world, those who reverence Him, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, ungodly times, unpredictable weather patterns, upon them hath the light shined, wake up and smell the coffee, wisdom, wise guidance
Psalm 103:13. Like as a father pitieth (has compassion on) his children, so the Lord pitieth (has compassion on) them that fear (reverence) him.
And isn’t it good to wake up to a nice, sunny, fairly warm morning, two thirds into the month of March? Of course it is! Especially when you have the added pleasure of declaring (chuhhh!!!) ‘Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is finally here!’ But yuh know what, I’m immediately going to burst that bubble, because I just saw the computer forecasting 2 cm. of snow for Monday. What a bam bam that would be if it really happened. After such warm weather in the middle of March to come and get snow close to the end.
But that’s the fluctuating and unpredictable way the weather stakes are being played in these days of climate change. However, whatever happens, there’s no need for us to worry because we have the ONE and ONLY Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, to help us successfully navigate whatever comes against us. Please, let’s always keep that first and foremost in our minds, bodies and souls.
Now, here’s a short but interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, simply titled ‘A Better Way.’ And I obviously can’t say whether I’ve shared it before, because I don’t keep track of them. When I’m moved to write on something from the Book, I just go there and flip through it until I find something that speaks to me. The good thing though is that ALL of them are worthwhile hearing again and again! (smile)
So please read with me: ‘A thousand times, dear Lord In moments of fierce temptation I have asked You to help me. But at last I have learned a better way: I no longer ask merely for help I look up into Your gentle face and ask You to do it all.’ Now isn’t that an interesting proposition? Instead of just asking for help, we ask the Lord to do it all.
And you know what, sometimes I’m sure He’ll comply, but at other times, when it’s important for us to be involved in the solution of our problem, He might only offer help. But it’s a good idea to try, especially if you simply cannot get a handle on the situation. (smile) But then again, some of us won’t ever try hard enough if we knew that we can just turn it all over to our heavenly Father.
Anyway, let’s look at the Bible verse that’s used as the Promise for that poem. It comes from that marvellous Psalm 103, where Bruh David extols the Lord’s Holy Character. After telling us that the Lord has cast out our sins ‘as far as the east is from the west,’ he continues: ‘Like as a father pitieth (has compassion on) his children, so the Lord pitieth (has compassion on) them that fear (reverence) him. For he knoweth our frame (understands our constitution, knows how we were formed); he remembereth that we are dust.’ (Ps. 103:13-14)
Oh friends, it’s wonderful to have such a compassionate God, who understands everything about us. And so He should, since He created us in His own image with His own hands! But we also need to remember that although the Lord is omnipotent and all those other great things, we are in a partnership with Him, and thus have a part to play, so we can’t always be sloughing off our part on to Him. In the first place, He won’t always take it, and in the second we’d be seriously shunning our responsibility.
For, as Peter so rightly says: ‘But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people (God’s own special people); that ye should shew forth (proclaim) the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.’ (1 Pet. 2:9) And that’s exactly how we supposed Christians are supposed to be behaving!
But unfortunately too many of us are not, we apparently prefer to stay in the darkness of the world rather than the light of Christ, that’s why our world is in such a chaotic and disastrous state. We have obviously forgotten Isaiah’s promise of the Messiah coming to shed light in the darkness. ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.’ (Is. 9:2) And Matthew quotes that in his gospel as Jesus begins His ministry. (Matt. 4:12-17)
Let’s also remember one of Christ’s claims here on earth: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) Right there He signifies His role as a source of spiritual illumination and guidance. Therefore, if we want to be spiritually illuminated, then we have to follow Jesus, since there is no one else who signifies, or is qualified to be the beacon of light that He is. So please, let’s remember who and whose we are, where we came from and to what we will return, and be therefore wise to appreciate all that we have and keep proclaiming the mighty name of God as we live our earthly lives.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, to find help in these times of dire need. 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 that 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!’
Oh my people, we all know that we’re not good enough witnesses for Christ, and regardless of how much we pray, until we improve that, divine aid will not be forthcoming. The ball is therefore in our court! Much LOVE!
…God’s a great Father…but we have to be better children…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: an awesome protector, be able to endure it, be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men, be with him in time of trouble, because he hath known my name, both hope and wait quietly, christianity, Christians, deliver him, destroy every attempt of the evil one, disobedience, evil is no match for God, evildoings, faithful is that called you, for he who promised is faithful, for the salvation of the Lord, God abideth faithful, God cannot deny Himself, God is faithful, God is sovereign, God will not suffer you to be tempted more than you can bear, God's promises are always faithfully kept, God's word may run free, grateful for God's protection, great is thy faithfulness, guide me away from danger, he hat set his love upon me, he shall call upon me, he will not be delay with those who hate him, his compassions fail not, hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, holy spirit, honour him, hurry, I praise and thank you God, I will answer him, I will deliver him, if we bead with him, if we deny him he will deny us, if we suffer with him, in god's eyes, in him will I trust, In Touch Organization, it is a faithful saying, it is good that a man, it ism of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus Christ, keep me safe in your care, keep you safe from evil, keep you safe from the evil one, keeps covenant and mercy with those who love him, LOVE, make a way to escape, mercy, no evil shall befall thee, no plague shall come nigh thy dwelling, no temptation has overtaken you, over all heaven and earth, playing an untimely joke, reign with him, repays to their face them that hate him, rest confidently in the shelter of your hand, roaring back with vengeance, salvation, set him on high, share His love with my neighbours, show him my salvation, such as is common to man, temptation, thanks for your promise, that the word of the Lord may have free course, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the faithful God, the God of All Creation, the Lord is faithful, the Lord is my refuge and fortress, the Lord thy God He is God, the word of the Lord, they are new every morning, though evil may threaten, to a thousand generations, to bring me to harm, to watch over those who love you, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, we shall also live with him, who shall establish you, wisdom, with long life will I satisfy him, worry
2 Thessalonians 3:3. But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you safe from evil (the evil one).
And isn’t it wonderful to have another sun-filled, not too cold winter’s day? (smile) But of course! Now, let’s hope that spring is truly in the offing and winter isn’t playing an untimely joke on us, only to come roaring back with a vengeance in the next little while. However it turns out though, we believers will do well in handling the situation because we have an awesome protector…the Best there is…that’s the God of All Creation! And if we stick sincerely with Him, then all will be well with us.
And on that note, I want to share this prayer on Protection from the recent Prayer Cards issued by the In Touch Organization. So please pray with me: ‘God, how grateful I am for Your protection. The evil in this world may threaten, but it’s no match for You. Truly You are sovereign over all heaven and earth. Thank You for Your promise to watch over those who LOVE You. Please keep me safe in Your care. Guide me away from danger and temptation. Destroy every attempt of the evil one to bring me harm. I praise and thank You, God, that I can rest confidently in the shelter of your hand. Amen!’
And indeed, we can rest confidently under the shelter of God’s omnipotent hand my fellow believers! Why? Because He’s made numerous promises in His Word to that effect, and we know that His promises are always faithful and totally kept. And if you don’t believe me, then let’s check His Word and review some of those faithful promises of protection. And our first scripture passage will be one the prayer writers referenced, to which I’ll add the two verses before it so we can get the full context of Bruh Paul’s message on the Faithfulness of our God.
‘Finally brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course (run free), and be glorified, even as it is with you: and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith. But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you safe from evil (the evil one).’ (2 Thess. 3:1-3) And the scholars tell us that there Bruh Paul is contrasting the unfaithfulness of men to the faithfulness of God, which is a favourite topic of his. And they reference a couple of scriptures on the subject (1 Cor. 10:13, 1 Thess. 5:24, 2 Tim. 2:13)
So let’s look at them nuh. This first one we all know and quote all the time. ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13) Meanwhile, the second one, with an added verse from Bruh Paul’s final exhortations to the Thessalonians is this: ‘And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who will also do it.’ (1Thess. 5:23-24)
And the last reference with a couple of added verses for enlightenment says: ‘It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer (endure), we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.’ (2 Tim. 2:11-13) And that’s the gospel truth my people; our God cannot deny what He is. He cannot turn off His LOVE, faithfulness, compassion, holiness, or none of His other major attributes! That’s why He’s such a great, faithful and unchangeable God!
Now, we still have space for a couple of other faithful scripture references, like this one that we all know: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)’ (Heb. 10:23) Then there are these words from Moses to the children of Israel, as he lets them know that God had chosen them as his people. ‘Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that LOVE him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations. And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that (delay with him who) hateth him, he will repay him to his face.’ (Deut. 7:9-10)
Yes friends, our God is faithful on either side of the coin, (smile) so it’s wise to stay on His good side. And what about these words from that great Psalm 91, which features God as our refuge and hiding place. ‘I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust… Because thou hast made the Lord which is my refuge, even the most High thy habitation (dwelling place); There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh (near) thy dwelling….
Because he hath set his LOVE upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. he shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life (length of days) will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.’ (Ps. 91:2, 9-10, 14-16) That’s how it goes when you know the Lord and consistently make Him your go to person my fellow believers.
And we’ll end our scriptures on God’s faithfulness with these awesome and truthful words from Jeremiah in his Lamentations. ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness…It is good that a man should both hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:22-23, 26) Truer words were never spoken my brethren! It’s only because of God’s great compassion and faithfulness that we haven’t been long ago wiped off the map for our total disobedience and abominable evildoings. Instead, we ought to be praising Him and giving much thanks for His faithfulness to us woeful ingrates.
Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…because of God’s true, holy and unchangeable nature…He cannot be anything other than faithful to His promises and His people…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great reason, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a new day's dawned, alleviate our problems, annoyances, as a fruitful vine, back to work, believers, blameless, bless the LOrd o my soul, blessed are the undefiled, blessed is every one that feareth the Lord, christianity, Christians, commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently, consider it in thine heart, converting the soul, covenant stipulations, crowns thee with lovingkindness, decisions of a judge, disappointments, disobeyed your word, divine aid, ease the pain, eat the labour of thy hands, enduring for ever, enlightening the eyes, faith, faithfully promised to hear our prayers, fools despise wisdom and instruction, forget not all his benefits, forgives thine iniquities, frustrations, Godf's plan of creation, going to church, grace, handles whatever comes against us, happiness, happy shalt thou be, have good things, heals thy diseases, his tender mercies are over all his works, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, in heaven above, in keeping of them is great reward, it may go well with thee, it shall be well with thee, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, judgements, keep his commandments, keep his statutes, keep his testimonies, keep your promise to prosper us, know therefore this day, LOVE, making wise the simple, mass confusion, mercy, more to be desired than gold, negative situations, partner with God, petty resentments, pray, prolong thy days upon the earth, redeems thy life from destruction, rejoicing the heart, relationship, renewing our faith, salvation, satisfies thy mouth with good things, seek him with the whole heart, sincere repentance, sincerely reverence the Lord, sincerely seek your face, statutes, strong faith in Christ, sufficient rest, sweeter than honey, testimonies, that walketh in his ways, the BIBLE, the commandment of the Lord is pure, the earth beneath, the fear of the Lord is clean, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, the fruit of thy labour, the God who heals, the judgements of the Lord, the law of the Lord is perfect, the Lord he is God, the pitfalls of life, the testimony of the Lord is sure, the throne of grace, the weekend here, there is none else, they warn thy servant, this evil world, thy children like olive plants, thy wife shall be fruitful, thy youth is restored as the eagle's, to make Jesus our Lord and Saviour, to turn from our evil ways, true and righteous, truth, walk in God's ways, walk in the law of the Lord, we have all sinned, wisdom, wise guidance, with thy children after thee, written laws
Psalm 128:1. Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.
And in accordance with God’s great plan of creation, another new day has dawned, thankfully not rainy like the last two, and we have also opened our eyes to see it, another part of God’s great plan. (smile) Unfortunately though, that new day is called Monday, which means getting back to work after the quiet and restful weekend and once again experiencing all the frustrations, annoyances, irritations, disappointments and resentments that will undoubtedly crop up during the day.
But if we have made good use of the weekend, by getting sufficient rest, going to church and renewing our faith and confidence, then we will be able to handle whatever comes against us in Jesus’ name, with the awesome help of His Holy Spirit. Now, isn’t that alone a great reason to make Jesus our Lord and Saviour eh? For sure! And when you add all the other benefits we receive by making Him the Lord of our lives, it’s inconceivable that anyone could ever refuse to accept Him as the Number One Person in their lives.
And we all know what Psalm 103 says about the Lord’s benefits: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-KINDNESS and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:2-5)
Yes Friends, that’s some of the wonderful benefits we receive when we partner with Almighty God, through His Son, Jesus Christ. And we’ve got to pay close attention to that word partner, because it doesn’t all happen automatically, but is dependent on us playing our part in the relationship. And I believe Psalm 128 gives us a good idea of how that works.
It says: ‘Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands (the fruit of thy labour): happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of (in the heart of) thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.’ (Ps. 128:1-4)
Now we all want to have those good things; happiness, eating the fruit of our labour, a fruitful wife and many responsible children. But it only comes when we sincerely reverence the Lord, walk in his ways and keep his commandments. And the opening verses of Psalm 119, agree with that, as they say: ‘Blessed are the undefiled (blameless) in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.’ (Ps. 119:1-4)
There again, we see the responsibility expected us of from God, basically to keep His commandments, obey and revere Him, seeking Him with our whole hearts, not a part of them. But Moses possibly says it best, or rather more explicitly, when he told the Israelites as he reminded them of their responsibilities.
‘Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else. Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee (you may prosper), and with thy children after thee, and thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth (live long in the land) which the Lord thy God giveth thee for ever.’ (Deut. 4:39- 40)
Now there’s no mistaking what the Israelites and consequently we modern day believers need to do to see the Lord’s blessings on our lives. And for our information, the scholars explain that ‘The law is identified as testimonies…statutes…judgements. The “testimonies” denoted the covenant stipulations; the “statutes” were laws written down or inscribed on some suitable medium; and the “judgements” were the decisions of a judge (cf. Ps. 19:7-9).’
And those are also some very interesting verses from the pen of Bruh David, as he writes about God’s Law is Perfect. Please read with me: ‘The law of the Lord is perfect, converting (restoring) the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb (the drippings of the honeycomb). Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.’ (Ps. 19:7-11)
Oh my people, what a great and happy world we would have if many more of us kept the Lord’s law instead of Satan’s lawlessness! Bruh David explains it so excellently; it makes wise the simple, restores our soul, rejoices our hearts, it’s true and righteous, more desirable that gold, sweeter than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb, it warns us about the pitfalls of this life and last but not least it brings great rewards to those who revere the Lord and keep His law!
It could not get any better than that my fellow believers! However, the Lord’s law is not always easy to keep in this sinful and ungodly world, but being the wise and compassionate Sovereign He is, He’s also provided a way for us to get His help; that’s by going to the throne of grace in times of need. So let’s do that right now nuh, 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!’
And even in our own prayer, we voice the same things God expects of us; prayer, sincerely seeking His face, and turning from our evil ways. So how do we expect to get help if we don’t put those important things in place eh? Much LOVE!
…the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge…but fools despise wisdom and instruction… (Prov. 1:7)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fallen angel, a personal relationship with God, all should come to repentance, Bible, choose life, Christ died for us, Christ sacrificed His sinless life for us, christianity, Christians, closer intimacy with God, communion with god, deepen my breath, disgrace, disobedience, eternal life, eternal separation from God, falling into Satan's trap, flowing in our souls and spirits, fraternize with Satan, free will, get the ball rolling, God commendeth his love for us, God demonstrated his LOVE for us.', God is not willing that any should perish, have it more abundantly, heartfelt prayers, holy spirit, I am come that they might have life, I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep, I may know you all the more, I place before you life and death, I praise you Lord, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus cares deeply for us, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, leaves us in the lurch, LOVE, made righteous in God's eyes, meditate on God's Word, mercy, nothing of substance to offer us, one fold one shepherd, other sheep I have, peace, putter around the house, quiet my soul, quietly interact with God, relax my muscles, repentance, rest, rolls of thunder, salvation, shame, sin, sincerity and truth, slow my thoughts, steal us away from Jesus, straight and narrow path, thank you for your tenderness, that you and yours might live, the ball's in our court, the father of lies, the good shepherd gives his life for his sheep, the greatest show of love, the Lord never leaves us in the lurch, the right perspective, the thief, the thief only comes to steal and to kill, truth, while we were yet sinners, wisdom, wrongdoing, you can't be contained, your love surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present, your unceasing nearness
John 10:11. ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’
Well, I guess in the Lord’s wisdom, He figured that everyday could not be bright, sunshiny and dry, but there must be an opposite to keep everything well balanced and in the right perspective, that’s why today is cloudy, rainy and wet. (smile) I believe I also heard a couple rolls of thunder earlier on, so it looks like a serious day. But yuh know what, it’s also a perfect lazy-day Saturday, where you simply putter around the house, rest and meditate on the Lord’s Word and quietly interact with Him. Nothing can be more refreshing and uplifting that that!
So let’s get the ball rolling by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with all sincerity and truth. As one positive voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And the peace and calm just begin flowing in our spirits and souls, as the Lord answers our heartfelt prayers that only serve to bring us closer to Him. Yes friends, there’s nothing the Lord desires and likes more than His children seeking to have closer intimacy and communion with Him, because that’s the main purpose for which He created us. And it breaks His heart when we turn away and instead fraternize with the foolish, fallen angel Satan, who has nothing of substance to offer us, nothing but sin, shame and disgrace that will eventually lead to eternal separation from our Creator and heavenly Father.
That’s why it’s oh so important to create a personal relationship with Jehovah God, through His Son Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit that indwells us to try and keep us out of the clutches of the enemy and guide us on the straight and narrow path that leads to salvation and eternal life with Him. But because we have fair amount of free will, and are naturally imbued with a sinful nature, we tend to drift and stray away from the straight and narrow path, anxious to sample some of the seemingly awesome delights of the world held out and up to us by the deceitful and devious Satan, who’s so full of wiles and lies that he’s called the father of lies.
And Jesus spells it all out in His analogy to the thief and the shepherd, in this scripture passage from John’s gospel. ‘The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) Right there we see the answer friends, Satan is a thief and only in intent on death and destruction. However, Jesus came that we could have life, and have it in abundance! So, whom will you accept as your leader and guide under those circumstances eh? Jesus of course!
Unfortunately though, for whatever reason, too many of us are choosing Satan, or somehow or the other are falling in his devious trap, that’s why our world is so sinful, angry, strife-filled and ungodly! But it’s time many more of us wake up and listen to Jesus, when He says: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) And that is exactly what He did when He sacrificed His sinless life on the cross of Calvary so that our abominable sins could be forgiven and we be made righteous in God’s eyes.
So why this great movement, this sudden trend to turn to Satan eh, whom Jesus candidly describes in the next couple of verses? ‘But he that is an hireling (a hired man), and not the shepherd whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.’ (John 10:12) And Satan is both the thief and the hireling, for he tries to steal us away from Jesus, and when we find ourselves in trouble, he runs off and leaves us in the lurch, because he’s not really interested in our wellbeing, neither has he anything good or worthwhile to offer us.
Jesus explains it thus: ‘The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have (Gentiles), which are not of this fold: them also must I bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold (flock), and one shepherd.’ (John 10:13-16)
There you have it my fellow believers: Jesus states it in black and white. Unlike Beelzebub, He won’t run away from us when we find ourselves in trouble, but will always runs to us, because He cares deeply for us, that’s why He came to earth and died on Calvary’s cross. And if you can’t see the awesome truth in that, then you’d better get your mind examined right away.
And please note how much Jesus cares for His creation, when He declares that He has other sheep to add to His fold, meaning us, the non-Jews or Gentiles. He came first to bring salvation to the Jews, through whom God worked and distilled His message down through the ages. But God didn’t forget the rest of His creation, because He LOVES us all, so badly, that it’s as Bruh Paul writes in Romans: ‘But God commendeth his LOVE toward us (demonstrated His own LOVE for us), in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Now, isn’t that the greatest show of LOVE? Of course it is! Moreover, He couldn’t stand to lose even one of us to Beelzebub, as Peter says; ‘He’s not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ (2 Pet. 3:9:b) Yes friends, God LOVES all of His creation and has done His best to ensure that we all have the privilege of gaining salvation and eternal life through the sacrificial death of His sinless Son, which paid for all of our disobedience and wrongdoing. The ball is now in our court; it’s up to us to either accept or reject His most gracious offering of life with Him for ever and ever. Please be wise and accept it! Much LOVE!
… I place before you life and death…please choose life…that you and yours may live… (Deut. 30:19)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: added joy, all these things shall be added unto you, choose life, christianity, Christians, cleanse your hands ye sinners, communion with god, crowns thee with lovingkindness, deepen my breath, delight thyself in the Lord, draw nigh to God, enjoy the comforts of home, faith, for your unceasing nearness, forget not all his benefits, forgives thine iniquities, give thee the desires of thine heart, God so loved the world, God will abundantly pardon, he gave his only begotten son, heals your diseases, holy spirit, humble yourselves in the sight of God, I call heaven and earth, I may know you all the more, I praise you, I will hearken unto you, if from thence, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, Lord I want to be with you now, LOVE, mercy, my neck of the woods, out frolicking, pray unto me, purify your hearts, quiet my soul, receive our love in return, redeems thy life from destruction, relax my muscles, resist the devil, return unto the Lord, salvation, satisfies thy mouth with good things, search for me with all your heart, seek me and find me, seek the Lord thy God, seek the Lord while he may be found, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, set before you life and death, should not perish but have everlasting life, shower us with love, slow my thoughts, stay inside, submit yourselves to God, tender mercies, thank you for this tenderness, that you and your seed may live, the BIBLE, the breaks you get, the choices you make, the quality of life, then shall ye call upon me, thou shalt find him, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, to witness against you, trust in the Lord and do good, truth, under the mighty hand of god, whosoever believes in him, wisdom, with all sincerity and truth, you can't be contianed, your peace and love are present
Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 March 2025 Deuteronomy 4:29.
Deuteronomy 4:29. ‘But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him, with all thy heart and with all thy soul.’
And it’s another sunshiny, clear, dry day in my neck of the woods, although some snow fell during the midnight hours. But that’s all gone now. So, we can be out and about frolicking on this lazy-day Saturday, or simply stay inside, and enjoy the comforts of home, with the added joy of knowing that it’s beautiful outside. (smile) And to ramp up our joy even further, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth.
As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And there’s nothing more pleasant or desirous than having God’s peace and presence increased in our souls! And it’s assured when we pray sincere prayers like those, because our God LOVES nothing more than to hear us asking Him to come deeper and more plentiful into our lives, spirits and souls. For that’s why He made us; to have good and strong communion with us; to shower His LOVE on us, and receive our LOVE in return.
Now that’s why there are so many scriptures in the Lord’s Word about seeking Him. So, let’s check out a few today nuh, starting with this one from Jeremiah that we all know. ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13) It could not be any clearer or more straightforward than that my fellow believers!
And, earlier on, Moses told the Israelites the very same thing when cautioning them about repentance of sin. ‘But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him, with all thy heart and with all thy soul.’ (Deut. 4:29) Then Isaiah, in his reminder that God abundantly pardons, tells his people: ‘Seek the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Is. 55: 6-7)
Oh my people, that is exactly what our evil and ungodly world desperately needs RIGHT NOW! A return to God and acceptance of all the good things He has to offer. As Bruh David so sincerely and truly puts it in Psalm 103: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVINGKINDNESS and tender mercies. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:2-5)
Wow mih bredrin! Who wouldn’t want all those wonderful benefits eh? Well, they are readily available by simply turning to the Lord God in repentance and becoming the new man that requires, with the awesome help of His Holy Spirit. And if you’re wanting more scripture about getting good things from God, listen to these two nuh. The first from Isaiah, from that scripture on God’s continual strength and unsearchable understanding: ‘But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:31)
We all know it, but do we practice it? Now that’s another quandary, or difficult position in which we find ourselves; there’s something that we want, but apparently are not willing to do what it takes to get it. The same goes for this scripture from Psalm 37, titled Trust in the Lord. Bruh David writes: ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass.’ (Ps. 37:3-5)
And that’s only a few of the things we can do to get the desires of our heart from God! So who’s to blame if we don’t get them eh? No one else but us! But let’s get back to some more modern scriptures that blatantly tell us to seek the Lord. Here’s this one from James, where he admonishes us: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded….Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-8, 10)
And Peter echoes the same sentiments: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 6-7) And we spoke about that early on when we said that God created us to LOVE us, and be LOVED in return. That’s because He cares the whole world about us. Why else would He send His Son to earth to die for our sins eh? The basic reason was LOVE for his sinful, disobedient creation, as Jesus so eloquently puts it. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16)
That’s as good as it gets my fellow saints, and why Jesus therefore strongly advised us; ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) The long and short of the story then is we have all the information and tools before us, it’s our choice how we choose to use them. But please, please hear this last admonition from the scriptures; where Moses tells the Israelites as they are preparing to enter the Promised Land. ‘I call heaven and earth to record (witness) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19)
I offer this same admonition to us today my people. Why? ‘Because the quality of your life isn’t determined as much by the breaks that you get, as its determined by the choices that you make.’ Much LOVE!
…one can only find God….when one seeks Him diligently and sincerely…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a balmy spring day, a genuine and unfeigned love, a hunger for power, a sad reflection of today's world, abhor that which is evil, admonishments, associate with the humble, basic foundation of Christianity, be kindly affectioned one to another, be not wise in your own conceits, be of the same mind, Bible, bless and curse not, bless them which persecute you, boiling over, brotherly LOVE, Christian denominations, christianity, Christians, church hierarchy, church unity, cleave to that which is good, cliques, condescend to men of low estate, cry tears of sorrow, despite the response received, difficuly in expressing unity, distributing to the necessity of the saints, divorce, don't set your mind on high things, endure to the end, enjoy it while we have it, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fervent in spirit, getting on in age, given to hospitality, giving preference to one another, halfway home, hands on the plough, holy spirit, hope, hypocrisy, incomparable position in Jesus, Jesus Christ, lagging in diligence, let love be without dissimulation, LOVE, Love makes the world go round, loving faithfully, Martin Luther, mercy, mind not high things, negative vibes, not slothful in business, not turning back, patient in tribulation, persevering, personal faith, petty differences, Protestantism, real love in the church is lacking, Reformation, rejoice with those who rejoice, rejoicing in hope, rfits in the Catholic Church, selfishness, serving the Lord, solidarity, steadfast in prayer, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, unworthy gossip, voluntary caring, weep with those who weep, wisdom
Romans 12:9. Let LOVE be without dissimulation (hypocrisy). Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
Aye friends, it’s almost like a balmy spring day in my neighbourhood this Wednesday morning! It’s around plus 5 degrees, and the sun’s mostly overpowering the clouds, and one can walk around without too much fear of icy patches on the ground. However, although the snow has melted some, and thankfully slowly, the mounds are still there, not as big as they were, but big enough to remind you of what we recently went through. How long this comparatively balmy weather will last is anyone’s guess, so we’d better enjoy it while we have it.
By the way, let me apologize for an incorrect reference yesterday. I mistakenly referenced the verse that our poem was based on, as Rom. 3:12. It should have been Rom. 12:3. I don’t know if I was in a rush or simply forgetful, but you have to excuse the ole fella sometimes for those mistakes, because He’s getting on in age and possibly not all of his faculties are functioning properly. (smile)
And yuh know what, today I think we should just continue with Bruh Paul’s words to the Romans in the rest of Chapter 12, beginning with this ever so important admonishment about church unity. So please read and inwardly digest with me: ‘Let LOVE be without dissimulation (hypocrisy). Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.’ (Rom. 12:9)
And right there we have the basic foundation of our Christian faith, especially to our church brethren. Or as the scholars explain: ‘The Christian’s conduct in the local church toward fellow believers is to be a volitional (voluntary, on purpose) caring for others, LOVING faithfully in spite of the response received. The LOVE is to be genuine and unfeigned.’
Now, that makes me want to cry tears of sorrow because the basic or real LOVE in Christ’s church is almost non-existent, and what little there is, is oftentimes hypocritical. We speak and talk kindly to each other, but underneath there are so many negative vibes, with cliques and unworthy gossip floating around, that it destroys the little good there is. And this most important failing isn’t only exhibited in the local churches, but in ALL of Christianity! Just look at the petty differences that are keeping one supposed denomination from working sincerely and faithfully with each other.
A 2024 worldwide survey has estimated that there are more than 45,000 Christian denominations worldwide. Wow! Now why should there be a need for so many eh, when we’re supposedly teaching the same gospel and worshiping the same Triune God? It’s basically because petty differences have gotten in the way over the years, plus selfishness and a hunger for power. That recalls the serious rifts in the Catholic Church which was then the main body of Christianity.
Some happened in the fifth century, but very notable is the one where England broke away because King Henry V111 wanted to divorce his current wife and the church would not allow it. So, He broke away and formed the Protestant Division. That was further split during the 16th century when German priest, Martin Luther began what we call the Reformation Movement by writing his 95 Theses. His theses emphasized personal faith and the Bible as the ultimate authority, rather than the church hierarchy.
And so it goes on, even today. Every day you hear of some congregation splitting up and becoming two rather than one. And just for our information, a Christian denomination is noted as a religious organization that combines local congregations into a single administrative body. Members of the same denomination share similar beliefs, worship practices, and work together to preserve shared enterprises.
And what are some examples of Christian denominations you ask? These are some of the largest; Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Baptist, Apostolic, Methodist, Anglican, Moravian, Plymouth Brethren, and Quaker. However, each one can have different cliques and groups operating under the overall umbrellas of those names but doing some different things in the way they worship. And there are also a lot of Independent Churches, which don’t come under any of the basic Christian headings, simply doing their own thing.
Therefore, with that kind of unilateral, autonomous, independent behaviour, it’s no wonder that down through the ages Christians have had much difficulty in expressing unity and solidarity. And that’s why Bruh Paul was so adamant about our volitional caring behaviour to each other. He then continues thus: ‘Be kindly affectioned (affectionate) one to another with brotherly LOVE; in honour preferring (giving preference to) one another. Not slothful in business (lagging in diligence); fervent in spirit (lit., boiling over); serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient (persevering) in tribulation; continuing instant (steadfastly) in prayer; Distributing to the necessity (needs) of saints; given to hospitality.’ (Rom. 12:10-13)
Yuh see friends, that’s basically how Christ’s church ought to operate, at least on the local level. But most of us would agree that even in the local churches that tight reign of brotherly LOVE seldom exists. Therefore, how can we expect it to exist on the higher levels eh? And Bruh Paul’s not done with his admonishment nuh. He continues: ‘Bless (speak well of) them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not (do not set your mind on) high things, but condescend to men of low estate (associate with the humble). Be not wise in your own conceits (estimation).’ (Rom. 12:14-16)
There again my brethren, we’re taught not to think too highly of ourselves, which in itself, is a sad reflection of today’s world. Now Bruh Paul goes on to say more, but we’ll leave that until tomorrow, if God spares life, because it would just make today’s Bit too long, and we have enough fodder today to contemplate and meditate on. (smile) So let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry and sundry know of our wonderful, incomparable position in Christ Jesus.
In strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And isn’t that just dandy? It surely is, but it gets even better, because we’ve also been promised that if we endure with Christ right down to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! So, let’s do our best to stay the course nuh, so that we can enjoy that everlastingly glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…LOVE makes the world go round…that’s our heavenly Father’s greatest desire…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a gospel music standard, a sacrifice for mankind, and to your children, be as wool, be baptized, be made the righteousness of God in Him, be reconciled back to Him, be red like crimson, be white as snow, Bible, bringing salvation to mankind, by the one offereing, Christ offered His sinless self, Christians, come now and let us reason together, Edwin Hawkins singers, even as many as the Lord will call, faith, fellowship, for the remission of sins, God placed all of our sins, good news, he hath made him to be sin for us, He taught me how, holy spirit, I will remember no more, imbued by the Holy spirit, in the name of Jesus Christ, It is finished, Jesus Christ, live rejoicing every day, LOVE, mercy, offered one sacrifice for sins forever, Oh Happy Day, on Jesus' sinless shoulders, on the cross of Calvary, once and for all time, perfected forever, pro, put my laws in their hearts, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, repeating the same sacrifices, repent, sacrifices of praise, salvation, salvation is for anyone who desires it, sat down on the right hand of God, that can never take away sin, The Day of Pentecost, the gift of salvation, the mountains of snow, the promise is unto you, the promise of redemption, their sins and iniquities, them that are sanctified, though your sins be as scarlet, till his enemies be made his footstool, to all that are far away, to watch and fight and pray, Triune God, truth, we could be set free, what a momentous day, when Jesus washed my sins away, who knew no sin, wisdom, write them in their minds
1 Corinthians 5:21. For he (God) hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
It’s Sunday once again friends, and I don’t believe we’ll have to cancel the sanctuary visits and in person fellowship this weekend because the snow is all on the banks now, the roads are clean and the temperature has finally dropped a couple of degrees. The good news is that in the early part of next week we’re supposed to be getting temps above freezing for the first time in ages. And who says our God is not a good God eh? Let’s hope that it will be warm enough and long enough to melt away all the mountains of snow by which we’re now surrounded.
And since we can now get to church without too many impediments, I think our song of worship for today is rather appropriate. It’s that 1967 gospel music arrangement of an 18th-century hymn by clergyman Philip Doddridge, recorded by the Edwin Hawkins Singers, which became a big hit in the last years of the 70’s decade, and has now become a gospel music standard. We’re talking about “Oh Happy Day.” So, let’s put our hands, voices, and souls together as we offer up sacrifices of praise for being able to see another day, to join in fellowship in God’s sanctuary, and to be thankful for it. And please don’t forget the marvellous calls and responses: (smile)
Singing: ‘Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) Oh, when He washed (When Jesus washed) When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) He washed my sins away (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) (Repeat) He taught me how (He taught me how) To watch and fight and pray Watch and pray And live rejoicing every day Every day Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day)
When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) Oh, when He washed (When Jesus washed) When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) He washed my sins away (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) He taught me how (He taught me how) To watch and fight and pray Watch and pray And live rejoicing every day (Good God) Every day Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) Oh, it’s a happy day (Oh, happy day) Oh, Lord (Oh, happy day) Mmm, good God (Oh, happy day) Oh yeah (Oh, happy day) Mmm, oh (Oh, happy day).’
Oh yes friends, it’s certainly a happy day, because even though we might not be kicking too strong, we’re alive and imbued by the Holy Spirit of our Triune God. And there’s been no happier day in this universe than when our Lord and Saviour Jesus washed all our sins away. Wow! What a momentous day that was! And there are so many scriptures that refer to that tremendous day, that we can never cover them all, but will look at a few.
And I believe we can begin with this one that’s filled with the promise of redemption from the prophet Isaiah, when he promised on the Lord’s behalf: ‘Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’ (Is. 1:17-18) And that promise was faithfully kept when the Lord Jesus Christ offered his sinless self on the cross of Calvary as a sacrifice for all mankind, once and for all time.
Yes, when He cried out, ‘It is finished, and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost.’ (John 19:30) That meant the work of bringing salvation to mankind had been successfully implemented for then and forevermore. No more sacrifices of animals and blood that could not erase, but only cover sin for a while. It took Jesus’ shed blood to lift the sins of all mankind. It was an awesome price that the Father desired, but Jesus willingly paid it for our benefit. As Bruh Paul writes in 2 Corinthians: ‘For he (God) hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’ (1 Cor. 5:21)
Oh my people, the Lord placed all of our sins on Jesus’ sinless shoulders and made Him bear them so that we could be set free, be reconciled back to our Creator, which was His heart’s greatest desire. The point is that Jesus was the only one capable of doing that because He was sinless. That’s why on the famous day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit began indwelling believers, and Peter and the apostles addressed a large crowd who after hearing about Jesus and His crucifixion asked them what to do.
‘Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission (forgiveness) of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord shall call.’ (Acts 2:38-39) Ah my fellow believers, that’s why the gift of salvation is so important; it’s for anyone who desires it, for now and all time.
Wherefore the author of Hebrews could write thus: ‘And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes (repeatedly) the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man (Jesus), after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting (waiting) till his enemies be made his footstool. For by the one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he hath said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities (lawless deeds) will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.’ (Heb. 10:11-18)
The author of Hebrews is there quoting Jeremiah 31: 33-34. And all of God’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace and goodwill to men!’ because that is exactly what Jesus came to earth to bring. So, my fellow saints, with the many promises of the Old Testament fulfilled by Jesus in the New Testament, believers ought to be the most joyful people on God’s great earth! And if you’re not joyful, then something is seriously wrong with your faith, so please take a moment today and turn to God and ask Him to help you become as joyful as you ought to be! Much LOVE!
…if Christians were as joyful as they ought to be…then this world would be such a wonderful place…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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