05 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: alive and kicking, Alleluia, as in Adam all die, assurance of life after death, be crucified, be not faithless but believing, because of the resurrection we have eternal life, because thou hast seen me thou hast believed, behold my hands, blessed are they that have not seen yet believed, by man came also resurrection of the dead, by man came death, Charles Wesley, Christ hath opened paradise, Christ is risen, Christ the Lord is risen today, Christ's Resurrection, christianity, death in vain forbids his rise, delivered into the hands of sinful men, Easter Sunday, enrich our lives and souls, everlasting life is this, following our exalted head, fought the fight, gathered today, Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, hail the resurrection, hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God, He is risen, he that believeth not is condemned already, he that believeth on him is not condemned, holy spirit, if Christ not be raised, in Christ all shall be made alive, Jesus Christ, Jesus' resurrected body, joy comes in the morning, king of glory, like him we rise, lives again our glorious king, LOVE, love's redeeming work is done, made like him, mercy, Merry Tree, Once He died our souls to save, our cries of Hosanna Save us have been answered, our Redeemer has conquered death, ours the cross the grave the skies, pay the price for disbelief, praise to thee by both be given, rach hither thy finger, raise your joys and triumphs high, reach hither thy hand, reason to celebrate, rejoice in his victory over sin and the cross, salvation, sing ye heavens and earth reply, soar we now where Christ hath led, sons of men and angels say, soul of bliss, sweet sacrifices of praise, the battle won, the empty tomb is proof of Christ's resurrection, the first fruits of them that slept, the greatest miracle ever, the Simple Series Musical, the Son of man, the third day rise again, thee to know, thee we greet triumphant now, Thomas the unbelieving disciple, thrust it into my side, thus to love, thus to sing, thy power to prove, to lift up the name of Jesus, truth, where O death is now thy sting, where thy victory O grave, why seek ye the living among the dead., wisdom, yet in your sins, your faith is in vain
1 Corinthians 15:22. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
HAPPY EASTER!
And then it was Sunday…Easter Sunday, and the joyful shouts of ‘He is risen…Christ is risen…Hallelujah Christ is risen’ can be heard all around the world. As the Good Book says; ‘joy comes in the morning.’ And yuh better believe abundant joy has come to earth with the resurrection of Christ Jesus, our Lord and Saviour on this Easter Sunday morning. Raising Christ from the dead was the greatest miracle ever, and confirmed and cemented the awesome omnipotence of our God; He of Abraham Isaac and Jacob! And many who considered Him a mere man and a possible prophet, soon changed their tune when they saw Him resurrected, alive and kicking in the flesh.
And today, to celebrate that most auspicious occasion we’re going to open our worship with what some Christian hymnologists consider to be the ‘most definitive church anthem for Easter.’ A song written in 1739 by one of the great hymn writers of all time Charles Wesley (1707-1788), and most appropriately titled, Christ the Lord is Risen Today, which focusses totally on the resurrection of Christ.
But before we offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise, let’s do like this commentary says: ‘turn to this Intro from the Simple Series Musical ‘Merry Tree,’ featured on the album inspired by the message and mission of Billy Graham, ‘My Hope.’ Please declare with me: ‘We have gathered today to lift up the name of Jesus. We rejoice in His victory over sin and the cross. Our cries of ‘Hosanna! Save us now!’ have been answered. Our Redeemer has conquered death! And because we are certain of that, we have reason to celebrate!’
Of course we do my faithful brethren, more reason to celebrate than any other faith. So let’s make that celebration known as we lift our voices in sweet harmony, allowing all the joy we feel inside to pour out in our song, in a rich, soulful, mid-tempo, scintillating version. Singing: ‘Christ the Lord is ris’n today, Alleluia! Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia! Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia! Sing, ye heav’ns, and earth, reply, Alleluia! Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia! Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia! Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia! Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia! LOVE’S redeeming work is done, Alleluia! Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia! Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia! Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia! Foll’wing our exalted Head, Alleluia! Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia! Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia! Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia! Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia! Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia! Hail the Resurrection, thou, Alleluia! King of glory, Soul of bliss, Alleluia! Everlasting life is this, Alleluia! Thee to know, Thy pow’r to prove, Alleluia! Thus to sing, and thus to LOVE, Alleluia!’
That was a most wonderful rendition my fellow believers! All heaven and earth joined in with us to praise our risen Saviour. And though that actual resurrection took place sone two thousand years ago, it still registers with us as though it’s taking place on the current Easter Sunday. That’s how important it is to the foundation of our faith. For that’s the reason we have eternal life. Without Jesus rising from the dead, being alive in both body and soul, we would not have life after death, as we currently do.
For as Bruh Paul reasons to the Corinthians: ‘For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain (futile); ye are yet in your sins… But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.’ (1 Cor. 15: 16-18; 20-22)
And Christ did rise from the dead and was seen by some five hundred people plus the believers, several times. Remember how the disciple Thomas refused to believe that Jesus was alive, although his associates told him so. He declared: ‘Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.’ (John 20:25)
But eight days later, when Thomas was amongst the crowd, Jesus came through the locked doors with His new and resurrected body and stood amid them and said, ‘Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless (unbelieving), but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.’ (John 20:26-29)
And Jesus was there talking about people like us, who, two thousand years later, never saw him in the flesh but believe. Although there are many who still don’t, despite all the evidence to the contrary. And sadly, they will have to pay the price for their disbelief, for as Jesus says very clearly to Nicodemus, the Jewish leader: ‘He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’ (John 3:18)
Yes friends, Christ is indeed risen, and the empty tomb is proof. And as the song says: ‘Made like Him, like Him we rise.’ And so it will be. That’s why there was a sad sort of joy that first Easter Sunday morning when the Jewish women went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body with spices. However, they found the stone rolled away from the front of the tomb, and the tomb itself empty.
‘And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed Thereabout (about this), behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid , and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you in Galilee , Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words, And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.’ (Luke 24:4-9)
Oh my fellow believers, we all know the many stories about Jesus’ resurrection, but do we truly realize how important it is to our faith and our life after this earthly death? But as we celebrate this joyful occasion of Easter and our risen Saviour, let’s take a few moments to ponder the situation in the depth that it deserves nuh, and thus enrich our lives and souls even more than they are already enriched. Much LOVE!
…in Jesus’ resurrection…the living then got really and truly good…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: .answer to our prayer, behold thy mother, being more intimate with God, breathed his last, brutal and inhumane situation, Christ died to save us from the bondage of sin, Christ was accursed of God for us, Christ's Resurrection, christianity, come tomorrow, crucified as a common criminal, darkness was over all the land, deepen my breath, don't allow our agony to overcome our faith, drawing closer to God, Eli Eli lama sabachthani, eternal separation from Almighty God, faith, Father forgive them, Father into thy hands I commend my spirit, filled with compassion, free will, God's ultimate purpose of saving mankind, great joy, he gave up the ghost, holy spirit, I marvel to think, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, if thou be the Christ, in all sincerity and truth, in the throes of death, increase my awareness of you today, innocent of all crimes, Jesus Christ, Jesus cried with a loud voice, Jesus is our hero, Jesus sacrificed His sinless life, joy comes in the morning, know you all the more, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, mercy, My God my God, one who had done no wrong, pay the consequences of unwise decisions, peace and contentment, pomp and passion, prayer is one of our greatest privileges, quench our sadness, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, sad and downcast, salvation, save thyself and us, slow my thoughts, thank you for this tenderness, the agony of spiritual death, the atonement of our sins, the BIBLE, the disciple took her into his own home, the fiery jaws of hell, the high cost to Christ, the horrific scene of Christ's crucifixion, the inequity of Jewish society, the joy of the Lord is our strength, they know not what they do, today thou shalt be with me in paradise, truth, why hast thou forsaken me, wisdom, Woman behold thy son, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me
Luke 23:46. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost (breathed his last).
So we’ve come to our lazy-day Saturday of Holy Week, and many of us are feeling somewhat sad and downcast because of yesterday’s replaying of the horrific scene that took place two thousand years ago in the city of Jerusalem; that’s Christ’s crucifixion. And how can one not be affected by such a brutal and inhumane situation eh, especially to one who had done no wrong, was innocent of all the crimes He was accused of, but was nonetheless battered and bruised by His fellow countrymen, then crucified as a common criminal between two real criminals.
But thankfully Jesus knew exactly what He was doing and why He suffered the indignities and abuse as quietly as He did. It was all because His heavenly Father desired that He pay the price for mankind’s abominable sins by sacrificing His sinless life so that God’s greatest creation could have a chance of bypassing eternal separation from Him, because that’s where we were surely headed if we did not get atonement for our wrong doing. And it’s of the utmost importance that we remember that Christ died to save us from the bondage of sin and the fiery jaws of hell.
Therefore, we ought to regard Him as not only our Lord and Saviour, but also as our Hero. And you know how we honour our heroes with pomp and passion. So why don’t we do the same for Jesus eh? Why do some of us even go so far as to hold Him in contempt despite His life-saving sacrifice for us? Who knows my people? The Lord gave us free will to choose whom we adore and glorify, and if we choose not to adore and glorify Jesus, then we’ll just have to pay the consequences inherent in that unwise decision.
Enough theorizing though, (smile) let’s ease the sorrow in our hearts by the best method there is; that’s prayer, our greatest privilege. So 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!’
Oh friends, there’s nothing better to quench our sadness than seeking to draw closer and more intimate with our heavenly Father! For when we get closer to Him, our sadness falls away and is replaced by a feeling of peace and contentment. It’s like the Bible says: ‘the joy of the Lord is our strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) So when we are sad, our joy is depleted, and when we get close to God, our joy is increased. And though we know that tomorrow we will indeed be joyful because of Christ’s resurrection, today we’re still in the doldrums, and it might just be a good time to sit and consider some of the things Jesus did even while he was being abused and crucified.
For instance while nailed to the cross He prayed thus: ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’ (Luke 23:34a) How many of us would even consider forgiving those who abuse us in such an inhumane manner eh? Not many, if any. But Jesus was filled with compassion even in His throes of death. And besides, those who crucified Him did not really know what they were doing. they thought they were getting rid of a nuisance, a renegade prophet, not knowing that their evil deeds were serving God’s ultimate purpose of saving mankind.
Then look at how the Bible portrays this touching scene. It says: ‘And one of the malefactors (criminals ) which were hanged railed on him (blasphemed), saying, If thou be the Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss (wrong). And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.’ (Luke 23:39-43)
Yes my brethren, even in His suffering, Jesus was still compassionate and kind. And that’s how He would like us, His followers, His disciples, his ambassadors to also be. Unfortunately though, too many of us are exactly the opposite; we have no time for others when we are going through our own problems. Then look at this other even more touching scene from Jesus hanging from the cross.
The Bible tells us: ‘Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he LOVED (John), he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.’ (John 19:25-27) Now wasn’t that very thoughtful of Jesus to leave His mother in a safe and secure situation, for her husband Joseph had probably died already, and in those days widows had a tough time surviving the inequity and unkindness of Jewish society.
The worst part of the whole affair on Jesus’ part was possibly this one. The Bible says: ‘Now from the sixth hour (noon) there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour (3.pm). And about the ninth hour (3 p.m.) Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt. 27:45-46) Yes friends, Jesus hung on that cross from about 9 a.m. to 3.pm before any words of complaint echoed from His soul. And even then it wasn’t even so much a complaint, but more of a big disappointment.
For as the scholars explain: ‘Here we have the high cost to Christ of His atonement for our sins, who was accursed of God as our sin-bearer and suffered the agony of spiritual death for us.’ In other words Christ was painted with the brush of sin, and since the Lord could not countenance sin, He was separated from the Father for the first time ever. And as the scholars note: ‘Even in the midst of bearing God’s wrath for sin, Jesus still calls Him my God. His agony does not overcome His faith.’ Now that’s something we all should try to also achieve; don’t allow anyone or anything to destroy our faith in God.
And to cap it all, a short time later, ‘And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost (breathed his last). (Luke 23:46) So though the memories of Jesus crucifixion are heartrending, let’s remember that He did it willingly as the will of the Father, so we should not despair, for remember, joy comes in the morning, and indeed, there will be great joy…come tomorrow! Much LOVE!
…Jesus suffered greatly for our sins…but both Him and Father thought it worthwhile…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Alleluia, an ongoing event, and earth reply, as others which have no hope, be ever with the Lord, believe that Jesus died and rose again, caught up together with them in the clouds, Charles Wesley, Christ is Risen today, Christ our Saviour is risen, Christ's Resurrection, Christians, church anthem for Easter, comfort one another with these words, comforting words, descend from heaven with a shout, Easter Sunday, eternal life, ever present effects, everlasting life, faith, fellowship, follow our risen Lord, forming habits, Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, hail the resurrection, Happy Easter, He is risen, he that believeth in me, holy spirit, Hosanna, Hosanna Save us now!, how to be in a relationship with God, I am the resurrection and the life, in newness of life, instill in us, Jesus Christ, king of glory, Lazarus, Lift up the name of Jesus, LOVE, marthat, mercy, miraculous occasion, my hope, raise your joys and triumphs high, remain unto the coming of the Lord, salvation, sing ye heavens, soul of bliss, teach us, the best feeling ever, the Lord himselff, the rapture of the church, the understanding that God still works today, thee we greet triumphant now, them which are asleep, though he were dead, thus to love, thy power to prove, to be ignorant, to ever lift our alleluias in praise, to meet the Lord in the air, whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die, wisdom, witnesses of the resurection, worship, ye sorrow not, yet shall he live
1 Corinthians 15:22. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
HAPPY EASTER!
‘He is Risen! He is risen! Yes, Christ our Saviour has risen indeed! Alleluia!’ That’s the cry being heard all over the world today, as millions of Christians celebrate Easter Sunday, which commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, thus allowing all those who believe in Him to also be resurrected at the time enshrined by the Father. As Jesus said to Martha, the sister of Lazarus, before He raised him from the dead: ‘I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?’ (John 11:25-26)
And millions of Christians believe that on this Easter Sunday morning, as Christ shows His awesome power to give eternal life to all who sincerely believe in Him. And to celebrate this marvellous, miraculous occasion, today we’ll sing a song that’s rather appropriate, one titled ‘Christ Is Risen Today!’ It was mostly penned in 1739 by one of our great hymn writers, Charles Wesley, and is considered by many Christians as being the most definitive church anthem for Easter, as each verse is focused on stuff in Christ’s resurrection.
But before we get into the song, listen to this most interesting commentary. ‘In every worship service, the words we say and the actions we participate in are somehow shaping us. Perhaps without even being aware of it, worship is doing something to us – it’s forming habits and language inside of us to both teach us why we are in relationship with God, and how to be in relationship with God. One practice that many liturgists and hymn authors have brought into worship is describing an event that happened in the past (usually a moment from the Gospel story) as if it were happening today, in order to instill in us the understanding that, just as God worked in the lives of people two thousand years ago, He is still working today.
And The hymn “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” is a perfect example of this. Right in the title is an indicator of the present tense: the word “is.” As we sing this song, we are first brought back two millennia as “witnesses” of the resurrection, and then we are also made aware that though the actual event of the resurrection happened once, it is in a sense an on-going event with ever-present effects. We are called today to live out of the resurrection, to follow our risen Lord in newness of life, and to ever lift our “alleluias” in praise.
Now, let’s turn to our song of praise, but first this most appropriate Intro from the Simple Series Musical ‘Merry Tree,’ featured on the album inspired by the message and mission of Billy Graham, ‘My Hope.’ Please declare with me: ‘We have gathered today to lift up the name of Jesus. We rejoice in His victory over sin and the cross. Our cries of ‘Hosanna! Save us now!’ have been answered. Our Redeemer has conquered death! And because we are certain of that, we have reason to celebrate!’
So finally, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise to heaven in a scintillating, up-tempo version, imagining ourselves as we sing, back there in the garden, like Mary Magdalene, two thousand years ago, the first to see and talk to Jesus after His resurrection. (smile)
Singing: ‘Christ the Lord is ris’n today, Alleluia! Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia! Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia! Sing, ye heav’ns, and earth, reply, Alleluia! Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia! Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia! Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia! Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia! LOVE’S redeeming work is done, Alleluia! Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia! Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia! Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia! Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia!
Foll’wing our exalted Head, Alleluia! Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia! Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia! Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia! Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia! Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia! Hail the Resurrection, thou, Alleluia! King of glory, Soul of bliss, Alleluia! Everlasting life is this, Alleluia! Thee to know, Thy pow’r to prove, Alleluia! Thus to sing, and thus to LOVE, Alleluia!’
Yes friends, wasn’t it wonderful seeing Jesus alive and kicking once again on that resurrection morn? It most certainly was! It was the best feeling ever, because then we knew for sure that if He rose from the grave, so would we also! As Bruh Paul says in his first letter to the Corinthians: ‘But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept (have fallen asleep, died). For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.’ (1 Cor. 15:20-22)
Oh my faithful brethren, sweeter words were never spoken, for that means in due course, in the Lord’s time, we will also rise from the dead to live with Christ. And this passage from Bruh Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians gives us a better understanding of the process. ‘But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (have died), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep (dead). For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump (trumpet) of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever (always) be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.’ (1 Thess. 4:13-18)
Yes my fellow believers, those are very comforting words. It’s oh so good to know that we will meet our LOVED ones who have gone before us in the Rapture of the Church, so that we can live with Christ forevermore. Please, let’s spend some time today, take a moment away from the celebrations and truly try to comprehend what that means for us all! And in closing, I wish us all a very Happy Easter my Scrip-Bit friends and family! Much LOVE!
…ONLY in Christ…can salvation and eternal life be found…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Christian soldier's last words, a disadvantage, a friend of the world, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a spiritual fight to the death, after you have suffered a while, as a roaring lion, assurance of God's grace and mercy, be sober, be vigilant, Bible, called us into his eternal glory, casting all your care upon him, cause the enemy to gain footholds in our lives, Christ has defeated hell death and the grave, Christ the royal Master, Christ's Resurrection, christianity, Christians, cleanse your hands ye sinners, disobeyed your word, divine aid, draw nigh to God, ease the pain, experienced by your brethren, faith, forward into battle, gets his hooks in you, giving us the victory, handled with aplomb, he may exalt you in due time, he shall lift you up, he will flee from you, hear and answer our prayers, Hell's foundations, hold on to the victory won by Christ, holy spirit, humble servants, humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, humility, I have finished my course, I have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, leads against the foe, like a roaring lion hungry for food, LOVE, marching as to war, mass confusion in our world, mercy, never give up, Onward Christian soldiers, perfect confirm, pray, promised to prosper us, purify your hearts ye doubleminded, quiver at the shout of praise, resist steadfast in the faith, resist the devil, resist the onslaughts of the enemy, resisting the enemy is no laughing matter, salvation, see his banner go, sincere prayer, sincere repentance in our hearts, sincerely seek your face, spiritual lives, step up to the plate, strengthen and settle you, submit yourselves to God, suffering from negative situations, thank you for life and strong faith in Christ, the enemy is difficult to dislodge, the enemy of God, the father of lies, the friendship of the world is enmity with God, the God of all grace, the God who heals, the power of the Holy spirit, the power to solve our problems, the same afflictions, the throne of grace, to alleviate our problems, to him be the glory and dominion for ever, truth, turn from our evil ways, use the spiritual weapons of God, walketh about, walketh about seeking whom he may devour, we have all sinned, wisdom, wise guidance, with the cross of jesus going on before, work week frustrations, your adversary the devil
James 4:7. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
And the new work week frustrations begin again with another Monday on board. But like all those Mondays in the past that we’ve handled with such aplomb, we will handle this one with the same poise and assurance of God’s awesome grace and mercy flowing through us, giving us the victory! Believing anything less is only putting ourselves at a major disadvantage that will cause the enemy to gain unwanted footholds in our lives. And we all know the havoc that the father of lies and deceit can create once he gets access to our minds, bodies and hearts.
And since he’s so difficult to dislodge once he begins his evil work, it’s best not to let him get any footholds at all in our spiritual lives. Consequently, James, Jesus’ brother, warns us: ‘Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of (with) the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be (wants to be) a friend of the world is (makes himself) the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth (yearns jealously) to envy?
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. 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 4:4-8, 10)
Yes friends, please note that we can resist the devil, but only if we first humble ourselves and draw near to God. For if the power of God’s Holy Spirit isn’t working powerfully in you, then you will not be able to resist the numerous onslaughts of the enemy. And if you did not believe James, then listen to Peter’s wonderful advice along the same lines, from his first epistle.
‘Humble your selves 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. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be the glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-11)
Yuh see again mih bredrin, that you have to humble yourselves, submit to God, before you can have any chance of turning away the devil. That’s because it’s not our strength, but the grace, the power of God that gives us the ability to do so. And believe me, resisting the enemy is no laughing, but a very serious matter, for once he gets his hooks in you, he’s going to tear you up as Peter says, like a roaring lion hungry for food.
Remember this is no joke war we’re engaged in, but a spiritual fight to the death, and if we don’t use the spiritual weapons granted to us by Almighty God, (Eph. 6) then we won’t be able to hold on to the victory already won by Christ on our behalf. Yes, the victory is already ours, because Christ has defeated hell, death and the grave, through His own death and awesome resurrection, we only need to keep it won now.
But the enemy will not give up. Neither should we. That’s why Bruh Paul told Timothy: ‘Thou therefore endure harness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.’ (2 Tim. 2:3) So should we all who call ourselves believers in Christ Jesus, stand up strong and steadfast in His name, and fight the good fight of faith.
As the old anthem calls us to do: ‘Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before! Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe; Forward into battle, see his banner go! At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee; On, then, Christian soldiers, on to victory! Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise; Brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise!’
Oh my people, that is exactly how we have to behave this Monday morning, the first of February 2025; get out onto the battlefield behind the banner of Jesus and give the enemy what for! That’s the only way we will ever win the spiritual battle for our souls. And to help us bravely step up to the plate, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid in these most crucial and critical 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, let’s remember that divine aid calls for humility, sincere prayer, and turning from our evil ways. Much LOVE!
…a Christian soldier’s last words ought to be…I have fought a good fight…I have finished my course (race)…I have kept the faith… (2 Tim. 4:7)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Dec 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and share His love with the world, artificial intelligence, beloved of God, Christ - the reason for the season, Christ's Resurrection, draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you, faith, God commendeth his love for us, God is the strength of my heart, God sent His only begotten Son, God so loved the world, gossip, hurry, in god's eyes, it is good for me to draw near to God, Jesus Christ, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, nothing can separate us from God's love, redemption of sins, resist the devil and he will flee from you, salvation, slander, social media, speak not evil one of another, submit yourselves to God, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the Birth of Christ, the breadth and depth of God's love, the light of God surrounds me, the love of God enfolds me, the power of God protects me, the presence of God watches over me, there is one lawgiver, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wherever I am God is there, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, wisdom, worry
Romans 5:8. But God commendeth (demonstrated His own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Oh friends, this Tuesday of Christmas week has turned out to be somewhat contrary. (smile) It’s windy and cold, with a sprinkling of snow on the ground, and a cloudy kind of sunshine overshadowing the whole thing. Apparently, we had a snow warning for last night, but thankfully it did not hit our neighbourhood. But who knows what today will bring weatherwise, so if you’re going out, please be prepared for anything. And also, as we go about our Christmas preparations, let’s remember to always have Christ in mind as being the true reason for the season. We’ve already had the greatest gifts ever; the birth of Christ and His redemption of our sins, now we just have to trust and obey, for there’s no better way, to be happy in this crazy, evil and ungodly world.
Now here’s a li’l prayer to remind us of all that our wonderful and ever magnanimous God does for us. Please pray with me: ‘The LIGHT of God surrounds me. The LOVE of God enfolds me. The POWER of God protects me. The PRESENCE of God watches over me. Where ever I am, God is there! And ALL is well! Yes ALL is well! Amen!’ And that ought to be a big, heartfelt, sincere ‘Amen’ because of the numerous ways in which Jehovah God surrounds and protects us. Just imagine nuh, we have His LIGHT surrounding us, His LOVE enfolding us, His POWER protecting us, and His PRESENCE constantly watching over us! Wow! We can’t ask for any more than that, because there’s nothing more to be had, that’s everything!
Ah mih people, if we truly knew and understood how our heavenly Father cares for us, the breadth and depth of His LOVE and compassion, towards us, His most important and favoured creation, we would never, or rather, we’d try our very best not to ever disobey or disappoint Him. And I don’t believe there’s anything bigger and better that He could have done after we fell into the bondage of sin and disobedience than send His ONLY Son to take our abominable sins on His sinless shoulders and sacrifice His life on the cross of Calvary, so that we could be redeemed, be reconciled to Him. How many of us would do anything like that for a bunch of worthless sinners eh? Very few of us, if any!
However, the Word tells us: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated His own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) And later on in that same letter to the church at Rome, Bruh Paul reiterated his convictions by writing: ‘( 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. 8:39) In other words, nothing whatsoever can ever separate us from God’s LOVE that is to be found in Christ Jesus!
Meanwhile, Jesus Himself pointed out the great LOVE that the Father has for us, when He said to Nicodemus, the Pharisee who came to Him by night seeking answers to confusing questions. ‘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 the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
Now, that’s the kind of LOVE and compassion God has for us! But do we truly believe or appreciate it? No way! Otherwise our lives would not be in such a sad state of disarray, of willful sin and disobedience, and Christ’s church would not be the breeding ground it is, for all sorts of ungodly stuff. Neither would we forget and/or neglect to remember that this season of Christmas, when Christ was born, is the beginning of the story of our marvellous and miraculous redemption, that ends with Christ’s earth-shattering resurrection on that first Easter morn!
Instead of our current behaviour and lifestyle, we ought to be saying and believing like the psalmist Asaph did in his famous Psalm 73, after being deceived by the prosperity of the wicked, then going into the Lord’s sanctuary and realizing their eventual destruction: ‘My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart (my rock), and my portion for ever… But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ (Ps. 73:26 &28)
Oh my fellow believers, if we could only make those things true in our own lives, what a wonderful world we’d have! Drawing near to God, surrendering our all to Him, and faithfully declaring (steups!!!) His mighty works are the things we so badly need right now, so that we can fight the good fight of faith that’s staring us in the face, as Satan ramps up his offensive against the people of God. That’s why James warns and encourages us to: ‘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. Be afflicted (lament), and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness (gloom). Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-10)
Yes friends, that’s where it all begins; by drawing nearer to God, humbling ourselves in His sight, and overall cleaning up our lives. Now, James ends that passage with a further warning and admonishment, but I’ve kept it separate, because it’s of ever so much importance in our current society. He concludes it thus: ‘Speak not evil one of another brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another.’ (James 4:11-12)
Ah mih people, evil speaking, lying, slandering, gossiping and the many other forms of verbal abuse are running rampant in our society because of the proliferation of social media and our technological revolution. And with the recent improvements of Artificial Intelligence, it’s slated to become even worse. The sad part of it all though is because of this technical revolution, we can spread bad and false news without risk of incurring the necessary consequences. Thus, too many of us talk and are judgemental about things we know absolutely nothing about, therefore breeding even more evil in our society.
And yes, we will all have opinions on all sorts of topics, but please, let’s try and restrict spreading them nuh, especially the ones we know nothing about. That would indeed be a valuable start to cleaning up our gossipy, lying world. Now, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world 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!’
Now, let’s go out and do just that nuh; trust our awesome friend Jesus and share His amazing LOVE with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…all talk and no action…gets us nowhere fast…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
16 Apr 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: At the cross, bathed in his own blood, been satisfied in Jesus, choice of life and death, choose life, Christ's Resurrection, dissolve my heart in thankfulness, Easter Sunday, eternal life, free will, God commendeth his own love toward us, hide my blushing face, It is finished, LOVE, now I'm happy all the day, sacrificial praise, the burden of my heart rolled away, the debt of love I owe, the justice of God, the promise of salvation, there by faith I received my sight, to come unto the knowledge of the truth, where I first saw the light, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, who will have all men to be saved
1 Timothy 2:4.Who will have (desires) all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
Hurrah! It’s Sunday, the first Sunday after Easter Sunday when our Lord and Saviour rose triumphantly from the dead! Wow! And yuh know what? We’re still celebrating that immortal victory, because it’s Christ’s death on the cross and His magnificent resurrection that gives us the option, the joy and promise of salvation and eternal life! And if you don’t think that is sufficient cause for celebration, then you’re either a die-hard heretic, sick in the brain, a fool, or all three. (smile)
Anyway, for those of us who believe that Jesus’ sacrificial death and amazing resurrection are justifiable cause to celebrate, let’s open today’s proceedings with an oldie but goodie; appropriately titled ‘At the Cross.’ The lyrics were written by Isaac Watts (1674-1748) somewhere around 1707, and apparently Ralph E. Hudson (1843-1901) added the chorus in the following century. (smile) But be that as it may, ‘At the Cross’ is still a marvellous tune reflecting the salvation brought to us sinners by Jesus Christ, through the LOVE and machinations of our heavenly Father.
And if that isn’t cause for much celebration, then I don’t know what is nuh. So, let’s offer up our sacrificial praise with sweet, harmonious voices, in an upbeat tempo version of the song, because it’s a song of joy and freedom, and you can’t sing such tunes in a dirge like manner. And we’ll begin with a rousing rendition of the chorus. Singing: ‘(Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!) ‘Alas! and did my Savior bleed And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head For sinners such as I?
(Refrain:) Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine— And bathed in its own blood— While the firm mark of wrath divine, His Soul in anguish stood. (Refrain) Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! grace unknown! And love beyond degree! (Refrain) Well might the sun in darkness hide And shut his glories in, When Christ, the mighty Maker died, For man the creature’s sin. (Refrain) Thus might I hide my blushing face While His dear cross appears, Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt my eyes to tears.
(Refrain) But drops of grief can ne’er repay The debt of love I owe: Here, Lord, I give my self away ’Tis all that I can do. (Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day! Now I am happy all the day…happy all the day…happy all the day…’
Yes, my fellow believers, that’s how we ought to be, happy all the day…or rather, joyful all the day, because happiness tends to be tied up with our circumstances, while joy exists even when our circumstances are not so good. And I’m sure we all enjoyed singing that ageless tune, especially the rollicking chorus. Today, we can look back and sigh with sadness and wonder and eternal gratitude at Jesus’ death on the cross at Calvary, but that’s the most important and integral aspect of the whole situation, for without His death and the payment of our sins that that death covered, no resurrection or any celebration would have been possible.
Oh friends, the cross of Christ is where it all begins and ends! You first have to go there and lay your burdens down before you can go any further along the Christian continuum. And when Christ cried out ‘It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost (His spirit),’ (John 19:30) it meant that His work on earth was done. As He said to the disciples earlier on: ‘For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto (to be served), but to minister (to serve), and to give his life for a ransom for many.’ (Mark 10:45)
And that’s exactly what He did on that old, rugged cross on Good Friday; died for many, gave His sinless life selflessly as a ransom for all who choose to believe in Him. As one commentary says: ‘He has borne the guilt of our sins. He has endured the punishment of our hell. The divine wrath has been spent on him. The justice of God has been satisfied in him.’ And for that selfless sacrifice, we all ought to be eternally grateful. But let’s never forget that it all began with the Father, with His wondrous, unconditional LOVE for His most amazing creation.
As Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Rome: ‘For God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE for us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) And these words of Bruh Paul to Timothy further enlightens us, as he expounds to the young pastor on the importance of extending prayers, supplications, intercessions and the giving of thanks for all men.
‘For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have (desires) 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; Who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time. Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the gentiles in faith and verity (truth).’ (1 Tim. 2:3-7)
And what does all of that mean? Let’s hear what the scholars have to offer. They say of verses 5-7: ‘These verses provide a threefold evidence confirming the assertation in verse 4 that God “will have all men to be saved”: (1) There being but one God that He must have the same desire toward all people, which is, namely, their salvation. One mediator suggests His Having made the same provision for all people, namely, redemption. (2) Jesus gave himself a ransom for all (vs. 6). (3) Paul’s being divinely ordained … a teacher of the Gentiles (vs. 7) shows that if sinful pagans are instructed in faith and verity (truth), then surely God does indeed want all to be saved.’
It’s a closed and shut case friends! God wanted ALL His human creation to be saved, and thus put the wheels in motion, in the fullness of time, that’s in His timing, to have it done. And all I can say is that He gave us free will when He first created us, but we turned to sin instead of to Him. Now, He’s given us another chance, hoping that this time we will wisely use that free will to come back to Him through His august Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Just remember friends, it’s all up to us now. God has done His part; the rest is up to us. Much LOVE!
…God’s given us the choice between life and death…please, I implore us…let’s choose life nuh…for that’s the wise option…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
17 Apr 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Alleluia, Christ the Lord is risen today, Christ's Resurrection, Easter Sunday, eternal gratitude, eternal life, follow our risen Lord, Hosanna Save us now!, in newness of life, king of glory, LOVE, Love's redeeming work is done, nowherian band, Once He died our souls to save, our Redeemer has conquered death, raise your joys and triumphs high, rejoice in the victory sin, salvation, the most joyful day in Christendom, why seek ye the living among the dead.
Luke 24:5b. Why seek ye the living among the dead?
HAPPY EASTER!
It’s the big day friends; the day we’ve been so eagerly awaiting – that’s Easter Sunday! That most memorable day of Christ’s resurrection, which resulted in a resounding victory over his satanic majesty, the prince of darkness and his dark dominion of hell, death and the grave! And is it ever a perfect day for a resurrection; bright and sunshiny, though somewhat cool. It’s the most joyful day in Christendom because Christ’s resurrection made it possible for our sins to be forgiven and the free gift of salvation and eternal life a blessed reality! Oh, please give Him a shout of praise and honour my people.
And do I ever like this commentary on the day taken from the Simple Series musical ‘Mercy Tree,’ which was featured on the album inspired by the message and mission of Billy Graham, titled ‘My Hope.’ It says: ‘We have gathered today to lift up the name of Jesus. We rejoice in His victory over sin and the cross. Our cries of ‘Hosanna! Save us now!’ have been answered. Our Redeemer has conquered death! And because we are certain of that, we have reason to celebrate!’
And we most certainly have reason to celebrate my people! It’s the day of mankind’s greatest gift, next to his creation; when the Lord blew His breath of life into man’s frail and fragile body! It’s not every day that your sins are forgiven, and you can look forward to a life of close encounters with your Lord and Saviour. So that’s indeed a cause for celebration!
And to get us started on that celebration, we are going to sing this most appropriate hymn written by one of the great hymn writers of all time Charles Wesley, titled ‘Christ the Lord is Risen Today.’ ‘It’s considered the most definitive church anthem for Easter. Each verse features a focus on the Resurrection of Jesus.’ But before we get into the actual singing, I have one more commentary to share, and I’m not sure where I got it from, (smile) but it is very interesting and uplifting.
Please read with me. ‘In every worship service, the words we say and the actions we participate in are somehow shaping us. Perhaps without even being aware of it, worship is doing something to us – it’s forming habits and language inside of us to both teach us why we are in relationship with God, and how to be in relationship with God. One practice that many liturgists and hymn authors have brought into worship is describing an event that happened in the past (usually a moment from the Gospel story) as if it were happening today, in order to instill in us the understanding that, just as God worked in the lives of people two thousand years ago, He is still working today.
The hymn “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” is a perfect example of this. Right in the title is an indicator of the present tense: the word “is.” As we sing this song, we are first brought back two millennia as “witnesses” of the resurrection, and then we are also made aware that though the actual event of the resurrection happened once, it is in a sense an on-going event with ever-present effects. We are called today to live out of the resurrection, to follow our risen Lord in newness of life, and to ever lift our “alleluias” in praise.’
So let’s do exactly that nuh friends, lift our ‘alleluias’ in sacrificial praise this Easter Sunday morn of this controversial and difficult year of 2022. Therefore, in an upbeat tempo, with loud voices, joyful hearts and souls, let’s sing this magnificent anthem of praise. ‘Christ the Lord is ris’n today, Alleluia! Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia! Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia! Sing, ye heav’ns, and earth, reply, Alleluia! Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia! Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia! Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia! Where’s thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!
LOVE’S redeeming work is done, Alleluia! Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia! Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia! Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia! Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia! Foll’wing our exalted Head, Alleluia! Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia! Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia! Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia! Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia! Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia! Hail the Resurrection, thou, Alleluia! King of glory, Soul of bliss, Alleluia! Everlasting life is this, Alleluia! Thee to know, Thy pow’r to prove, Alleluia! Thus to sing, and thus to LOVE, Alleluia!’
Yes mih bredrin. That’s indeed a magnificent song for a magnificent day, and we did full justice to it. Praise the Lord! And I do hope we noticed the focus in every verse on the resurrection of Christ as mentioned above. And I particularly like the line that says: ‘LOVE’S redeeming work is done,…’ To me, that describes it best. It’s all the work of LOVE, which it so truthfully is: beginning with the Father’s LOVE for us, then the Son’s LOVE for the Father, which led Him to an obedient death on the cross.
But the story of Christ’s triumphant resurrection on Easter Sunday is never complete without some retelling of it from the Good Book, how the women came to the tomb early in the morning to embalm Jesus, wondering how they would roll away the stone, but much to their amazement found the stone had already been rolled away and the tomb was empty. And they saw two men standing in the tomb with shining garments. They bowed their heads in fear, but the men said to them, ‘Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spoke unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying , The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words. And they returned from the sepulchre and told all these things unto the eleven and to all the rest.’ (Luke 24:1-9)
Now all the gospels give their version of the resurrection events, But there’s something about John’s version I like. Where, after the news of the empty tomb was noised about, Peter and John went to the tomb and also found it empty, and they too went away perplexed. ‘But Mary Magdalene stood without (outside) the sepulchre weeping, (this was her second visit) and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre. And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence (carried him away), tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni, which is to say Master (Teacher). Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not (stop clinging to me); for I have not yet ascended unto my Father: (do not worry, I’m not going away immediately): but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and he had spoken these things unto her.’ (John 20:11-18)
What a moving story of reunion and reconnection my people! And I believe it’s important to note that Jesus chose a female, Mary Magdalene to be the first human contact on His resurrection day, and not one of His male disciples. She apparently was one of Jesus’ trusted female followers, female disciples, who travelled with Jesus and His ‘nowherian’ band (band of no fixed abode). And females were indeed an important part of Christ’s ministry, but I guess because of the paternalistic nature of the society their importance was consistently overlooked, just like it still is today.
Anyway friends, I hope this short treatise (smile) on Easter Sunday has encouraged us, made us more aware of the great importance of this day in the annals and life of our Christian faith, for without it, there would be no Christianity, no salvation, and no eternal life, just hellfire and damnation. So please let’s rejoice, be merry and enjoy it, but let’s take time to consider how important Jesus really is to us, and repledge our allegiance to him on this Easter, this Resurrection Sunday! It’s the least we can do to show our eternal gratitude. Much LOVE!
…no resurrection means…no church…and worst of all…NO Rapture…
P.S. Sorry it’s so late…but dem’s the breaks! (smile) Much LOVE!
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
05 Apr 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a faithful attitude, a life-saving tale, bring out our character traits by faith, Christ's death on the cross, Christ's Resurrection, Easter Sunday, Ed Elliot, fight a good fight, foundation of our Christian faith, Good Friday, growing the fruit of the Spirit, hurry, in god's eyes, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, Lenten season, living for Jesus, LOVE, making us right with God, see our inner salvation manifest on the outside, seem scary to walk by faith, share His love with the world, the beloved of God, the fruit of the spirit, the gift of salvation is free, the Holy Spirit, the light of the world, the salt of the earth, the sons of God, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, with fear and trembling, work our your own salvation, worry, ye may be blameless and harmless
Philippians 2:12b. work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
So friends, what are we going to do on this wet, cloudy Tuesday morning in early April, during the last two weeks of this Lenten season of 2022 eh? And I’m just being a tad humorous on this serious matter, because I very well know what’s expected of us believers each and every day of our lives; that’s a constant and faithful attitude of living for Jesus! (smile)
And if we’re into the last two weeks of Lent, then it also means it’s two weeks to Easter, that big Christian celebration of Jesus’ death and triumphant resurrection! Yes my people, we’re talking about the rock-like foundation of our Christian faith, for without Christ’s death on the cross on Good Friday and His resurrection on Easter Sunday, there’d be nothing called Christianity!
And the awesome truth is that there’s nothing better than the wonderful story of Christianity; the good news of Christ’s coming to earth and dying for us, making us right with God, and giving us the marvellous opportunity to spend eternity with Him. Now that’s a story we ought to tell; all over the world, in every nook and cranny, because it’s a life-saving tale, the most important story ever told on planet earth! And that’s what living for Jesus is all about; simply telling His story and living the way He desires of us, that’s being the salt of the earth and the light of the world, in other words being a reflection of His caring, compassionate and LOVING self.
Now we all know that this evil, sinful, greedy and selfish world doesn’t regard those things very highly…but Jesus does, and if we are going to live for Him, then we will be expected to put up with a lot of harassment, temptation and even persecution for our different beliefs and lifestyle. But we’ve been given all that we need to do the job by Christ our Saviour; namely His Holy Spirit as a Guide, Leader and Comforter and the fruit of the Spirit which enables us to do great works in His name. The problem though is that we must embrace those tools and use them like they were intended, which isn’t always easy to do, but try we must.
That’s why in talking to the Philippians about being shining lights in this evil world Bruh Paul said it thus: ‘Wherefore my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of (according to) his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless (innocent), the sons (children) of God, without rebuke (fault), in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation (generation), among who, ye shine as lights in the world.’ (Phil. 2:12-15)
Yes friends, we can never get away from that image of shining like lights to the world, because that’s what Jesus requires us to be! However, it doesn’t happen without work or overnight. That’s why Bruh Paul said to ‘work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.’ And let’s make it clear that you NEVER have to work for salvation, because that’s the free gift of God, but we have to continue working out to its logical conclusion what God has begun in us, that’s basically growing the fruit of the Spirit planted in us through right living; showing the world the awesome possibilities that exist for those who are lost, sick, downtrodden, whatever.
And since it’s God who is doing most of the work in the working out of our salvation, then success is guaranteed. ‘For God is producing in us both to will (to desire) and to do (actually accomplish) of his good pleasure.’ So why then the need for ‘fear and trembling’?
Because we won’t know all the sacrifices and problems we will have to undergo to do God’s will. And each of us will have to work seriously and sincerely on our individual problems, with God’s help of course, but it’s still not going to be easy. So, we have to be prepared to fight a good fight, which leaves no room for squabbling and dissension amongst believers, if we want to be seen as blameless and innocent, the children of God, shining as bright lights, in this evil generation.
And I like how author Ed Elliot explains it in his article on the medium.com website. He says: ‘Working out our salvation is very different from working for our salvation. When Paul tells believers they need to work out their salvation, he is simply explaining that the wonderful gift they freely received from God is inside of them. We bring out those beautiful attributes and character traits by faith. Faith is a rest, but it is faith that works, not us. So, working out what is on the inside of us happens by faith.
This process can be frightening in the beginning as a new believer discovers how to live and walk by faith. Some strong trepidation may be present at first when a person decides to trust God as his or her source and peace. I remember how scary it was for me to stop trusting in my natural abilities and trust in God’s Word. This is what Paul is referring to when he mentions “fear and trembling.” He isn’t talking about being afraid of God. Rather, he is helping the new believer to know that in the beginning, it will seem scary to walk by faith. However, it is the only way to see our inner salvation manifest on the outside through our character.’
Ah mih people, living the Christian life will always have roadblocks and trials, but if we hang in there and fight with God’s help, then we’ll live the joyful, abundant, interesting and blessed life that Christ died for us to have. Now, for those of us who have already made the wise decision to live for Christ, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) 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 the world. Amen!’
Now, it’s time go and work it out; (smile) that’s share the amazing friendship and LOVE of Christ with others, just as generously as He shared it with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do. Much LOVE!
…salvation is free…but to keep it blossoming beautifully…takes work…and ofttimes sacrifice…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
31 May 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a rushing wind, a song of praise, began to speak with other tongues, believers in Jerusalem, Christ's Resurrection, cloven tongues, fall on me, fill our temple, fire, fire will fall on me, it burnt out carnal nature, John truly baptized with water, just like the day of Pentecost, LOVE Jesus, miraculous strides in technology, movin just like a magnet, moving here moving there, my soul caught fire, Noel Willis, old men shall dream dreams, prophecy of Joel, send some more Elijah, sons and daughters shall prophesy, the Grace Thrillers, the Holy ghost power, the Lord's Day, the power from heaven, the promise of the Father, to pray the power down, with the Holy ghost, ye shall be baptized, young men shall see visions
Acts 1:5. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
Come on mih bredrin, it’s Sunday, the Lord’s Day, time for worship, although we’re still not allowed to gather physically to sing and praise and worship our great and wonderful God! But the miraculous strides we’ve made in technology enable us to gather nonetheless, regardless of time and through space. (smile) And if it’s one thing we know for sure, is that this too must pass!
But enough talking, today we celebrating one of the great days in our faith, the day when our church was born, the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was noised abroad upon the believers in Jerusalem; the day the awesome prophecy of the prophet Joel was fulfilled. ‘And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.’ (Joel 2:28)
What a marvellous and miraculous day that was my people, probably only bested in the New Testament by Christ’s Birth and His Resurrection. But it was just the beginning… the beginning of times and things to come, which Christ’s birth stirred up. Anyway, let’s open the proceedings as always, with a song of praise. And today’s song is ever so appropriate to the celebration. It’s a rocking Reggae tune written by Noel Willis and performed by a Jamaican group called the Grace Thrillers, and the tune is aptly titled: ‘The Holy Ghost Power!’
Wow! And we all know the enormous power the Holy Ghost possesses. So let’s get rocking in soulful harmony and let heaven know that we’re ever so thankful for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Please ignore the Repeats, otherwise we’d be here singing all day long. (smile) All together now: ‘The Holy Ghost power movin’ just like a magnet The Holy Ghost power movin’ just like a magnet Movin’ here, movin’ there, just like the day of Pentecost The Holy Ghost power movin’ just like a magnet. (Repeat) Welcome, welcome, welcome Blessed Holy Ghost, we welcome you Come with power and fill our temple Holy Ghost, we welcome you (Repeat)
Fire, fire, fire When my soul caught fire When my soul caught fire When my soul caught fire It burnt out carnal nature Hallelujah what a Saviour When my soul, when my soul When my soul caught fire (Repeat) Fire, fire, fire, fire will fall on me Fire, fire, fire, fire will fall on me Just like the day of Pentecost Fire will fall on me Just like the day of Pentecost Fire will fall on me (Repeat) It’s coming down, down, down It’s coming down When the glory of the Lord is coming down When the saints begin to pray And the Lord shall have His way When the glory of the Lord is coming down (Repeat)
Blessed Holy Ghost come down, fall on Zion Blessed Holy Ghost come down, fall on Zion If you call at midnight, Jesus hears and He answers If you call at midnight the Holy Ghost sets your soul on fire The inspiration from the preacher, sent the sinner to the altar Sets your soul on fire Blessed Holy Ghost come down, fall on Zion (Repeat) Oh, let the power fall on me, my Lord Let the power fall on me Oh, let the power from heaven, fall on me Let the power fall on me Let the power fall on me Let the power fall on me… Power, power, power, power, power Power, power, power, power, let the power fall on me fall on me…
I feel like the fire shut up in my bones (fire, fire) I feel like the fire shut up in my bones (fire, fire) Singing Glory, Hallelujah, oh yes I feel like the fire shut up in my bones, ooh… Send some more Elijah to pray the power down (Amen) Send the fire, also send the rain To heal the sick, raise the dead and glorify His name I would like to hear Elijah pray again (More Elijah, more Elijah) Send some more Elijah to pray the power down (More Elijah, more Elijah, more Elijah, more Elijah)
The Holy Ghost power is movin’ just like a magnet (movin’, movin’) The Holy Ghost power is movin’ just like a magnet (movin’, movin’, movin’) Movin’ here, movin’ there, just like the day of Pentecost The Holy Ghost power is movin’ just like a magnet (movin’, movin’, movin’) just like the day of Pentecost The Holy Ghost power is movin’ just like a magnet (movin’, movin’, movin’)
Oh mih people, mih people, what a rocking rendition! After the first few bars, all of heaven was rocking and dancing with us! You can’t celebrate the Holy Ghost and heaven not participate, for He is indeed One of the Holy Triumvirate; the One who looks after us, comforts and guides us all down here on earth. And it’s so sad that so many in our world don’t believe in our ever-faithful God, for this day was also promised by Jesus to His disciples before He ascended to heaven. ‘For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.’
That’s why Jesus told them shortly before to remain in Jerusalem ‘but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.’ (Acts 1:4b) He is referring to His promise: ‘And if you LOVE me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.’ (John 14:15-16) Jesus Himself couldn’t stay with them in person, but when He went back to heaven the Father would send a spiritual replacement to be with them forever. And though we read about the coming of the Holy Spirit every year at Pentecost, it’s such a remarkable story that it keeps turning us on every time we read it.
Please note though that Pentecost was already a feast day of the Jewish Passover, so the day the Holy Spirit began living in believer’s hearts was not the first day of Pentecost. Now hear how the Good Book details it nuh. ‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord (one purpose in mind) in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.’ (Acts 2:1-4)
The mighty hand of God moved friends… and not in no simple minuscule way, but with power; with wind and fire! Thus all the people who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover heard the Holy Ghost baptized brethren speak to them in their own native language, which obviously surprised them, mere uneducated Galileans speaking so many different languages…they must be drunk. But big Peter got up and made the speech of his life, giving them the true story. Time and space preclude us from telling it, but you can certainly read it for yourself. (Acts 2:14-42)
And yuh know what happened at the end of that most memorable day my bredrin? Three thousand people were saved…! Yes, the church grew by three thousand in that first day… And how could we not LOVE and glorify, and adore and revere our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who sacrificed everything for us eh? Think on it nuh friends…just think on it nuh! Much LOVE!
…the Holy Ghost power…the most powerful force in a believer’s life…
28 Nov 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: angels, ascension, Atlas, attributes, awesome being, being, beloved of God, children of God, Christ's Resurrection, Creator, dead weight, debt of sin, distinctness, do God's will, equal with the Father, essentially one, explanation, express image, glory, God's great earth, heir of all things, help, his person, Holy Trinity, imprint, Jesus, Levitical priest, my friend Jesus, oneness of the Son, prophets, purged our sins, purification for sin, radiance, redemptive work, refreshing, rejuvenating, revelation of God, sacrifices, sat down, share His love, shining forth, sinless life, sins, sustaining, the brightness of his glory, the full story, the Majesty on high, the power of the Son, the right hand, the word of his power, Tuesday Mantra, upholding all things, walk in obedience
Hebrews 1:3. Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person , and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged (cleansed) our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Welcome, welcome, one and all, to another wonderful day on God’s great earth! He has so much good stuff planned for us that I’m not sure we can handle it all. (smile) But of this one thing I’m sure; that He will give us all the help we need to walk in obedience and do His awesome will. Glory to our great God my people!
And without further ado, let’s get right into our Bit, because we have lots to say today. As if we don’t have lots to say everyday. (smile) But this is a long and intricate Bit, needy of much explanation.
‘Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged (cleansed) our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.’ Oh my people, what a magnificent and awesome being is our Jesus!
Now yesterday we got some explanation as to the importance of Jesus in the revelation of God, and His position re the prophets and angels. He has presented the full story of what the Father planned from the beginning to the end. So here is what the scholars have to say re our Bit.
‘1:3. Christ’s person, power and position are all expressed in this verse. He is described as being the brightness of God’s glory. The word being, whose force is “eternally being,” guards against the idea that Jesus became the Son at some point during His earthly ministry. He did not become deity; He always was equal with the Father. The attributes ascribed to Him express His very nature. They were neither added to nor taken from Him during His earthly life.
The “brightness” spoken of here refers to a radiance or a shining forth of the divine glory. As the rays are intrinsically related to the sun, with neither one existing apart from the other, so the Father and the Son are essentially one. Further, the Son is the express image or imprint (as of a die perfectly representing the original design) of the Father’s person (nature).
The radiant light implies the oneness of the Son with the Father; the imprint expresses the distinctness of the Son from the Father. Yet, oneness and distinctness are implicit in each: thus they enhance and balance each other.
Upholding all things manifests the power of the Son. Verse 2 has already presented Him as Creator and hence the heir of all things. Certainly He is far superior to the prophets with whom He has just being compared, (vs.1) and to the angels to whom He will be compared (vs.4).
“Upholding” (Gr. pheron), more precisely stated, describes the Son as “carrying” all things. Christ is not viewed simply as an Atlas supporting the dead weight of the world, but as the Creator who is now sustaining and bringing it to its goal. Compare the similar teachings of Colossians 1:16-17.
Sat down…on high reveals the position of the Son. When He had provided purification for sin, He sat down on high. This sitting does not imply a present inactivity; rather it suggests His finished redemptive work, quite in contrast to the unending sacrifices of the Levitical priest (cf. chs.7, 9,10).
The author of Hebrews is virtually silent concerning Christ’s resurrection, yet he repeatedly stresses the Ascension and its significance (cf. 4:14; 6:19-20; 7:26; 8:1; 9:24; 10:12; 12:2).’
Oh friends, yuh see what I meant when I said we had plenty to talk about. And I do hope we understand it all. I know it sounds somewhat confusing, but if we take it line by line, one step at a time, we will eventually get what the scholars mean.
And by the way, I just looked up all those scripture references at the end, and they are interesting. Taking a moment to do so yourself would indeed be beneficial.(smile)
The long and short of the story is simply that Christ is El Numero Uno; Number One; the Father’s Right hand man! He came to earth as a man and saved us by sacrificing His sinless life on our behalf, which means NO MORE sacrifices are necessary. The big debt of sin was paid by Christ’s death ONCE and FOR ALL TIME!
We just need to believe or not believe in Him now to be saved or suffer eternal separation from the Holy Trinity forever. So it’s now up to each individual to make his or her choice. And for those of us who choose to believe, let’s go home today sincerely declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the evil world know, without a doubt, who and whose we are.
All together now: ‘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 the world. Amen!’
And now, beloved children of God, let’s go out and share that beautiful and wonderful LOVE of our friend Jesus with the world, as He desires of us. Much LOVE!
…having Jesus in one’s life… is…is so refreshing and rejuvenating…why would I follow anyone else eh…
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