06 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 50th anniversary, a need, a reason for the hope in you, a sun-kissed day, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, an overwhelming need for God, as sin hath reigned in death, being prepared to make a defense, by Jesus Christ our Lord, cling to Him, come boldly unto the throne of grace, come unto me, faith, fellowship, find grace to help, find rest for your souls, grace di more abound, holiness in christ in me, holy spirit, honour Christ as holy, I am free, I find my rest with you, I need you every hour, I will give you rest, I'll fall on you Jesus, in time of need, in your hearts, Jesus Christ, learn from me, Lord I need you, LOVE, meek and lowly in heart, mercy, my burden is light, my hope and stay, my one defense' my righteousness, my yoke is easy, obtain mercy, on the strength of Jesus' work, our most important need is Jesus, run to Him, salvation, sanctyfying our hearts, so might grace reign through righteousness, something that's necessary to sustain life, St Francis of Assisi, sweet sacrifices of praise, teach my song to rise to you, trust God with everything, truth, unto eternal life, we feel so blessed, we need God in our lives every day, we wonder why, when temptation comes my way, when we feel desperate, where sin abounded, where sin runs deep, whetehr it's painful or hard, wisdom, your grace is more
Matthew 11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Oh friends, thankfully we’re alive to enjoy another sun-kissed day on God’s great earth! And it’s a Sunday too, the Lord’s Day, which means fellowship and worship are in order in His sanctuary, or wherever two or three are gathered together in His name! And my church, St Francis of Assisi Anglican are celebrating our 50th anniversary service today, with all kinds of luminaries, from the first priest to the current Bishop. A fine time of worship and fellowship will certainly be had by all.
And to open our worship today, is a contemporary Christian song titled ‘Lord I Need You,’ speaking of our overwhelming need for God in our lives. As one definition tells us: ‘A need is something that is necessary for an organism to live a healthy life.’ And without a doubt, our most important need to live a good Christian life is Jesus! So let’s sing this beautiful and most encouraging song, offering up sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, sincere, but lively and uplifting mid tempo version, a la that of the famous Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.
Singing: ‘Lord I come, I confess Bowing here, I find my rest Without You, I fall apart You’re the one that guides my heart (Chorus) Lord, I need You, oh I need You Every hour, I need You My one defense, my righteousness Oh God, how I need You) Where sin runs deep, Your grace is more Where grace is found is where You are And where You are, Lord I am free Holiness is Christ in me (Chorus)
So teach my song to rise to You When temptation comes my way And when I cannot stand, I’ll fall on You Jesus, You’re my hope and stay (Chorus. Lord, I need You, oh I need You Every hour, I need You My one defense, my righteousness Oh God, how I need You You’re my one defense, my righteousness Oh God, how I need You My one defense, my righteousness Oh God, how I need You…’
And yuh better believe it my people, we need Christ more than anything else in this whole wide world! As the opening verse of the song so rightly says: ‘Bowing here I find my rest. Without You I fall apart.’ And that’s the gospel truth! Without Jesus we have no rest and we therefore fall apart!
That brings into play His Great Invitation: ‘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 for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30)
Oh my fellow believers, where else in this world can you find rest, comfort, and LOVING care like that eh? Absolutely nowhere else but in Jesus! And the chorus tells it with heartfelt depth how badly we need Jesus; every hour. He’s also truly our ‘one defense and our righteousness.’ For because it’s on the strength of His work on the cross at Calvary that we’ve been made righteous, justified, sanctified, etc. etc.
And there are a couple of scriptures that could possibly be quoted to satisfy the sentiments in the chorus. The first is this marvellous one from Hebrews: ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:16)
Then there’s this one from Peter which we’ll quote from the English Standard Version as it makes it much simpler than our usual King James Version. (smile) ‘But in your hearts honour Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.’ (1 Pet. 3:15)
In other words, Peter is exhorting oppressed Christians to respond to attacks, not with mere reason, but with the Lord Christ sanctifying our hearts. To be always ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope that’s in us through Christ Jesus, but to do it with gentleness like Jesus.
And I like this line from the song; ‘Where sin runs deep, Your grace is more…’ because it reminds me of these majestic verses from the pen of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘Moreover the law entered that the offence (sin) might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom. 5:20-21)
Yes my fellow saints, sin doesn’t stop grace from flowing, but grace stops sin. And furthermore, whenever and wherever sin abounds, grace, that goodness of God, His unmerited gift that we don’t deserve, abounds even more. As sin increases, so does God’s grace. That obviously means sin cannot ever overcome God’s grace! Oh my people, what a wonderful God we serve! How can so many of us refuse to serve and worship Him eh? But maybe these two testimonies on the effects our song ‘Lord I Need you,’ had on two persons, might just turn some unbelievers around.
The first testimony reads: ‘God has used this song so much in my live over the past couple of months. There are moments when we feel desperate, when we wonder why, we feel alone, we are so joyful, we feel so blessed…or we ask that God would show us what He wants from us and how to live.
And that’s where these words touch my heart so much… ‘Lord I need You, oh I need You. Every hour I need you. My one defense, my righteousness, oh God how I need You.” He is ALL that we need. That’s what He wants from us. For us to run to Him, cling to Him and trust Him with everything we’re going through. Whether it’s painful and hard, or joy filled and exciting! We need Him!’
No doubt about that! And the second testimony is shorter, but just as sweet and riveting. It says: ‘This is a very beautiful song. It makes me look at God and see how much I need Him in every situation in my life. It makes me want to worship every time I sing it. It surely is a blessing.’ No doubt about that either my brethren!
And having heard the song, the scriptures invoked by it, and the testimonies, I hope we’ll be encouraged to spend some time today contemplating just what God, His amazing LOVE and grace means to us individually. In our present disaster-filled world, we certainly need to look to Almighty God more than we’re currently doing! Much LOVE!
…we all need God in our lives…because He created us with that special need for Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a covenant of a rainbow, a modicum of peace, all ye that labour, Bible, christianity, climate change, come unto me, destroy the world by fire, endure to the end, eternal life, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fear of flooding, find rest unto your souls, gentle, God's promise, halfway home, hands on the plough, he that believe in me, he that comes to me, heavy laden, holy spirit, humble, I am meek and lowly in heart, I am the bread of life, I will give you rest, in times of trouble, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the first place to turn, learn of me, LOVE, making decisions in anger, my burden light, my yoke is easy, never hunger, never thirst, never to destroy the world by flood again, not turning back, our new phobia, raging wildfires, sealed until the day of redemption, spiritual life, strife-filled times, take my yoke upon you, thank God, the breath of life, the great invitation, the headaches of owning a house, the land was flooded, the rain fell, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, unfortunate circumstances, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, wise decisions
Matthew 11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
And the rains fell…and the rains fell…and the rains fell… until the land was flooded. That seems to be the new normal in this complicated, indecipherable and frustrating time of climate change. And it’s happening all around the globe. Nowadays, whenever the rain falls people become afraid of possible flooding. It’s our new phobia. Personally, I don’t quite understand it, because we’ve always had big showers of rain and there was no fear of flooding, but recently, everything seems to have changed.
I guess, when, like last week, Britain supposedly got a month’s worth of rain in one day, flooding will occur. And it does seem that these days we are getting more rain in one spell than we were previously accustomed to, plus, the infrastructure in many of our areas have not been made as flood proof as possible.
It almost makes you wonder if God was reneging on His promise to Noah not to destroy the world by flood again. ‘And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there be any more a flood to destroy the earth.’ (Gen. 9:11) And that covenant was to be a rainbow in the sky. (Gen. 9:13-16)
However, according to 2 Pet. 3:7, the world will eventually be destroyed by fire. ‘But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against (until) the day of judgement and perdition (destruction) of ungodly men.’ And we ought to be concerned about that prophecy because right now wild fires are burning unabated all over the world, both from the terrible heat that’s affecting some areas, as well as man’s carelessness.
Now, in my area, we hadn’t seen any rain for almost two weeks, but in the last few days we’ve seen a lot, with the promise of more to come. Thankfully, I haven’t seen any signs of flooding in my basement as yet, although last night I sadly discovered a leak in a side wall next to my driveway that I believe I had fixed years ago. And though I’m not thrilled, I try to find some satisfaction in the fact that’s it not as bad as it was before. I remember the days when that whole wall and one at the back of the house leaked every time the rain fell, and I spent oodles of futile dollars trying to fix them.
However it’s only after I replaced the eaves troughs on the house that they stopped…that is until now. (smile) But what yuh gonna do eh? It’s just one of the many drawbacks, one of the many headaches of the supposed wonderfulness of owning a house! Chuh! All you can do though is grin and bear it…and try to fix it. And that’s why it’s so important to have Jesus as the main stay in our lives, because with Him we get a modicum of peace and calm despite our unfortunate circumstances, which is ever so necessary in making wise decisions.
As we saw yesterday in Dr. Shadrach Meshach Lockridge’s expose on Jesus; He’s our everything. Whatever the problem, He can help to solve it. Why? Because He’s the way, the truth and the life! He’s the light of the world. He’s the One that takes us out of Satan’s overwhelming darkness into His marvellous light. And above all, His Great Invitation, just can’t be beaten! Who else can make this amazing offer, and actually has the means to keep it? NO ONE but Jesus!
Listen, as He extends this marvellous offer to all and sundry. ‘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)
Oh my people, that’s the greatest invitation that’s ever been offered in this world, and in these crazy, turbulent and strife-filled times, we’d be very foolish not to accept it. I can tell you that right now I desperately need it, because I certainly don’t look forward to fixing that leaking wall again. When the problem is obvious, it’s not so bad, but when you just can’t figure it out, then your soul gets rather anxious and frustrated. But the best way to handle our problems is by turning them over to Jesus and asking for His peace and His direction in handling them. And I definitely need to take my own advice on that. (smile)
Now, turning to Jesus might not solve our problems, but it will certainly lessen our anxiety and frustration, and with His help, allow us to make wiser decisions. For it’s never advisable to make important decisions in anger or frustration. And to solidify Jesus words in the Great Invitation, let’s listen to this other scripture, where He says: ‘I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, that ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise (certainly not) cast out.’ (John 6:35-37)
Yes friends, more reassurance that when we sincerely live and work for Jesus, we will never be cast away from Him, for He is indeed the One that gives life, both spiritual and eternal. And we know that by the presence of His Holy Spirit dwelling in us which has sealed us as His unto the day of redemption, (Eph. 4:30) and is also there to lead and guide us in the way that He desires. And with all that reassurance filling our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail.
As one 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 my brethren, if we endure right to the very end with Jesus, then it’s been promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So let’s make plans to meet there nuh! Much LOVE!
…whenever problems come…the first place to turn…is to Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool's wisdom, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, anxiety, be careful for nothing, be of good cheer, bow down to Jesus, bow down to Satan, but of power love and a sound mind, come unto me, faith, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, God never reneges on a promise, got our feet wet, hurry, i have overcome the world, I will give you rest, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, in god's eyes, Jesus, Jesus Christ, joy, let not your heart be troubled, let your requests be made known unto God, lighten our burdens, LOVE, our Triune God, our victory lies in Jesus, peace, Peace i leave with you, prayer, rest mode, share His love with my neighbour, the beloved of God, the great invitation, the peace of God which passeth all understading, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, understanding, wisdom, work mode, worry
Matthew 11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
So another Monday is in the books, we got our feet wet in this new work week, therefore we can now comfortably turn our eyes to Tuesday, without fear or anxiety. (smile) Yes, sometimes we might wish that we didn’t have any time off work on the week end, because it’s so easy to slip into rest mode, but ever so difficult to get back into a work frame of mind after a period of rest. But if we truly focus on Jesus, He will help us move from one arena to the next without much trouble. That’s His promise. And we know that He NEVER reneges on a promise.
So, knowing that, wisdom dictates that we throw our everything, our all unto Him so that He can lighten our burden and help us make our way safely and securely. Remember that scripture we call the Great Invitation, where Jesus invites us to come to Him with all of our burdens, worries and problems? In all, LOVE, compassion and truth, He offers: ‘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)
What a great invitation that is my people! In fact it’s the greatest invitation ever offered to mankind! So why aren’t many more of us accepting it eh? Because it seems too good to be true? Or because accepting it means we‘ll have to kow tow, or bow down to Jesus and all His demands? So what? It’s much better than kow towing or bowing down to Satan’s demands. And with Satan it never gets any easier, but always harder, more difficult to ferry our way through this turbulent life.
With Jesus though, the more you entrench yourself in His way of life, the more experience you get with Hm, life becomes easier, well not necessarily easier, (smile) but you can better handle whatever comes against you. And why is that eh? Because then you’ll have the peace of God which passes all understanding, keeping or guarding your heart and mind through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:7) And what’s that peace of God, you’re talking about eh? This commentary nicely explains it: ‘The Peace that transcends all understanding does not come from having everything work out exactly as we want it. The peace that transcends all understanding comes from knowing that no matter what life throws at us, we can still have joy when we know that our victory lies in Jesus Christ and not in our circumstances.’
Glory to God my people! How wonderful it is to know that we don’t have to worry or be anxious over every little thing in our lives…in truth, neither do we have to worry or be anxious over the big things either, because Jesus can handle anything that come against us. As Bruh Paul says to the Philippians: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in EVERY THING by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.’ (Phil. 4:6) And when we do that consistently, the peace of God that flows from that prayer, supplication and thanksgiving will allow us to handle it all my brethren.
And also remember that when Jesus was here on earth, He was big on peace, because peace is what enables you to live the abundant and godly life. Note His words to the disciples. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) Yes friends, Jesus’ peace is not like what the world offers as peace. His peace is that peace that passes all understanding and allows us to handle our problems with wisdom and understanding, not anxiety and fear.
And don’t you like how He says not to let our hearts be troubled or afraid? For sure! That’s because He knows when His peace is flowing through us there’s no need to worry or be afraid. Especially when He again talks of peace to the disciples. This time saying: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And yes, sometimes it is difficult to be of good cheer when it seems like your whole world is falling down around you, but that’s exactly when the peace of God is necessary to keep you from falling over.
And please note my fellow believers, Jesus never said that living the Christian life was easy. Nobody knew that better than Him, as you can see from all the trials and tribulations He encountered. But because He also had the Father’s peace flowing through Him, He was able to handle whatever came against Him. Why yuh think He was always praying and giving thanks to the Father? Because He knew that He could not handle it all on His own, despite His status as deity. So if Jesus as deity could not handle this crazy, evil and ungodly world without His Father’s help, why do we think we can handle it on our own eh? That’s surely a fool’s wisdom!
We desperately need the awesome help of our Triune God to face this world with strength, wisdom and grace. As Bruh Paul so rightly said to Timothy. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) And that’s why Christians can face this evil and ungodly world without any trepidation or fear. But you have to sincerely embrace Jesus and His philosophy for that situation to apply to you. Satan nor his evil cohorts cannot give your that amazing sense of peace, LOVE and joy, that knowing Jesus can.
Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said all of that, it now behooves us to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…true rest and peace…can only be found in and through Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
04 Apr 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a name above every other name, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, at the name of Jesus, be of good cheer, beside still waters, bet your bottom dollar, choose life, christianity, come unto me, curse, Easter Sunday, every knee shall bow, every tongue confess, faith, fro glory to glory, fulfillment, god, God also highly exalted him, Good Friday, good vibes, I am meek and lowly in heart, i have overcome the world, I will you rest, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, Jesus in our hearts souls bodies and minds, Jesus is our Good Shepherd, Jesus is our Guide and Leader, King of Kings, leads us to green pastures, learn of me, let it rain, let not your heart be troubled, Lord of Lords, LOVE, my burden is light, my peace I give to you, my yoke is easy, negative word, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth, paid our sin debt in full, peace, Peace i leave with you, refreshes our weary souls, salvation, self-discipline, set before you life and death, success, supernatural strength, take my yoke upon you, that both thou and thy seed shall live, the awesome power of Christ's resurrection, the Easter season, turbulent times, wisdom
Matthew 11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
And the good vibes of this Easter Season still percolate strongly through our faith on this wet Thursday spring morning in early April. Thankfully, the rain has let up some, and the li’l snow we got has already disappeared. However, the promise of rain is still in the forecast. But as I like to say: ‘Let it rain, let it rain! With Jesus in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, rain cannot stop us from moving forward with Him!’ No sir! For Jesus is our Guide and Leader, our Good Shepherd, who leads us to green pastures, beside still waters and restores or refreshes our burdened and weary souls.
That means, if we are wise, we will quickly take Him up on His Great Invitation. ‘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) Oh friends, there is absolutely no better invitation in all the world! You can bet your bottom dollar on that!
And Jesus, having died on Good Friday and paid our sin debt in full, then risen on Easter Sunday and proclaimed the awesome power of His resurrection, He now sits at the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf, highly exalted for His work on the cross. As the Good Library tells it: ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:9-11)
Wow mih bredrin! Jesus, for His stellar, unselfish work here on earth has been proclaimed King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the name that’s above all names! That means, if possible, He is now even more able to offer us the peace and rest that we so desperately need in these tremulous and turbulent times, than when He first offered that invitation while here with us on Mother Earth. So why are many more of us not turning to Him for the comfort, relief and solace He so readily offers eh? Why instead are so many of us leaving His church, turning away from Him and all the wonderful things He offers?
I truly don’t know why, neither can I understand why in this age of turmoil and confusion we would run away from the ONE source of true peace and comfort in this evil and ungodly world. My people, please, I plead with us to remember these most important words of Jesus on the subject of peace in this strife-filled world. He says: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27)
Right there you have it friends! Jesus’ peace is an entirely different kind of peace from what this ungodly world offers as peace. And furthermore, when you have the peace of Jesus, you don’t have to be worried and anxious about what’s happening in the world, or even in your particular situation, because He will keep you peaceful if you live for Him. And Jesus second quote on peace comes just after He tells the disciples about His upcoming crucifixion, acknowledging that in their fear they would scatter like rats at the presence of a cat. (smile)
Nonetheless, He comforts them with these words. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And yes, we all know that it’s hard to have peace when we’re undergoing trials and tribulations, but if we put our complete trust in Jesus, surrender our all to Him, He will give us the necessary peace to go about our business without too much worry and anxiety. That’s His absolute promise! And I’m here to testify to it.
But unfortunately, it doesn’t happen overnight. However, as you draw closer to Jesus; pray, read and understand more of His Word and put it into action in your own life, you find yourself being less and less worried and anxious, because little by little, you’re experiencing His faithfulness in your life. Your faith grows stronger as He slowly raises you from glory to glory! Now that my fellow believers is the least we can ask of our Saviour. But the truth of the matter is that He has a lot more to offer us, if we will only turn to Him seriously and sincerely!
As He says in His Invitation; you will find rest for your souls, an easy yoke, a light burden, plus stuff like forgiveness of sins, salvation and eternal life with Him wherever He might be. Now what can be better than that eh? Certainly not our only other option; that of sojourning in hell with Satan and his band of evil doers. But it’s all up to the individual. The Lord gave us free choice, hoping that we’d choose Him, over Satan. Thus Moses’ exhortation to the Israelites in the wilderness: ‘I call heaven and earth to record (as witnesses) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessings and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19)
It could not be said any clearer than that my fellow saints. Now the ball is in our court. Please play it wisely. And our God is so wonderful that He even bestows on us undeserved blessings to profitably share His Word on the earth. We call them our Thursday Blessings, but there’s one proviso; a blessing is not a blessing until it’s declared (yesss!!!). So let’s declare (awright!!!) them right now nuh. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (yeahhh!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings for the benefit of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…why choose sorrowful death…when there’s glorious life to be chosen…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
28 Feb 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all ye that labour and are heavy laden, belief is the key to everything, believe right to the end, Christ, come unto me, crapaud smoke yuh pipe, eternal life, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, feast of the dedication, forgiven sins, hail storm, halfway home, hands on the plough, hell bound, I am meek and lowly in heart, I and my Father are one, I will give you rest, if thou be, if thou be Christ, Jesus Christ, Jesus' invitation, learn of me, lightning, LOVE, makest thyself God, my yoke is easy and my burden light, not turning back, salvation, selfless sacrifice, sinless Son of God, sufferation, take my yoke upon you, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the cross of Calvary, the fires of hell, they shall never perish, thunder, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, wisdom
John 10:30 I and my Father are one.
Well, so much for sunshine yesterday and getting to the doctor’s before the promised rain began! Hn! When I came downstairs to write the Bit, there was brilliant sunshine outside, but then I saw where heavy rain was in the forecast, and by the time I went back upstairs about an hour later, the place was as dark as night and it was raining. Chuh! That meant I went to the doctor in the pouring rain, and came back in it, interspersed with occasional streaks of lighting and bolts of thunder. There were other errands I wanted to run, but decided against doing so, and came straight home.
And it’s a good thing too, for about half an hour after I got home, a powerful hail storm hit my area. It didn’t last long, somewhere between five and ten minutes, but you could hear the pounding on the roof, and I said to myself, that couldn’t be rain, so I looked outside and the small hailstones were just pouring down relentlessly. Then this morning, around 3. a.m. the thunder and lightning and rain again made themselves felt. But so far the day has been fairly sunny, with temps in the mid-teens, though somewhat windy. However, there’s also another promise of heavy rain in the offing. But we’ll deal with that when we come to it. (smile)
In the meanwhile, let’s talk about the best subject we can ever talk about, that’s Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, the One who died on the cross of Calvary to pay for our sins! Wow! How can anything be better and greater than that eh? No Way! That’s why we ought to pay him so much homage and LOVE Him right down to the ground, for without His selfless sacrifice we’d be hell bound without any options whatsoever! But because of His marvellous sacrifice and terrible ‘sufferation’ we now have the option of gaining eternal life and spending it in heaven with Him.
So why aren’t many more of us rushing to get that marvellous gift from heaven, by accepting Christ Jesus as Lord and Saviour eh? It boggles my imagination that with all the talk about hellfire and eternal damnation that people wouldn’t be much more receptive to Jesus’ Invitation, where He offers much more than anyone else does. Listen to His words and see if you don’t desperately need the succour and relief that He is offering, especially in these tense and turbulent times. He LOVINGLY invites: ‘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)
Oh friends, in this current crazy and confused society, so many of us are crying out for rest and peace and a break from carrying our heavy life burdens, so why aren’t we turning to Jesus in droves eh, when what we need and desire is exactly what He offers? Wish I knew. And the strange thing is that all we have to do is to believe that He is indeed the Son of God and died to have our sins forgiven. Yes my people, it’s all about belief. So many times in the scripture Jesus admonished us to only believe. That’s all it takes. But I guess too many of us prefer the world’s standard of seeing it then believing it, rather than to believe it then see it, which is what’s desired in Jesus’ kingdom.
But that’s oh so foolish friends, for Jesus has the BEST groove going, both in this world and the next. Anything Satan can give you, so can Christ, and give you even better, unless what you want is the evil, ungodliness, immorality, and licentiousness of this world. But unfortunately those in Jesus’ time were just as foolish as us. Listen to what happens when they charged Him with blasphemy. The Bible tells us: ‘And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication (Hanukkah), and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch. Then came the Jews round about him , and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt (keep us in suspense)? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck (snatch) them out of my hand. My Father , which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck (snatch) them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.’ (John 10:22-29)
Oh my brethren, what godly assurance that believers will be safe from anyone or anything that desires to destroy them. And that last verse (30) told the Jews what they asked in verse 24. If He was the Christ? But having heard that affirmation, they then took up stones to stone Him. ‘Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not: but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.’ (John 10:31-33)
Can you believe it friends? But, unfortunately, many of us today still think of Christ in those terms; that He was just an ordinary man, or a prophet, or some sorcerer or the other, but definitely not the Son of God. But tell me nuh, who else but the sinless Son of God could have paid for our abominable sins eh? No one else! And now it’s all left up to you, to either believe or not believe in Christ and all that He stands for. But please note that believing in Christ is the BEST decision you can ever make in this world. And if you refuse to make it, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe with Beelzebub in the fires of hell!
Now, for those of us who sincerely believe, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our marvellous position in Christ Jesus. Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we believe right down to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So let’s plan to see it together nuh! Much LOVE!
…in the kingdom of Christ…BELIEF…is the key to everything…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
11 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a constant sense of peace and calm, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, bind heavy burdens, blindingly beautiful, changing us into a Christ-like image, charging exorbitant prices, come unto me, encouraging scripture, eternal life Jesus, eternal separation with Satan, find rest unto your souls, gentle and humble, grievous to be borne, grow from glory to glory, his commandments are not grievous, I am meek and lowly in heart, I will give you rest, Jesus a magnificent example to humanity, lay them on men's shoulders, learn of me, mounds of snow, my yoke is easy and my burden light, our eternal destiny, snowblowers, take my yoke upon you, the good shepherd, the Holy Spirit, the scribes and Pharisees, the way the truth and the life, this is the love of God, true and inerrant Word of God
Matthew 11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Oh my, my! It’s a blindingly beautiful, sunshiny, lazy Saturday morning! (smile) Yes friends, when you look out at the mounds of snow as the bright sunshine falls on it, it’s liable to blind you. It’s so bright and beautiful! However, as I hear the snow blowers in the distance, I know many people are not as thrilled by the looks of the snow as I am, because they are labouring to clean their driveways and walkways of the beautiful but dangerous and inconveniencing white precipitation. And no, I don’t shovel snow again, simply can’t manage it physically.
But I do remember the days I’d get out there, shovel in hand, open my garage door and the trunk of my car and blast out some tunes while I danced about and shovelled the annoying stuff. (smile) Those days are long gone though. Now I have to pay somebody to do it. And knowing your frail situation, the ole crooks take advantage of it, charging some exorbitant prices. Although the fellow I have now isn’t too bad, but he’s already warned that the price is going up by at least forty percent next year. But I’ll leave him in the capable hands of the duchess. (smile)
And for another week, I’ve not received any quotes from our friend Anselm, so for all I know he might have given us up, no longer interested in aspiring to inspire us for a better tomorrow. But we do have the true and inerrant Word of God, and there’s no better inspiration than that! So, let’s see what inspiration we can draw from it today nuh. And the first thing that came to mind was something we haven’t spoken of for a while; that’s the Great Invitation of Jesus!
Now, there couldn’t be a more inspiring, comforting and encouraging scripture than that. And if you don’t believe me, then listen up to His amazing offer, as He very cordially invites us to: ‘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)
Oh friends, that’s the most welcoming and reassuring scripture in the Good Library! And the one who refuses to accept it is nothing but a fool! For where, or to whom else can he take his burdens to and have them gladly and willingly accept them, and then give him rest from all the baggage he’s borne for so long eh? To absolutely no one else but Jesus! Satan doesn’t want your burdens. He’s more interested in placing more on you.
But Jesus, the Good Shepherd, the Saviour, the God of all comfort is more than willing to relieve you of all your burdens. That’s why He sacrificed His sinless life on the cross of Calvary, so that you would have a refuge, a place of safety to go to with all your many problems, hopes, dreams, disappointments, etc. etc.
Yes my people, our Jesus is a burden bearer! He’s borne all of our sins in His sinless body, and thus set us free from the chains of sin and evil that once had us tightly wrapped up in eternal bondage. And Jesus is so generously offering us a lighter and much more interesting yoke than that laid upon us by Satan. His yoke, or discipleship is not as tyrannical and heavy as that of the devil. John puts it ever so nicely in his first epistle, when he says: ‘For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (burdensome).’ (1 John 5:3)
And that’s the gospel truth! Unlike the cruel and hypocritical scribes and Pharisees, whom Jesus referred to thus: ‘For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.’ (Matt. 23:4) On the other hand, Jesus’ yoke offers LOVE, rest, comfort, salvation and eternal life, while all Satan offers is debilitating trouble here on earth, then eternal damnation in hellfire. Is that where we desire to spend eternity?
Definitely not! But the only other option available is to receive the goodness that Jesus offers, accept it wholeheartedly and begin living the good way that He prescribes. Remember, He is the way, the truth and the life, and no man comes to the Father but by Him. (John 14:6) That means you cannot attain heaven or its many benefits unless Jesus is your pathway to that glorious establishment.
What a magnificent example Jesus is to all humanity! Sinless, selfless, sacrificial, lowly, humble, meek, rooting for the poor and downtrodden, interested in healing the sick and sorrowful, intent on breaking the chains of sin that have us enslaved in darkness, the giver of light, the one who comforts us so that we can comfort others, the giver of eternal life, the fountain of living water. And those are just a few of His many marvellous attributes. If we had time, I could find many more marvellous and ever so considerate attributes of our wonderful Saviour. (smile)
And if you need more than what we’ve already listed to convince you of His serious service for mankind, then you’re not really interested, you’re only playing games, and that’s one thing Jesus doesn’t do. He is serious about life and all that it entails, with a constant sense of peace and calm, as well as times of laughter and joviality. Life with Jesus is a well-blended and balanced opportunity to do interesting and amazing things, though sometimes it calls for sacrifice, which He then anoints us with His grace to enable us to handle it.
Ah friends, once you’ve sincerely embraced Jesus, once you accept that call of His Great Invitation, your life changes drastically for the better, beginning with the indwelling of His Holy Spirit to lead and guide you along the new path, where you will grow from glory to glory, be transformed slowly into His image, so that we can fulfill the Father’s desire for a family of children like His first born Son Jesus. And the Father has promised to keep changing us into a Christ-like image until Christ returns to earth. (Phil. 1:6)
Wow! And is that ever a wonderful path to travel! The most wonderful way of life available on this earth, for although it does contain trials and tribulations, the normal ups and downs of earthly life, we’re guaranteed that the Lord will eventually work everything out for our good, and most importantly, we’ll end up with eternal life with Jesus, and not eternal separation with Satan. It’s the most exciting news in the universe and I’d invite us all to check it out without further hesitation, for our eternal destiny depends on it! Much LOVE!
…accepting Jesus’ invitation to do life with Him…is a no brainer…for the wise and understanding person…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
23 Jan 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a place of refuge, a very present help in trouble, a winter wonderland, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, anti-war protest song, come unto me, down by the riverside, frailties, God is our refuge and strength, Gonna Lay Down My Burdens, gonna lay down my sword and shield, gonna put on my long white robe, gonna try on my starry crown, he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God, I am meek and lowly in heart, I will give you rest, my yoke is easy and my burden light, nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war no more, study war no more, take my yoke upon you, the great invitation, the mighty onslaught of Mother Nature, the mountains be carried into the sea, the sure and safe rock of salvation, the wisest decision, therefore will we not fear, this is the love of God, this is the victory that overcometh the world, though the earth be removed, unpreparedness, we keep His commandments, weaknesses, who is he that overcometh the world
1 John 5:5. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.
So this is what they call a winter wonderland eh? The white snow spread all over, with ice in between, and try as you can, you cannot get away from either of them. (smile) But last weekend’s major snow storm, with high winds and a dash of rain, plus a tornado down in the U.S, really mash up North America. It showed our frailties and weaknesses, as well as our unpreparedness for the mighty onslaught of Mother Nature, whenever she desires to pay us a powerful visit. And when you add the negative effects the Covid-19 storm has already caused, you can’t help but wonder what’s next, and how much more we can stand?
But you know what friends, we have an answer for that. We can withstand a whole lot more! How, you ask? Because we have Jesus, that’s how! For He ‘is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble. Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst (the heart) of the sea.’ (Ps. 46:1-2)
Yes my fellow believers, in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, through His most wonderful Son, Jesus Christ, we have the sure and safe rock of salvation to whom we can take all our troubles, and find a reassuring place of refuge under His mighty wings. We don’t need anything or anyone but our Jesus, both in the good and bad times!
And to open today’s worship, with mostly electronic gatherings, because of the Covid restrictions, we are going to raise our rooves, that’s figuratively now (smile) with an African American spiritual that goes by several names, including: “Down by the Riverside”, Ain’t Gonna Study War No More” and “Gonna lay down my burden.” For our purposes today though, we’ll call it ‘Gonna Lay Down my burdens.’
The Wikipedia website tells us that ‘Its roots date back to before the American Civil War, though it was first published in 1918 in Plantation Melodies: A Collection of Modern, Popular and Old-time Negro-Songs of the Southland, Chicago, by the Rodeheaver Company… The song was first recorded by the Fisk University Jubilee Quartet in 1920 (published by Columbia in 1922), and there are at least 14 black gospel recordings before World War II… Because of its pacifistic imagery, “Down by the Riverside” has also been used as an anti-war protest song, especially during the Vietnam War. It is also included in collections of socialist and labor songs.’
Wow! What an all-purpose song! And just like it has several different titles and versions, it also ‘has many lyrical variations, though usually, each stanza follows a standard form, with one sentence that differs from one stanza to the next.’ And for our purposes today (smile), here’s what we’re gonna sing, in an up-tempo, scintillating, modern contemporary style, with plenty music, dancing and joy, a la the Craig Adams version, as befits a soul that truly declares:
‘I’m gonna lay down my burdens down by the riverside Down by the riverside down by the riverside Oh I’m gonna lay down my burdens down by the riverside Ain’t gonna study war no more Well I ain’t gonna study war no more ain’t gonna study war no more Ain’t gonna study war no more I ain’t gonna study war… I’m gonna lay down my sword and shield down by the riverside Down by the riverside down by the riverside I’m gonna lay down my sword and shield down by the riverside Ain’t gonna study war no more Well I ain’t gonna study war… I ain’t gonna study war…ain’t gonna study war no more.
I’m gonna put on my long white robe, down by the riverside, gonna put on my long white robe down by the riverside Ain’t gonna study war no more Well I ain’t gonna study war no more ain’t gonna study war no more Ain’t gonna study war no more I ain’t gonna study war… I’m gonna try on my starry (golden) crown down by the riverside Down by the riverside down by the riverside I’m gonna try on my starry (golden) crown down by the riverside Ain’t gonna study war no more Well I ain’t gonna study war…I ain’t gonna study war…Ain’t going to study war no more.’
That was marvellous my people! And according to Wikipedia, ‘The song suggests baptism in water, using the metaphor of crossing the River Jordan to enter the Promised Land in the Old Testament. The refrain of “ain’t gonna study war no more” is a reference to a quotation found in the Book of Isaiah 2:4: “nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”
Now, if we could only truly lay down our burdens at the feet of Jesus, at the foot of His cross, where He pleads with us through His Great Invitation to ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden (burdened), 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)
And that is indeed the greatest invitation ever meted out to mankind my brethren! But sadly, too many of us unwisely refuse to accept it, when it’s simple acceptance can radically change our entire lives… for the better that is! It’s all about joy and peace in Jesus despite the troubles of the world. Listen to how John puts it in his first gospel nuh.
‘For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (burdensome). For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.’ (1 John 5:3-5)
Oh my people, it could not be said any plainer or simpler. Only those who believe in Christ Jesus, who have a strong relationship with Him, and who obey His commandments can overcome the world, can truly lay down their burdens by the riverside! That’s the long and short of it all!
So please, let’s take all that we’ve said to day and sincerely and seriously ponder it nuh, and make the necessary changes in our individual lives, so that we can truly become one of those saints of Christ, who truly accept His invitation, and gratefully lay down our burdens at His redeeming cross. That’s the wisest decision we can ever make in this life, and it will definitely go a long way in deciding where we spend the next one! Much LOVE!
…only through Christ…can earthly burdens…be truly laid down…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
27 Jun 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a believer in Jesus Christ, a child of God, all our sins and griefs to bear, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, be fore they call I will answer, can a woman forget her suckling child, come unto me, everything to God in prayer, I am meek and lowly in heart, I will give you rest, I will not forget thee, Joseph Medlicott Scriven, LOVE, my burden is light, my yoke is easy, O what needless pain we bear, take it to the Lord in prayer, thanks and praise, the day of the Lord, the great invitation, then the Lord will take me up, trials and temptations, we should never be discouraged, what a friend we have in Jesus, what a privilege to carry, when my mother and father forsake me, ye shall find rest unto your souls
Matthew 11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Gather round friends, gather round, tis the day of the Lord! It’s an auspicious, a right royal occasion to give Him much thanks and praise for the awesome breath of life and the many other blessings He has so generously bestowed on us during our lifetime. I know we still can’t gather physically in large numbers, but that has not so far stopped us, and will never stop us from worshipping our wonderful God. In His omniscience, during this time of pandemic, He has conveniently made it possible for us to worship Him through technological means. And though something is lost in the translation (smile) it’s still better than not worshipping Him at all.
Now, as we do each Sunday, we’ll begin worship with a song of praise and thanksgiving. And today’s song is that magnificent and most touching hymn titled ‘What a Friend we have in Jesus.’ Wow! And is it ever a hymn for these trying times! But before we get into it, let’s get a li’l info into its interesting history. According to the Hymnary.org website, the hymn was written by Joseph Medlicott Scriven (1819-1886), and Irish immigrant to Canada.
‘Because his life was filled with grief and trials, Scriven often needed the solace of the Lord as described in his famous hymn. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, he enrolled in a military college to prepare for an army career. However, poor health forced him to give up that ambition. Soon after came a second blow—his fiancée died in a drowning accident on the eve of their wedding in 1844. Later that year he moved to Ontario, where he taught school in Woodstock and Brantford. His plans for marriage were dashed again when his new bride-to-be died after a short illness in 1855.
Following this calamity Scriven seldom had a regular income, and he was forced to live in the homes of others. He also experienced mistrust from neighbors who did not appreciate his eccentricities or his work with the underprivileged. A member of the Plymouth Brethren, he tried to live according to the Sermon on the Mount as literally as possible, giving and sharing all he had and often doing menial tasks for the poor and physically disabled. Because Scriven suffered from depression, no one knew if his death by drowning in Rice Lake was suicide or an accident.’
No wonder such touching, encouraging and immortal words were able to come from the soul of that gentleman! Now let’s sing it at a middling tempo, with great gusto, truly acknowledging the wonderful friendship that Jesus provides for all who sincerely believe in Him. As one, harmonious, melodious earthly choir, let’s wake up heaven with our song of praise.
‘What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer! – Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer! Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer! –
Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge– take it to the Lord in prayer! Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In his arms he’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there. What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!’
Oh my people, what indisputable words of wisdom! But unfortunately, so many of us refuse to put them into action. We foolishly refuse to accept the truth of the words of the hymn: ‘What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!’ Yes friends, that ability to take everything to our God in prayer is one of the greatest privileges of being a child of God, a believer in Jesus Christ! We won’t even talk about Jesus just yet, but we’ll go back to the Old Testament where from way back when, the Lord promised to hear our prayers.
Listen to the prophet Isaiah on His behalf. ‘And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.’ (Is. 65:4) Now doesn’t that sound like an invitation for communication, a welcome to prayer? It certainly does! And the psalmist tells us quite clearly from Psalm 91- God is a refuge and a fortress – speaking on behalf of God: ‘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 will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.’ (Ps. 91:14-16)
Oh precious saints of Christ, what’s the purpose of claiming we know the Lord and not call on Him for help eh? None whatsoever! And when we get to the New Testament, Jesus Himself, our Lord and Saviour, our Deliverer from the bondage of sin, offered us this Great Invitation, the greatest that’s ever been offered: ‘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)
Listen friends, Jesus didn’t sacrifice His sinless life on the cross of Calvary for fun nuh. He was quite serious when He paid our sin debt in full, and that invitation above is proof that He wants us to come to Him and lay our burdens down at His feet. He wants to help us bear the heavy load that’s this earthly life, that’s what His death and resurrection was all about. However, if we don’t take our problems to Him, in prayer, the method of communication the Father decreed between God and man, Jesus can’t help us.
And do we ever have loads of trials and temptations, especially in these times of unforeseen storms. As the hymn says, ‘we should never be discouraged,’ but how do we do that without the help of Jesus eh? It’s impossible. Likewise, when friends and family forsake and despise us, Jesus is the One to whom we should look to for solace! And again, way back in the Old Testament the Lord faithfully promised it. Hear Isaiah tell it nuh. ‘Can a woman forget her suckling (nursing) child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.’ (Is. 49:15)
And that obviously led Bruh David to pen these immortal words of comfort and encouragement. ‘When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up (care for me).’ (Ps. 37:10) And as one commentator points out, Bruh David didn’t say ‘if’ but ‘when’ meaning that’s something he knew for a fact. So friends, I don’t know what else to say to get us to go to Jesus for whatever we need, in whatever situation we might find ourselves. He is the answer! The ONLY true One! Only He can fix our problems and bring true peace, solace and comfort to our burdened souls.
But we have to take our concerns to Him in prayer, because that’s the only way He will generally fix them. Oh, He can fix them without us asking, but the Father prefers us to initiate the communication when our souls are troubled. So please, let’s wake up to the advantages and privileges we have as sincere believers in Christ Jesus nuh, instead of frivolously wasting them. Much LOVE!
…Jesus not only saves our souls for heaven…but also helps with our problems on earth…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
29 Apr 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, Billy Graham, broad is the way that leads to destruction, cast out demons in your name, choose wisely, clear direction for my life, come unto me, courage, creativity, curse, decisionmagazine website, enter ye in at the strait gate, eternal damnation, eternal separation from God, few there be that find it, gentle and humble, have we not prophesied in thy name, heaven with Christ, hell with Satan, I am meek and lowly in heart, I am the way the truth and the life, I never knew you depart from me, I will give you rest, Jesus is alive and kicking butt, learn of me, LOVE, many will say to me, negative word, no one comes to the Father but by me, one foot in heaven, one foot in the world, only two options in life, ride the middle road, self-discipline, short-sighted outlook, take my yoke upon you, the extremes of humanity, the great invitation, the short cut is often the wrong cut, Thursday Blessings, wide is the gate, ye shall find rest unto your souls, you cannot be neutral about eternal life
Matthew 11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Moving on to Thursday friends, another wonderful day on God’s earth! Oh yes, despite our many problems, it’s going to be a good day, because we know that Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, is alive and kicking butt on our behalf! Now isn’t that cause for celebration and encouragement? It certainly is!
When we have the Creator of the universe in our corner, there’s nothing more we need, except to accept Him with pride and gratitude and live the way He desires of us. And the wonderful thing is that His dominion is not tough, onerous or embarrassing as so many of us believe.
Just listen to what He says nuh. ‘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) Where else can you get such a marvellous invitation eh? Nowhere! That’s why we call it the Great Invitation!
No one else has the parts or the power to offer such an invite, only Jesus! So why aren’t more people flocking to Him and His cross eh? Because they mistakenly think that His yoke is a heavy burden, and has too many restrictions. But that’s not true my people, as we who sincerely follow Him know. There must be rules and regulations in every organization, otherwise anarchy will prevail, and the organization will soon crumble. Even our sinful, anything goes world, has rules and regulations, but many of us consider them less restrictive and contentious than those of Jesus.
However, that’s a very short-sighted outlook friends. The easy way is often the worst way. That’s why the old people taught us that a short cut is often the wrong cut. And Jesus is trying to teach us the same thing: the easy way is not the best way. Consequently, He taught us to ‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because strait (how narrow) is the gate, and narrow (difficult or confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt. 7:13-14)
Yes friends, there are only two paths to life, the strait and narrow one to eternal life with Jesus, which requires more self-discipline and self-control, with plenty LOVE, kindness, mercy and forgiveness involved. Meanwhile the other path, that of the wide-open road that leads to destruction and eternal separation from God, that’s what our evil world is offering, and unfortunately a whole lotta people seem to be following that one, because generally speaking, it lets them do whatever they want to do.
The rules and regulations are much looser than those of Jesus, but His are not a strait-jacket as so many of us feel. They are just more humanitarian and don’t condone evil like the world does. And I like how this article by Billy Graham, titled ‘Which Road are You on?’ puts the situation. It can be found on the decisionmagazine website.
Billy writes: ‘You cannot be neutral about eternal life, but a lot of people try to be. They try to ride the middle road—but there is no middle road. Jesus said it’s one or the other. He said if you’re not on the narrow road that leads to eternal life, then you must be on the broad road that leads to destruction. Every person is on one or the other. Which road are you on? The broad road or the narrow road? One leads to destruction and hell; the other leads to a full life here and now and eventually life to come in Heaven. Which is it? It’s one or the other.
And I want to tell you, if I did not know which road I was on, I would make sure, no matter what it cost. Notice that the broad road is a wide road. In other words, you can enter the wide gate and carry with you all your sins. You can carry your selfishness, your prejudice, your hate, your lust, your intolerance, your bigotry. There are no restrictions, no inhibitions, no rules. The extremes of humanity are on this broad road. There are the immoral, the dictators, the murderers. But there are also some moral people and even church people on this road.
The Bible says, “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me’” (Matthew 7:22-23). They were on the broad road all along. “Jesus said it’s one or the other. He said if you’re not on the narrow road that leads to eternal life, then you must be on the broad road that leads to destruction.”
And all those people who tried to keep one foot in the world and one foot in Heaven, those who tried to ride both roads—all of those people are on the broad road, in the sight of Christ. This broad road is also a crowded road. Jesus said there are many who go in by it. I think one of the greatest sins is conformity. We always hear, “Everybody else is doing it.” No other reason except everybody else is doing it. Conformity. Nobody has the moral courage anymore to stand alone.’
And is that ever the awesome truth! The proverbial motto nowadays is ‘Everybody’s doing it! So why not me?’ Good question? But sadly you’ll end up like everybody else, in eternal damnation, if you don’t take the way that Jesus recommends. And remember you can’t get to heaven and the Father, unless you go through Him, because, as He so plainly points out: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) That’s it in spades friends, no strait and narrow way, no Jesus, then no heaven, no eternal life with our Triune God! It’s as simple as that!
So let’s wake up and show some wisdom nuh. And for those of us who have found Him, let’s go home declaring (steups!) our Thursday Blessings which He’s bestowed on us to do His earthly work, to help lead others to Him, so that they too can be saved from the life-destroying fire of Hades. So as one strong voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And the natural consequence now is for us to go out and share those blessings, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…there are only two options in life…heaven with Jesus…hell with Satan…please choose wisely…
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18 Feb 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a part of the Christian life, all that labour and are heavy laden, be of good cheer, blessed be God, by the comfort, clear direction for my life, come unto me, courage, creativity, curse, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for thou art with me, from the Lord Jesus Christ, God is characterized by mercy and compassion, grace be to you, I am he that comforteth you, I am meek and lowly in heart, i have overcome the world, I will fear no evil, I will give you rest, in the world ye shall have tribulation, learn from me, LOVE, my burden is light, my yoke is easy, negative word, pardoneth iniquity, passeth over transgression, peace from God our Father, plenteous in mercy, prosper, saveth such as be of a contrite spirit, succeed, take my yoke upon you, the Father of mercies, the God of All Comfort, the remnant of his heritage, though I walk through the valley of death, Thursday Blessings, thy comforts delight my soul, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, we may comfort them which are in trouble, wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, ye shall find rest unto your souls
2 Corinthians 1:3. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies (compassion), and the God of ALL COMFORT.
A good Thursday morning to all you my faithful Scrip-Bit friends and family! As Bruh Paul would put it: ‘Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.’ (2. Cor. 1:2) Yes my brethren, it’s through the grace, peace and mercy of God that we are alive today! So let’s be thankful for it nuh, regardless of whatever problems we are currently undergoing, for our God is big enough, great enough and LOVING enough to get us through them safely, and even grow us spiritually while we’re undergoing the adversity.
And Bruh Paul continues thus:; ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies (compassion), and the God of ALL COMFORT.’ (2 Cor. 1:3) And that’s an indisputable fact my people! Our God is the Father of Comfort. There’s no one as comforting as Him. He is characterized by mercy and compassion. Bruh David describes it like this in Psalm 86. ‘For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.’ (Ps. 86:5)
Meanwhile Daniel declared: ‘To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against him.’ (Dan. 9:9) And just for argument sake (smile) hear how Micah describes it. ‘Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by (over) the transgression of the remnant pf his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy (LOVING-kindness, compassion) (Mic. 7:18) Now that should convince us that one of our God’s many characteristics is compassion.
And if it doesn’t, then just check out all the scriptures where those needing comfort cried out to Him and He comforted them. The psalmist said: ‘In the multitude of my (anxious) thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.’ (Ps. 94:19) Yes friends, even when anxious thoughts conflict and bombard us, the comforting presence of our God is there to deflect them. Bruh David reminds us in Psalm 34. ‘The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh (near) unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit (crushed in spirit). Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.’ (Ps. 34:16-19)
Oh my people, these are indeed rough and unprecedented times for most of us, and we all have fears and anxious thoughts, but the best place to take them, as with everything else in this life, is to the God who made us, knows us better than we know ourselves and still cares for us with a LOVE beyond compare. We live in a sinful and evil world, therefore troubles and adversity must come against us, most devastatingly at times when least expect them. But God is ALWAYS there for us, if we cry out to Him. Jesus said very plainly: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
Oh friends, I know that isn’t always easy to do, and no doubt the pain will hurt, possibly for some time too, but the Lord has a purpose for everything He allows in our lives. We may not know or understand it, but that’s why He is God. His ways and thoughts are higher than ours, for He is the Creator and we are the created. Yes, I know you don’t want to hear about pain and suffering and reasons for them etc. etc., but that is all a part of the Christian life. However, getting back to the comforting aspect, hear how Bruh Paul continues his epistle to the church at Corinth, after telling them that our God is the God of all comfort.
‘Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:4) Glory be mih people! What a magnificent and thoughtful God we serve! Wow! He comforts us so that we can use that same godly and divine comfort to comfort our fellow human beings! Now isn’t that very thoughtful of Him? It surely is! Now just a few more scriptures to cement the fact (smile) that our God is indeed the God of all comfort.
Hear Isaiah as he talks about the faithful being comforted. ‘I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a (mortal) man that shall die, and the son of man which shall be made as grass?’ (Is. 51:12) Good question that friends. Please think on it. And from Psalm 119 comes this verse. ‘Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.’ (Ps. 119:76) And the amplified version of that is: ‘May your unfailing LOVE be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.’
Meanwhile, Bruh David says it simply and heartfelt like no one else besides Jesus can. ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:4) Yes my faithful saints in Christ, our God is always near and always ready to comfort us in times of trouble, but we need to cry out to him, come to Him with our tears and prayers. And there’s no better invitation in all the world than this one made by Jesus so long ago and is still in effect.
‘Come unto me, all ye that are 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) That is as simple and explicit as it can get my brethren. So the rest is up to us. We can only comfort or help ourselves so much, likewise our fellow man, but the God of ALL COMFORT can do a much better job than us. So let’s wisely turn to Him in these dark and tremulous times nuh.
Now, for those of us whom He has comforted and given us the opportunity and tools to comfort others, let’s go home declaring our Thursday Blessings, exulting with thanksgiving, for the wonderful tools He’s bestowed on us. Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
Now let’s use those blessings to uplift ourselves and others in Christ’s name nuh! Much LOVE!
…comfort ye oh my people…comfort ye…says our God…
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