True Discipleship carries a High Price of Total Surrender and Obedience!

20 Jul 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Romans 12:2a.        And be not conformed to this world: but he ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,

And as the world turns, we’ve come to Sunday, the day the Lord rested after creating the universe and all therein.  And He also expects us to rest, as well as gather in worship on that day, remembering all that He’s done for us, with voices of praise and thanksgiving, while renewing our faith, our strength and confidence in Him and His awesome promises.

So, here we are, gathered as required, and we’ll open today’s celebrations with a most appropriate hymn, titled, ‘All to Jesus I Surrender.’ Yes my fellow believers, that’s something we need to do, before we can truly appreciate and experience God’s goodness, grace and mercy. For above all else the Lord desires obedience in His followers, and you can’t be truly obedient until you let all of yourself go to Him.

The author of the hymn is an American Hymnwriter, one Judson W. Van DeVenter, (1855-1939) and it’s believed he wrote it around 1896. This commentary tells us that ‘The song is about consecration, which literally means ‘association,’  but for religious purposes, it signifies a transfer from a secular or profane state to a sacred one, for a special purpose or service. It involves a dedication that is intended to be permanent and can’t be easily revoked or repeated. It often involves rituals, prayers, and ceremonies specific to the religion or tradition.’

And today we’re going to reconsecrate ourselves to Christ as we sing and praise and worship and give thanks. So, let’s raise our sacrifices of praise in a soulful, heartfelt, sincere, mid-tempo version, leaving no doubt whatsoever about our intentions. Singing: ‘All to Jesus I surrender. All to Him I freely give; I will ever LOVE and trust Him, In His presence daily live. (Refrain: I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all.)

All to Jesus I surrender, Humbly at His feet I bow, Worldly pleasures all forsaken. Take me, Jesus, take me now. (Refrain:) All to Jesus I surrender, Make me, Saviour, wholly Thine; Let me feel the Holy Spirit, Truly know that Thou art mine. (Refrain:) All to Jesus I surrender, Lord, I give myself to Thee; Fill me with Thy LOVE and power, Let Thy blessing fall on me. (Refrain:)

All to Jesus I surrender, Now I feel the sacred flame; Oh, the joy of full salvation! Glory, glory, to His name! (Refrain: I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all…I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all… All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all…’  

That was wonderful friends! And as always, heaven was singing along with us, for they just LOVE any opportunity to sing of and celebrate Jesus.  And it’s ever so good to rededicate ourselves to Christ every week that we gather in His sanctuary, as it renews our spirits, reignites our faith, and uplifts our souls, for He’s all that we ever need in this world. And all God’s children said a loud and grateful, ‘Thank You Jesus!’

And when we wonder why we need to surrender all to Jesus, we must remember that it’s the cost of discipleship, you cannot be a disciple of Jesus unless you are willing to give it all up for His sake. And Jesus laid it out very clearly to the disciples, and to us. ‘If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) And my brethren, the most important word in that sentence is ‘daily.’

Yes, because being a sincere disciple of Jesus means being on the job every day, not just when the feeling takes us. And that’s why a lot of us don’t do such a good job at discipleship, we talk a good talk, but refuse to walk the walk DAILY. Furthermore, too many of us dislike the very idea of denying ourselves, but please remember what Jesus did for us. He selflessly denied His heavenly life to come to earth as a man and give His life so that we could be saved from our sins and receive eternal life instead of eternal death!

Now that most definitely means we owe Christ a debt we can never repay! And what could be more important than doing the little in our power eh? Nothing! But we so LOVE the bright lights, the corruptible material possessions and the good, comfortable life, that we cringe, both physically and mentally, at giving up any of it, even to save our own souls.  

And I believe this verse from Bruh Paul to the Romans gives us good enlightenment as to what our behaviour should be. He writes: ‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (rational) service.’ (Rom. 12:1)

And what does all of that mean? The scholars tell us: ‘By the mercies of God summarizes all that God has accomplished for the believer in Romans chapters 1-11. In justifying the believer (chs. 1-5), enabling him to live a righteous life (chs. 6-8), and being faithful to Israel (chs. 9-11). That ye present refers to a definite act of presentation. The verb is used of offering a sacrifice that became “holy” under the Levitical system (cf. Ex. 29:37).

This shows that the Christian life begins with total commitment and irrevocable presentation. And as per Your bodies: The body has been an instrument of sin (chs. 6). Now it is to be presented to God as a channel through which the righteousness of God is manifested.’

So you see my fellow believers, our body is a temple of the Lord, as Bruh Paul writes to the Corinthians: ‘What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.’ (1 Cor. 6:19-20) It could not be said any plainer or more straightforward than that my people! We do not belong to ourselves, but to God, therefore we must behave as such, in body, mind and spirit.

And how do we do that? Hear this practical advice from Bruh Paul to the Romans. ‘And be not conformed to this world: but he ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’ (Rom. 12:2) Yes friends, all changes begin in the mind. That’s why we talk about the battlefield of the mind, for there the battle between good and evil, God and Satan continually rages, and the winner is shown through our outward behaviour.

Therefore we need to keep very good and close control of our thoughts, and keep recycling, refreshing and renewing godly ones to keep the enemy out. It’s as Bruh Paul advices the Philippians: ‘Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (noble), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think (meditate) on these things.’ (Phil. 4:8)

So my fellow saints, let’s do our best to renew our minds by thinking on the right things, and keeping ourselves busy with the right activities, that we can do our duty to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!

…it’s a crying shame…that so many supposed believers…knowingly shirk their duty to Christ…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 April 2018 Isaiah 6:5.

10 Apr 2018 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Isaiah 6:5.    Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone (destroyed); because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

Okay friends, now that we’ve successfully overcome Monday, let’s turn our attention to Tuesday. Yes, just one day at a time, that’s all the Lord wants us to handle, consequently, He split our time period into days and nights. So let’s not jump ahead of ourselves nuh, and try to do too much all at once. 

And on this Tuesday morning, in the cold spring of 2018 (smile) I have an interesting poem to share from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s titled ‘My Only Defense.’ 

Please pray with me. ‘The powerful reality grips me, Lord That when I kneel in Your presence To ask Your forgiveness I am utterly stripped of façade. You accept no big-name references No high-caliber recommendations. Extenuating circumstances Crumble to dust In Your court of appeal… I am forgiven never Because of inherited tendencies Or emotional discomfort Or nagging weakness… 

I can never plead Corrupt environment Or life’s strange twistings Or my own unbelievable stupidity… Ultimately I have one solitary defense. Only one – But always one: Forgive me God For Jesus’ sake. Like a song unending The words keep singing…I am totally forgiven I am totally cleansed Just for Jesus’ sake.’ 

What an awesome truth that is my brethren! Only by the spilled blood of Jesus on that cross of Calvary are we, or can we be forgiven for our heinous sins by our heavenly Father. Yes, only on the basis of that sacrificial blood are we even allowed into God’s Holy presence. And then all our worldly and personal excuses are worth absolutely nothing in God’s court of law. 

Please, let’s remember that it’s only through and because of Jesus that we enjoy anything of the blessed life we now enjoy. So let’s stop putting Him down and blaspheming Him, as so many of us still do. Instead, let’s raise Him up, exalt Him, let’s acknowledge Him as the bright and shining Light that He is; our Lord, Saviour, Advocate, Counsellor, Advocate and Prince of Peace, amongst many other things. 

Yeh friends, without Jesus, we are, and we would be nothing! And until we truly recognize and acknowledge that fact our lives will continue to be topsy-turvy and without peace.

And the Bible verse for that promise is also our Bit for today. ‘Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone (destroyed); because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.’ 

That was Isaiah’s response to his vision when the Lord commissioned him to speak to Israel on His behalf. But then, much to his surprise: ‘Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar. And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged (atoned for).’ (Is.6:6-7) 

Oh my people, we are ALL also of unclean lips, dwelling in a society of unclean lips. But luckily for us we don’t have to have a hot piece of coal touch our mouths to be forgiven of our sins. Thank the Lord we have the sacrifice of Jesus performing that rite of absolution!

We just need to be born again and come to acknowledge Christ as Lord and Saviour, and our sins are forgiven. Bless the Lord, oh my soul, for His LOVING-kindness to the children of men! 

Now let’s look at some of the scholars explanations re Isaiah’s Confession and Consecration. ‘6:5. Isaiah’s confession: Having seen God in the full glory of His holiness, Isaiah pronounces the prophetic Woe upon himself. This was a legal charge meaning “ruined” or “dead.” His self-evaluation was I am undone (from Heb. ‘damah’, meaning “to be dumb” or “silent.”) 

Thus, his response was a statement of total self-condemnation: “I am dead…I am speechless!” Recognizing that he has no legitimate excuse for himself, he further realizes that he is unclean, “defiled” or “polluted”).

This self-evaluation is made in light of the fact that he has seen the King, the Lord of hosts. The heavenly King is identified as Yahweh Himself, who is called “Lord of hosts” 62 times in Isaiah and 261 times throughout the Old Testament.’ 

‘6:6-7. Isaiah’s Consecration: Isaiah’s confession of his personal sin brought the response of God’s cleansing to equip him for service to the Lord. The altar was the place of blood sacrifice, called by later rabbinic writers the ‘paraclete’, or place of expiation or intercession. The coal has no redemptive ability of its own but is symbolic of the efficacy of the burnt offering consumed on the altar. Thus Isaiah’s sin was purged (cleansed).’ 

Oh my faithful brethren, isn’t it wonderful that we don’t have to go though all the blood sacrifice and stuff that the people of the Old Testament experienced. Jesus paid for all our sins once and for all on the cross of Calvary! And all Jesus’ followers cried out a loud and grateful ‘Thank You Jesus!’ 

Now let’s go home, as we do on a Tuesday declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are. In sincere and strong voice 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 the next move is to go out and action that declaration. Much LOVE!

…behold…the Lamb of God…which taketh away the sin of the world… (John 1:29b)