08 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a daily habit, all manner of disease among the people, an herd of swine, and were drowned, ask for healing and strength from God, awed beyond belief, cannot make it on my own, come to know and love him like we do, commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man, do Jesus' work with diligence, duty bound, enjoy the life He created us to have, epileptics, faith, give me strength to endure, had the palsy, healing all manner of sickness, holy spirit, I trust in your goodness, if God spares life, immediately the fever left her, in faith, in god's eyes, in his right mind, Jesus Christ, Jesus the great Physician, Jesus thou Son of God, Jesus took her by the hand, Jesus went about Galilee, lay sick of the fever, lifted her up, LOVE, mercy, possessed of devils, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, put an end to all pain, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, she ministered unto them, sickness comes knocking at our door, Simon's mother-in-law, sitting clothed at Jesus feet, teaching in the synagogues, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the country of the Gadarenes, the devils entered the swine, the Healing Ministry of Jesus, the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, the needs of my physical body, the paralyzed, there followed him great multitudes of people, too proud to ask for help, tragedy, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, vim and vigour, walk wit me, waning years, what have I to do with thee, wisdom, without the grace and mercy of God, your healing touch
Matthew 4:23. And Jesus went about all Galilee …healing all manner of sickness (every sickness), and all manner of disease (every disease) among the people.
Then it was Tuesday, a somewhat cool and cloudy day, and we can forget Monday…until next week that is, (smile) and go on about our Tuesday business, with vim and vigour, all in Christ’s mighty name. Today, we’re going to deal with the topic of healing, as expressed in a prayer form the Prayer Cards recently issued by the In Touch Organization.
So please pray with me: ‘Lord Jesus, You are the great Physician. When You walked the earth You healed the sick, and You still heal today. In faith I bring You the needs of my physical body. I trust in Your goodness today, knowing that one day You will put an end to all pain and brokenness. Walk with me and give me strength to endure. Thank You for Your healing touch. Amen!’
Oh friends, I don’t know about you all nuh, but I desperately need the Lord’s healing touch, each and every day, especially in these my waning years, if I hope to endure and do His work with diligence. And I’m sure a lot of you do too, but oftentimes we’re too proud to ask for help and healing. I certainly am not! I ask for it every single day, because I know that I just could not make it on my own without the grace and mercy of our wonderful God. So let’s promise ourselves to make it a daily habit to ask for healing and strength from Almighty God, so that we can do His work and enjoy the life that He’s created us to have.
And at the end of the prayer, they suggest that we ‘Read some of the many accounts of healing in the New Testament. Jesus is Your Healer.’ And he surely is! Praise the Lord! For without Him I don’t know what we’d do when sickness and tragedy dangerously come knocking at our door. And the first scripture on healing that we will read is the one on which the prayer was based, as Matthew talks about the Healing Ministry of Jesus.
He writes: ‘And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness (every sickness), and all manner of disease (every disease) among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers (various) diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils (demons), and those which were lunatic (epileptics), and those that had the palsy (were paralyzed); and he healed them.’ (Matt. 4:23-24)
Yes mih people, Jesus was, and is indeed our Healer! Can you imagine the crowds of sick people that came to Him back then when doctors and other care givers were in short supply, and the level of human health care was rather low , plus most of the sick could not afford to go to the few health care providers that were available? Matthew says it thus: ‘And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis (the Ten Cities), and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond Jordan.’ (Matt. 4:25)
Wow! At the end of the day Jesus must have been real tired. No wonder He so often had to escape to a solitary place and commune with the Father, so that His strength could be renewed. And that just goes to show that Healing was a prominent aspect of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Now, let’s look at a few of the individual healings Jesus performed, beginning with Mark’s version of the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law.
‘And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon (Peter) and Andrew, with James and John. But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick of a fever, and anon (at once) they tell him of her. And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto (served) them.’ (Mark 1:29-31)
Then there was this most poignant and miraculous set of circumstances. Luke tells us of the time when Jesus and the disciples went into the country of the Gadarenes, which was on the opposite shore of the lake to Galilee. And as he stepped out of the boat, ‘there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils (demons) long time, and ware (wore) no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech (beg) thee, torment me not.
(For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught (seized) him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters (shackles); and he brake the bands (chains), and was driven of the devil (demons) into the wilderness.) And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said , Legion: because many devils (demons) were entered into him. And they (the demons) besought (begged) him (Jesus) that he would not command them to go out into the deep (abyss).
And there was an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought (begged) him that he would suffer (allow) them to enter into them. And he suffered (allowed) them. Then went the devils (demons) out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked (drowned). (Luke 8:26-33)
Obviously the swine herders fled in fear back to the city and broadcast the happening. And when the crowd came back to Jesus, they found the demon filled man in his right mind, sitting clothed at the feet of Jesus. But the people were so afraid, that they asked Jesus to leave their place, and Jesus obediently got back into his boat and went back home. (Luke 8:26-39) Can you imagine being around then, seeing Jesus do those miraculous things. Even now, when He does them, and He still does, we’re awed beyond belief.
But we’ll stop here for today, for time and space are against us, and there are so many more healing miracles that we can talk about. However, if God spares life, tomorrow, we’ll continue looking at some more of Jesus’ marvellous healing miracles. Now, let’s go home declaring 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 made that declaration, we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Jesus…the greatest Healer of all time…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a back to work day, a catalyst for conflict and suffering, a fool filled with food, a generation that curse their father, a generation that does not bless their mother, a lifeline of godly wisdom, a modicum of circumspection, a servant when he reigns, an handmaid that's heir to her mistress, an odious married woman, british north america act, christianity, Christians, cloud cover, come to know and love him like we do, crying give give, despises to obey his mother, duty bound, faith, food for thought, give God the glory, greedier than ever, Hagar's actions, Happy Canada Day, he who has ears to hear let him hear, holy spirit, how lofty are their eyes, humidity, hurry, I have done no wickedness, in god's eyes, inclement weather, incomprehensible things, insatiable things, intolerable people, It is enough, jealousy, Jesus Christ, kinds of sinners, live to see many more wonderful birthdays, LOVE, mercy, no compassion for the poor, no respect for our parents, not washed from their filthiness, power dynamics, proud and haughty, proverbial axioms, Proverbs, pure in their own eyes, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, she eats wipes her mouth and says, such is the way of an adulterous woman, the barren womb, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the challenges of waiting on God, the earth that is not filled with water, the eye that mocketh at his father, the first that saith not, the grave, the horseleach has two daughters, the needy from among men, the ongoing activities of life, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, the story of Hagar and Sarah, the way of a man with a maid, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship in the midst of the sea, the way of an eagle in the air, the young eagles shall eat it, their eylids are lifted up in arrogance, their jaw activities as knives, things I know not, things that are never satisfied, things which are too wonderful for me, to devour the poor from off the earth, to share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, whose teeth are as swords, worry, wusdom, young people ought to heed
Proverbs 30:11. There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
HAPPY CANADA DAY!
Oh friends, it’s July 1,that means it’s Canada Day! Happy 158 Birthday Canada! We LOVE you, one of the best big countries in the world! And we pray that you will live to see many more wonderful birthdays! This holiday celebrates the anniversary of Canadian Confederation which occurred on July 1, 1867, with the passing of the British North America Act, which united three British North American colonies (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada) into a federal state, then known as the Dominion of Canada. And though we’re comparatively young compared to many other countries, we’re right up there with the best and brightest of them! Give God the glory!
Unfortunately though, today’s celebrations might be marred by inclement weather, as some rain during the night have left us with some cloud cover and a touch of humidity. But I’m sure that will not stop the celebrations, possibly just move them inside if the rain decides to fall, for all Canada LOVES a celebration, especially when it’s our birthday! So remember, please celebrate with a modicum of circumspection, because we don’t need any more disasters than we already have in our world, and tomorrow is a back to work day. (smile)
And I just opened the Good Library to look for something to write about today, and lo, and behold it opened unto the wise words of Cousin Sol in Proverbs, a section that I found very interesting. And as the scholars explain, they refer ‘to several sets of pronouncements on some of the people, things, and situations that are observable in the ongoing activities of life. These latter thoughts are given in groups of four: four kinds of sinners (vs. 11-14), four insatiable things (vs. 15b-16), four incomprehensible things (vs. 18-19), four kinds of intolerable people (vs. 21-23), four irrepressible creatures that are small but mighty (vs. 24-28) and four stately beings (vs. 29-31).’
So, without further ado, let’s get into these wise and interesting pronouncements and observations of Cousin Sol. He writes: ‘There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up (lifted up in arrogance). There is a generation whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.’ (Prov. 30:11-14).
Oh my people, would that happen to be this generation? For all the things that are said there can also be said of our current society. We have no compassion for the poor and needy, we’re greedier and more avaricious that ever, we have little, if any respect for our parents, siblings and each other in general, and are we ever proud and haughty, with an arrogance that has not been seen in the world for a long time! Those words which show the four kinds of sinners, are certainly food for thought. (smile)
But moving on. Cousin Sol then writes: The horseleach (leech) hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough: The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.’ (Prov. 30:15-16) Therein lies the four insatiable things; things that are never satisfied.
And who says Cousin Sol isn’t amongst the great writers eh? For, in between it all, He throws in little gems of wisdom, or as the scholars call them ‘proverbial axioms.’ Like that of the horseleach and his two ‘gravalicious’ daughters in vs. 15a. And also this one: ‘The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey (scorns obedience to) his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.’ (Prov. 30:17) Now that’s a lifeline of godly wisdom that many of the young people of this generation ought to heed.
And Cousin Sol continues his rambling thoughts on God’s great universe, it’s eccentricities and uniqueness. (smile) ‘There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst (heart) of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid (virgin).’ (Prov. 30:18-19) That gives us the four incomprehensible things.
Then here comes another gem of wisdom; a proverbial axion: Cousin Sol advises us: ‘Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.’ (Prov. 30:20) Now isn’t that what so many of us do nowadays; refuse to acknowledge our sinful and evil deeds? Most certainly! Then there’s this section: ‘For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear: For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat (food); For an odious (hated, hateful) woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.’ (Prov. 30:21-23) And those are the four kinds of intolerable people.
The last one brings to mind the behaviour of Hagar, Sarah’s maidservant, (Gen. 16:4) whom she gave to Abrahm to try and achieve an heir. This interesting commentary explains it thus: ‘When Hagar found herself pregnant with child by Abraham, she does not directly insult Sarah over her barrenness, but her actions and changed attitude after becoming pregnant by Abraham (Abram) lead to tension and conflict. Hagar’s pregnancy and subsequent contempt for Sarah, who was still childless, caused Sarah to mistreat Hagar, leading to Hagar’s flight. Hagar’s actions are a catalyst for the conflict and suffering that unfolds, highlighting the themes of jealousy, power dynamics, and the challenges of waiting on God’s promises.’
And so it still is in many families today, but hopefully, like in Hagar’s case, through the Lord’s intervention, it will all work out well for many of us. Now, we’ll stop there for today, because there’s much more to talk about, and that will just make the Bit too long. So, if the Lord spares life, then we’ll continue looking at Cousin Sol’s wise words tomorrow. That means it’s time to go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that declaration (chuh man!!!) we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship, of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a God of refuge and comfort, a positive outlook on life., abundance, almighty god, as generously as the Lord shared them with us, be careful for nothing, be ye thankful, bring my soul out of prison, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, christianity, Christians, curse, deal bountifully with me, deliver me from my persecutors, did I make my supplication, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, duty bound, favour, fear, give God His due, give heed to my cry, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him, good family, good health, handle the situation, his praise shall continually be in my mouth, holy spirit, I am brought low, I cried unto the Lord with my voice, I cried unto thee O Lord, I declared my trouble, I fainted, I will bless the Lord at all times, in a calm and positive manner, in every thing, in the land of the living, Jesus Christ, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, let the peace of God rule in your hearts, let your request be made known unto God, life cannot always be sunshine, looked on my right hand, LOVE, mercy, my refuge, my soul shall make her boast in the Lord, my spirit was overwhelmed, negative word, no man cared for my soul, no man that would acknowledge me, only one place to turn for safe refuge, poured out my complaint, praayer and thanksgiving, refuge failed me, running away from homes, salvation, secretly laid a snare for me, self-control, stormy weather, success, supernatural strength, supernatural wisdom, talent, that I may praise thy name, the BIBLE, the humble shall hear and be glad, the Lord God Jehovah, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the process of rebuilding, the rain must fall, the righteous shall compass me about, the two basics of Christian life, they are stronger than I, thou art my refuge and my portion, thou knewest my path, times of discomfort, to escape the wildfires, to nourish the land, truth, use those blessings for the good of others, whatsoever ye do in word and deed, wildfires, wisdom, with my voice
Psalm 142:5. I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.
The beautiful summer days seems to have been quite short lived, just two, (smile) for this Thursday has opened damp and somewhat cloudy after a night of rain, and more rain is forecasted for later today and the upcoming days. But as we all know, life cannot be sunshine all the time, the rain must fall to nourish the land.
And how the Western Provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba are dying to see torrents of rain, so that the many wildfires currently plaguing them could be extinguished and allow them to get on with their lives. But unfortunately they are not being granted that wish and have to be running away from their homes and towns to avoid the ever expanding wildfires.
Let’s pray that their ordeal will soon end, and they can begin the tough process of rebuilding. But until then, there’s only one place they can turn to for safe and perfect refuge, that’s in the Lord God Jehovah. For He is indeed a God of refuge and comfort. And when those times of discomfort, fear and stormy weather overtake us, He is the One we should first turn to, like Bruh David did when he was forced to hide in a cave from his enemies, especially king Saul.
He writes in Psalm 142: ‘I cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication. I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed (declared) before him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me (I fainted), then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily (secretly) laid a snare for me. I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know (acknowledge) me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.
I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. Attend (give heed) unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about (surround me); for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.’ (Ps. 142:1-7)
Oh my people, please, let’s use this psalm today as a reminder that our great God is indeed a place of refuge and comfort; a God to whom we can sincerely cry out in times of trouble and expect His awesome help. Sometimes it might not come right away, because He’s using the situation to test us, but we will always receive the wherewithal to handle the situation in a calm and positive manner. That’s His faithful promise. But we need to do it in a reverential manner, somewhat like how the scholars said Bruh David did it. ‘After presenting his lament (vs. 1-4), David lifts up his petition (vs. 5-6) and promises his thanksgiving when God answers (vs. 7).’
Yes friends, although we might be in serious trouble, we must still take the time to give God His due; that’s praise and thanksgiving, and not just rush blindly and arrogantly into demanding mode. That reminds us of the opening verses of Psalm 34: ‘I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.’ (Ps, 34:1-2)
As Bruh Paul wrote to the Philippians: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto the Lord. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7) That informs us that every prayer must have some form of thanksgiving in it. We don’t just boldly and selfishly ask for whatever we desire. No, we must also offer a modicum of thanks and praise for God’s goodness to His human creation.
And we can reinforce that by remembering Bruh Paul’s writing to the Colossians, when he speaks of putting on the new man. These verses certainly expand our horizons (smile). ‘And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. …And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’ (Col. 3:15; 17) That means, as Bruh Paul writes to the Thessalonians: ‘In EVERY THING give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:18)
And that’s the long and short of the story my fellow saints; in everything we do or say, thanks ought to be given to God. So please, let’s integrate it, or keep it integrated, (smile) in all aspects of our lives, for it’s God’s desire for His human creation. Now let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) and thus activating our Thursday Blessings, so generously bestowed on us by the Lord to do His earthly work.
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 (yesss!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings for the good of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…prayer and thanksgiving are…the two basics of the Christian life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: baubles and bangles, Beelzebub, begin to comprehend, brng us back to his fold, Christ came to save the world, Christ died for us, Christ din't come to condemn the world, come to know and love him like we do, duty bound, enduring, eternal separation from Almighty God, everlasting, God commendeth his own love toward us, God created us in His own image, God demonstrated his LOVE for us.', God lead the way to love and forgiveness, God sent His Son Jesus, God so loved the world, God will always love us, God's truth endures to all generations, gospel truth, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, heartache, heat and wildfires, hellfire, his mercy is everlasting, holy spirit, hurry, I feel like a blob, I know that you love me, in god's eyes, innumerable things, insinuate itself, Jesus Christ, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, mercy, no love like God's love, no one can take that from me, not what I do, not what I have, One Year Book of Bible promises, put it in your pipe and smoke it, rain and flooding, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, should not perish, soaring like a graceful eagle, the beloved of God, The Lord is good, the one great certainty of my life, the reality of life, the smart money is all on Jesus, the whole wide world, to die on the cross, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, turbulent times, unchanging, walking our talk, whatever happened to disturb me, while we were yet sinners, whosever believeth in him, wildfires, wisdom, worry, You love me, you loved me, you'll love me
Psalm 100:5. For the Lord is good; his mercy (LOVE) is everlasting; and his truth (faithfulness) endureth to all generations.
And it’s a beautiful, sunshiny Tuesday, this third day of June 2025. Temps are in the mid-twenties, and might even reach a record high according to the weather forecasters. But let’s hope not today, for the hot temps are already causing problems out in the Western Provinces, with several wildfires raging because of the hot and dry weather. It’s interesting, but also saddening that some places could be having oodles of rain, with floods threatening, while others are hot and dry, with wildfires in the offing. But that’s the reality of life in today’s world, with an unpredictable climate change scenario.
However, there’s one thing in this world that we know will never change. And what’s that you ask? Let’s read this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin and find out nuh. (smile) The title of the poem is simply ‘You LOVE Me,’ which I’ve most likely shared before, but it’s very appropriate for these tense and turbulent times.
So please read with me: ‘Yesterday, God, I was soaring Like a graceful eagle And You LOVED me. Today I feel like a blob and You LOVE me. Tomorrow I may ask “Whatever happened To disturb me yesterday?” And You’ll LOVE me. God, there innumerable things I cannot begin to comprehend But the one great certainty In all my life is this: I know that You LOVE ME.’
Oh my fellow believers that indeed is one thing we can ALWAYS be sure of! Whatever happens to us, or however we may feel, our great and wonderful God, the One who created us in His own Image and sent his Son Jesus to die on the cross to pay for our sins and bring us back to his fold, that Same One True and Living God will ALWAYS LOVE us! There’s absolutely no doubt about that! And if you don’t believe me, then listen to this marvellous verse of scripture, one of my favourites, as written by Bruh Paul to the Roman church.
‘But God commendeth his LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) what a marvellous God we serve my brethren! That means, God LOVED us so much, that He demonstrated that awesome LOVE while we were yet sinners. Yes friends, He didn’t ask us, or wait for us to change before He showed His wonderful care and compassion. No sir! He showed us how much He cared for His human creation, by leading, by showing the way to LOVE and forgiveness.
Oh my faithful believers, our God walked His talk before He even impressed it on us. And walking our talk – that’s our godly talk – ought to be something we continually aspire to, because right now too many of us supposed believers are not even talking the talk of Jesus, much less walking it, and that’s why our world is in such an ungodly mess.
But let’s get back to the fact that our God LOVES us unconditionally and always. Listen to these other scriptures that corroborate it. First off, this marvellous statement from Jesus on the subject. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
Yes mih people, if the Lord didn’t send Jesus to save us, we’d be all be certainly headed for Hades and the terrible consequences it holds for its inmates. But God didn’t want that happen to us all, so He sent His Son and gave us an option. Remember He gave us a certain amount of free will, and hoped that we would be wise and use it to accept His Son and the salvation and eternal life He offers, not the hellfire and damnation the fallen angel Lucifer, offers.
Unfortunately though, many of us still seem to prefer the shiny but worthless baubles and bangles that the evil one holds so alluringly before us to the real McCoy that Jesus offers. What a crying shame to allow the world to have such a foolish hold on us! But we all have to make our own choices, and for your information, the smart money is ALL on Jesus! Yes it is, for Beelzebub doesn’t have anything to offer but heartache and hellfire, and eternal separation from Almighty God, which I keep reminding us is the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul.
Just sit and imagine it nuh: if you choose Satan over God, there’ll come a time when you won’t’ be able to communicate with God, even if you desperately want to, because you’ll be in hell, truly catching hell, and He’ll be in heaven, enjoying life, and neither the twain shall ever meet. So please, please, I implore us to take time and consider our options, for eternity is a much longer time than this earthly life, and whatever you choose now, you’ll have to endure for ever.
And before I forget, with all this preaching, (smile) the Bible Promise for our poem today comes from Psalm 100: ‘For the Lord is good; his mercy (LOVE) is everlasting; and his truth (faithfulness) endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:5) So, let’s put that gospel truth in our pipe and smoke it, inhaling deeply with every puff, (smile) so that it can insinuate itself in all of our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, until we truly believe and begin to live it!
Now, it’s time go home declaring our Tuesday Wail, 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 that, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…there’s no LOVE like God’s LOVE…unchanging, enduring and everlasting
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: asking for intervention, at the top of our game, await your blessings, be of good courage, becoming Christ-like, besieged by doubts, beyond repair, chaos in our world, come to know and love him like we do, count your blessings, craving speed, duty bound, faith, false wisdom, give thanks always, God always answers, God is our main source of hope, God wipes away all tears from our eyes, greed, he shall direct your paths, he shall strengthen your heart, he will save us, holy spirit, hurry, I put my hope in you, impatience, impatient society, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in god's eyes, in Jesus' name, in need of a miracle, in need of restoration, In Touch Devotional Magazine, Jesus Christ, lacking in common sense, lean not unto thine own understanding, leaning on you is all I know to do, LOVE, mercy, negative things, no more crying, no more death, no more pain, no more sorrow, our guiding light, power-hunger, risky to ask for your help, salvation, Satan's playbook, self-aggrandizement, selfishness, share His love with my neighbours, share the Love and friendship of Christ, speed kills, spiritual growth, the beloved of God, the former things are passed away, the Master Planner, the Millennial kingdom, things in my life, this is our God we have waited for him, times of uncertainty, trials and tribulations, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, trust my friend Jesuss, truth, Tuesday Mantra, turn to Christ in times of uncertainty, wait I say on the Lord, wait in faith on the Lord, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation, what if you don't answer, whatever the outcome, wisdom, worry, you'll be with me
Proverbs 3:5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Oh, it’s a good looking Tuesday, sunshiny and bright! And they say the temps will be in the high teens, if not higher, so let’s give thanks for the good weather, life and LOVE and all the other wonderful things we enjoy in this blessed land! Yes, though life might be somewhat on the rough side, it’s always to our benefit to give thanks, as we said on Sunday when we sang the hymn, Count Your Blessings, because, if we do that, we’ll find that our blessings outweigh our troubles…every time. And to help us do that, here’s this interesting prayer from the In Touch Devotional Magazine for May.
Please pray with me. ‘Lord, things in my life feel beyond repair, in need of a miracle. Yet it feels risky to ask for Your help. What if You don’t answer? But leaning on You is all I know to do. So here I am, God, in need of restoration. Here I am, asking for intervention, knowing, whatever the outcome, You’ll be with me. I put my hope in You and await your blessings. In Jesus’ name. Amen!’
Ah friends, that prayer says a whole lot, gets right down to the nitty gritty of the problem. We need help, but we’re not sure what to do. God is supposed to be our main source of hope, but we’re afraid that He might not answer our cries for help. However, our hope and trust in Him does win out in the long run. And that’s just the way it ought to be my faithful brethren. We all have troubles, and are ofttimes besieged by doubts, but if we claim that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, then He’s the One we should always turn to in times of uncertainty.
And as per that comment that we’re afraid God might not answer our petitions, that’s never true. For God always answers; sometimes He may say yes, sometimes wait, and sometimes no. But there’s always an answer. We might not like it, but it’s usually in our best interest. And I like the line that says; ‘But leaning on You is all I know how to do.’ And so it should be, if we follow Cousin Sol’s directive in Proverbs. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make straight or smooth) thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6)
Yes my people, when we make that our guiding light, then there’s nothing else we’ll know how to do, except turn to God! And that’s exactly what our wonderful God desires of us; turning to Him, in every situation and circumstance. And I know sometimes that’s hard to do, because we believe we have all the answers to the situation, but it’s never wrong or foolish to run them by our Creator before we try to put them into action, for He’s the One that knows all, sees all and has all power. So who better to turn to than Him eh?
But with our impatience and false wisdom we feel we know it all, so we move on with our plans without running them by the Master Planner, perhaps afraid that He might give us a negative decision, when we’re so sure that what we want to do is right. Or He might just hold us up for too long … until the opportunity disappears. But that might be His way of telling us it’s not a good decision, or it’s not the right time. And I can tell you from hard experience, that it’s always best to consult with the Lord before you make any important moves or decisions, for He will never lead you astray, and yes, sometimes He might tell you to wait, but He knows best.
For as Bruh David, from personal experience so wisely advises in Psalm 27: ‘Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14) Oh my brethren, that is such wonderful advice, although we so often ignore it, much to our detriment. Yuh think Bruh David would ever have become king of Israel, although he had been anointed for it, had he not patiently gone through the trials and tribulations that befell him after the anointing. No way! That was a learning and testing and waiting period. And in our spiritual growth, in becoming Christ,-like, we will all encounter such periods.
And the prophet Isaiah makes a glorious statement on the subject when speaking about death being swallowed up in victory. ‘And it shall be said in that day (the beginning of the millennial kingdom), Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord, we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’ (Is. 25:9) Now that’s true waiting! So, if we can’t wait for a little time for Him to deal with our small earthly problems, how will we ever be able to wait for the big day eh? That day when God wipes away all tears from our eyes, with no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, nor pain, for all the former things are passed away. (Rev. 21:4)
Ah mih people, we have to learn to wait. Unfortunately though, our current society is filled with impatience, and requires speed in everything, but the truth is that speed can be very inefficient, and speed also kills, as we can testify by the numerous speeding deaths we have on our roadways. But sadly that doesn’t stop us from craving speed, from crying out for it, and also dying from it. How foolish and lacking in common sense we’ve recently become, although we claim to have so much wisdom, to be at the top of our game.
But just look around at the chaos and disaster that typifies our world, and then tell me if that’s the product of wisdom. That isn’t even man’s wisdom, much less God’s! That’s only selfishness, greed, power-hunger, self-aggrandizement and all the negative things that come from Satan’s playbook. And, very unwisely, too many of us believers are following those bad plays, that’s why our world is getting worse and worse every day. But we desperately need to stop it from sliding right down into the quagmire of Satan’s desire.
So please, let’s stand up like the strong, wise and courageous disciples of Jesus that we are nuh, and begin fighting back and turning things around in Jesus’ name. That’s our purpose and destiny! And for those of us who are already trying to do that, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that declaration, we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…leaning on God…and waiting in faith on Him…are two of the wisest decisions we can ever make…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a great family, a new arena of strife, allow our guilt to become a burden, be strong and of a good courage, big and bold prayers, bring my soul out of trouble, broken right now, christianity, Christians, climate change, come to know and love God like we do, cut off mine enemies, deliver me from mine enemies, despise not the chastening of the Lord, destroy all that afflict my soul, determine to have our own way, disobedience, duty bound, eager to show us his kindness, even when we're faithless, faith, fall flat on our faces, favour, fear not, finally renewed commitment, for thy name's sake, for thy righteousness sake, forgotten the exhortation, fulfilment, give into temptation, glad to teach us the proper paths, God cannot deny Himself, God cannot excuse disobedience, God is compassionate and unchanging, God is determined to bless us, God is forever faithful, God is omnipotent, God will never let us down, God will never let us go, God will never let us off, God's reliable faithfulness, God's supernatural wisdom, good friends, good health, gospel truth, he will never fail thee nor forsake thee, He will never leave nor forsake us, holy spirit, I am persuaded, I am thy servant, I flee unto thee to hide me, in the image of Christ, in the name of Jesus, Jesus Christ, lead me into the land of uprightness, lifts our spirits, LOVE, may David's prayer be our prayer, mercy, must have access to our hearts, my son, negative word, no signs of peace in our world, nor be afraid of them, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him, nothing can separate us from God's matchless Love, nothing can separate us from the Love of God, of thy mercy, One Year Book of Bible promises, promotion. curse, prosper and succeed, Quicken me, rebellion, receive clear direction for my life, resist, resist until we feel exhausted, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, scourgeth every son he receives, self-control, speaks to you as children, strengthens our faith, strong will, success, teach me to do thy will, the beginning of May, the BIBLE, the Lord thy God doth go with thee, then confession, thou art my God, Three Discoveries, thy spirit is good, tough truth, truth, until comviction comes, use our blessing's on behalf of others, Whom God loves he chastens, windstorm, wisdom
Psalm 143:10. Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
And this Thursday, the first day of May, looks like it’s going to be a somewhat wet and cloudy one, although the sun is fighting a valiant battle to come out. But the winner of the contest is not as important as the fact that we’re now into the fifth month of 2025, almost half of the year is gone, and our world is no closer to any kind of peace and quiet. Instead, every day, a new arena of strife is popping up, with none of the old ones being settled. Even the climate change situation seems to be getting worse.
And I never realized how much damage that windstorm of two days ago had caused until yesterday, when I saw the pictures of fallen trees, damaged house, and learned that thousands of people were without power. As the duchess said when I mentioned it; although your area might be fine, you never know what’s happening elsewhere. And that’s the awful truth of this situation, for there wasn’t much damage in my area. So, please, let’s pray for those who suffered serious damage to their lives and properties, being thankful that we were spared such misfortune.
And here’s something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that reassures of us God’s goodness, faithfulness and LOVE for His human creation. It’s titled ‘Three Discoveries.’ And yes, I’ve shared this one before, (smile) but we all know these writings are so wonderful that they can be shared over and over and over again, as each time we read or hear them, they lift our spirits and strengthen our faith. So please read with me:
‘I have made three overwhelming discoveries regarding God’s reliable faithfulness. The first: God will never let us go – NEVER! We may fall flat on our faces. We may resist until we feel exhausted, but nothing can separate us from His matchless LOVE. The second: God will never let us down – NEVER! He is forever faithful, even when we are faithless. He cannot deny Himself. He will never leave us nor forsake us. The third: He will never let us off – NEVER! Whenever we give in to temptation, when we determine to have our own way – He says with all the LOVE of His Father-heart, I LOVE you too much to excuse disobedience .” Whom He LOVES, He chastens.
God is determined to bless us. He is eager to show us His kindness. He is glad to teach us the proper paths; but He must have access to our hearts. He will allow our guilt to become a burden until conviction comes, then confession, and finally renewed commitment! May David’s prayer be our prayer.’ And yes my people, all of what we’ve read there is the gospel truth! Our wonderful God is all about growing us up into strong, faithful children, in the image of His Son, Jesus Christ!
And there are scriptures to back up each of those three discoveries. So let’s check out a few nuh. As per the first one – God will never let us go, listen to this rock solid statement from Bruh Paul to the Romans nuh. ‘For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, not things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:38-39) No friends, it could not get any surer than that!
Then, as per the second discovery – God will never let us down. Wow! There are so many scriptures that speak of His faithfulness that it would take us a whole day to go through them. (smile) But here’s one of the earliest promises of faithfulness. Its one Moses made to the children of Israel as he encouraged them re their journey into the Promised Land. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6) And the Lord Himself commanded Joshua in the same manner, several times, when He made him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. (Josh. 1:7-9)
Now, per the third discovery – the Lord will never allow us to get away with disobedience or rebellion, we took a good look at that only a few days ago, when we considered some of the scriptures that tell of God’s chastening of His children. Scriptures like this one: ‘And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, (sons of God), My son, despise not thou the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he recieveth.’ (Heb. 12:5-6) Lots of tough truth in those verses my brethren, (smile) but that’s just the Lord’s way.
So, we’ve seen scriptures that corroborate the three discoveries, but we’re yet to discover what the last line of the prayer means. ‘May David’s prayer be our prayer.’ And what was Bruh David’s prayer? It comes from Psalm 143, where he’s pleading with God for guidance and deliverance as he’s once again best by enemies. ‘Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me (unto to thee I take cover). Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. Quicken (revive) me, O Lord, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble. And of thy mercy cut off (put an end) to mine enemies, and destroy them all that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.’ (Ps. 143:9-12)
Oh friends, Bruh David was not afraid to pray big and bold prayers, because he knew that God was omnipotent, could do whatever He desired. Likewise, we should not be afraid to cry out to God when we’re in distress, because He desires us to call out to Him for help. He’s our Father, we’re His children, so whom else are we going to look to for help eh? And He’s gone even one step further by giving us undeserved blessings to do His earthly work, what we call our Thursday Blessings. So, let’s declare and thus activate 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 (steups!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…God’s goodness, LOVE, mercy, grace, and faithfulness…will never change…for that’s who God is…a compassionate and unchanging God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a strong will, abundance, brake it and gave to the disciples, by whom the Son of man is betrayed, Christ's Last Supper, christianity, clear direction for my life, come to know and love Jesus, commemorating the memory of Jesus, consternation, courage, creativity, curse, drink it new with you, drink of the fruit of this vine, drink ye all of it, duty bound, enabled God to forgive sins, example of humility, exceeding sorrowful, faith, favour, for the remission of sins, goes as it is written of him, good for that man he had not been born, he that dippeth his hand with me, he took the cup and gave thanks, Holy Communion, holy spirit, Holy Thursday, humility- a lost attitude, in my Father's kingdom, in the name of Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus too bread and blessed it, Jesus' sacrificial death, Lord is it I, LOVE, Maundy Thursday, mercy, my time is at hand, negative word, one of you shall betray me, prosper, redemption from Egyptthe cup of blessing, salvation, self-disicpline, shed for many, success, supernatural wisdom, surprise announcement, take eat this is my body, talent, the BIBLE, the bread of affliction, the covenant was sealed with blood, the cup of blessing, the current attitude is to exalt oneself, the greatest among you shall be your servant, the intimate nature of the betrayal, the Passover, the redemption from sin, the same shall betray me, the Son of man, this is my blood of the new testament, truth, washing of feet, which our fathers ate in Egypt, whoever shall exalt himself shall be hubled, wisdom, woe unto the man
Matthew 26:28. For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission (forgiveness) of sins.
At last it’s Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday, according to which religion or geographical area you belong to. Anyway, it’s the second saddest day of the year, after Good Friday. It’s the fifth day of Holy Week and is known for the Celebration of Christ’s Last Supper with His disciples, where He gave us the discipline of Holy Communion to remember Him by.
That night Jesus also gave the disciples a warning example of the humility He expected from them, and consequently from us by washing their feet. It was one of the lowliest jobs in existence and was usually done by slaves. However, Jesus doffed His clothes and donned a towel and washed their feet letting them see and experience the full meaning of the words He had spoken to them before: ‘But he that is the greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased (humbled); and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted (lifted up)’ (Matt. 23:11-12)
But sadly that state of affairs doesn’t exist in today’s world nor enough in Christ’s church, for the current attitude is to exalt oneself above others; the higher, the better. Humility is a lost attitude in these proud and arrogant times, and when it’s found, it’s considered weakness and foolishness by the majority of our fellow men. But let’s not forget that Jesus’ kingdom is an upside down one, where you believe before you see, you humble yourself and not exalt it, and several other attitudes that the world considers nonsense.
Anyway, on that famous night of the Last Supper, Jesus skewed the usual Jewish Passover meal, when He sat with them in the room He had directed them to go and arrange. When they asked where they were to prepare the meal, He’d said: ‘Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master (teacher) saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at thy house with my disciples.’ (Matt. 26:18) And they did as instructed.
The Bible then tells us: ‘Now when the even (evening) was come, he sat down with the twelve. And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?’ (Matt. 26:20-22) Can you imagine the consternation that surprise announcement must have made amongst the twelve, with each wondering if it would be them.
But Jesus answered and said, ‘He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: (Dan. 9:26) but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He (Jesus) said unto him, Thou hast said (said it).’ (Matt. 26:23-24) Now the Bible doesn’t tell us what happened directly after those statements. But the scholars tell us that He that dippeth reveals the personal and intimate nature of the betrayal, and Thou hast said means “yes.”
After those eye opening comments, the Bible continues: ‘And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, Drink ye all of it (drink from it all of you); For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission (forgiveness) of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom. And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.’ (Matt. 26:26-30)
Yes friends, that’s the advent of what we call Holy Communion, the commemorating or honouring the memory of Jesus, of His sacrificial body and blood when we celebrate it. Now, let’s hear some interesting explanations from the scholars on what we’ve just read. As per ‘Jesus took bread: The head of the Jewish household was accustomed to doing this during the Passover feast. Jesus gave a completely new significance to the action. This is my body: During the Passover feast, the Jewish householder took bread in hand and said, “This is the bread of affliction which our fathers ate in the land of Egypt,” meaning of course, that one represented the other.
By His words the Lord changed the whole significance and emphasis of the feast from looking back to the typical redemption from Egypt to faith in the redemption from sin accomplished by His death. The bread and wine were only outward symbols of our Lord’s death. Nothing in the Gospels indicates that these were to be viewed as a means of grace, sacraments, or that they were physically necessary for one’s salvation. Per The cup: Three cups were passed around by the Jewish householder during the Passover meal; the third, which is probably the one referred to here, being known as “the cup of blessing.”
Then My blood of the new testament taken from the Greek Septuagint version (the earliest Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) of Exodus 24:8, with allusions to Jeremiah 31:31 and Zechariah 9:11. The covenant in Exodus 24:8 was sealed with blood. The word testament can also mean a covenant. Shed for many for the remission of sins: Here is a clear statement that the death of Jesus was necessary to enable God to forgive sins. It, in fact made it right or morally justifiable for Him to do so. That day refers to the time when He comes again in glory.’
Now, I do hope that we all learned some new and interesting stuff from the scholars explanations. I did. But it’s time to for us to declare (oh no!!!) our Thursday Blessings, undeserved blessings the Lord bestowed on us do His earthly work. So let’s do that as one loud and sincere voice nuh. ‘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!’
That means we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Holy Communion…serves to remind us…of the overall importance of Jesus…especially His sacrificial death…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a conquering hero, a man of sorrows, a time to celebrate, a worldly flavour, accepting Him as Lord and Saviour, acquainted with grief, afflicted, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, all things become new, attain God's standard of righteousness, bruised, bruised for our iniquities, carried our sorrows, Christ is the main focus, Christ's massacred body, Christian faith, christianity, Christians, crying out for Christ's crucifixion, despised and rejected of men men, disicpline, don't allow Christ's suffering to go to waste, don't allow the world to control our situation, duty bound, Easter celebrations, eternal death, expansive, expensive, extravagant spending, faith, faithfully observe the important aspects, for the wages of sin is death, get back to basics, Good Friday, great influence on our behaviour, he hath borne our griefs, he is a new creation, hid our faces from him, holy spirit, Holy Week, hurry, if any man be in Christ, in god's eyes, increase the spirituality, infiltrate the celebrations, injuries, Jesus Christ, Jesus took our punishment, Jesus' work on the cross, lawless world, left to die in the hot noonday sun, let the world know to whom we belong, leverage their business, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, mercy, moral evils, nailed to the cross, not what people say about me, old things are passed away, paid our sin debt in full, Palm Sunday, pierced through, reduce the level of materialism, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, sickness, sins, smitten of God, spiritual sickness, stop mouthing platitudes, take stock, the amazing grace of God, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the chastisement of our peace, the deadly Roman whip, the gift of God is eternal life, the greatest gift ever given to man, the horrendous situation, the icing on the cake, the seriousness of the situation, the sufferation of Jesus, the true significance of the occasion, to go out and share the love and friendship of Christ, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, utterly crushed, watered down, we did esteem him stricken, we esteemed him not, wisdom, with his stripes we are healed, worry, wounded for our transgressions
Isaiah 53:4. Surely he hath borne our griefs (spiritual sickness, injuries), and carried our sorrows (pains): yet we did esteem (reckon) him stricken, smitten (struck down) of God, and afflicted.
So it’s Tuesday of Holy Week, and I guess preparations are busily underway for the upcoming Easter celebrations. But please, this year, let’s make the effort to remember the true significance of the occasion; that Christ is the main focus and that much more attention should be paid to Him. Unfortunately, all our Christian faith celebrations, have gotten expansive and expensive (smile) and every year they take on a more worldly flavour. We’ve allowed the world and its various sectors, especially the economic one, to infiltrate the celebrations, and use the overflowing emotions of the faithful to leverage their business, making each celebration a cause for extravagant spending.
And thus, the real significance of each celebration and what ought to really matter, gets watered down with each passing year. It’s time that we believers stop, and take stock of what’s really happening, and do our best to reduce the level of the material side of the equation, and increase the spiritual side, which has now reached an all time low level. Many people don’t know the true meaning of Christmas or Easter, just that’s it a holiday and a time to celebrate with parties, gifts and lots of food.
Now, nothing is intrinsically wrong with those things, but they ought not to be the main focus of the celebrations as they are turning out to be. We have to stop allowing the world to control our situations, remember we’re supposed to be in the world, but not of the world, and therefore what the world says and does, ought not to have the great influence on our behaviour and lifestyles as it’s currently doing. It’s time to get back to basics and let the truly important aspect of the celebrations be faithfully observed, not the simple mouthing of platitudes as we’re wont to do these days.
How many of us truly consider and deeply reflect on what Christ did for us at this Eater Season eh? Remember how he was greeted on entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday like a conquering hero. Then a few days later how they were all crying to have him crucified. How many of us sit down and truly ponder the ‘sufferation’ He went through during His last days, especially on Good Friday for our benefit eh?
It was much more than mere suffering. Think about the stripes, the wounds that scarred His back from the deadly Roman whip, those same stripes by which we are healed. Think of the javelin that wounded His side, then being nailed to a cross and left to die in the hot Israel noonday sun, as the last drops of blood and water dry up and/or flow out of His massacred body.
Can you even imagine how He felt? None of us really can, because we’re not called to go through such suffering. But the prophet Isaiah perfectly described the horrendous situation hundreds of years before it happened, calling Him, “A Man of Sorrows,’ as he writes: ‘He is despised and rejected of (forsaken by) men; a man of sorrows (severe pains), and acquainted with grief (sickness, injuries): and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.’ (Is. 53:3)
And that was just the icing on the cake! Listen to the rest of it: ‘Surely he hath borne our griefs (spiritual sickness, injuries), and carried our sorrows (pains): yet we did esteem (reckon) him stricken, smitten (struck down) of God, and afflicted.’ (Is. 53:4) Yes my fellow believers, back then they did not truly appreciate what Jesus was doing for them, and unfortunately, even today, many of us don’t realize the seriousness of the situation.
But here’s the truth of it all, as Isaiah prophesied. ‘But he was wounded (pierced through) for our transgressions (sins), he was bruised (utterly crushed) for our iniquities (moral evils): the chastisement (discipline) of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes (wounds) we are healed.’ (Is. 53:5) Yes friends, that’s the long and short of the story!
All that Jesus suffered was for us. He took the punishment that was meant for us on His sinless shoulders, so that we could become the sinless children of God. Do we truly understand the great significance of that undertaking. No! Many of us do not, otherwise we would not be so complaisant and relaxed while hobnobbing with the sinful things of this world.
Remember what the Bible says: ‘For all have sinned, and come (fallen) short of the glory of God.’ (Rom. 3:23) Yes. None of us have or can ever come up to the standard of righteousness that God desires on our own. That, consequently brings us to this other eye opening scripture: ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom. 6:23)
And that’s where the everlasting importance of Jesus’ work here on earth makes the difference in the lives of us mere mortals! We can either undergo eternal death trying to pay for our own sins or simply ignoring them, or we can enjoy eternal life by understanding that the Lord accepted Jesus’ work on the cross as payment in full for our sin debt, and wisely accepting Him as our Lord and Saviour. It’s the greatest gift mankind has ever been given…and it’s free…all through the amazing grace of God !
All you have to do is confess that you’re a sinner and ask Jesus to come into life and make you whole. And if you’re sincere, it’s a done deal! The Holy Spirit comes into your life and helps you to become a new man, for once you accept Jesus, you cannot go back to your old, unashamed sinful way of living. As Bruh Paul wrote in his second letter to the Corinthians: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ (2 Cor. 5:17)
Yes friends, it’s high time for many of us to put aside our old ways and take up the new ones that Jesus desperately desires us to have, so that we can make positive and productive changes in our chaotic and lawless world. And for those of us who are sincerely trying to do that, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel.
As one voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, that makes us duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with those we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…please don’t allow Christ’s suffering to go to waste…instead…be wise and accept His offer of eternal life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a breakdown in communication, a daily commitment to living for Christ, a lack of true discipleship, a radical transformation of life, as I am not of the world, be better witnesses for Christ, behaving holy on Sundays, behaving like the rest of the world the rest of the week, chaotic place, christianity, Christians, Christians must do a better job for Christ, come to know and love Christ, courage.curse, creativity, divine protection, duty bound, embrace the difficulties of, faith, favour, for their sakes, given them thy word, God's supernatural wisdom, grace, greedy, have my joy fulfilled in themselves, holy, holy spirit, I sanctify myself, if any man will come after me, Jesus Christ, Jesus' kingdom is not of this world, keep them from evil, lawless, let him deny himself, listen to, live a life modelled after Jesus, living a life dedicated to jesus, LOVE, mercy, negative word, no excuses, not living up to our covenant with Jesus, our dailu walk with Christ, our lives should be worthwhile testimony be, penultimate day of our workweek, personal desires, promotion, prosper, pull up our socks, putting aside personal desires, righteous, run the enemy out of town, salvation, sanctified through the truth, sanctify them through thy truth, set us apart for His holy purpose, showing unbelievers the light of Christ, succeed, success, supernatural strength, take up his cross daily and follow me, the anointing, the BIBLE, the bright light of Jesus, the challenges that come with following Jesus, the commitment to follow Jesus, the cost of following Jesus, the sad truth, the still small voice of the Spirit, the ultimate call to discipleship, the world hated them, they are not of the world, thy word is truth, tighten our britches, to prioritize God's will, to sacrifice worldly gains for eternal rewards, truth, undeserved blessings, we're not following the script, will prevail over the darkness of Satan, willing to make certain sacrifices, wisdom, worldly attachments'
John 17:16. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
So, the penultimate day of our workweek, Thursday, rolls around with cool temps and a shallow cloud cover. Who knows what the rest of the day will be like. Let’s hope that the bright rays of the battling sun will prevail over the dark clouds, just like the bright light of Jesus will prevail over the sinful darkness of Satan! And all God’s people said a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’
Yes friends, I know our greatest desire is for the enemy to be run right out of town on the very next train, but unfortunately that will not happen unless we pull up our socks, tighten our britches and begin being better witnesses for Christ! Obviously, you don’t want to hear that, but it’s the sad truth. The world would not be such an evil, hateful, greedy, lawless and chaotic place if we Christians were doing a better job of showing the unbelievers the marvellous light of Christ through the rich examples of our own lives. Instead of being holy on Sundays, then behaving like the rest of the world on Monday to Saturday, we have to behave holy and righteous each and every day.
Remember what Jesus said about us when He prayed for the Father’s help before He left this world. ‘And now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from evil (evil one). They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they might also be sanctified through the truth.’ (John 17:13-19)
Yes my people, we’re not of this world, so we’re not supposed to behave like this world. And Jesus steadfastly prayed that the Father would sanctify us, set us apart for His holy purpose, but, unfortunately, we’re not following the script as laid out by Jesus. And it’s obvious that we’re not perfect and we will all make mistakes here and there, but on the whole our lives should be a worthwhile testimony to the unbeliever.
Remember what we agreed to when we became Christians, disciples and followers of Christ? Jesus said it thus: ‘If any man will (desires to) come after (follow) me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) That’s the agreement we made when we became Christians, followers of Christ. But sadly, not enough of us are living up to that covenant. Too many of us are still dithering and wavering when coming to denying ourselves and daily taking up our cross. We refuse to make certain sacrifices that are necessary to serve Jesus, and dredge up all kinds of excuses not to take up our cross.
And if we don’t understand what all this means, then this commentary explains it fairly well. As for the Context: Jesus is speaking to his disciples, emphasizing the cost and commitment involved in following him. “If any man will come after me…”: This is a conditional statement, meaning that if someone desires to be a follower of Jesus, they must be willing to make certain sacrifices. “let him deny himself…”: This means putting aside personal desires, ambitions, and worldly attachments in order to prioritize God’s will and follow Jesus.
“…and take up his cross…”: The “cross” symbolizes the suffering, hardship, and challenges that come with following Jesus. It’s a call to embrace the difficulties of living a life dedicated to Christ. “…and follow me.”: This is the ultimate call to discipleship, urging individuals to live a life modelled after Jesus’ teachings and example. Meaning of Discipleship: To follow Jesus requires a radical transformation of life, a willingness to sacrifice worldly gains for eternal rewards, and a daily commitment to living for Christ rather than oneself.’
Oh my people, truly following Jesus is not always easy, but it’s always worthwhile. Remember too, He doesn’t ask us to do anything that He Himself did not, or would not do, plus He always gives us the tools, the grace and mercy, the anointing to do whatever He asks of us. Then we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us to lead and guide our daily walk with Him, but probably too many of us don’t listen to the still small voice of the Spirit, and insist on doing our own thing. That will obviously lead to a breakdown in communications and thus a lack of true discipleship.
My fellow saints, it’s time we owned up to our shortcomings on Jesus’ behalf and make amends by turning our lives around, becoming true disciples and living sincerely for Him, truly desiring to make a difference in this ungodly and evil world. And God’s so good to us, that He’s even bestowed on us underserved blessings to help with His earthly work, so there are no excuses not to do our godly bidding. We call those tools our Thursday Blessings. So, let’s declare and thus activate 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, (yesss!!!) we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…to be a true follower of Jesus…you cannot behave like the world…because Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a level of peace, a man lay down his life for his friends, an honour to be so intimately known, April Fool's day, April showers, believers, believers in Christ, But God commendeth his love toward us, christianity, Christians, come to know and love him like we do, despite what and whom we are, duty bound, faith, fly out the window, following Satan and his evil practices, for His awesome goodness and mercy, God cannot deny Himself, God knows all my mistakes, God loves us, God sent not his son into the world, God sent not His Son to condemn the world, God so loved the world, greater love hath no man than this, grow through challenges, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, hellhole, hellhole we're digging for ourselves, holy spirit, hurry, if ye do what I command you, in all these things we are more than conquerors, in god's eyes, in god's world it's all about love, in Jesus name, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, Jesus' crucifixion, listened to my doubts and questions, LOVE, love is the guiding principle of god's kingdom, love rules the roost, makes you want to cringe and laugh at the same time, May flowers, mercy, my bone-deep longings, my heart harbours deceit, negative evils, Nicodemus, nothing shall separate us from the love of God, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, prayer rings so true, prayers have no timeline, radiant with good intentions, received my genuine praise, salvation, see the coming seasons in my life, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, should not perish, sincerity of heart, surpasses all the understanding of men, Thank the Lord, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the amazing foundation of Christ's gospel, the awesome truth, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the In touch Devotional, the weight of my regrets, this is my commandment, thrive in peace, through him the world might be saved, to condemn the world, to walk beside you in this life, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, undeserving and disobedient, undying hope and faith, we don't deserve God's love, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, who shall separate us from the Love of Christ, wisdom, worry, ye are my friends, ye love one another as I have loved you, you truly are love
Romans 5:8. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
And the month of April has opened bright and sunshiny, though a tad on the chilly side. And though the computer is forecasting some 6 cm of snow for tomorrow, we do hope that as the month rolls on, it will bring some warm April showers that will eventually translate into beautiful May flowers. Yes friends, that’s the amazing thing about believers in Christ Jesus; we always have undying hope and faith. Consequently, we also believe that all the craziness and ungodliness that’s happening in our world is only a figment of our imagination, an April Fool’s joke, and in due course our Lord and Saviour will fix it all, to the benefit of Himself and His followers.
And all God’s people said a loud, proud and grateful: ‘Thank the Lord for His awesome goodness and mercy to us undeserving and disobedient but highly LOVED creation!’ And that’s the awesome truth my people! We don’t deserve God’s LOVE nor goodness, but nonetheless He pours them out on us, because that’s the kind of God He is, and He cannot deny His character. Oh, how I wish that our character was even half as good and strong, for what a wonderful world we’d then have.
Anyway, to help us improve our godly character, here’s this interesting prayer from the March issue of the In Touch Devotional. And though some of us protest to hearing March prayers in April, (smile) please know that prayers have no timeline nor special place, they can be said anywhere and at any time, all they need is sincerity of heart. So please pray with me.
‘God, You know about all my mistakes, even those I haven’t made yet. You’ve seen me grow through challenges and thrive in peace. You know my heart both harbours deceit and is radiant with good intentions. You know my bone-deep longings and the weight of my regrets. You’ve listened to my doubts and questions and received my genuine praise. You see the coming seasons in my life and You’re ready, even if I am not. It’s an honour to be so intimately known and to walk beside you in this life. You truly are LOVE, and I’m thankful. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Oh my fellow believers, that’s one of those prayers that ring so true that it makes you want to both cringe and laugh at the same time! Obviously, our omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present Creator knows all about us, even before we do both the wrongs and good deeds. But He still LOVES us! And that’s the amazing foundation of Christ’s gospel; the good news that Almighty God, our Creator and Chastener LOVES us despite what and whom we are! And I don’t know why that’s so difficult for some of us to believe, since it’s so openly and obviously stated in His Word.
Listen to Jesus tell it like it is to Nicodemus, one of the Pharisee leaders, as he comes under cover of night to find out what is what. Jesus says, in no uncertain terms: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that through him the world might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
Now my brethren, it could not be stated any plainer than that! God LOVED His human creation so much that He sent His Son to save them from the hellhole that they were digging for themselves by following Satan and his evil practices. And that fact is seen and proven with even more force by Jesus’ crucifixion on our behalf! How then can we ever doubt God’s LOVE for us? Oh, we might not want to accept it, but there’s definitely no doubt that He LOVES us with a great and undying LOVE!
And that just brings to mind one of my favourite verses from the Bible, where Bruh Paul writes to the church at Rome: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Now which other god has ever done anything like that eh? None! They all want you to turn from your ways toward them first. But Jehovah God is so sure and certain of Himself that He gave us a way out even when we did not deserve it.
And Jesus reiterated His and the Father’s LOVE for us, when He told the disciples: ‘This is my commandment, that ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you. Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do what I command you.’ (John 15:12-14)
Yes my fellow believers LOVE is the guiding principle of God’s kingdom, and that’s why the enemy is fighting so hard to keep us from LOVING God, ourselves and each other. For he knows that when LOVE rules the roost, all his negative evils will fly out the window, and he will be even further reduced than He is already by Christ’s victory on the cross and His amazing resurrection.
Bruh Paul also emphasizes the importance of Christ’s LOVE in his epistle to the Romans, when he writes: ‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ?’ (Rom. 8:35a) Then he goes on to make a long list of negative things. Then says: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8: 37-39)
And that’s what we need to believe friends, especially in these turbulent and chaotic times; that NOTHING whatsoever can, or will ever be able to separate us from the LOVE of God that resides in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And when we sincerely believe that, and do the things it calls for, then we will be able to face this crazy world with a level of peace and calm that passes all the understanding of men.
Now, let’s go home declaring (chuhhh man!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
That means, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…in God’s world…it’s all about LOVE…that’s why He created us…and that’s why He’s also saved us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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