26 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a dispensary for spiritual food, a wise and godly manner, accept His easy yoke and light burden, advocating on our behalf, all knees must bow, all we want is you Jesus, an outward indication of an inner condition, as the manner of some is, as ye see the day approaching, be considered righteous, bring all things to your remembrance, came down from heaven, Christ our High Priest, Christ's return draws near, come to our senses, comfort us, dark midnight was my cry, every tongue confess, exhorting one another, faith, fellowship, give me Jesus, his sinless life on the cross, holy spirit, in the morning when I rise, Jesus Christ, Jesus gives us true peace, Jesus is all I need, Jesus is all we really need, Jesus is Lord, just about the break of day, keep encouraging each other, like white on rice, live with me till eternity, looking unto Jesus, Lord of Lords, LOVE, love him the way we ought to, mercy, no more death, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, our rest and our refuge, poetic licence, reciprocal encouragement, remember the Sabbath day, salvation, seek Jesus with a sincere heart, selflessly sacrificing, showed his undying love for us, steadfastly cling to Jesus, strengthening, sweet sacrifices of praise, teach you all things, that we could be set free, the answer to our prayers, the assembling of God's people, the author and finisher of our faith, the calm in the storm, the church is a body interacting, the Comforter, the entire worship of Christ, the great invitation, the King of Kings, the name that is above every other name, the new heaven and the new earth, the peace that surpasses all understanding, the Prince of Peace, to keep it holy, to the glory of the Father, truth, we worship you Lord, what a treasure we have in Jesus, when I am alone, when I come to die, when I want to sing, wipe away all tears, wisdom, worthy to return to God, you can have all this world
Hebrews 12:2b. ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith.’
It’s Sunday my brethren, and you know what that means; it’s time to fellowship in the Lord’s sanctuary, as that’s His command for the Sabbath day: ‘Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.’ (Ex. 20:8) And the author of Hebrews also reminds us of the importance of a regular gathering of believers, when he writes: ‘Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:25) Yes friends, it’s ever so important for us to keep encouraging each other as the day of Christ’s return draws ever closer.
And I like how the scholars explain that verse. They say; ‘Not forsaking the assembling is an admonition that involves far more than erratic attendance. It involves the entire worship of Christ and is an outward indication of an inner condition. The assembling of God’s people provides opportunity for reciprocal encouragement, strengthening, and the stirring up that is gained from one another (cf. Col. 3:12-16) It consists of participation in worship and fellowship. The church is a body interacting (1 Cor. 12:14-27); it is not merely a dispensary for spiritual food and medicine.’ Please my people, let’s remember that and attend church regularly and also get involved with the activities that take place there.
Now, let’s get to today’s song of worship. It’s simply but oh so elegantly and importantly titled: ‘Give me Jesus.’ And it seems this Christian song has been around for a long time, since about the mid-nineteenth century. No one knows who really wrote it, and apparently even the slaves sang it. But in the twenty-first century, people like Fernando Ortega have revised and recorded it. And for our purposes, I’ve taken poetic license and included a couple of verses from other renditions. However, as always, we’ll do a Danny Gokey soulful, scintillating version, with its haunting piano, soulful strings and beautiful background vocals.
So, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise with truly heartfelt sentiments. Singing: ‘Ohhh ohhh, Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus…In the morning when I rise, In the morning when I rise, In the morning when I rise, Give me Jesus. (Chorus: Give me Jesus, give me Jesus. You can have all this world, just give me Jesus.) When I am alone, Oh When I am alone When I am alone, Give me Jesus, You can have all this world Just Give me Jesus For He is all that I need, Just Give me Jesus.
Dark midnight was my cry, Dark midnight was cry, Dark midnight was my cry, Give me Jesus. [Chorus] Just about the break of day, Just about the break of day, Just about the break of day, Give me Jesus. (Chorus) And when I want to sing, And when I want to sing, And when I want to sing, give me Jesus. (Chorus) Oh, when I come to die, Oh, when I come to die, Oh, when I come to die, Give me Jesus. (Chorus: Give me Jesus, give me Jesus. You can have all this world, give me Jesus.
Yes, you can have all this world, Just Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus, for He’s all I need. In the morning when I rise…when I lay my head down…when I wake up…all I want is Jesus… I need Him…Just give me Jesus… All I need is Him. We worship You Lord, Yes, we worship You. You’re the answer to our prayers, You’re the calm in the storm, You are our rest and our refuge…All we want is You Jesus… So, you can have all the world, Just give us Jesus… Yes, You can have all the world, Just give us Jesus, Yes, just give us Jesus…’
And that’s exactly how it ought to be my faithful brethren! They can take all the world has to give, once we have Jesus, we’re more than satisfied, for He is ALL we really need. Who else has done, or can even dream of doing all that He’s done for us eh? Who else came down from heaven and showed His undying LOVE for us, by selflessly sacrificing His sinless life on the cross so that we could be set free, to be considered righteous and thus worthy to be returned to the Father’s fold? Nobody else did it friends. Nobody else but Jesus!
And tell me who gave us His Holy Spirit to dwell within us to remind us of His commandments and to lead, guide and comfort us in a wise and godly manner? Only Jesus! As He says in John’s gospel. ‘But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said to you.’ (John 14:26) And what about peace? He alone gives us true peace; peace that surpasses all understanding. (John 14:27; 16:33) Why? Because He is the Prince of Peace! (Is. 9:6)
And what about our Christian faith eh? It’s Jesus who also gave us that. As the Bible tells us: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith.’ (Heb. 12:2b) And who gives us that Great Invitation, to come to Him whenever we’re weary and heavy burdened, so that we can find rest for our souls and take up His easy yoke and light burden? (Matt. 11:28-30) No one else but Jesus! And who is the mightiest of them all eh; the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? The name that is above every other name, to which all knees will eventually bow? And every tongue confess that He is Lord to the glory of the Father. (Phil. 3:9-11) That’s Jesus!
And tell me nuh, who is going to wipe away all tears from my eyes, so that there won’t be any more death, sorrow, crying or pain? (Rev. 21:4) Nobody but Jesus! And who is our High Priest that sits beside the Father in heaven advocating and interceding on our behalf? (Heb. 4:14-15) Of course it’s Jesus! And finally, who’s going to offer me salvation and come and live with me till eternity in the new heaven and new earth eh? (Rev. 21:1-3) Only Jesus!
Therefore, with all that Jesus is, has done, can and will do, why I would I want or need anybody else but Him eh? No reason whatsoever! So, please let’s come to our senses and realize what a treasure we have in Jesus and appreciate and LOVE Him the way we truly ought to! Much LOVE!
…godly wisdom dictates…that you seek Jesus with a sincere heart…then steadfastly cling to Him…like white on rice…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, a modest but strong nature, a new flock of believers, a proud look, a word to the wise is sufficient, backsliders, be clothed with humility, be full of kindness and respect for others, be responsible and stay safe, be subject one to another, became obedient unto death, being found in fashion as a man, being in the form of God, better Christin witness, casting all your care upon him, cleanse me of pride, CNE Fair, concrete jungle, emptied himself of his privileges, error of their ways, escalating problems, even the death of the cross, every tongue confess, faith, find rest for your souls, freedom from pride and arrogance, Friday chant, gentle and humble, give me the grace to accept correction, God gives grace to the humble, God is shaping you, God resists the proud, haughty eyes, he humbled himself, he may exalt you in due time, help me to embrace the meekness of Christ, holy spirit, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, humility, I am meek and lowly, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, LOVE, made himself of no reputation, made in the likeness of men, manifest humility every day, may my words and actions, meekness, mercy, omnipotent help, our sinful world, painful circumstances, radiate Christ's presence, rejoice, salvation, seek forgiveness, show mercy, simmering unrest, six things doth the Lord hate, take my yoke upon you, teach me to be truly humble, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, thank you Lord for your hand at work, the example we faithful believers set, the Master Potter, the name above every other name, the name to which every knee must bow, those who walk in humility, took upon him the form of a servant, tough times, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, wake up and smell the coffee, welcoming the weekend, whose Spirit lives within me, wisdom, wise guidance
1 Peter 5:5b. All of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
Now don’t be surprised that the Bit is so early friends. You know there must be a good reason for it, (smile) an early medical appointment in the concrete jungle called Toronto. And is it ever disgusting having to go there with all the road closures and the traffic jams and the building construction at every turn. Brother! I don’t see how people could live down there now nuh. Fifty odd years ago, when I first came here, living in Toronto was wonderful. But now it’s gotten so big and ugly and competitive, that it’s lost the glow it once had.
But that’s only my opinion. Other’s might have a much more positive take on the situation. And that doesn’t stop them from sending up loud shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! And the weekend is here.’ Welcoming the weekend is one of the important things we do nowadays. And oh, the CNE, the Canadian National Exhibition is opening its yearly fair today down on the CNE Grounds on the Lakeshore, so there will be even more traffic than normal. But since we cannot do anything about any of the those things that annoy or frustrate us, let’s see what the Lord has for us to talk about today.
Well, it seems to be the very important but rather touchy subject of humility. And what is humility? Basically, it’s a freedom from pride and arrogance. In scripture, it’s sometimes referred to as meekness; a modest but strong nature. And one of the things that God hates is false and overbearing pride. As Cousin Sol says in Proverbs: ‘These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination to him.’ (Prov. 5:16) And the first one is a proud and arrogant look, or haughty eyes. (Prov.5:17) And to help us deal with Humility, one of the recently published Prayer Cards by the In Touch Organization deals with that very problem.
Oh yes, it is a very serious problem in today’s world, as our society is much more interested in being proud and arrogant then being meek and humble. So please pray this prayer from that card with me. ‘Father, those who walk in humility radiate Christ’s presence. Teach me to be truly humble. Cleanse me of pride and help me embrace the meekness of my Saviour, whose Spirit lives within me. May my words and actions be full of kindness and respect for others. Give me the grace to accept correction, seek forgiveness, and show mercy. I welcome whatever You send into my life to humble me. You are the Master Potter. Thank You for Your hand at work. Amen.’
Now that’s a tough prayer to pray, because when you ask God for things like humility, be sure you’re going to encounter circumstances in which you’ll need it. And things like humility only come through tough and ofttimes painful circumstances. And the Prayer Card ends with this interesting note. ‘Is a current challenge teaching you humility? Rejoice – God is shaping you.’ Yes friends, we can only be shaped in the master Potter’s hands through tough times. But we must rejoice, for it’s bringing us closer to the perfect image of Christ.
And the scriptures the Prayer Card uses, comes, most appropriately from 1 Peter. ‘Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:5-7) And we all know that to be the gospel truth, although we don’t always manifest it in our lives. But to be truly like Jesus, we need to be always, or as much as possible, meek and humble.
Jesus said it Himself in the Great Invitation. ‘Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me, for I am meek and lowly (gentle and humble) in heart: and ye shall find rest for your souls.’ (Matt. 11:29) Oh my people, there’s no one as humble as Jesus! Although He controls the universe, He never finds it necessary to boast, be haughty or arrogant, and for humans that comes only when you have an innate strength found in the person of Christ. It’s like Bruh Paul writes to the Philippians about Jesus’ earthly journey.
‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant , and was made in the likeness of men (emptied himself of his privileges): And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:5-8) And we know the reward the Father granted Him for such humility and obedience: The exaltation of His name being above every other name, and that every knee should bow to His name, and every togue confess that He is Lord, all to the glory of the Father. (Phil, 2:9-11)
Likewise my fellow believers, if we humble ourselves, our heavenly Father will indeed exalt us in due time like Peter says. Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine help for our chaotic and disastrous world. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you.
Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And though our prayers might be heard, I believe the Lord expects, and most certainly deserves better Christian witness from us, before He floods us with divine aid. And they say a word to the wise is sufficient, so please let’s show ourselves to be wise nuh. Much LOVE!
…to be truly Christlike…Christians must manifest humility in their everyday lives…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: always abounding in the work of the Lord, as Christ was raised from the dead, at the name of Jesus, be ye steadfast unmovable, became obedient unto death, being in the form of God, bless the LOrd o my soul, buried with Christ by baptism into death, by the glory of the Father, Christ's resurrection conquers death, christianity, Christians, crowns you with loving-kindness, death is swallowed up in victory, e, emptied himself of his privileges, endure to thend, even the death of the cross, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, finite minds, for the wages of sin is death, forget not all his benefits, forgiveness of sins, found in appearance as a man, gave his only begotten Son, given him a name above every other name, God hath highly exalted him, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn it, God so loved the world, halfway home, hands on the plough, have everlasting life, heals all thy diseases, holy spirit, humbled himself, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, let this mind be in you, LOVE, made himself of no reputation, made in the likeness of men, mercy, new life, not turning back, nothing but toast, o death where is thy sting, o grave where is thy victory, reconciled with god, redeems thy life from destruction, salvation, satisfies thy mouth with good things, second wind day, so glad to be alive, thank God, Thank you Jesus, thanks be to God who gives us the victory, the BIBLE, the breath of life, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the gift of God is eternal life, the hope of eternal life, the proverbial hell on earth, the selfless sacrifice of christ, the sting of death is sin, the strength of sin is the law, the world through him might be saved, thought it not robbery, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, to a glorious future with Jesus, to be equal with God, took upon him the form of a servant, true saints of God, truth, walk in newness of life, what a bam bam, who forgives all your iniquities, whosoever believeth in hims should not perish, wisdom, your labour is not in vain
Psalm 103:2. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
And then it was Wednesday, our second wind day of the work week! And I hope that we catch that second wind yes, because the last two days have been the proverbial hell on earth, with bright sunshine and temps in the mid-thirties ably accompanied by a hot wind. Thankfully though, today is not as hot, we’re in the mid-twenties, with cloudy skies overhead, a promise of rain, but also rising temps As the old people would say; ‘what a bam bam!’ Right now, we don’t know whether we’re coming or going, but with the marvellous help of Jesus, we can be assured that help is on the way! And all God’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Thank You Jesus!’
And we should be grateful for all the things He’s done for us, as Psalm 103 reminds us: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-KINDNESS and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103: 2-5)
Yes friends, those are some of the reasons why Christ gave up His heavenly position and came to earth like a man, then selflessly gave His life for us on the cross of Calvary, bearing our sins, so that we can be reconciled with God the Father, from whom our abominable sins had wrenched us apart.
Bruh Paul writes it thus to the Philippians: ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (emptied himself of his privileges): And being found in fashion (appearance) of a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:5-11)
Oh my people, that just goes to show what a great job Jesus did! So great that the Father exalted Him to the name that’s above every other, and that every tongue should consider Him Lord. But let’s look a little deeper into what His selfless work did for us. And in a nutshell, this commentary tells us what we derived from Christ’s death and resurrection. ‘Christ’s death and resurrection offer believers forgiveness of sins, new life, and the hope of eternal life, among other benefits. His sacrifice on the cross atones for our sins, while his resurrection conquers death, granting believers new life and the promise of eternal life.’
And as per forgiveness of sins, the Bible states: ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom. 6:23) So through Christ’s death we achieved forgiveness of sin and basic reconciliation with the Father. Then as per a new life and the new identity we are given when we accept Him as Lord and Saviour (becoming a new creation in Christ; (2 Cor. 5:17) this new life frees us from the power of sin.
As Bruh Paul writes to the Romans: ‘Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like (just) as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in newness of life. For if we be planted together (united) in the likeness of his death, (certainly) we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:’ (Rom. 6:3-5)
Yes my brethren, if we die with Christ, then we will automatically be raised with Him. And that resurrection is oh so beautiful, because it enables us to have eternal life; to spend eternity with Jesus and the Father! Jesus said it quite plainly to Nicodemus, the Jewish leader who came to him under cover of night seeking answers. ‘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)
And as we mentioned before that Jesus resurrection gives us freedom from sin, these words of Bruh Paul to the Corinthians, shine bright light on that new situation. ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave (hades), where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor. 15:54b- 57)
However, since time and space are running out on us, if God spares life tomorrow, then we’ll continue looking at some more of the great benefits Christ’s death and crucifixion accomplished on our behalf. But let’s leave with this exhortation from Bruh Paul. ‘Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain (futile) in the Lord.’ (1 Cor. 15:58) And that’s exactly how we ought to behave as true saints of God!
Now, it’s time to declare our Wednesday Wail, letting all the world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus! As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And let’s remember that for those who endure with Jesus right to the very end, there’s a promise of an even more glorious future than our finite minds can imagine. So wisdom behooves us to be there at the very end, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…without the selfless sacrifice of Jesus…mankind would have eventually been nothing but toast…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a flawed approachrelying on humans for strength, a great multitude, a name above every other name, a ringing endorsement crucify him, absolute, acknowledge Jesus, affirming Jesus' supreme sovereignty, at the name of Jesus, be exalted O Lord our God, became obedient unto death, being found in fashion as a man, Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord, cannot provide lasting comfort or protection, chosen, Christ triumphantly rose from the dead, cursed is the man who trusts in man, cut down branches from the trees, Easter Sunday, eternal life, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, faith, faithful, for his ultimate sacrifice, full decalration of His kingship, God also hath exalted him, God is wholly reliable, he humbled himself, holy, holy spirit, Hosanna in the highest, Hosanna to the son of David, humans are fallible, inviolable, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, jesus deserves to be exalted, Jesus has defeated Satan, Jesus reign over all things is absolute and inviolable, Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, LOVE, make war with the Lamb, man is unreliable, meek and sitting on an ass, mercy, our hearts filled with praise, Palm Sunday, put not your trust in man, put your trust in God, riding on a donkey, sacrifices of praise, salvation, tell ye the daughter of Sion, thanksgiving and praise, the annals of our faith, the death of the cross, the gospel truth, the King of Kings, the Lamb of God, the Lamb shall overcome them, the multitudes cried, the nature of the human animal, the official entry of Israel's kings, they that are with him are called, things in the earth, things under the earth, those things in heaven, thy king cometh unto thee, truth, we lift up your name, who makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord, wisdom
Matthew 21:9. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
So we’re finally getting there my faithful believers; just one more week to the biggest and most important day in the annals of our faith, that’s Easter Sunday, when our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ rose triumphantly from dead, having defeated Satan, hell, death and the grave, thus bringing the long ago promises of salvation and eternal life to fruition. And all of God’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Thank You Jesus!’
But friends, we still have a li’l ways to go until that glorious day, although we do have another marvellous situation that involves Christ, we call it Palm Sunday! The day when Jesus sent His disciples to get a donkey and its foal in a nearby village and then rode triumphantly into Jerusalem on the donkey like a conquering King. The Bible tells us: ‘All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek (lowly) and sitting upon an ass (donkey), and the colt the foal of an ass. (Zech. 9:9)
And the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them, And brought the ass (donkey), and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him (Jesus) thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed (spread) them in the way (road). And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.’ (Matt. 21:4-11)
But before we move on, here’s an interesting note from the scholars. They say that ‘Riding on the colt of an ass marked the official entry of Israel’s kings. Thus Jesus arrives in the full declaration of His kingship.’ He was finally making a ringing endorsement of Himself, after previously playing down His kingship. But like so many things in this crazy and ungodly world, five days later, that joyful celebration and all the cries of ‘Hosanna’ had died, and that same crowd was now crying, ‘Crucify Him!’
Yes friends, that’s the basic nature of the human animal; you can’t put too much trust in them, for they will turn against you in an instant, conveniently and completely forgetting the joy you recently brought to their souls and spirits. That’s why the Bible keeps telling us not put our trust in man who is unreliable, but in God, who is wholly reliable. And this commentary explains it thus: ‘The idea that it’s wrong to trust in man is a recurring theme in religious texts, particularly in Christianity, where it emphasizes placing trust in God rather than human beings.
The biblical text from Jeremiah 17:5 states that “Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD”. This message suggests that relying on humans for strength or security is a flawed approach, as humans are ultimately fallible and cannot provide lasting comfort or protection. Instead, it encourages a reliance on a higher power, emphasizing faith over human reliance.’ And that’s the indisputable truth.
Anyway, enough on all this other stuff, let’s get to today’s song of worship, aptly titled, ‘Hosanna in the Highest!’ One commentary tells us ‘“Hosanna in the highest” is used when we acknowledge Jesus for His ultimate sacrifice and what it means for us and mankind as a whole. This may not be something we often say out loud, but we can think it in our minds and feel it in our hearts in times of worship.’ So, let’s do that right now nuh, as we raise our sacrifices of praise to high heaven, in an up-tempo, scintillating version of the song.
Singing: ‘Hosanna [2] Hosanna In The Highest [2] Lord We Lift Up Your Name With Our Hearts Filled With Praise Be Exalted Oh Lord Our God Hosanna In The Highest. Holy [3] Is The Lamb Of God [2] Lord We Lift Up Your Name With Our Hearts Filled With Praise Be Exalted Oh Lord Our God Holy Is The Lamb Of God.
Jesus [3] Is The King Of Kings [2] Lord We Lift Up Your Name With Our Hearts Filled With Praise Be Exalted Oh Lord Our God Jesus Is The King Of Kings. Hosanna [2] Hosanna In The Highest [2] Lord We Lift Up Your Name With Our Hearts Filled With Praise Be Exalted Oh Lord Our God Hosanna In The Highest. (2) Be exalted Oh Lord our God Hosanna in the Highest….’
Oh my fellow believers, let’s hope that we sung that song from our heart, with true thanksgiving and much praise, for Jesus indeed deserves to be exalted! As Bruh Paul so rightly declares (chuhhh!!!) to the Philippians: ‘And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Wherefore God also hath exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in the earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:8-11)
Then in the Book of Revelation, John writes thus of Jesus: ‘These shall make war with the Lamb (Jesus), and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.’ (Rev; 17:14)
Yes my people, “Lord of lords and King of kings” is a title used in the Bible to describe Jesus, affirming his supreme sovereignty and authority over all earthly and heavenly rulers. The idea of Jesus being King of kings and Lord of lords means that there is no higher authority. His reign over all things is absolute and inviolable. And that’s the gospel truth! There is no higher authority than Jesus! And it’s high time that we sincerely believe it and begin to live our lives in a manner becoming His called, His chosen and faithful! Much LOVE!
…if we are indeed the called and chosen…we are doing a terrible job of showing it to the world… for we are definitely not faithful enough…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a name above every name, a welcome sight, above all nations of the earth, all these blessings shall come on thee, an obedient heart, at the name of Jesus, attempt to remove God from our society, be obedient to God's commands, became obedient unto death, behaviour that's respectful of rules and laws, Bible, blessings, bright sunshine, burdensome, by the things he suffered, Christ is the best example of obedience, christianity, compliance with an order, deepen my breath, do all God's commandments, eternal death, eternal life, even the death of the cross, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, faith, fear of punishment, formed out of habit, found in fashion as a man, gain greater intimacy with God, God hath highly exalted him, grow in spiritual maturity, his commandments are not grievous, holy spirit, humbled himself, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, in sincerity and truth, increase my awareness of you today, it's all for our benefit, Jesus Christ, Jesus christ is Lord, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, learned obedience, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, living for Christ is about obedience, Lord I want to be with you now, LOVE, made himself of no reputation, man spoils and destroys everything he touches, man's negative touch, mercy, obedience for blessings, obedience is the key to unlocking God's promises, obedience unto righteousness, obey god rather than men, peace of god, quiet my soul, reflecting off beautiful snow, relax my muscles, repented, responsibility of duty, rewards for obedience, sacrifice more, salvation, sinful and prideful nature, slow my thoughts, snow is beautiful untouched by humans, submission to authority, suffered terrible misfortune, take umbrage, thank you for this tenderness, the awesome power of sincere prayer, the Israelites veered from the commandments, the Lord will set thee on high, the Ten Commandments, this is the love of God, though he were a Son, to our own detriment, to the glory of God the Father, transactional obedience, truth, turned back to God, we keep His commandments, wisdom, yet learned he obedience, you can't be contained, your peace and love are present
1 John 5:3. For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (burdensome).
Well friends, it’s a sunshiny, chilly, windy and white lazy-day Saturday! The snow’s not an awful lot, but enough to make life difficult if you choose to venture out. So, it’s as good a time as any to stay home…unless you really have to go out. Stay home, look out your window, and admire the bright sunshine reflecting off of the beautiful snow. And snow is definitely beautiful… that’s before it comes into contact with man. But that’s no surprise, since man spoils and destroys everything he touches.
Anyway, enough with man’s negative touch, let’s get positive and offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with all sincerity and truth. As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And as always, if we’re sincere in our prayer, then the peace and calmness of God soon begins filling our hearts, minds, bodies and souls. That’s the awesome power of sincere prayer! And hopefully, in this new year of 2025, we will all rise to a new level of sincerity in our prayer, since we’ve made it our New Year’s resolution to grow in spiritual maturity and gain a greater intimacy with our most wonderful God! And it all begins with sincerity of prayer and a faithful, willing and obedient heart.
Yes friends, living for Christ is all about obedience! And what’s obedience eh? It’s basically compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another’s authority. Or, as another definition puts it: ‘Obedience is behavior that’s respectful and mindful of rules and laws.’ And that’s it; obedience is doing the appropriate thing in the appropriate manner, at the appropriate time. (smile)
And according to one commentary, there are four basic kinds of obedience: ‘Obedience done out of fear of punishment. Learned obedience, formed out of habit taught by parents or society. Transactional obedience for the blessings, benefits, and rewards. Obedience performed as a responsibility of duty, obligation, and faith.’ And I guess our obedience to God can be a combination of the last three, because we are taught it by our parents, we do it to receive rewards and blessings, and it’s a responsibility of our faith.
But enough with definitions, let’s see what the Lord’s Word says about obedience. And brother, there are indeed so many scriptures that speak about the subject, that we can only consider a few. However, let’s first note this important point; obedience is the key to unlocking the promises of God. Let’s never forget that! Unless we are obedient to God’s will, we will never unlock the promises and blessings He has in store for us.
And it all begins very early on, as the children of Israel journeyed through the wilderness to the Promised land, with Moses informing them thus: ‘And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.’ (Deut. 28:1-2)
Oh my people, it could not be any clearer than that! And Moses goes on to list blessings from verse 3 to verse 14. However, he listed curses and misfortunes for disobedience from verse 15 to verse 68. Now that surely tells us how important obedience is in the Lord’s sight. And the basic commandments were given to them at the foot of Mt. Sinai when Moses came down with the two tablets of stone written on by the Lord, containing what we call The Ten Commandments, which we can find in Exodus 20:1-17.
And if you look at them, they are not really hard to obey, as John tells us in his first epistle: ‘For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (burdensome).’ (1 John 5:3) But with our sinful and prideful nature, we take umbrage at obeying some of them. But that’s only to our own detriment. And if our society were to follow those same Ten Commandments today, it would be such a wonderful place.
And please note that every time the Israelites veered from those commandments, they suffered terrible misfortune; wars, captivity, plagues, etc. etc. And when they came to their senses, repented and turned back to God, He blessed them again. This is just to say, that maybe, if we repent and turn back to God, He will bless us, and our world would not be as strife and disaster filled as it is. For there is absolutely no doubt that we have turned away from God, so far away, that we are attempting to totally remove Him for our society. Which anyone of faith knows is impossible!
And Jesus also said it loud and clear to the disciples, and consequently to us: ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) It’s as simple as that! And it’s obvious by our lack of obedience that we don’t LOVE Him! Meanwhile, Bruh Paul admonishes us in Romans 6, when he writes: ‘Know ye not, that to whom ye yield (present) yourselves servants to obey, his servants (slaves) ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness.’ (Rom. 6:16) Yes, we’re either slaves to Satan which leads to eternal death, or obedient to the Lord, which leads to eternal life.
And remember when Peter and the other apostles were imprisoned and beaten by the Jewish leaders and severely warned to stop preaching Christ crucified, what was their answer? ‘Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.’ (Acts 5:29) Now that would be such a welcome sight in this society, if more of us would begin obeying God more than men.
And there’s no better example of obedience that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Listen to Bruh Paul as he writes to the Philippians. ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made of himself no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (emptied himself of all his privileges):
And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:5-11)
Oh my fellow saints, Christ was the very example of obedience! Do you think He really wanted to go to the cross and experience that terrible ‘sufferation’ for our abominable sins? No! But because the Father desired it, He became obedient and did it. And yuh see the rewards He received for that obedience? A name higher than any other name, at which every knee must someday bow! In light of all that, why can’t we sacrifice a little more and be obedient to God’s commands eh? Remember, it’s all for our benefit, not His! Much LOVE!
…though he were a son…yet learned he obedience…by the things he suffered… (Heb. 5:8)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Christian's witness, a servant like attitude, a strong will, able to drink the cup I shall drink, at the name of Jesus, be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with, became obedient unto death, being in the form of God, Bible, christianity, curse, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, exercise dominion over them, god, God also exalted him, he that shall humble himself shall be exalted, humility, I have given you and example, if any man desire to be first, If I your Lord and Master have washed your feet, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, let this mind be in you, LOVE, made himself of no reputation, made in the likeness of men, moved with indignation, negative word, prosperity, self-control, self-discipline, servant hood., success, the name that's above every other name, the princes of the Gentiles, the same shall be last of all, the servant of all, thought it not robbery, Thursday Blessings, to be equal with God, took upon him the form of a servant, whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased, wisdom, ye also ought to wash one another's feet, ye should do as I have done unto you
Matthew 23:12. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased (humbled); and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted (lifted up).
So we’ve rolled into Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week, but in the background we are busy with all the preparations for the celebration of Mother’s Day this weekend. And hopefully it will be a grand old time for the many wonderful mothers in our world. Anyway I’m chuckling here, because I don’t know how many of you realized that I went off on a tangent yesterday on the subject of pride, when I really meant to deal more with Jesus words on the subject of servant hood. But let’s see if we can do that today nuh. (smile)
As Jesus says in yesterday’s Bit: ‘If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, the servant of all.’ (Mark 9:35) And apparently, according to Matthew, this question came up after the mother of Zebedee’s children, James and John, came to Jesus with a request: ‘Grant that these two my sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
They say unto him, We are able. And he saith unto them, ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with (His suffering and death): but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren (brothers).’ (Matt. 20:21-24)
Yuh see people, life back then was no different to what it is now; everybody’s seeking self-aggrandizement by whatever means they can, even to the level that two of the disciples get their mother to go and ask Jesus to make them His right hand people. The Bible then tells us: ‘But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion (lord it) over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
But it shall not be so among you: but whosever will be great among you, let him be your minister (servant). And whosoever will be chief (first) among you, let him be your servant (slave): Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto (served), but to minister (serve), and to give his life a ransom for many.’ (Matt. 20:25-28)
Yes friends, the whole purpose of Jesus coming to earth was to be crucified and to show us a servant like attitude in our dealings with each other and the world, which He desires to see from His followers. We see that in His words after washing the disciples feet on the night before he was crucified. ‘If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done unto you.’ (John 13:14-15)
And Bruh Paul immortalized those words in his own way, when he wrote to the Philippians: ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (emptied himself of his privileges): And being found in the fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Wherefore God also exalted him, and given him the name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:5-11)
That says it all friends! Despite being deity, Jesus humbled Himself to come to earth and walk amongst mankind as an ordinary, compassionate human being, then sacrificing His sinless life to pay for our abominable sins. And because of that humility and sacrifice, the Father exalted Him above everyone else! Now that corroborates these fateful words of Jesus to the Pharisees when He denounced hypocrisy. ‘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)
Yes my fellow believers, humility is the watchword of Christ’s ministry. Now, that doesn’t mean we have to allow others to use and abuse us, but we don’t have to put on unnecessary airs and graces either, and try to show off and boast of our earthly wealth and power. We simply need to get down and dirty whenever it’s called for, to daily pick up our crosses and follow Jesus, wherever He may lead us; knowing that He will never lead us astray. And I sincerely hope that today’s lesson will reverberate very positively in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds and help us deny the foolish boastfulness, power hungry, self-seeking and greedy attitudes of this ungodly and evil world.
Now let’s declare (awright!!!) and thus activate our Thursday Blessings, so generously given to us by the Lord to do His earthly work. As one 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 acknowledged those blessings, it now behooves us to go out and use them to help others, in the same generous manner as our great God, so that they can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…without humility…a Christian’s witness is a lie…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
07 Apr 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: actions speak louder than words, All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name, at the name of Jesus, baptizing them, Bible, christianity, crown him Lord of all, display brotherly love, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, faith, go ye therefore and teach all nations, god, hymns, I am with you always, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, Jesus is Christ the Lord., join the everlasting song, King of Kings, let every kindred every tribe, lift our voices, Lord of Lords, LOVE, on this terrestial ball, shrp-tongued, the form of a servant, the Great Commission, wisdom, yonder sacred throng
Philippians 2:10a & 11a. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow … And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord…
So it’s another Sunday in the life…the one after the biggest in our faith – Easter Sunday! And we’re still celebrating Christ’s triumphant resurrection though not as intently as last week. The tempo has quietened somewhat, but the awesome memories of that marvellous day still remain burned in our memories forever and tickle us to death (smile) when we remember what it meant – our own resurrection and eternal life in the company of our awesome Triune God! Nothing could be sweeter than that my fellow believers!
And today in the Lord’s sanctuary, we’re going to give Him some thanks and praise for all that He’s done for us, through this glorious hymn “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name.” It is one of the most popular Christian hymns, and is often referred to as the ‘National Anthem of Christendom.’ The lyrics were written by Edward Perronet (1721-1792) a prominent British Pastor at one time affiliated with the Wesley’s of the Methodist persuasion, but afterwards became a pastor of a dissenting congregation.
And there’s this fascinating commentary re Mr. Perronet and His unusual predisposition. ‘It is interesting that those who express the most eloquent praise are often the people we would deem the least likely to have the ability. Yet David, the adulterating, murdering, lying king of Israel wrote a good deal of the Psalms, which we still use today as our guide for worship. In the same way, all accounts show Rev. Edward Perronet to be a sharp-tongued, difficult personality, who would rather pick a fight over theology than display brotherly LOVE.’
But whatever Mr. Perronet’s fault(s), he wrote a beautiful hymn, that we shall now use to offer up our sincere sacrifices of sweet, savoured praise in a mid-tempo version. So with true heartfelt emotion, let’s sing: ‘All hail the power of Jesus’ Name! Let angels prostrate fall; Let angels prostrate fall; Bring forth the royal diadem, And crown him, crown him, crown him, And crown him Lord of all. Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race, Ye ransomed of the fall, Ye ransomed of the fall, Hail him who saves you by his grace, And crown him, crown him, crown him, And crown him Lord of all.
Sinners, whose LOVE can ne’er forget The wormwood and the gall, The wormwood and the gall, Go, spread your trophies at His feet And crown him, crown him, crown him, And crown him Lord of all. Let ev’ry kindred, ev’ry tribe, On this terrestrial ball, On this terrestrial ball, To him all majesty ascribe, And crown him, crown him, crown him, And crown him Lord of all. O that with yonder sacred throng We at his feet may fall; We at His feet may fall; We’ll join the everlasting song, And crown him, crown him, crown him, And crown him Lord of all.’
Oh most certainly will we crown Jesus Lord of all! In fact the Father has already done it, as Bruh Paul writes in Philippians: ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (emptied himself of his heavenly privileges):
And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:5-11)
Wow! What a magnificent Son, Warrior, Leader and fine example Jesus is to us all! Although He was deity Himself, He didn’t noise it about, boast about it, but became a servant in man’s likeness to do the work His Father desired of Him, and thus the Father exalted Him like no one else. We call Jesus the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords! Wow! It could get no better than that! But I’m getting carried away with my own excitement, (smile) and there’s this commentary that I badly want to share about the hymn itself.
It says: ‘This hymn is a declaration of praise, but it’s also much more than that. The words both declare the majesty of Christ and task us with making that majesty known to all. Like many hymns describing the glory of God and the hope that one day all people will see that glory, this hymn alludes to Philippians 2:9-11: “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” We long for this day, and declare our hope in its arrival in the text of this hymn.
But are we willing to declare that hope to those who have not heard it? The phrase, “Easier said than done” comes to mind here. After we have sung these words of victory and longing, what do we do? Do we act on those words and turn our expectancy into realities? Or do we wait for someone else to do it for us? The fourth stanza of this great hymn declares, “We’ll join the everlasting song….” Everlasting means that we are a part of that song right now – are we willing to lift our voices together to sing more than a hymn, and truly crown our God Lord of all?’
Now that’s a most valid question my fellow believers! Do we just sing the words of the hymn, or do we put them into action in our own lives, while sharing the fascinating facts and sentiments with others? The only way to truly crown Christ as Lord is by being excited about Him and the amazing, selfless work He did on our behalf, and telling others about Him, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do. We cannot truly honour Jesus, by simply mouthing the words to a hymn, but activating those words in a manner that will cause others to want to hear them, then themselves share with others.
That’s what Jesus meant when He gave us the Great Commission: ‘Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples) of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:19-20)
And having sung that great hymn with heartfelt gusto, it now behooves us to go out and spread the good news of His gospel, put it into action! Much LOVE!
…actions usually speak louder than words…it’s time for Christians to make their actions heard…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
04 Apr 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a name above every other name, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, at the name of Jesus, be of good cheer, beside still waters, bet your bottom dollar, choose life, christianity, come unto me, curse, Easter Sunday, every knee shall bow, every tongue confess, faith, fro glory to glory, fulfillment, god, God also highly exalted him, Good Friday, good vibes, I am meek and lowly in heart, i have overcome the world, I will you rest, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, Jesus in our hearts souls bodies and minds, Jesus is our Good Shepherd, Jesus is our Guide and Leader, King of Kings, leads us to green pastures, learn of me, let it rain, let not your heart be troubled, Lord of Lords, LOVE, my burden is light, my peace I give to you, my yoke is easy, negative word, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth, paid our sin debt in full, peace, Peace i leave with you, refreshes our weary souls, salvation, self-discipline, set before you life and death, success, supernatural strength, take my yoke upon you, that both thou and thy seed shall live, the awesome power of Christ's resurrection, the Easter season, turbulent times, wisdom
Matthew 11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
And the good vibes of this Easter Season still percolate strongly through our faith on this wet Thursday spring morning in early April. Thankfully, the rain has let up some, and the li’l snow we got has already disappeared. However, the promise of rain is still in the forecast. But as I like to say: ‘Let it rain, let it rain! With Jesus in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, rain cannot stop us from moving forward with Him!’ No sir! For Jesus is our Guide and Leader, our Good Shepherd, who leads us to green pastures, beside still waters and restores or refreshes our burdened and weary souls.
That means, if we are wise, we will quickly take Him up on His Great Invitation. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Oh friends, there is absolutely no better invitation in all the world! You can bet your bottom dollar on that!
And Jesus, having died on Good Friday and paid our sin debt in full, then risen on Easter Sunday and proclaimed the awesome power of His resurrection, He now sits at the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf, highly exalted for His work on the cross. As the Good Library tells it: ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:9-11)
Wow mih bredrin! Jesus, for His stellar, unselfish work here on earth has been proclaimed King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the name that’s above all names! That means, if possible, He is now even more able to offer us the peace and rest that we so desperately need in these tremulous and turbulent times, than when He first offered that invitation while here with us on Mother Earth. So why are many more of us not turning to Him for the comfort, relief and solace He so readily offers eh? Why instead are so many of us leaving His church, turning away from Him and all the wonderful things He offers?
I truly don’t know why, neither can I understand why in this age of turmoil and confusion we would run away from the ONE source of true peace and comfort in this evil and ungodly world. My people, please, I plead with us to remember these most important words of Jesus on the subject of peace in this strife-filled world. He says: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27)
Right there you have it friends! Jesus’ peace is an entirely different kind of peace from what this ungodly world offers as peace. And furthermore, when you have the peace of Jesus, you don’t have to be worried and anxious about what’s happening in the world, or even in your particular situation, because He will keep you peaceful if you live for Him. And Jesus second quote on peace comes just after He tells the disciples about His upcoming crucifixion, acknowledging that in their fear they would scatter like rats at the presence of a cat. (smile)
Nonetheless, He comforts them with these words. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And yes, we all know that it’s hard to have peace when we’re undergoing trials and tribulations, but if we put our complete trust in Jesus, surrender our all to Him, He will give us the necessary peace to go about our business without too much worry and anxiety. That’s His absolute promise! And I’m here to testify to it.
But unfortunately, it doesn’t happen overnight. However, as you draw closer to Jesus; pray, read and understand more of His Word and put it into action in your own life, you find yourself being less and less worried and anxious, because little by little, you’re experiencing His faithfulness in your life. Your faith grows stronger as He slowly raises you from glory to glory! Now that my fellow believers is the least we can ask of our Saviour. But the truth of the matter is that He has a lot more to offer us, if we will only turn to Him seriously and sincerely!
As He says in His Invitation; you will find rest for your souls, an easy yoke, a light burden, plus stuff like forgiveness of sins, salvation and eternal life with Him wherever He might be. Now what can be better than that eh? Certainly not our only other option; that of sojourning in hell with Satan and his band of evil doers. But it’s all up to the individual. The Lord gave us free choice, hoping that we’d choose Him, over Satan. Thus Moses’ exhortation to the Israelites in the wilderness: ‘I call heaven and earth to record (as witnesses) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessings and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19)
It could not be said any clearer than that my fellow saints. Now the ball is in our court. Please play it wisely. And our God is so wonderful that He even bestows on us undeserved blessings to profitably share His Word on the earth. We call them our Thursday Blessings, but there’s one proviso; a blessing is not a blessing until it’s declared (yesss!!!). So let’s declare (awright!!!) them right now nuh. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (yeahhh!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings for the benefit of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…why choose sorrowful death…when there’s glorious life to be chosen…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
13 Feb 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a name above every other name, became obedient unto death, Carnival Tuesday, Christ's sacrificial death, come unto me all ye that labour, do our bounden duty, everlasting life, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, hurry, I am meek and lowly, I am the bread of life, I will give you rest, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, let this mind be in you, LOVE, mafe himself of no reputation, make Jesus the number one priority, my yoke is easy and my burden light, negative consequences, raise him up at the last day, salvation, share His love with my neighbour, that Jesus Christ is Lord, the beloved of God, the Great Invitation of Jesus, thought it not robbery, to be equal with God, to the glory of God the Father, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, wisdom, worry, ye also ought to wash one another's feet
John 13:15. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
And then it was Tuesday; Carnival Tuesday, the big day of the pre-Lenten celebration, when all the real pretty costumes come out and everybody is anxiously waiting to see them. Let’s hope that the crowd will be satisfied with what they see and that there will be no negative consequences to befall the occasion. And just like yesterday, many of us less fortunate ones, have to go out into the crazy world to earn a living, instead of partying in some exotic part of God’s great earth. (smile)
But them’s the breaks friends; some of us can, and some of us can’t. It’s just the luck of the draw, and we have to accept it without too much disappointment and just move on with our bland, unexciting daily lives. However, here’s a li’l secret you ought to know: If you have Jesus as the number One priority in your Life, then your life will never be boring or unexciting! Now, it might be somewhat more difficult, but it will never be boring, for Jesus will keep you busy doing all sorts of interesting things. So, if you don’t have Jesus in your life, then I sincerely recommend that you get Him, and then put Him first place, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the changes that will occur in your life.
And if you don’t believe me, then listen to Jesus Himself as He issues this call, that we term the Great Invitation. He says: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly (gentle and humble) in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Yes mih bredrin, that’s the Great Invitation issued by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and you’ll be wise to take Him up on it, because there’s none other like it, and no other person who can make such an invitation and also keep it! That’s a given fact: ONLY Jesus has the awesome power to both make such a wonderful invitation and also keep it!
And if you’re still bedeviled by doubt, then listen to Jesus once again as He reiterates His awesome promise. ‘I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth in me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise (certainly not) cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. and this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I shall lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.’ (John 6:35-40)
There you go friends; Jesus is the bread of life, the One who gives life; that’s eternal life. And He can do that because of His sacrificial death on the cross at Calvary, then His awesome resurrection on Easter Sunday, meaning that He has conquered hell, death and the grave. That gives Him the authority to raise up those who believe in Him from death unto eternal life. Now isn’t that something you’d much prefer rather than eternal damnation in hell with the evil one Satan? Bet yuh bottom dollar! Now that tells us about Christ’s supernatural power, but here is some scripture that shows His humility.
The night before His crucifixion, after Jesus had eaten the Passover meal with His disciples, He took off his clothes, put on a towel and washed their feet. Now how many supposed Masters or men of high worldly status would ever do such a thing eh? Very few! But our Jesus did it, and here’s what He said afterward. ‘Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord, neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.’ (John 13:12-17)
Wow mih people! What an awesomely powerful, but also gentle and humble man is our Jesus! And though He was also deity, God in the flesh, He didn’t make any waves about it, just went about His humble way, preaching the gospel of the kingdom and inviting people to come to Him for salvation, as His heavenly Father had sent him to do. And Bruh Paul enshrined that behaviour in the scriptures when he wrote thus to the church at Philippi. ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (emptied himself of his heavenly privileges): And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every other name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:5-11)
Yes my fellow saints, that gives us a general idea of our Lord and Saviour’s humility, obedience and exalted power because He wasn’t striving to collect accolades for Himself, but steadfastly and sincerely concentrated on doing His Father’s bidding. Let’s hope that we will also concentrate on doing Christ’s bidding rather than trying to raise accolades for ourselves.
Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, telling the whole world to whom we joyfully 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, it’s now our bounden duty 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!
…the only way to live this earthly life successfully…believe in Christ…and follow His example…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
21 Dec 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: at the name of Jesus, be ye also ready, became obedient unto death, being in the form of God, compassion, empathy, endure to the end, eternity in hell with Satan, even the death of the cross, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, for in such an hour as ye think not, found in fashion as a man, given him a name above every other name, glad to be alive, God hath highly exalted him, God sent not His Son to condemn the world, halfway home, hands on the plough, humbled himself, Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, Jesus is the answer, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, LOVE, made himself of no reputation, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not turning back, our eternal benefit, pay a hefty price, suffer in hellfire for all eternity, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the incarnate birth of Christ, the Son of man cometh, the world through him might be saved, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, ye know not what hour your Lord doth come
Philippians 2:5. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Three down, three to go, then the Big Day friends; a celebration of the incarnate birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Wow! The only thing to compare to it is His resurrection! So how can we not LOVE and worship Christ eh? He was born, died and rose again ALL for us, for our eternal benefit! If it wasn’t for out abominable sins and disobedience, there would have been no need for Him to be born, much less to die!
But then again, the Father’s LOVE for us was so great that He could not see His greatest creation suffer in hellfire for all eternity with the ole foolish crook Satan and not do something to help us. And since the Father is righteous and just, He couldn’t just wave away our sins, it needed a sinless soul to redeem us. And since Jesus was the only sinless soul besides Him, the burden of our redemption fell on Jesus. And since Jesus was also the obedient Son that none of us could, or would ever be, He did what the Father asked, despite the great ‘sufferation’ that it held in store for Him.
And this scripture from Bruh Paul’s writing to the church at Philippi, should resonate ever so loudly in our ears this Christmas season. ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made (came) in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:5-8)
Oh my supposed fellow believers, where is our gratitude, our compassion, our empathy, our supposed LOVE of God eh? Doesn’t it seem shameful and disgraceful to you that Christ did so much for us and we can’t even remember that He’s the reason for this Christmas season. We concentrate on giving and receiving presents, on eating and drinking, and we talk a lot of foolishness about ‘Happy holidays!’ But where did the happiness and the holidays come from eh? From the birth of Christ!
So please, let’s not forget the word Christmas and the reason for this worldwide celebration; the li’l baby boy that was born in the manger on that cold winter’s night that was oh so deep. The same li’l boy that grew up to become the Saviour of the world. As He took such great pains to tell us: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17)
Yes friends, that was Jesus’ sole purpose for coming to earth; to save our sinful souls. And He deserves much more thanks, gratitude and praise from the very ones that He came to save than he’s currently getting! It’s a crying shame my brethren, that we don’t appreciate Jesus more than we do! For all He‘s done, we should be constantly bowing down to Him and offering our grateful thanks and praise.
But yuh know what? That will eventually happen, because the Father is not ungrateful like us, and consequently gave Jesus the highest honour possible. Listen as Bruh Paul explains it to the Philippians: ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of the things in heaven, and the things in earth, and the things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:9-11)
Yuh see the great difference between the Father and us? He exalted Christ for His obedience, made His name revered for the most excellent work He had done. But no, we the frail, feeble, foolish, created minions, think it too much to glorify His name, although it was all for our benefit. And for that rejection of Christ Jesus, we will pay a most hefty price; eternity in hell, with that other foolish creation, Satan.
But thankfully, it’s not too late my people. Once we are alive, are still drawing the breath that Almighty God breathed into us, we still have a chance to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour and thus forego the eternal date with Beelzebub in the hot and humid chambers of Hades. But let’s put it all in proper context: If you die without receiving Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, or He returns to earth as He faithfully promised before you receive Him, then all bets are off.
That’s why the wise and sensible thing to do is not wait, but receive Him, as your most worthwhile benefactor RIGHT NOW! For no one knows when the Grim Reaper is going to come a calling, or when Jesus is going to show up. Jesus even warned us that He might come like a thief in the night, so we must always be prepared and ready. ‘Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come…Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 24: 42, 44)
Yes friends, we cannot say that we have not been warned. Now, for those of us who have received Christ as Lord and Saviour, and are doing our best to live for Him, let’s go home declaring (yayyy!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful and most enviable position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And for a li’l encouragement, let’s remember that if endure to the end with Christ, that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! Wow! Won’t that be a great time! Yes! The greatest time ever! Much LOVE!
…Jesus is the answer…the answer to every doubt and question…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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