The Amazing Consequences of Faith and Fear in a Believer’s Life! Part 1.

16 Dec 2025 Leave a comment

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

Luke 1:46-47.         And Mary said, My soul doth magnify (exalt) the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

And then it was nine… Yes friends, nine more days to Christmas Day from this cold and somewhat cloudy Tuesday. Hope you are getting all your stuff done, while keeping uppermost in your minds that the amazing incarnate birth of Jesus Christ is the reason for this glorious season, and make it known to all with whom you come into contact. Today, I want to continue with the story of Mary, Jesus’ Mother, after she courageously and faithfully accepted the offer from God to bear His Son, despite knowing the serious consequences such an undertaking would cause in her young life. 

Now, after Mary had agreed to bear Jesus, the Bible tells us: ‘And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted (greeted) Elisabeth. And it came to pass that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation (greeting) of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spoke out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. 

An whence is this to me (why is it) that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon the voice of thy salutation (greeting) sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. and blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance (fulfillment) of those things which were told her from the Lord.’ (Luke 1:39-45) 

Ah mih people, our God does move in mysterious and interesting ways. Here, through the Holy Ghost, He allows Elisabeth to understand that Mary would be the mother of the Messiah, the long awaited Saviour of Israel. And I like how He adds the little part of John the Baptist jumping for joy in His mother’s womb when she hears Mary’s voice. 

Oh friends, there’s no better playwright than our God! He knows when to add all the little nuances, subtleties, and variations with different shades of tone, light etc., to grab our attention. And the Lord wrote one of His best works on that day, for after Mary heard Elisabeth’s  moving and godly greeting, she broke out in joyful song, what we know today as the Magnificat, which the scholars tell us is based on the first word of the Latin translation (the Vulgate.) 

The Bible continues: ‘And Mary said, My soul doth magnify (exalt) the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate (lowly state) of his handmaiden (maidservant): for, behold, from henceforth all nations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. 

He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats (thrones), and exalted them of low degrees (the lowly). He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen (helped) his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed forever.’ (Luke 1:46-55) 

Wow mih bredrin! Mary must really have known her scripture for she has interwoven stuff from all different places in the Old Testament. And her soliloquy sounds like that of Hannah, the prophet Samuel’s mother when she thanked the Lord for breaking her barrenness and giving her a son, (1 Sam. 2:1-11) whom, as she had promised (1 Sam. 1:11) she gave back to Him to do His work with Eli, the priest. (1 Sam. 1:24-28) 

And if you don’t think that Mary possessed great faith as a young girl, then compare her scenario to this one with Zacharias, the priest, who eventually became John the Baptist’s father. The Bible tells the story thus: ‘There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia (one of the divisions of Jewish priests): and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken (advanced) in years. 

And it came to pass that while he (Zacharias) executed the priests office (did his priestly duties) before God in the order of his course (division), According to the custom of priest’s office, his lot (he was chosen by lot) to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without (outside) at the time of the incense. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 

But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness: and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink: and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias (Elijah), to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’ (Luke 1:5-17) 

Oh friends, right there we see the difference between Mary and Zacharias; she was troubled by Gabriel’s greeting, but apparently not afraid, while Zacharias was both troubled and afraid. And we’ll see what happens to Zacharias because of his fear tomorrow, when we continue with the story, obviously if God spares life. (smile) 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 said that 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!

…fear is the devil’s handiwork…while faith is God’s…

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

Some of the Dramatic Scripture involved in Christ’s Birth!

10 Dec 2024 Leave a comment

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

Luke 1:46-47.       And Mary said, My soul doth magnify (exalt) the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

This Tuesday morning, a couple of weeks before Christmas doesn’t give one the enthusiasm to be up and about the Father’s business, because it’s wet, cloudy and chilly, with no signs whatsoever of the sun hovering in the background. There’s even an advisory warning about fog. But despite the inclement weather, we still need to get out there and work for Jesus. Remember, to be true disciples, we need to pick up our crosses every day and bear them the way that He did His. 

And in this Christmas Season, there’s nothing better to put a smile on our faces and a li’l pep in our steps than remembering all the drama, the machinations and nuances the Lord placed in the amazing story of Christ’s miraculous birth. So, let’s continue from where we left off yesterday, where the angel spoke to Mary about the birth of Jesus, and then Joseph was advised to marry her despite the very serious circumstances.  

Now, what does Mary do after she gracefully informs the angel Gabriel: ‘Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.’ (Luke 1:38) Well the Bible tells us: ‘And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted (greeted) Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation (greeting) of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: 

And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence (why) is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation (greeting) sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. and blessed is she that (who) believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.’ (Luke 1:39-45) 

Oh friends, isn’t our God a great dramatist? Of course! Who else would have thrown in a li’l tidbit to Mary about her cousin Elizabeth’s pregnancy, knowing that it would drive Mary to seek out the hitherto barren woman? And who else would have filled Elisabeth with the knowledge of what was happening with Mary but the Holy Ghost who made His sudden appearance when Mary greeted her. What I like most about that story though is how John the Baptist leaped with joy in his mother’s womb when he heard Mary’s call. He knew that the mother of his cousin Jesus, the one he was coming to light the way for was nearby. 

Oh my people, only our good God could make such miraculous things a reality. And who knows, if Mary had already been impregnated by the Holy Ghost, the two children might have had their own womb-based conversations. (smile) For remember, with God, nothing is impossible! Now, how is that for a story to put a smile on your face this inclement Tuesday morning eh! And since it’s all about Jesus, it must be out of the ordinary, dramatic and not always understandable by mere humans. 

It’s like the Lord said through the prophet Isaiah. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) That’s telling us friends! Most of what God does is way beyond our finite understanding, and if were able to understand it all, then we wouldn’t have any need for a God. 

And after Elisabeth’s blessing and encouragement, comes one of the most beautiful passages of scripture, one we call ‘The Magnificat.’ Joyful words mouthed by Mary that shows her deep conviction. Please read those beautiful words of divine understanding with me. ‘And Mary said, My soul doth magnify (exalt) the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low esteem (lowly state) of his handmaiden (maidservant): for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. 

And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats (thrones), and exalted them of low degree (lowly). He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen (helped) his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.’ (Luke 2:46-55) 

Now, how many teenagers today could rattle off such scriptural stuff eh? Not many, if any. And though back then the children were brought up learning and memorizing scripture from early days, we can still see the power of the Holy Ghost working in Mary as she emptied her soul before the Lord. I wonder though, if she understood right then, how hard it would be for her as her esteemed Son went through a most difficult life. 

I guess that’s why having given birth to Jesus in the stable and the shepherds came and saw him and noised about all that they had heard from the heavenly host, the Bible tells us: ‘But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.’ (Luke 2:19) And that’s not the only time it says so. Obviously Mary was a thoughtful woman. She had to be after undergoing such extraordinary godly favour. 

But on the other side of the coin, the reality of the situation, that she could do nothing about, seeing the ‘sufferation’ her fist born son had to endure, must have broken her heart several times during her lifetime. But sometimes that’s the price we have to pay while doing God’s work, the sacrifices we make, as we daily take up our crosses and follow Him. 

The Bible then concludes that aspect of Mary’s story by saying, ‘And Mary abode with her (Elisabeth) about three months, and returned to her own house.’ (Luke 1:56) Can you imagine the conversations between those two blessed women, or those between Jesus and John the Baptist in their wombs? (smile) Remember, anything’s possible with our God! 

And, having put a smile on our faces, and lifted our spirits some, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all the 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!’ 

Now friends, we are 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!

…without the birth of Jesus…there’d be no Christmas…or eventual salvation…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   18 January 2022 Psalm 107:8.

18 Jan 2022 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 107:8.       He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.  

And the big cleanup is in progress this bright, sunshiny Tuesday morning after the big storm yesterday. And it was a real big one, one like we haven’t seen possibly in a decade. My driveway is clean now, but not the lane, especially the entrance to it, where the snow plow just moves up and down the main road cleaning that, while blocking  up the laneways with piles of unpassable snow.

The lanes are always left for last, though I don’t know how they expect us to get to a clean main road, if we can’t get out of our lanes. And when they do the lanes they block up the driveways, so that ofttimes you can’t get out because the snow pile at the bottom is so big and icy. But that’s the government for you!

Now let’s hope that we don’t get any more snowfalls even close to the magnitude of this one, because then we’ll hear that they’ve run out of money to do the clean up properly. Steups! Every year they raise the taxes that’s supposed to pay for that amenity, but every year they clam to run out of money. Is it just bad money management…or something entirely different eh? (smile)

But that’s a story for another day. Today, let’s consider something much more important – a search for righteousness, one that will automatically improve that money situation we were just talking about. (smile) Now, Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount spoke of some traits that believers ought to possess, and what happens when they possess or ardently seek them. We call them the Beatitudes, and one of them goes like this: ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt. 5:6)

But before we get into what that means, let’s look at another even important statement Jesus made later on, where He warns His listeners. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33). Now, if we are supposed to seek God’s righteousness, then that gives us some idea of how important righteousness is, and it’s a continual thing.

Once you have found God, made allegiance to Christ, you don’t ever stop searching for righteousness. And righteousness is basically wanting to do the right thing. Most of us know what’s right from wrong, but don’t always do it, being led astray by our sinful nature and the lies and deceit of the enemy and this evil world. And seeking righteousness is just trying not to be led astray, through reading God’s word, meditating on it, praying, mingling with other believers, and accepting His promises for your future.

And going back to our Beatitude, we find this explanation from the scholars. ‘5.6. These future possessors of the earth (referring to the previous Beatitude – blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth: Matt. 5:5) are its presently installed rightful heirs, and even now they hunger and thirst after righteousness. They experience a deep desire for personal righteousness, which in itself is a proof of their spiritual rebirth.

Those who are poor and empty in their own spiritual poverty recognizes the depth of their need, and they hunger and thirst for that which only God can give them. They shall be filled refers to a complete satisfaction. The psalmist proclaimed : ‘He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.’ (Ps. 107:9).’

Yes friends, that’s one of the many promises of our faithful God! If you come to Him spiritually hungry and thirsty, He will indeed fill your soul with His righteousness. But sadly, in these times of great spiritual hunger and thirst, of spiritual famine, not enough of us are recognizing our drastic need for spiritual awakening, and thus are not turning to Almighty God to refresh and satisfy our famished souls.

How sad is that eh? And it’s one of the reasons why our world, why Christ’s church, and our own lives are in such disarray, that we are miserable and unhappy, and not living the abundant life that Christ died for us to have, first down here on earth, and then with Him in heaven for all eternity.  Now let’s check out a few scriptures that reinforce our contention of blessedness for those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.

And the first one comes from Bruh David’s immortal, or more correctly, one of his immortal psalms. (smile) That’s Psalm 34, where he writes with exceptional confidence: ‘O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want (lack) to them that fear (revere) him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want (lack) any good thing.’ (Ps. 34:9-10) How reassuring and encouraging are those words when we take them seriously!

Then we turn to one of my favourite passages of scripture, the Magnificat, the soul and spirit baring or emptying words that Mary, Jesus’ mother spoke of her rather unusual situation when she went to visit her pregnant cousin Elizabeth, John the Baptist’s mother. Amongst her outpouring of heart-felt  words, were these, on our current topic. ‘He hath put down the mighty from their seats (thrones), and exalted them of low degree (the humble). He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent empty away.’ (Luke 1:52-53)

Oh my people, our God does take pleasure in exalting and filling the humble with good things, but those who don’t have time for Him, He leaves up to their own devices. The Lord LOVES and cares for us all, but He desires us to come to Him. In most cases, He won’t infringe on the free will that He’s given us. So the responsibility lies with us to answer His call.

And the last scripture again comes from the psalms, this time from the pen of the sons of Korah, who in Psalm 84, positively declare: ‘For the Lord is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.’ (ps. 84:11-12) And that’s the gospel truth, as all of us who trust in Christ Jesus know from long experience!

Now for those of us who sincerely seek the Lord’s kingdom and His righteousness, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and confident voice! ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’ 

Now let’s go out and action those statements like Jesus desires of us, sharing His amazing LOVE and awesome friendship with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…in Jesus…we find ALL that we need…no ifs, ands and buts about it…

P.S. They have finally cleaned my lane, but if you see the two big piles of snow they set up in front of my two neighbours’ houses, completely blocking sight of the main road. Then, as the duchess complained, there will be noise all during the night as the big trucks come to remove the snow. But that’s life! You have to put up with some discomfort to get the final comfort! (smile) Much LOVE!

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8